Sophie Habboo expresses sadness when reflecting on her wedding to Jamie Laing, overwhelmed by anxiety during the planning process. The 31-year-old TV personality envisioned an intimate beach ceremony with 20 guests but ended up with a lavish 250-person event in Sotogrande, Spain.
Overwhelm and Spiraling Anxiety
Sophie describes spiraling because she felt unable to cancel the grand affair. On Elizabeth Day’s How To Fail podcast, she shares compassion for her younger self amid the stress. “I’m still getting to know myself, it’s a long old process,” she says.
Despite loving her husband, Sophie notes Jamie favored a traditional big white wedding. “I told him straight away I wanted to get married with 20 people, with my feet in the sand,” she explains. A private person uncomfortable as the center of attention, she struggled against societal expectations of the ideal wedding.
The event’s spectacle, amplified by public interest in their podcast, triggered imposter syndrome and severe anxiety. “Everyone is so excited for me… why am I not able to cope with this?” she wondered.
Path to ADHD Diagnosis
Her anxiety prompted therapy, where symptoms led to an ADHD test. The diagnosis confirmed her challenges with overwhelm. “Now I know I have it, it makes a lot of sense,” Sophie states, acknowledging ADHD as a buzzword but validating its impact.
She regrets the late diagnosis: “If I’d been diagnosed earlier, I would have been able to understand and have more compassion for myself.” Looking back, she views the wedding—her best day in many ways—as marred by burnout she couldn’t manage.
Not voicing her desire for a smaller event worsened her spiral. “I feel sad looking back at it, I can see that I was struggling,” she admits, crediting post-diagnosis work for her growth.
Future Plans and Family Life
Sophie contemplates renewing vows in her preferred beach style, though Jamie jokes about making it grand. Two years post-wedding, the couple welcomed son Ziggy, documented in their Disney+ series Raising Chelsea.
The three-part show captures pregnancy, labor, and early parenthood, including raw arguments. “Our team filmed everything… there were times where I thought, ‘That surely isn’t going to be aired,'” Sophie reveals. Balancing parenting, work, and home renovations proved exhausting, nearly leading to daily breakdowns.
