There's no doubt it must be tough being married to a Rolling Stone. And even tougher when he cheats on you and the whole world knows about it. Jo Wood's been there, done that and come out a stronger woman.
She is happy to be single, a mum of four, gran of six and an always-available shoulder to cry on for her celeb pals. Oh, and she's a successful businesswoman in her own right, too. Phew! That would leave many women half her age exhausted. We reckon at 54, Jo Wood not only looks amazing, but is the kind of feisty, formidable woman who makes the best type of friend. Which is why we've asked her to join Fabulous as our new agony aunt.
"I've lived a wild and crazy life. I've seen a lot, I've done a lot and I've been in lots of difficult situations," she smiles. "And I'm still happy!"
A former model, Jo spent 31 years with Rolling Stone Ronnie, before he cheated on her with waitress-turned Celebrity Big Brother housemate, Katia Ivanova, 21. Suddenly single, Jo could have hidden herself away, but instead went for therapy, put herself back together, partied with friends, then won the nation's hearts on BBC1's Strictly Come Dancing. She says: "I'm proof there's light at the end of the tunnel, and I want other women to see that."
Most of her pals, including model Kate Moss, 36, and singer Sarah Harding, 28, already turn to Jo when they want advice. "It's very flattering that they come to me for help," says Jo.
But first and foremost she's there to advise her children. "My kids do come to me - about anything and everything - including their sex lives," she reveals. "Sometimes, I think: 'Oh god, that's too much information', but I'm glad they feel they can talk to me, no holds barred."
So, who does Jo turn to when she needs advice? None other than her own mum, Rachael Karslake, 75. "I talk to her about everything other than sex!" she laughs. It was her mum who helped her through her very public split from Ronnie, 62, last November. Jo discovered his betrayal after finding a text on his phone.
When the affair became public, Ronnie left their family home in Kingston, Surrey, to be with his lover. It was Jo's dignified behaviour through this difficult time that earned her the nation's respect. "I didn't want to be that bitter woman no matter how much it hurt," she says.
So Jo went to therapy, where she learned it was time to put herself first. Which she did - with girls' nights out on the town. But mention her hell-raising ex's recent arrest after he assaulted his now former-lover Katia and, far from gloating over his misfortune, Jo's pretty face furrows in concern. "I think we all knew it would end in tears, but I worry about Ronnie. He's not good on his own," she says.
She should know. They first met in September 1977, when Jo was just 21. For a while, theirs was a very rock 'n' roll lifestyle. She admits that years of living with Ronnie and his drug and alcohol addiction took its toll.
"I was constantly worried he'd drop dead because of his drinking, and I never knew when he was going to go mad because there was no alcohol in the house," she says.
"I was very protective and I didn't want anyone to see the seriousness of his addiction. It was stressful. But when ¿he left me, I went for therapy and everything clicked.
"I had to start looking after myself. Now I wake up and think about me and my life," says Jo. But even so, when she heard of his break-up from Katia, she rang him immediately.
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| "I've seen a lot. I've done a lot. And I'm still happy!" |
"A friend told me he'd been arrested for assault," she says. "I called him to find out if it was true he'd spent the night in the cells - and he said it was. I was furious with him."
She insists Ronnie was never violent towards her and, despite everything, it's obvious she still cares for him. "I can't help it," she shrugs. "I liked that he had someone to take care of him. Now I worry he's a loose cannon."
Ronnie's recently been spotted out with a string of women and says he's off the booze. Jo's not convinced.
"For him to become sober he needs to go into rehab," she says. "I don't think he's strong enough to do it himself. But I hope he does stay sober. He's such a sweet man when he is."
But Jo says there's no chance of a reconciliation. The pair's split was finalised last November in a 'quickie' divorce, and Jo received a £6.5million settlement.
"I loved him and thought we'd grow old together, but knowing he'd been with someone else for 18 months... I couldn't live with him again. I can't imagine being with him now. I've come out from his shadow."
When Jo's not out partying, running Jo Wood Organics and practising her foxtrot, she's mum to Jamie, 34, Leah, 31, and Tyrone, 25, and stepmum to Ronnie's son Jesse, 32.
A very glamorous gran indeed, Jo's constantly on-call, but insists: "I don't want to nag and fuss."
It's this straight-up approach to life that made Jo the ideal choice for our new agony aunt. And she can't wait to get started in her new role. "After of all I've been through, I hope people trust my advice. It's from the heart," she promises.
Mum, stepmum, grandmother, businesswoman and the ideal best mate Jo welcome to our Fabulous family!
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