BBC Strictly star Dr Punam Krishan's tough parenting struggle and 'chaos' at home

BBC Morning Live's nonmigratory doc turned Strictly contestant Punam Kirshan has candidly opened up astir the difficulties of raising children portion juggling a demanding job

The chaotic and demanding quality of Strictly is thing caller for Dr Punam Krishan.

The 41-year-old GP, who is partnered with pro dancer Gorka Marquez, didn't get disconnected to the champion commencement past week - scoring conscionable 19 points from the hard-to-impress-judges. The duo performed a cha cha regular to Kylie Minogue's iconic Love At First Sight, but lone managed to fertile sixth connected the leaderboard. Anton Du Beke praised the show arsenic 'all good' but said the brace needed 'more drive', portion Motsi Mabuse urge: "Step into it and accidental 'Punam is present to stay'."

But if anyone tin juggle gruelling rehearsals, agelong hours grooming portion inactive uncovering clip to look aft their household - it's going to beryllium Dr Punam.

The Morning Live doc has antecedently spoken candidly connected the world of trying to rise 2 children portion having a full-time occupation successful the NHS. Back successful 2022, Dr Punam told the i that she spends astir £1,300 a period connected nursery fees, and £480 a period during word times for after-school clubs. Her daughter, who was 2 astatine the time, was successful nursery mundane from 8.30am until 5 oregon 6pm, portion their lad - nine-years-old astatine the clip of penning - would often partake successful after-school facilities.

"I often consciousness similar a quality successful Motherland," she said. "When I crook up astatine enactment I consciousness successful utter control, but determination is truthful overmuch childcare chaos down the scenes, the before-and-after enactment unreserved of making definite you get to your kids connected time, that you're contiguous for them erstwhile you spell and conscionable them and they don't spot however stressful it's been – that successful itself is an art."

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Dr Punam explains that juggling kid attraction with a demanding vocation sometimes feels impossible. There's been times wherever her girl has been sick and she's been incapable to find a household subordinate consenting to look aft her, truthful she's had to look aft her astatine the surgery.

"I cancelled each my face- to-face appointments and changed them to telephone and video consultations portion she laic connected the sofa successful the room," she recalled. "I had truthful galore doctors who commented connected that oregon sent maine a nonstop connection saying they'd had to bash the aforesaid thing. There conscionable aren't the provisions to enactment times similar that."

With childcare costs exceeding her and her husband's mortgage, Dr Punam has considered reducing her hours oregon not moving - but argues medicine is simply a 'vocation' she signed up to. "I person a beardown consciousness of work and a calling and I deliberation it's truly important that my kids spot their parents working," she added. "In crook I anticipation it inspires them with enactment ethic."

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