Sunday Express Sunday Magazine – 23 August 2026

Summary

Kate Lawler, the 46-year-old Big Brother winner who once told her partner "it's not for me, babes, but I'd happily get another dog" about having children, reveals her epiphany on her 40th birthday led to motherhood and a Sunday Times bestselling book — the cover interview in the August 23, 2026 Sunday Express Sunday Magazine, priced at £1.80. The cover also promotes the 10-page puzzle section with a £250 prize and the Gtech AirRAM 2 at £249.98. For readers who follow reality-TV star updates, parenting journeys and Sunday lifestyle content, this 62-page issue delivers the standard weekly mix.

The Kate Lawler interview runs from page 4 and covers her win on Big Brother series three in 2002 at age 22, her seven-year campaigning against having children by partner Martin "Boj" Bojtos (43), her 40th-birthday turnaround, the birth of daughter Noa in 2021, and her book Maybe Baby: On The Mother Side published in 2022. She took antidepressants for eight months and employs a night nanny three nights a week. Her conclusion: "Better to give Noa a happy and healthy mum than a sibling." Regular sections include The Lifestyle Edit (p.10), Fashion (p.17), Shopping (p.23), Food (p.24), Travel (p.28), Fiction (p.32), What to Watch (p.35), Puzzles (p.52), and Horoscopes (p.62).

The Gtech promotion features the AirRAM 2 and Multi bundle at £249.98 (was £449.98, save £200) including a free Car Cleaning Kit worth £50, up to 60 minutes combined runtime, AirRAM at 3.3kg and Multi at 1.5kg, with code BV78 for free next-day delivery, offer ends October 29. The Four By Four puzzle grid features words: SLIME, SEE, KNOCK, PAN, MILES, SHOT, SLAM, WHY, SLATE, SEAT.

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Content Guide

▸ Cover Interview

p.04 · Kate Lawler
"I never wanted to be a mum, but I'm a proud mum of one and a child-free-by-choice advocate," says the 46-year-old Big Brother winner. She won series three in 2002 aged 22, watched by seven million viewers. Her partner Martin Bojtos (43) campaigned for a baby for seven years before she changed her mind at 40. Daughter Noa was born in 2021. Her book Maybe Baby: On The Mother Side was a Sunday Times bestseller in 2022. She took antidepressants for eight months and uses a night nanny three nights a week. Anyone ambivalent about parenthood should read her conclusion: she is adamant she does not want more children and it is "better to give Noa a happy and healthy mum than a sibling."

▸ Lifestyle

p.10 · The Lifestyle Edit
Seasonal home and health product picks for late August. The spread follows standard supplement format with a hero product and secondary recommendations. September shoppers should target the transition-weight home textiles.

▸ Fashion

p.17 · Fashion
Late-summer fashion picks transitioning into early autumn layers. The spread covers high-street and premium brands side by side. Wardrobe planners should invest in one mid-weight jacket that extends summer dresses into September.

▸ Shopping

p.23 · Shopping
Gadget, beauty and homeware product recommendations. The Gtech AirRAM 2 bundle dominates at £249.98 with free Car Kit worth £50. Anyone considering a cordless vacuum should compare the 60-minute runtime and 3.3kg weight against competitors at similar price points.

▸ Food

p.24 · Food
Late-August recipes using seasonal produce. The section focuses on quick midweek meals and use-it-up ideas before the September harvest shift. Home cooks should use up basil in pesto before the plants go to seed.

▸ Travel

p.28 · Travel
Late-summer short-break destinations and hotel reviews. The section covers UK coastal and European city options for the last August getaway window. Last-minute bookers should target midweek arrivals for better rates.

▸ What to Watch

p.35 · What to Watch
Seven-day TV listings from Sunday 23 to Friday 28 August, plus highlighted programmes. PVR users should check the Saturday-evening entertainment schedule for new series premieres.

▸ Puzzles

p.52 · Sunday Puzzles / Four By Four
Ten pages of puzzles including the Four By Four visual word game with a £250 prize. Grid words: SLIME, SEE, KNOCK, PAN, MILES, SHOT, SLAM, WHY, SLATE, SEAT. Regular solvers get a solid 20 minutes of material.

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Editor's Take

A surprisingly candid cover interview that earns its page count. Lawler's arc from child-free advocate to mum of one is told with unusual honesty — the seven-year timeline, the eight-month antidepressants, the three-night-a-week night nanny, and her clear conclusion that one child is enough. That specificity lifts the piece above standard reality-star Q&As. Weaknesses: the Gtech promotion dominates the advertising but adds no editorial value, and the Lifestyle Edit and Fashion sections offer nothing original. Best for readers interested in honest parenting narratives; Big Brother nostalgia fans will also find the 2002 series-three content engaging.

Strengths
• Lawler names exact timeline: 7 years campaigning, 40th-birthday epiphany, 2021 birth
• "Better to give Noa a happy mum than a sibling" is a quotable, specific conclusion
• Book Maybe Baby title and Sunday Times bestseller status are verifiable publishing data

Weaknesses
• Gtech promotion (£249.98 bundle) is the dominant product placement
• Lifestyle Edit reads as a product gallery, not editorial content

Verdict: Selective read — Lawler's parenting honesty makes the cover interview worthwhile; the rest is standard supplement padding.