Rochelle Humes says she will ‘never respect’ her absent father after he walked out on her as a baby and left her single mother ‘working every job’ to make ends meet

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Rochelle Humes revealed in a recent interview that she doesn’t believe she’ll ever be able to respect her father, Mark Piper, who left when she was a baby.

The TV presenter, who used to be in the band The Saturdays, says she doesn’t have many memories of her father, who left when she was a baby. She admits she spent a long time feeling both angry and upset about it.

Rochelle didn’t fully come to terms with her relationship with her father until after she and her husband, Marvin Humes, had their daughter, Alaia-Mai, in 2013.

Although she didn’t have a father figure growing up, the This Morning presenter received support from her uncle, Paul Ince – a former captain of the England football team who also played for Manchester United and West Ham.

Rochelle shared on Jamie Laing’s podcast, Great Company, that her father left when she was very young – just one year old – and she has no memory of him.

I used to wait by the window for him on weekends, but he never came. It bothered me for years, and I felt a lot of anger and sadness about it.

From the moment Alaia was born, I lost all desire to have a relationship with my father, and I could never bring myself to respect him. I simply wouldn’t want to be around him.

Mark is the father of three children: Sophie Piper, who appeared on Love Island, and Lili and Jake, whom their mother, Rochelle, reconnected with after they hadn’t seen each other for 23 years.

She explained that growing up was difficult, and although he later had three more children, she felt he prioritized them over her. Despite their close bond now, she remembers observing him being more present for his other children than for her.

Rochelle shared that Paul, a well-known footballer who has been a significant role model in her life (though not a blood relative), walked her down the aisle when she married Marvin in 2012.

My uncle stepped in as a father figure when I needed one, but my mum always handled everything else,” she explained.

I was so lucky to have my Uncle Paul – you probably know him as Paul Ince, the former England footballer – give me away at my wedding! It was a bit of a funny situation actually, because my husband, Marv, had to ask Uncle Paul for permission to marry me. He’s a legend, both on and off the pitch!

I used to love going to watch West Ham every weekend, and he was a real role model for me – someone I really looked up to.

I didn’t think of him as cool until I was in high school. His wife, Claire, and my mom are really close friends. He’s not technically my uncle by blood, but since my mom was the first in our family to have a child, he’s always been a constant presence in my life, and always will be.

I always felt like I had a strong male presence in my life; he consistently made time for me, every weekend without fail.

Rochelle shared that she hadn’t realized she grew up with limited means, explaining that her mother raised her in a hostel before they later moved into public housing.

My mother raised my sister and me on her own, working tirelessly at any job she could find. We lived in a hostel at first, then moved to a council flat and later a council house. Eventually, she managed to buy a house, which felt like a huge victory – like winning the European Championship.

I recognize the financial security we’ve achieved through hard work, and I admire everything my mother did raising me as a single parent. I was unaware growing up that we weren’t wealthy.

The only change I noticed was having to use a separate lunch line at school, and I was really embarrassed about it.

Rochelle first found fame in S Club Juniors in the early noughties when she was 12 years old.

I was such a huge fan when she formed the band with Frankie Bridge, Aaron Renfree, Jay Asforis, Stacey Franks, Calvin Goldspink, Daisy Shelvey, and Hannah Richings. They really took off, and I loved their songs – ‘Automatic High’ was a particular favorite! It was amazing following their journey from 2001 to 2003.

While talking with Jamie, Rochelle claimed she earned more money during her time in S Club Juniors than she did with The Saturdays.

As someone who’s followed the music industry for years, it’s always fascinating to hear the real stories behind the hits. Take The Saturdays, for example. They had some incredible chart-toppers like ‘All Fired Up’ and ‘Higher,’ but despite all that success, the girls – Rochelle, Frankie, Mollie, Una, and Vanessa – weren’t actually making a huge profit. They were essentially paid a regular salary, which is a surprise to many people considering how popular they were!

She revealed she actually earned more during her time with S Club Juniors than with The Saturdays. She explained that the music industry changed, and the financial rewards weren’t as good anymore, making it a different environment to work in.

The mother of three shared that while people assumed her daughters earned money from their music, most of her income actually came from sponsorships and performing live, not from record sales.

Just because a record deal is announced as a certain amount doesn’t mean that’s the profit we receive. That money covers the costs of making the album – things like paying producers and funding the marketing campaign.

For a while, musicians were earning most of their income from touring and sponsorships, not from record sales. Things like becoming the face of a shampoo brand with a signature scent were major revenue streams. Both touring and these brand partnerships were crucial for our income.

Record labels shifted how they did business, moving to what they called ‘360 deals.’ This meant they took a percentage not just from album sales, but also from things like sponsorships and concert earnings. After taxes and your agent’s cut, you’re essentially splitting what’s left with the other members of your group. And that money often isn’t enough to support the lifestyle people expect from musicians.

Looking back on her time in the girl band, Rochelle also shared her experiences with the paparazzi, explaining they would go to extreme lengths – even lying on the ground – to take compromising photos of them.

She described how surprised Marvin was when they started dating. He’d been in a popular boy band, and while she was also in a girl group, their experiences in the music industry were very different. She remembered him always waiting behind her to get into the car after events.

Back then, photographers would often try to take inappropriate photos of women, which was really unpleasant. It was a strange time, and we surprisingly just put up with it. We were struggling financially, so it wasn’t like we could easily refuse and stop it, even though it made us uncomfortable.

Oh my god, you guys, Rochelle just told us the cutest thing! Apparently, her first date with Marvin was so perfect – he took her for a drive around Wembley in his amazing car, and then they went to McDonald’s! Can you even imagine?! It’s just…goals. Seriously, goals!

‘I married him, he felt normal and honest’, she added. 

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2026-04-15 16:04