Gok Wan’s packed daily routine means he only sleeps four hours a night… and fans rarely ask for fashion tips
From taking his dog Dolly for a wee, to commuting to This Morning then heading out for the night — Gok Wan is always camera ready
During the working week I’m up at 6am. I live alone in London’s Covent Garden, and the first thing I do is let my French bulldog Dolly out for a wee.
I have a lot of routine in my life, so every morning I’ll have a coffee in my library with the window open, regardless of the weather, to gather my thoughts for the day.
My wardrobe is very organised. I wear black for work, and if I’m dressing casual then it’ll be a skater look – oversized jeans, trainers and a sweatshirt.
That’s my uniform. Although I have a mountain of clothes, I practise what I preach on TV and edit down my wardrobe every now and again.
Often I’ll give things I don’t wear any more to charity, but if I like the tailoring or a beautiful detail, I’ll keep them.
Clothing is like art – and you’d never throw away an old painting!
I’m always camera-ready when I leave the house. Every Sunday I prep all my outfits for the week. That way I’m set when my car picks me up at 8am to head to the This Morning studios, where
I present my fashion segment Gok’s Real Women.
After a quick commute, I go straight into rehearsals and meet the women who’ll be modelling the clothes that day.
It’s pretty manic, but if I’m lucky I’ll have time for a quick breakfast – fruit or scrambled eggs – before going on air at noon.
Once everything is wrapped up at 12.30pm, my assistant Chris will grab me a quick, light lunch like sushi.
Then we launch into an afternoon of filming for an advert or a TV show, or design meetings for my collection at Sainsbury’s.
People rarely ask me for fashion tips.
If I’m out and about, women might stop me to ask if their outfit looks good, or they’ll be mortified I’ve seen them looking less than stylish.
But it’s not often they want advice – probably because it’d be like bumping into Gordon Ramsay and asking how you make paella!
Work doesn’t stop for me.
If all of my appointments are finished by the early evening then I’ll head home, feed Dolly and have a quick outfit change before heading to the pub for a pint and some dinner with friends.
Once I’m back home at 10pm I’ll go through my emails until midnight, then watch TV or listen to music for an hour before jumping into bed at 1am.
I only sleep for four or five hours a night, but I can survive on two.
A lot of people my age who work in fashion and have no kids do the same – it’s non-stop, but I adore my job.
The main reason I love this industry is the human touch.
It’s amazing how clothes can make a difference to someone, and that’s what fuels me.
The Gok Wan Naked & Baring All stage show is touring nationwide from October 30. Visit for information.