Sophie Monk’s fear: ‘I don’t want to be a single mum’

AS SHE celebrates her 38th birthday, Bachelorette star Sophie Monk has candidly opened up about the things she’s most afraid of.

AS SHE celebrates her 38th birthday today on the Gold Coast with her family, Sophie Monk is not afraid to admit she is clucky. Like, seriously clucky.

And with so many of her fans having invested their time earning a Bachelor degree in Sophie Monk — the only BA with no HECS fee — this news should make their day and part of next year’s assignment.

“I’d love to have a baby but you’ve got to, well it’s when I feel settled in a relationship, I would like to,’’ Sophie exclusively tells news.com.au.

“Yeah, I’d like it but because I’m so busy and I’d want support of a partner.”

Hang on a minute. But hasn’t our much-loved Soph already got her partner? The shy publican Stu Laundy, the dad-of-four she chose as ‘The One’ on Ten’s The Bachelorette?

Or are some men across Australia collectively breathing a sigh of relief, thinking their dream girl is single again?

Without giving her baby game plan totally away, yes, Stu IS still on the scene, with the pair planning to see each other when non-skier Sophie lands at Canadian ski resort, Silverstar, around Christmas time. (Perhaps some off-piste romance and a few gluhweins may sort the baby situation out.)

The couple has been fending off split rumours for weeks. Picture: Richard Dobson

“If I did it (have a baby) by myself, I think I’d find it really difficult. And also lonely. So I mean I’d love to and it’s so funny because I’m not, well I wasn’t clucky until about now.

“But now I’m like, yeah, I feel like I’m missing out (by not being a mum).”

Sophie has spoken about freezing her eggs: “I’m going to freeze my eggs hopefully,’’ she says, “but I’ve just got to find the time to go there, to the freezer!”

Like many women, Sophie included, it’s a timing thing and she worries that time isn’t something that is on her side.

“While women are working so hard now, before that it was kind of like you’d settle in to be a wife, but yep, now time flies.”

Turning 38, Sophie is only too aware that she should be doing it sooner than later.

“Yes, yes, I know. I’ve just got to find the time.”

And with her signature, no-fuss and always real approach, Sophie compares what men have to do in order to be part of a potential conception as opposed to women.

“And I was thinking about the guys,” she enthuses. “Like all they have to do is go to a sperm bank and enjoy themselves. Yeah, and they have a good time in there while they do it.

“And we have to go and tackle these hormones and go and have the eggs extracted and so it goes. It’s so unfair! Being a woman is just so much harder work.”

Sophie Monk at the 7th AACTA Awards last week. Picture: Cole Bennetts/Getty Images for AFI

You would seriously have to have been living in Lapland if you hadn’t read even a smidgen about Sophie Monk, but she says Stu has and continues to handle all the media attention well.

“Well, I’ve stopped reading it, but I don’t know how it affects him,’’ she confides.

“But I mean, he’s dealing with it pretty well to be honest.”

Sophie is determined to spend the next week on ‘family’ time, with no make-up, hair extensions or designer duds, and will be playing in jumping castles and whooshing down water slides instead. (Hello paps!)

“I’m not sure whether (Stu) will get up to the Goldie, but hopefully he will come to Canada with me though,’’ she says.

“He can ski, so he can go off and do that, and I’ll go play with my best friend Oscar and drink wine.

“I’m good in life right now. I don’t want to ‘try’ and get a talent, like skiing,’’ she laughs. “I just don’t care.”

Sophie is planning on ‘laying low’ — good luck with that one Soph! — with that wish a near impossibility.

Sophie Monk is signed up to host Love Island.

The couple are still together. In case you were wondering. Picture: Diimex

“I want to lay low a little bit, ‘cos I’m sort of like, well, I’m sick of my own head,’’ she says. “So if I’m tired of it, everyone else must going, ‘God!’”

While she tries not to read everything about herself, people send it to her.

“And I’m like, ‘Oh, really?’ I don’t mind the good ones. My friend Oscar and my sister Lucy, I get them to read it all, and only send me the good ones.

“So it just doesn’t ruin your day. ‘Cause there’s nothing you can do about a bad article anyway.”

While Sophie doesn’t start shooting her new series, Nine’s dating series Love Island until next May in Spain, Sophie says would love to do more radio, but admits it is the hardest thing ever to get back up there.

“The hours just do my head in. Like I’d rather go three months of hard work. Of like 22 hours, which I’ve done a billion times and then have a break,” she says.

“Then all year, you’re just jet lagged and you don’t really do anything else. You can’t ‘not’ turn up so I just think I like bits and pieces.

“I think when you have a baby, maybe, it would work? ’Cause you’re up anyway.”

And with that, Sophie checks into her flight to the Goldie and jumps on the plane in the hope she can be free of paps and ‘stories’ for at least a week.

But for some reason, neither of us think that is going to happen.

Follow Melissa on Twitter and Instagram: @melissahoyer

So Stu ... ready for baby number five? Picture: Rohan Kelly