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“We do a lot of Disney theme park holidays where my wife turns into some sort of army sergeant; she is up crack of dawn, backpack on, hair done in pigtails, hat on, kids ready to go,” says Rob Beckett. Relying on his wife, Lou, to rally the troops ahead of a jam-packed day of being launched up in the air, spun around, rapidly dropped and looped around more times than can be stomached on Disney-themed rollercoasters, the comedian is happy to follow her lead.
Despite the “hardcore” early rises, where breakfast and coffee are often taken on the move to make it in time for the park's opening, Beckett does not underestimate “the Happiest Place on Earth” as being exactly that for his family – even if wife Lou’s social media shows her husband being less than enthused on some stomach-flipping coasters.
The Bromley-born comedian is no stranger to the TV screen and stage, becoming one of the most successful stand-ups in the UK comedy circuit. But no amount of fame releases you from the reality of being the one responsible for your young children. “When you have kids, they basically ruin holidays because you're not relaxing, you are parenting in more danger, hotter, with less sleep,” he says bluntly.
“And then they get to an age where they're big enough to play in the pool, but they're also have their own separate holiday. They'll be in the pool playing each other, [so] you're getting in for a bit, but they might not want you to play, and then they play with some mates they've met.
“Whereas when you go to Disney, it feels like you're on holiday with them as mates because you're doing the rides together. You're eating together. You go to bed at the same time. You wake up, so it feels like you're on holiday with them.”
While memories are made in Orlando’s theme parks, if the Becketts opt for an all-inclusive hotel instead, the only thing on the morning agenda is sleep. Beckett says: “We went quite into Spain last year, after being really busy. Five nights in a row, the whole family slept for 10 hours, and we just did nothing. And then we basically go to breakfast five minutes before it ends.”
“I'd sleep forever,” Beckett admits. “I was so relaxed this one time I was lying on the balcony – I remember because I’d been working loads – and I was on this big comfy bed-thing ... It's like about 5 o'clock. The kids were out of the bath, chilling, and Lou was getting ready for the night. I was sort of half dozing and I literally said to myself, ‘If I die now, that's fine. I'm all right’, he chuckles.
Beckett is known for recounting the highs and lows of bringing up his kids, including tales of family holidays on his twice-weekly podcast with fellow comedian Josh Widdicombe, Parenting Hell. But Beckett and his wife still make sure to treat themselves to some mum and dad time, minus the kids, on trips.
He says: “I went to Seville with my wife and a couple of friends, and that was amazing. We watched Real Betis play. I love football. Seville's amazing for eating and drinking, so that was really nice.
“Go in August,” Beckett adds – an unexpected tip given Seville’s “frying pan of Spain” nickname due to how incredibly hot it gets in summer.
“If they're having a bit of a cold week, book a last-minute deal because the hotels will be well cheap,” he advises. “It's really quiet and empty, because it's too hot for most people to go. But if you keep an eye on it, you get cheap accommodation and cheap flights if the temperature drops.”
There’s plenty on the couple’s holiday bucket list, with Lou eyeing up a trip to Norway to swim with orca whales – an idea Beckett describes as “horrendous” and suggests is double the amount of adrenaline you get from being on a rollercoaster .
Beckett, on the other hand, adores taking trips to watch major sporting events and would love to visit Brazil to watch a league match. For the moment snorkelling alongside whales and soaking up the atmosphere at a Campeonato Brasileiro game have been benched in favour of family-friendly adventure trips.
Beckett says: “We're going to do a road trip through Europe, which we've never done before. We're going to drive through France in the Champagne region, and then end up at Europa Park, a theme park in Germany.”
The Becketts’ favourite types of family holidays may be in sharp contrast to one another, but one thing they do love to keep consistent is staying in a room as an entire family.
Beckett says: “I do love a hotel room with the family because I feel you're just more relaxed. So even though we live in Kent, if we came to London for an event, we'd get a [family] hotel room.”
“And the kids love the breakfast. They go down and absolutely demolish it, and then you set them up for the day.”
Rob Beckett has joined forces with Holiday Inn Express by IHG as they take on The Great Wake Debate, finding out what the UK and Ireland's biggest and most bizarre morning routines.