Don’t call her a WAG, Samantha Tarkowski, wife of Everton's James Tarkowski, wants to empower women

Why you may ask? Well, you may think it was because when the couple were asked what’s their favourite thing to do together, and after James told Samantha it was going out after the watershed, she replied ‘shagging,’ I can assure you it isn’t. I wasn’t actually at all bothered about that comment and felt it curious that was the only thing many media outlets seemed to pick up on.

No, I was most drawn to just how natural she seemed to be devoid of any airs and graces. I also respected the couple for deciding to blur out their daughter’s face. 

I therefore was curious if my initial impression of Samantha would change once I interviewed her and I am glad to say it hasn’t. I would even go as far as to say that I warmed to her even more and would urge those who haven’t watched the show to do so just to see how refreshingly open she is. 

Samantha, thank you for agreeing to be interviewed by me. How did the show come about, how were you contacted?

I was messaged on Instagram and usually I ignore them. However, I have a few mutual friends with the casting director who messaged me, so I think that’s what made me read it. We then had a chat about it and I found out a bit more about the show. I usually get asked to be in The Real Housewives of Cheshire, and I am not interested in anything like that. 

What was your initial reaction to the TV offer?

It was a no straight away, I am very private and don’t really share anything. However, I thought it was good timing when it came to my career and when I found out that it wasn’t going to be a staged show with forced conversations, that drew me a bit more towards it. It was also focusing a bit more on me, James is so uninterested in getting involved with anything, it was nice that someone was bothered about what I was doing. 

I noticed that your daughter’s face was blurred in the programme. Was that an important decision for you both?

I just didn’t see it as a place for her, obviously I talk about my life as a mum, and our life as a family, but the world is just so mean and scary that I just felt I didn’t want to open her up to that. I want her to remain as innocent as possible and obviously social media is an awful place to be. It is not up to me to make that decision, she is only four and I don’t want her to be anywhere near that. 

How was the whole process, cameras in your house?

Every time they turned up, I would be like, ‘tell them I am not here.’ It was really surreal but they were great and were very supportive. Everything that I spoke about was my choice, I am a bit of an over-sharer anyway. 

How has the reaction been to the show?

It has been so positive and rather overwhelming. I didn’t expect any of it at all, it is the amount of women who have messaged me to say that my story has struck a chord with them and their mothers. That has been the most rewarding part of the whole process. It has restored my faith in women for sure, it is nice to support one another. 

Is there talk of another series?

It has been mentioned but I don’t know as of yet.

Did you know any of the footballers and their partners?

No, I don’t mix in those circles at all. I actually met them at a launch event for the show the other week and they were so lovely. When everyone left, it was just the five of us, we can relate to one another. It was nice to meet them. 

When did you and James meet?

We have mutual friends and I went to college with a lot of James’s friends. We bumped each other on a night out and we had dates over the years, but nothing came of it. We got together in 2015 in Tiger Tiger in Manchester, I had prejudged him as he was a young footballer and it wasn’t the right time for us to be together. 

How do you feel about the term WAG?

I absolutely hate the term WAG, I will never describe myself as one, it really does hit a nerve with me. It is so dated, you can name the WAGs at the time the term came out, but they probably had their own lives and careers. It just puts you in your own box and takes away your individuality. The whole term WAG is linked to this glamorous life, where all you care about is material things, going out for lunch, drinking champagne all day, everyone has the wrong image. 

You were very open about having an eating disorder on the programme. How have people reacted to that?

I didn’t plan to be so vulnerable, it just happened as part of a conversation. Having a daughter changed everything for me and I am so glad I spoke about it. Growing up when I did there was so much pressure on me, I was always told I was the ‘pretty one.’ The media was all about how women looked, my mum struggled as well with eating disorders which I didn’t know until I was older. 

Do you think your eating disorder was part of your decision to become a personal trainer?

Absolutely. I feel really empowered that I can train in the same place as a man. Once I started working with friends, and seeing the changes in them is what pushed me to qualify as a personal trainer. It is good for me and my mental health.