Jenny Frost: I’m not trying to be anything I’m not

Jun 26 2008 by Emma Johnson, Liverpool Daily Post

Former Atomic Kitten Jenny Frost tells Emma Johnson about her new ‘make-under’ show and being a mum

IT HAS been a busy 12 months for Atomic Kitten Jenny Frost. She had a baby in October, then in January the band re-leased their first single for four years, and last Monday she launched a new show for BBC Three.

Dubbed "the world’s first make- under show", Snog, Marry, Avoid? takes over-styled girls and boys, scrubbing away the slap to reveal their true beauty.

"I think I got asked to do it because I’m guilty of all the crimes that these girls have committed at some point in my life!" jokes Jenny.

"But this is a really big thing for me. Presenting is what I want to be doing now, so I’m really happy that I’m involved."

So what kind of people get the make- under treatment?

"It’s quite a diverse group," Jen admits, "but it’s not just about hair and make-up and too much fake tan – although they were the most common crimes. There’s also some Goths and some rockers.

"Some of them we left well alone, because we thought they were too individual and we’re not trying to change people. But, with some of them, it’s more of a confidence issue and the fact they don’t think they’ll look nice without it.

"To be honest, there’s some absolute nutbags that you’ll see! There’s some very strange people in this country.

"One of my favourite lines of the whole show came from a girl called Levi, who is a real sweetheart," Jenny adds. "She said: ’I’d rather have no ’ome, than no false tan’!"

During her time in Atomic Kitten, sexy Jenny was always made up by professional stylists – something she admits she got really used to.

"When you’re in a girlband, you’re at work every day. We used to go three, four months without having a day off.

"Every day you have your hair and make-up done by a team of professionals, so when you’re having a day off, you do your own make-up or don’t have any make-up on and you feel like a big pig!"

Now a 30-year-old mum, Jenny’s advice for the misguided youngsters on the show is to give their looks time – and use everything in moderation.

"I’ve definitely grown up a lot in the last five years, to have the confidence not to bother too much. Most days now, I don’t actually brush my hair.

"I walk my little boy and my dog every day, and have been papped several times and seen myself in the paper and thought, ‘What have you done?’ But I don’t actually care now. I’m not trying to be anything I’m not."

But Jenny, who became a member of Atomic Kitten in 2001, after Kerry Katona left to have a baby, admits she has been guilty of her fair share of beauty sins.

"I once got called ‘terracotta’ in a magazine – that was the moment when I thought, ‘Maybe I should lay off the bronzer!’ – but everything in moderation is OK."

Recently, Jenny rejoined her fellow Kittens Natasha and Liz for the charity single, Anyone Who Had A Heart, for the Liverpool Number One Project. But she insists they won’t record together again.

"We’ll do a gig a month to have a bit of fun because we enjoy doing it, but we’re not going to record any more music together."

Right now, family time is most important to the singer who met her DJ fiance Dom Thrupp six years ago, and she says she is enjoying being a mum to son Casper, born last year.

"I’m fortunate because Dom works nights, so between us we can look after Casper and I don’t have any nannies," she says of juggling work commitments and being a mum.

"We’re handling it quite well and I love spending time with him because he’s an absolute angel!"

Jenny says having Casper has definitely changed her priorities, including missing out on appointments with the hairdressers.

"I used to get my hair done two or three times a week. Now I’m lucky if I get there once!"

Rumours were rife the couple would tie the knot this year, but Jenny insists they don’t have any plans to get married just yet.

"I’ve come to the conclus- ion I’m not really that bothered about marriage," she admits."I know without a shadow of a doubt Dom is the person I’m going to spend the rest of my life with, so when we do get married, it will be a small affair and will be because I want the same surname as Casper and Dom to unite us as a family.

"But the whole big wedding thing, walking down the aisle, loads of people going, ’Aaah’ fills me with dread. We’ve got no plans to get married, but I’m sure we will over the next few years and it will be a small do."

* SNOG, Marry, Avoid? is on BBC Three on Mondays.

emmajohnson@dailypost.co.uk