Jamie Laing: Lockdown with girlfriend Sophie Habboo is ultimate test

Jamie Laing has described life in lockdown as the “ultimate test” for relationships.

The Made In Chelsea star is currently with girlfriend Sophie Habboo and his mother and sister in the Cotswolds, but said there have been some disagreements.

He told Laura Whitmore’s podcast Castaway: “I decided when everything was kicking off and becoming a bit hectic I decided right, I’ve got to get out of London because the thought of being in my one bedroom apartment in London I was just like I can’t do this.

“So my mum lives in the countryside so I went down to hers, living with her we’ve had about 400 arguments which is good.

“I’m with my girlfriend as well, we’ve had about three arguments which isn’t that bad, I’ve got my sister here, we’ve had one argument but if all of my family go missing I promise you it’s not me.”

Describing the challenge it poses for his relationship, he said: “It is the ultimate test, because everything is tested, you’re tested about what you want to eat, your living conditions, the way you react, the way you react to what movie you want to watch!

“Every single thing is tested and I feel like if you can go through isolation with your girlfriend, your partner, your parents or your family, whoever it is, you can get through most things.”

However, Laing said he has appreciated the opportunity to slow down that has come from life in lockdown.

He said: “It’s an amazing thing and I think that what’s happened is we’ve become such a generation that if we’re not up at 6am in the morning going to the gym and doing this and that we’re considered lazy, but in fact that’s not what success is at all, success is about having strong relationships, good friends, good empathy, loyalty.

“I think what we were doing is running ourselves in to the ground, we work all the time and my biggest fear actually is that I was going to suddenly stop and I’d be like ‘Well, what do I do now?’

“I can’t do anything and actually, stopping and relaxing and appreciating life which we’re all having to do right now is so much better because we’re appreciating so many more things. It’s a really grounding experience.”

Laura Whitmore’s Castaway podcast is available on Apple, Spotify and all major podcast platforms.