Ben Fordham credits wife Jodie Speers: ‘I’m the flight attendant, she’s the captain’

Ben Fordham may have one of the biggest jobs on radio, but it’s wife Jodie Speers he credits for helping him get through it while raising their family together. And he loves she’s not one to stand in the shadows.

At the Fordham household on a Thursday afternoon, six-year-old son Freddy lies on the couch, engrossed in one of his first novels. Daughter Pearl, 4, is twirling in her tutu, asking for some red lippy, and, at 18 months, toddler Goldie wobbles between the two, taking it all in.

Ben and his wife Jodie have been up and “on” since 3.10am and the house is a hive of activity.

They’ve had a home organiser in, to organise the pantry and kitchen cupboards. Their nanny Pauline puts a bow in Goldie’s hair and watches Freddy do a magic trick while Jodie suggests takeaway sushi for dinner.

“How do we do it? How does anyone do it? I feel like anyone we know with kids at this age is just keeping the balls in the air,” 38-year-old Jodie tells Insider as she rearranges Pearl’s dress.

“It’s so hard. I feel lucky we are fit and healthy and can manage it — I don’t know how people can do it if they have chronic illness or mental illness or anything else that gets in the way. It’s just so busy.”

Ben Fordham and wife Jodie Speers with their children (from left) Marigold (Goldie), Pearl and Freddy. Picture: Tim Hunter

Fordham, who took over Alan Jones’ 2GB radio show a year ago and has just finished filming the next season of Australian Ninja Warrior, is adamant than none of it would be possible without his wife of 10 years.

“I feel busy … but I will never fully comprehend how much Jodie does to keep this family ticking along,” he says.

“I am probably the flight attendant and Jodie is the captain in the cockpit.

“I still think I’ve got a role to play, but without Jodie flying the plane there’s no flight and there’s no family — and there’s no question on that whatsoever.

“I’m by no means a stand-back dad, but there is a big difference between what I bring to the party to what Jodie brings to the party — Jodie is the party.

“And she’s the reason why things work as well as they do, and none of us would get by without her — every single day of the week.”

Jodie Speers and Ben Fordham in 2014.

Today is Mother’s Day, and Jodie’s feeling pretty lucky on that front. A family yum cha is on the agenda.

Normally on a Sunday she escapes her north shore home for a few hours to go for a run with a few of the other mums from the children’s preschool. They affectionately call themselves the “Cammeray Cougars”.

Soon they’re doing a fundraising walk in leopard-print hot pants, Jodie laughs.

The Cougars, together with her high school friends from her days at Monte Sant Angelo Mercy College, just up the road, are just one part of Jodie’s life that help complete her. Away from family, away from work, friendship is a steady and constant force amid the chaos.

“One of the most appealing things about Jodie is her friends — her diverse group of friends and how tight they are and how regularly they catch up and check in on each other,” Ben, 44, tells Insider, glancing at Jodie.

“I love the fact that I’ve got to keep up with Jodie, as opposed to Jodie falling in behind me. I’ve been in relationships before where it was all about us and not about her — Jodie is the opposite of that.”

You need that, Jodie says, when life with young kids can feel all-encompassing.

The Channel 7 early news presenter is up early so she can work while her children sleep but, when she gets home, it’s go-time.

“Our alarms go off at 3.10am together, I brush my teeth and am out the door — and when I get home at 6am, the kids are normally still asleep, which is why it’s so perfect,” she says.

“They wake up and I’m Mum for the rest of the day.

The media couple have been married for 10 years. Picture: Today Show

“It’s slightly exhausting, but it’s amazing.

“There’s still the rush where I’m like, ‘Freddy, get your shoes on for school’ — but I do try and keep that ‘slow’ as much as possible.

“School is busy though, there’s swimming, soccer and tennis, Pearl’s got ballet and gymnastics, and when you’re talking about that mental load, it’s massive.

“It’s ‘have I filled out that rego and have I written back to the teacher about this?’ —
it doesn’t stop.

“It’s all the ‘invisible’ stuff. But at work, there’s a lot more pressure on Ben.”

Depending on meetings after his breakfast show, Ben will be home about 10am, and the couple can have lunch together while spending quality one-on-one time with the girls while Freddy is at school.

“We get up in the dark and mumble a few little words to each other because we’re trying to keep the noise down because the kids are asleep — and then we both give each other a nod or a pump-up to go, ‘here we go’, because it’s a crazy time to getting up and leaving the house and going to work — we both feel like we’re going into battle a bit,” Ben said. “There’s also those deadlines and expectations — live radio, live TV where you feel like, hang on, I’ve got to not only wake up and turn up, I’ve got to be on and make sure I don’t stuff things up.

“I walked into the studio this morning with 20 seconds to spare.

“There are very few national news bulletins on TV in Australia and Jodie hosts arguably the most important one in commercial TV terms, because it’s the lead-in to breakfast TV and all TV executives understand the importance of a lead-in.

“It’s vital, and Jodie provides a golden lead-in to Sunrise every morning … which is why we should hire her at Nine and steal her off Seven!

“I did try and get Jodie to Channel 9 years ago, but Seven was too quick and beat Nine to it … they saw the audition tape and signed her within 48 hours.”

The couple juggle their busy careers with raising their young children. Picture: Tim Hunter

On Mondays, when the grandparents help with the kids, the power couple can nap. But only sometimes.

“Most of the time we stay awake and battle on through the day,” Ben said.

“At least we get to have lunch together, or go out for the odd lunch together.

“And we also get to have one-on-one time with kids.

“As in, Pearl is here on a Tuesday, so Tuesday is Pearly’s Day — Girl’s Day Tuesday — with me as well,” Ben laughed.

“And on a Wednesday, Thursday and Friday it’s Goldie’s days, and that’s nice too because as a baby, she gets to have time with just Mum and Dad where we absolutely just smother her with attention and kisses and laughs.”

Ben has recently finished filming the upcoming season of Australian Ninja Warrior, a brutal schedule that saw him work around the clock for three weeks.

They are the times when “Jodie deserves a medal”, he admits.

“I would go on set at Ninja Warrior at 5.30pm and start filming at 7.30pm,” he said.

“I’d wrap up at 3.30am and go straight to the radio station and start preparing for the show that starts at 5.30am, and then finish at 9am.

“And allegedly go to sleep for a bit during the day and then do it all again,” Jodie interrupts. “It was crazy.”

“But that’s where I’m lucky as well — not everyone is going to have Jodie’s level of understanding to the crazy workload and the unpredictability of life,” Ben finished.

To keep the wheels turning while Ben and Jodie work, they’ve got Pam, a 77-year-old jack-of-all-trades surrogate grandma who Ben met in a queue at his local Bunnings.

She and her daughter Dom job-share to stay with the kids in the wee hours. Pam does everything from fixing a button on Jodie’s dress to organising Ben’s undie drawer without him realising, or buys them new socks because she thinks it’s about that time.

“I always hoped I would be a mum one day, but for many years it wasn’t my focus. I’m glad I waited until my early 30s as I had many wonderful years focusing on my work, moving around for new jobs, travelling and having fun,” Jodie says.

“It meant that by the time I had kids, I was truly ready to make some sacrifices, and I really don’t feel I’m missing out on anything.

Ben Fordham with his youngest daughter Marigold. Picture: Instagram

Jodie Speers with her son Freddy. Picture: Supplied

“My mum taught me almost everything about being a mum — she is a nurse and a very nurturing but also practical sort of person — and very smart. She encouraged my love of reading and travel and people. I remember sitting with her as a kid having a milkshake at the shops, watching ‘the passing parade’ and observing people. I still love doing that.

“She was quite strict when we were kids — you didn’t mess with my mum — but she picked her battles along the way. Like when I wanted my bellybutton pierced as a 16-year-old — she brought supplies home from work and did it for me in the living room! I think I’m quite similar with my kids. I let them be themselves, explore and make a mess, but they know they can’t get away with being ratbags … let’s hope that lasts!”

A bookworm and avid podcast listener, in between babies Jodie completed a post-grad in criminology, something that sparked her interest after covering courts as a young reporter.

The Fordhams eat together as a family about 5.30pm. Not long after, it’s bed time for all of them.

Family comes first, and they’ve learned to say no to what they need to, in order to keep family life flowing. No midweek night commitments is top of the list.

“I think we’re good at that — I say no to almost everything because its enough trying to do what we already have,” Jodie says.

There are, Ben says, the unavoidable exceptions.

“Like this week, Reverend Bill Crews calls and says, ‘can you MC my book launch’ and it’s midweek at night-time. And I’ve got another rule — you don’t say no to Rev Bill Crews,” Ben says.

“I also take on a ridiculous amount of side projects involving people I really like and believe in and people I want to help.

“And I feel good about doing that, but I’m also starting to appreciate how important family time is too.”