A Place In The Sun’s Laura Hamilton hits out over single parenting slur after divorce

A Place In The Sun’s Laura Hamilton tells us why she’s “happier” after her divorce and revealed the one thing she “really doesn’t like” to hear from others on the situation when it comes to her children

View 4 Images

Laura Hamilton addressed the ‘challenges’ of co-parenting following her divorce(Image: @mama_yeehaw)

As the long-serving host of TV hit A Place In The Sun, Laura Hamilton has helped countless people find their dream home abroad. But back in the UK, she balances her showbiz life with being a devoted mum to her two children Rocco, 12, and 10-year-old Tahlia, whose father she split from in 2022.

“It’s a challenge, but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she insists when asked about how co-parenting with her ex is going. “I think it’s so important they spend the time they do with their dad and the time they do with me – and that is key to how wonderful they are as children.”

Article continues below

138340198666

Chatty and warm, Laura, 43, is also aware that her situation is no different from others trying to manage in similar circumstances. She explains, “Anyone who co-parents will understand that all parents have different parenting styles and when you’re co-parenting, you’re navigating the challenges of the two different styles – and communication between each other can be difficult.

View 4 Images

The daytime TV star has helped thousands of people find their dream home abroad with A Place In The Sun but has now turned her attention to YouTube (Image: @mama_yeehaw)

“But ultimately, I’d say my children are brilliant and they love the time that they spend with me and they love the time that they spent with their dad.”

And with Laura confident that her family setup is very much a positive situation for her children to be in, she opens up on one of her pet hates.

Get the biggest TV headlines, recaps and insider knowledge, plus selected offers and competitions

Subscribe

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info

“I really don’t like it when people comment and go, ‘Oh, it’s sad for the children!’ Why is it sad for children? Actually, it is brilliant for the child that they get to spend time with both parents – and that both parents are happier!” she says confidently.

And what of all those hours she spends in the sunshine, filming abroad – has it ever inspired Laura to ditch the gloomy winter weather and move abroad? Not just yet, though she is working on a renovation on a townhouse in Mallorca which will no doubt be the perfect place for summer holidays with the kids.

“Maybe long-term, when my children choose to go off on their own adventures, wherever they choose to buy property, I might end up overseas, but who knows?” she teases.

Laura’s had a brilliant, varied career so far, starting out with presenting gigs on Nickelodeon and other kids’ TV in the noughties, before cornering the property TV market.

As for A Place In The Sun, she believes the secret to its success is how “aspirational” it is – especially if you’re watching the show from cold, rainy Britain. “The weather’s grim at the moment! It’s cold, it’s rainy, but you can put Channel 4 on at 6pm and get a bit of escapism and sunshine and blue skies.

“People not only invest in property, they invest in people. Something like 75% of people actually do buy on the show. Maybe even more than that, but I’m friends with a number of people that I’ve filmed with over the years.”

View 4 Images

Laura is mother to Rocco and Tahlia and thinks it is ‘brilliant’ that they still get to spend time with both of their parents despite the split (Image: Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty I)

View 4 Images

The TV star is busier than ever with filming A Place In The Sun, creating a new wallpaper range and launching her social media platform(Image: @mama_yeehaw)

However, as is the case for so many celebrities, Laura has also experienced the darker side to fame. The Kent native recently revealed her horror at discovering that AI had been used to generate inappropriate images of her.

The government has announced plans to take action on the issue, but the star questions why it has taken so long. As she tells us, “It’s crazy that it’s been allowed to get this way. And only now is something being done about it? There are positives behind AI, but there are a lot of negatives as well. It’s just how it’s managed.

“I didn’t make a point on my social media about being a victim. I know I’m not the only one – there are lots of people out there that it’s happened to – but when people are questioning whether it’s actually you or whether it is AI, it’s like, ‘Wow!’

“But it’s not just targeting celebrities, it’s everybody. It’s a danger for children as well. It worries me, the manipulation that people can do with images!”

Article continues below

138524935301

Social media in general is a concern for Laura, she confesses, as she acknowledges that navigating it as a parent is something that her own mother and father didn’t have to even consider.

“Bullying was bad enough at school,” she recalls. “But now you still have to deal with those issues and a whole other level, with it being online. I try to restrict my two’s social media – but it’s quite hard when they see me online! I know they’ve read things about me and they’ll say, ‘We know this isn’t true,’ and we move on. I guess they’re exposed to it in a way maybe some other children haven’t been.”

She continues, “When I did Dancing On Ice in 2011, which was an incredible experience, Twitter – now known as X – had only just come about. Instagram didn’t exist and it was all about Facebook. Crazy, isn’t it?!”

Article continues below

138524630808

So, what’s next for Laura? As if her career wasn’t busy enough, she’s also turned to social media in a professional sense, with the hope, she says, of helping the younger generations get on the property ladder.

“I’m a presenter and yes, now I’ve got to be a bit of an influencer. It’s a challenge, but you’ve got to move with the times!” she laughs.

Laura has done exactly that, having just launched her own platform on social media and YouTube, which features international properties, insights into her own home renovation projects and plenty of expert advice – such as buying the “worst house on the best street” in order to maximise value.

Article continues below

138524630679

And she is determined to show younger people who might feel that owning or doing up their own home is impossible no matter what they have in the bank.

Explaining why her brand-new channel, Property With Laura Hamilton, is such a passion project, she says, “There’s lots of younger people that want to get on the property ladder or they might already be on it, but then maybe they can’t afford to do the things that they want to do on their property.

“That’s something that’s really important for me, as I haven’t come from a family that could simply just give me money for a house.”

Article continues below

She adds, “I do things myself – it’s about hard graft. There are things that I can’t afford to do on my property that would require getting the experts in – so I’ve learned to do things for myself to save money. It’s all about doing things in a savvy way.

“All the projects that I’ve done have been about being mindful of my spend, but maximising what my profit’s gonna be at the end,” she smiles. “And I can’t wait to help others do the same!”