Joe Wicks, also known as The Body Coach, is a mega-successful fitness trainer with a collection of best-selling 'Lean in 15' cookbooks and millions of social media followers. But why is he famous?
Having started out his career handing out fitness class flyers outside Richmond train station, Joe saw his popularity boom in the coronavirus pandemic thanks to his online lockdown workouts for kids as he took on the mantel of being the 'UK's PE teacher' while schools were shut.
On a mission to save people from the fad diet industry, he has offered his knowledge and advice on how to get fit without going hungry. Now he's a multi-millionaire with a glamorous model wife, gorgeous family and is set to release his 11th cookbook Feel Good Food, as we look at why Joe Wicks is so famous...
Why is Joe Wicks famous?
Joe Wicks is a famous personal trainer, nutrition enthusiast, body coach and TV personality - his debut Lean in 15 cookbook famously outsold Delia Smith's, which was out in the same week. Since then Joe Wicks is the best-selling author of 10 cookbooks and the founder of Lean in 15. His chart-topping first book is the second highest-selling cookbook of all time. Joe is the only non-fiction author to have secured three number 1 titles in one year with The Shift Plan, The Shape Plan and The Sustain Plan.
Through his bespoke fitness plan - the 90 Day SSS Plan- Joe Wicks has helped motivate thousands of people to change their bodies. As Joe describes it, "This is not a traditional, low calorie, deprivation diet. It’s an education in fat loss, nutrition and macronutrients, where you eat more food than you ever thought possible and spend less time in the gym."
After graduating from university with a degree in Sports Science, Joe Wicks' parents lent him £2,000 to set up his own business as a personal trainer. He began by handing out flyers outside Richmond Tube Station in South-West London, encouraging people to come to his boxing fitness bootcamps. He was one of the first people to get on board with high intensity interval training workouts.
In 2014, while running his business in Richmond as a personal trainer and online Nutritional Coach, Joe started posting short 15-second clips of recipe videos on social media. It quickly gained him national attention as his follower account started to climb and more people became interested in his workout classes.
Speaking to The Mirror in 2018, Joe said, "I remember I was really upset because I didn't have any clients and I thought I'd never be able to pay my parents back. But I loved personal training, I instantly thought, 'This is what I'm supposed to be doing,' and it all accelerated from there."
After eight years of hard work, Joe is one of the biggest names in the fitness industry. He has 4.3m followers on Instagram, where he still shares healthy recipes and workout tips as well as pictures of his family. He's also amassed 2.79m subscribers on YouTube with demonstrations of fat burning workouts that can be done anywhere. Alongside this, Joe has also presents his own show on Channel 4 called The Body Coach, has a podcast and he teamed up with children's TV cartoon Hey Duggee to launch The Workout Badges that children can earn through focusing on their fitness.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udgOXaw4jbI
In late 2019 it was revealed that singer Adele is also a big fan of Joe's workouts. According to the Sun, Adele's weight loss last year was thanks to the personal trainer's HIIT videos. A source told the paper that the singer is "not the sort to exercise in front of others, so she follows regimes and plans at home, using their videos and tutorials."
The Body Coach is worth an estimated £13.7m ($18m) according to Wealthy Genius, accumulated from this numerous book and television deals, as well as through his 90 Day SSS Plan.
Joe's books include those in the "Lean in 15" collection - Shift, Shape and Sustain - which follow the same nutrition principles of his fitness plan. His other books, like "Joe's 30 minute meals" are collections of quick and easy recipes that prove you don't need loads of time to cook healthy and nutritious food.
During the Coronavirus pandemic, Joe starting sharing live workouts for children on his Youtube channel to keep everyone moving while staying at home. The UK has now seen multiple lockdowns, and Joe has created a free, easily accessible workout series called PE with Joe which was well received across the nation. Launching the series originally on his blog, he said, "With the schools closed and with us all spending more time at home, it's more important than ever that we keep moving and stay healthy and positive. Exercise is an amazing tool to help us feel happier, more energised, and more optimistic."
His first video reached almost one million people, Joe Wicks has now entered the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest number of people streaming a workout live from YouTube. He said about the award, “I had no idea that when I went live on my YouTube workout on March 24, that we were actually setting a world record.”
He was recently awarded an MBE in the New Years Honours list and his most recent book, Joe’s Family Food, went straight to number 1 on its release. In September 2021, Joe published The Burpee Bears, his first book for children.
Check out these Joe Wicks recipes:
- Joe Wicks’ chicken pie
- Joe Wicks' halloumi fries
- Crispy bacon and cauliflower pasta bake
- Joe Wicks' naughty steak burrito with pineapple salsa
- Tex-Mex loaded sweet potato wedges
They all sound delicious!
And if you're looking for more recipes, Joe is set to release his new book Feel Good Food which will be released on Thursday, March 17th 2022.
Who is Joe Wicks' wife?
Joe Wicks' wife is ex-model Rosie Jones. The pair married in a beautiful woodland ceremony in 2018, after announcing their engagement in November the previous year. The couple have daughter Indie, three, a son named Marley, aged two, and recently confirmed that they are expecting their third child together. Joe announced their baby news on social media on with a photograph of them holding an ultrasound scan. Posting to his 4.3 million followers on Instagram, he wrote: “I’ve been sooo excited to share this news. We are having another baby. Indie and Marley are super excited about having a little brother or sister. We can’t wait to welcome them into the world in September. Love you Rosie. Thank you x.”
Joe previously spoke about his life with wife Rosie and kids on the Made by Mammas podcast. He told hosts Georgia and Zoe, “She [Rosie] really is amazing. She’s so patient and I really admire that because I sometimes lose my patience and I get a bit intolerant but she’s so calm and that for me is a really inspiring [...] trait for me to become a better Dad.”
Since finding new fame on YouTube, Joe has also opened up more about other members of his family which helps explain why Joes Wicks is famous. Speaking on the Under the Skin podcast, Joe spoke about how his father's drug addiction shaped his life. In conversation with host Russell Brand, Joe said, “Before you turn to binge eating, addiction, drugs or anti-depressants, try exercise. It’s hard, my dad says the last thing he wants to do when he’s going through his low points is exercise. But I say, ‘Dad, you know how it makes you feel – you always feel better’.”
Joe has also dabbled in the world or parenting publishing with a new book, Wean in 15, helping parents through the tricky process of weaning after his own experiences with his kids.
In August 2020, Joe Wicks and his family moved to a new home in Richmond, London. The Body Coach has given fans a sneak peak of some of the lovely areas in his new family home via his social media. His Instagram photos of his home include a lovely framed photograph of an Italian landscape, which sits above a large oak sideboard containing plenty of books. He also has a spacious garden, which he posed in as he celebrated his 35th birthday in September. As he held his children and posed with balloons, fans could see lots of foliage, flowers and a beautiful lawn that we're sure the kids love playing on!
Where can I get Joe Wicks recipes and watch his workouts?
You can get your hands on plenty of excellent Joe Wicks' recipes to try out for yourself at home on Goodto.com and watch his workouts on YouTube. To get involved in a great range of Joe Wicks workouts with your family, and see why Joe Wicks is famous you can head over to his YouTube account where there's a selection of exercises you can do anywhere from home to outside. For Joe's daily kids' P.E lessons, you won't need any equipment to take part in the workout, just some space to stretch out and a positive mindset!
