Pussycat Kim & Model Husband Max – Dancing, Sky Dining & Saying ‘No’ To Fast Fashion!
From the catwalk and studio shoots, to the small and silver screens, this multi-talented Weybridge-based model walks and works with style legends, while his well-known American wife belts out her A-list band’s hits, brings her heels and shakes her booty on stages worldwide.
Angela Sara West chats with Pussycat Doll-turned-cookery queen Kimberly Wyatt and her award-winning model/actor/filmmaker and fitness instructor Max Rogers about their sustainable home and lifestyle in Surrey, their new local dance school, protecting the planet from fast fashion with our celebrity charity catwalk show, and their brand-new luxury outdoor kitchen collection!
On being named ‘GQ Man for the Season’, high-fashion model Max Rogers accomplished iconic status. Now one of the world’s top male models, making the cover of ‘GQ Style’ (naked!) back in 2008 became his big break into the fashion industry, and the job where he first met world-famous fashion designer Tom Ford.
“Tom is one of the most inspirational people I’ve ever worked with…” Max tells me. “We named our son Ford Senna after Tom and the late racing driver Ayrton Senna. His given name is ‘Senna’, as we thought ‘Senna Ford’ would sound too much like ‘Centrefold’!” he laughs. “But Ford is there for him, if he wants to sound a little more American.”
Signed with Storm in London, among other prestigious agencies worldwide, Max has worked with famous photographers Rankin, Mario Testino and Craig McDean, and carried out copious campaigns for big brands, including Tommy Hilfiger, Dolce&Gabbana, Ralph Lauren and bespoke men’s tailor Gieves & Hawkes.
While his wife Kimberly Wyatt is making waves around the world as one-fifth of the supergroup Pussycat Dolls, breaking new barriers promoting dance in schools, or conducting her popular ‘Bring Your Heels’ empowering dance workout classes at Pineapple Studios, when he’s not looking after their kids, Max is modelling from his Weybridge home, strutting his stuff on the catwalk or striking a pose in commercials for clients. But it doesn’t end there… multi-talented Max boasts many more strings to his creative bow… The 6ft 1” blue-eyed supermodel has also been busy being a judge on Tyra Banks’ Lifetime show ‘Britain’s Next Top Model’ (‘BNTM’), having a dynamic influence on the arts, and making his mark as actor, starring not only on TV, but also on the big screen, in movies including Guy Ritchie’s ‘King Arthur: Legend of the Sword’.
Silver screen credits
A figurehead of the dance industry, just like her hubby, accomplished dancer/singer Kim’s career has also taken off in the film and TV industry, seeing her star in ‘Starsky & Hutch’ alongside Hollywood heavyweights Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson and Juliette Lewis, ‘Be Cool’ with John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Vince Vaughn and Danny DeVito, and ‘13 going on 30’ with Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo. She also starred in short film ‘Fallen Dream’ about her dance and experiences in LA, and most recently alongside Luke Goss and Dean Cain in award-winning British producer Amar Adatia’s international film ‘R.I.A’.
“The heart of me is dance,” she tells me. “Everything I do has always been rooted in dance. The Pussycat Dolls was incredible, but I’m really enjoying this second lease of life as a performer, jumping into acting and taking it on, just as I did as a dancer. It’s been brilliant and I absolutely love it! So, I guess as I’m ‘maturing’, acting is sort of my go-to… I can see a real lengthy career in it.”
Kim’s biggest acting success so far is playing Sasha Small in the immensely-popular CBBC comedy drama ‘Almost Never’, following the ups and downs of boyband The Wonderland. “We recently completed series 3 and it’s such a successful show, it looks like it’s going to America!”
A collaborative creative couple
Model-of-17-years Max, meanwhile, is also known for his inspiring innovations BEHIND the lens, producing short films and music videos which have seen him recognised by the ‘Prestige Film Awards’. Fusing his unique style perspective, fashion heavily influences his artistic directorial style film forays when bringing his own writing to life, showcasing his extraordinary storytelling and character development through his exceptional cinematography.
He says his highly-skilful other half is a huge inspiration to him. “Kimberly is my muse…” he reveals. “When I met her, she showed me just how much work and dedication it takes to truly excel at something. I’ve never seen a work ethic like it, and her level of talent is a joy to witness and work with.”
As exceptionally-creative people, self-described “model-with-side-hustles” Max says the pair often collaborate on impromptu projects. “If we’re left with enough time to chat, the chances are something creative will turn up. At the moment, there’s less time with the kids being so young, but we’ve still managed a few ventures, including a project called ‘C-section To Pussycat Doll’, documenting Kim’s quick return to stage with The Dolls after having a caesarean. Look out for the hashtag #C2PCD!”
They’re especially proud of one particularly-successful joint project, which clinched the coveted ‘Prestige Short Film-Gold Awards’. “Our short film ‘Tea For Two’ was shown at the Aesthetica Short Film Festival and borne out of us just chatting on holiday in Tuscany!” Max enthuses. “I’m proud of what we have done so far because it involves so much of who we are as a couple, in terms of dance, fitness, production and, of course, our lives as parents.”
Max meets Kim – celebrated creatives converge…
Max and Kim’s paths first crossed at ‘The Clothes Show Live’ in Birmingham in 2011. Two years later, Max popped the question and they married the following Feb, with their first child born that December. Putting fame partly on hold to raise a family, the following years saw not only a sister for Willow when Maple made her appearance, but Kim’s transition from dancing’n’singing sensation to domestic goddess, juggling her multi-faceted career in the entertainment world with family life, with much support from her model husband Max.
How does she deal with the ‘juggle struggle’’? “Dance kinda helps… by creating a space that’s just for me to just connect with music and dance, and step away from motherhood for a minute and connect to me as a woman is so important,” she explains. “I’ve met so many women who fall into that ‘trap’ of the constant caring for the needs of your children, and you do kind of leave yourself behind if you’re not careful. Dance helps keep you in tune and in touch with yourself as a human, as a woman. You can bring what you discover in the studio into your everyday life, and I feel it gives you more confidence as a mum, as well as the ability to enjoy it that much more.”
A sustainable Surrey home
In 2016, the globally-famous pair moved out of the big smoke to the picturesque riverside town of Weybridge here in Surrey. Home to many a well-heeled celebrity, the affluent area has historically been home to a veritable ‘Who’s Who’ of A-list names.
“With no preference on where would live, we ended up in such a lovely part of the world!” Max enthuses. “The great thing about Weybridge/Addlestone is that we’re still so connected to the capital, but with the bonus of less traffic and a slightly slower, family-friendly way of life in Surrey.”
A Model Husband to His Purrrfect Pussycat Doll Wife!
Now both models with Storm, the couple keeps the planet very much in mind when it comes to life at home, with a common goal to one day accomplish converting their abode into a completely sustainable home. “We’re attempting to make our house as sustainable as possible, making changes where we can be more mindful of our consumption, moving towards solar energy, growing our own food and heat recovery, so no energy is wasted,” Max explains.
How are they decorating and furnishing their stylish eco abode? “Our taste is quite eclectic. We’re lucky to live in such a characterful home and it seems that, whatever we throw at it in terms of colour, design or style seems to work… so far! We have a lot of fun with it. Kim has her theatre curtains in the entry way, I have my Union Jack Smeg fridge, and we had a TV made that looks like a something out of a 50’s cartoon for the kids’ playroom.”
Rubbing shoulders with rock stars & racing drivers – all par for the course!
Every rock star worth their salt, from The Beatles’ John Lennon, Sir Tom Jones and Sir Cliff Richard, to Sir Elton John and The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood, along with actress Kate Winslet, F1 racing legend Jenson Button and golf legend Sir Nick Faldo, has lived in Weybridge.
“I used to play golf a lot as a kid,” says Max. “I was half decent, and started playing again in the middle of during lockdown. We play at Foxhills in Chertsey and Hoebridge in Woking quite a lot.”
“Foxhills is our local ‘spot’,” Kim reveals. “I love taking our kids to dance classes there, and it’s where we hang out with friends.” “It’s a great place to sit and be…” adds Max.
Weybridge boasts the world’s first purpose-built motor racing circuit at Brooklands, another preferred pitstop for the pair. “My dad was a racing driver (Formula 4) and I grew up watching racing,” says Max. “So, Brooklands was one of our first stops when we moved here. Ayrton Senna’s car is there, and we named our son after him, so it’s almost like Brooklands drew us to the area as much as anything else. We love it there!”
Picture-perfect places around the county provide wonderful walking grounds for the family. “Painshill Park in Cobham is a favourite with the kids, and Virginia Water a favourite with the wife, but there’s also a lovely (almost secret) network of canals between Weybridge and Addlestone that are perfect for walking the dog, which is my relaxation,” Max divulges. “I walked the dog every day during lockdowns, because amongst all of the mayhem, a walk round the Surrey canals, followed by the school run, is the best way to keep things normal!”
Don’tcha Dance Drills
Filming new content for their Move Home Studio marketplace upped the tempo during lockdown, offering online dance classes in everything from ballroom, cha cha cha and musical theatre, to bodyweight fitness, mummy-to-be-workouts, yoga and booty band workouts from their impressive studio/fitness area at their attractive abode. Finished last year, the functional building sports a stripped-back, exposed-design concept, with all features and details designed to be structurally integral, allowing form to follow function.
“Kim and I dedicate most of our lives to fitness and, in her case, dance as well, so it seemed sensible to dedicate a space to that in our home. It’s our version of the home office!” says Max. “It’s where we spend three hours of our day working things out, whether that be photography, fitness or dance.”
Kim also spent lockdown sharpening her photography skills, taking pics of her model hubby Max for his work. “We sort of repurposed skills that we already had,” Max explains. “#modellingfromhome was a hashtag that I used… and working form home while looking after the kids was a creative endeavour in itself! But we managed to do quite a good job of it, and shot the Reiss and Ted Baker campaigns all during lockdown… quite the challenge, but we got through it!”
Max’s Method
Max also works as a fitness coach, for which he has created a unique blend of effective exercises, combining calisthenics and bodyweight training with Pilates. “The bodyweight training thing happened very organically,” he explains. “It’s always been part of my life as a model to keep healthy and ready for work, which led to a lot of people asking me for help with their training. Modelling affords you a lot of spare time, particularly off-season, so I took some of that time to get officially qualified as a Pilates coach and developed my bodyweight training method from there.”
Max’s ‘Method’ matches their sustainable outlook on life. “It doesn’t require lots of stuff/equipment, and is tailored to each individual’s capability, maximising it for anyone and everyone,” he explains. “The philosophy is that it doesn’t matter what your body looks like, only what it can do. I realised as a model that I was so focused on what my body looked like that training became boring and thankless. So, whether your goal is to execute a human flag, or simply sleep through the night without back pain, my method figures that out for you.”
Another lockdown launch saw Max create new online ‘Pilates with Max’ masterclasses, so you can now tone your limbs with pilates from a pro. “These lessons offer a combination of my experience as a teacher of Pilates, a student of Calisthenics and a lifetime as a model, all delivered online and on demand as a one-off purchase or subscription,” he says.
Online dance inspo
Whether you’re taking your first steps, have two left feet or are already an ace mover’n’shaker or a pro at pirouettes, don your dancing shoes and join Kim and Max for some fun’n’fitness with their fantastic online classes, where you can work your way towards conquering Kim’s trademark move, the famous leg tilt, and discover the secrets behind her serious dance moves through her daily Dance Drills. When it comes to choreography, who better than Kim to break down the dance steps to teach you the moves to her band’s smash hits?
She says she was “super excited” to offer her ‘Bring Your Heels’ dance classes to this brand-new platform. “I’ve taught dance all over the world, even before I was a Pussycat Doll. And over the years, I’ve developed these classes along with my increasing level experience, with regards the Pussycat Dolls and being a judge on ‘Got to Dance’ and working with The Youth Sport Trust and children and the school’s curriculum in the UK, which was a huge project. And all that knowledge and experience goes into my classes. I’ve also developed a method that means that no matter what level you are, from beginners with two left feet to other Pussycat Dolls, I’ve taught all ages. Ashley, a fellow Pussycat Doll, is a supreme-level dancer and has also taught with me, and EVERYONE, even non-dancers, gets something out of it due to the method I have devised.”
She champions her commercial ‘Heels’ classes as her ‘flagship’ styles with her method, because they relate most closely to her Dolls’ classes, but with firm foundations in ballet, Kim also teaches a contemporary class, and beginners and young kids, through tap and other styles.
Last year, both Kim and Max took their classes online with the Move Home Studio. “You can still pick up classes from Kim teaching her Dance Drills, the fundamentals needed to dance commercially, as well as original choreography from the Pussycat Dolls and other tracks, too,” Max reveals. “That’s something that we plan to continue online as the world reopens.”
Through lockdown, it’s what kept me connected to people around the world, whether dancing on Instagram Live or TikTok, joining forces with Marlon from Flawless… It was an incredible freedom of space and way to stay connected with the next generation of dancers. And I just recently did a Clubhouse with my good friend Kris from Flawless,” says Kim.
Partnering with other pros, you can also join musical superstar Layton Williams (‘Jamie’ in the eponymous show) and his ‘pros from the shows’ for everything from ballet classes to contemporary dance, with street dance by Flawless and Body Boffins’ nutrition. You name it, Max and Kim offer it, helping you to get’cha heart pumping to the beat!
Offering children’s classes, too, it looks like ultra-flexible dancer Kim’s own kids are following in her flawless footsteps. “Our girls and their school friends often join in with my Insta-live dance workouts!”
Dancing queen – making it in La La Land…
Dancing from the tender age of seven, at 14, talented teen Kimberly Wyatt earned scholarships to the world-renowned Joffrey Ballet and Steps on Broadway Dance Center in New York. “Dance is a huge passion and gave me confidence as a child, through choreography, tricks, turns, leaps, jumps… I could really feel a sense of accomplishment and that made me feel good about myself, and continues to today,” she reveals.
A move to Los Angeles to pursue a dancing career in 2001 soon saw her busting her moves in the Black Eyed Peas’ video ‘Shut Up’. Her unique talent as both a dancer and singer saw her spotted by Robin Antin, who teamed Kim up with Nicole Scherzinger, Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta, Carmit Bachar and Melody Thornton to create an American burlesque dance troupe, before taking The Pussycat Dolls and their killer dance moves mainstream as a pop group and dance ensemble. The spirited girl group went on to achieve worldwide fame as one of the most successful girl bands in history…
Doll Domination!
Exploding onto the pop scene, their debut single ‘Sway’ featured on the soundtrack of the 2004 film ‘Shall We Dance’, starring Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez and Susan Sarandon, and they subsequently rolled out hit after hit from their prodigious album ‘PCD’, enjoying a string of no.1 singles from the debut album.
Followed by a second successful toe-tapping album, ‘Doll Domination’, the Grammy-nominated girl group racked up no fewer than 11 no.1 singles and two multi-platinum albums, selling a staggering 15 million albums and 40 million singles worldwide, making them one of the biggest-selling girl groups of all time.
Together, they toured the planet, selling out large arenas and stadiums and teaming up with superstar singers Rihanna, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, and performing to the late Duke of Edinburgh at the Royal Variety Performance, along the way. The industrious pop stars have won prestigious awards aplenty, including ‘Best Dance Video’ for their smash hit ‘Buttons’ featuring Snoop Dogg, and ‘Best Dancing in a Video’ for ‘When I Grow Up’ at the MTV Video Music Awards.
Got To Dance!
Having fully disbanded in 2010, Kim pursued a plethora of solo projects. Now known for THAT standing overhead leg-split and iconic tilt, her first solo single handed her a no.5 hit, and she co-wrote/produced a critically-acclaimed album with her second recording group, Her Majesty and the Wolves.
Featuring on Aggro Santos’ song ‘Candy’, creating another UK Top 5 hit, she also became head judge on the hit Sky One show ‘Got to Dance’, alongside Davina McCall, Ashley Banjo and Adam Garcia. With a sprinkling of other TV appearances, including ITV’s ‘Give a Pet a Home’, hosted by Surrey’s Amanda Holden in collaboration with the RSPCA, alongside another Surreyite, singer/actor/TV presenter Peter Andre, Kim also became the lead judge for CBBC’s flagship dance show ‘Taking the Next Step’, and has starred on Keith Lemon’s ‘Celebrity Juice’, alongside Spice Girl Mel B, Howard Donald, Jay McGuiness and fellow Surrey resident Kimberley Walsh.
Kim’s Well-Fit campaign
The super-flexible Pussycat Doll not only keeps herself on tip-top form through dance, but by practising yoga, meditation and mindfulness, and loves a run alongside the river nearby. Devoted to changing young people’s lives through dance, Kim has played her part in promoting health and wellbeing in schools through dance.
In her role as an ambassador for the Youth Sport Trust, she works relentlessly to make dance compulsory every day in primary schools with her Well-Fit campaign, a unique initiative to use PE and school sport to enhance and empower schoolchildren through dance and fitness. She’s also an ambassador for the Bloch Dance World Cup, the greatest all-genre dance competition in the world for children and young adults.
“Now, as a teacher, being able to give back and help others through dance, helping them find confidence through movement and become comfortable in their own space and in their own body has become really important work to me. So if I’m not acting, performing or on tour with the Pussycat Dolls, if I have any downtime, then I love connecting with the next generation of dancers. Throughout lockdown, I’ve been doing lots of Zoom classes and connecting to dance studios and trying to fan the flames of their fire and passion for dance, so that we’re able to get back to the studio.”
Bring your heels… The power of dance!
As a mum, she says dance is what keeps her connected to her “sassier, sexier self”. “It gives me that lease of life to just live in the moment, connect with the music, and just step away from the everyday routine of motherhood,” she reveals. ”I feel like I’ve got so much to give… whether it’s the philosophy, the empowerment message, the understanding of what it means to dance in heels, kind of tackling an idea of what sexy is and what is means, and the fact that you don’t have to give it away. I love being able to plant seeds that I’ve seen grow within so many dancers throughout this country.”
She says she enjoys having a “real purpose”. “Dance is a huge vehicle that allows me to connect and help and inspire, and connect with women who aren’t necessarily dancers but love the Bring Your Heels message, using dance as a tool to help them discover their most authentic empowered selves, so that they can bring that within their everyday lives.”
Let’s Dance…
The Philanthropic Pussycat Doll starred in ‘Let’s Dance’ for Comic Relief and says she had a “truly life-changing experience” on her charity trip to Ghana, where she showed schoolchildren new dance moves and found out how the charity’s fundraising’s changing children’s lives and building brighter futures for kids across Africa, leading to her work with the Youth Sports Trust (YTS).
“I was so honoured to be chosen to be gifted with the Ghana experience,” she says. “Because it was really eye opening… What connected us was dance, and that inclusivity is really quite brilliant. So, bringing that back to UK schools and joining forces with the YTS to bring dance to primary and secondary schools, it’s created new ways of teaching and educating emotional awareness and wellbeing, again, using dance as the tool to help inspire and increase inclusivity.”
She recently teamed up with the charity The Little Princess Trust. “Seeing kids with cancer fighting for their lives, and being able to give them the gift of a real hair wig, just gives them that little boost of confidence to tap into their sort of warrior side so they can fight the fight of their lives in that moment,” she says. “For me, hair is a big thing that gives me confidence, allowing me to step on stage with the Mohawk and become something, like a fighter, a warrior. To bring a little bit of light into their life, and create awareness and fund the brilliant work that The Little Princess Trust do (they’re such a lovely organisation, run with heart) is pretty special.”
Come dancing with Kim… in Surrey!
Locally, Kim and Max have taught a couple of pilot classes for mums at the school. “And there are a few kids locally who have some REAL talent, so I’ve been teaching them. We’re open to all at the moment.”
With a desire to start teaching close to home, Kim’s planning to open a new Surrey dance school on site. “It’s nearly finished!” she reveals. “I’m SO excited!
Max says their new studio is an all-singing-all-dancing multipurpose space. “Just being in there will create new ventures and new things that will come out of it, not to mention the stuff that we already do… Kim’s Bring Your Heels method, the classes we deliver online, my fitness classes… Potentially, if we’re still modelling from home for a little longer, it will become a photo studio, too, so we’re looking forward to that and what happens there.”
Turning the tool shed into a cool new dance studio, Max and his Sky Dining (see below) team’s master craftsmen have been busy knocking down walls for another development, documenting the drama as they go. “We’ve used entirely-reclaimed materials to build a little seating area, and used reclaimed windows and doors. We’re so excited to see what develops from it.”
“We have the space and the method produced,” Max explains. “Kim usually tours the country with her ‘Bring Your Heels’ method, and dance is such a great way to connect to your local community as well, so we’re really hoping to push that and create a connection to our local community and the people around us, and spread Kim’s love of dance from a local perspective. It would be fantastic if that developed into a local school, based on everything that we’re already doing.”
Going local
With an all-singing-all-dancing studio coming to our county soon, Surreyites will shortly be taking their first steps to dance success, or improving their level with the ultimate pro dancer. “With our studio being built at home, we can take a few students, and there are few locations in the area, Foxhills being one of them, with a beautiful studio where we’d like to start teaching regularly, too. It’s really about getting the community together, and, perhaps uncovering some untapped dance talent, but also to just get people moving and exercising for their wellbeing, their body, their mind through the power of dance,” says Kim.
“Which brings it all back to how and why Kim began dancing in the first place,” adds Max. “It really was her therapy, as much as her creative expression. We want to just share that with as many people as possible. We’ve been around the world doing it, but are yet to meet people in our local area and share it there. Business-wise as well, it makes sense for us, with three kids, to do as much as possible as locally as possible.”
The overall method is called Kim’s ‘Bring Your Heel’s method. “Ironically, heels are optional for those classes, because I teach kids as young as eight!” laughs Kim. “But that class prepares you for a potential career dancing in heels, and it’s also just good fun… from hen do’s to birthday parties, to pro classes and studios… everyone can take something from it.”
Kimberly Wyatt Dance is a brand which will teach all manner of dance styles. “And to everybody we can possibly meet! I’ve even taught an old folks’ home over Zoom, and they were all sat in their chairs doing various bits’n’pieces, and again, it’s a similar method that I would teach to the actual pros.”
“It’s an incredible thing that Kim’s managed to put together,” beams Max. “And that’s what we want to share in the area from now on, along with Sky Dining…”
A Celebrity Masterchef
It’s not hard to see how Sky Dining came about… The couple love to cook at home, and always “shop local” when sourcing ingredients. “Another selling point of the area was moving in next to Crockford Bridge farm, which has a pick-your-own field and incredible farm shop,” says Max. “It gives a great sense of community, and is brilliant for teaching the kids where their food comes from. The produce is amazing.”
Cooking up a storm on our screens in 2015, his capable spouse clinched THE coveted cookery title when her exceptional culinary skills impressed judges Gregg Wallace and John Torode and won the hearts of the British public, seeing Kim crowned ‘Celebrity Masterchef Champion’, beating fellow contestants Sam Nixon, Rylan Clark and Scott Maslen to the sought-after trophy.
“’Masterchef’ was my kitchen starter kit!,” Kim reveals. “I’d just had our first child and had no kitchen confidence, and went on to learn as much as I could. I threw myself into it and am so thankful that I did because I’m now able to make three meals a day for the kids and host and create really lovely meals and flavours. Cooking’s become a real passion since.”
Sky Dining – creating year-round outdoor living
Launched during the last lockdown, the pioneering pair are also savouring their new luxury outdoor kitchen business, Sky Dining, taking outdoor Surrey living to a whole new level. ““I’ve developed an eye for detail through my modelling and filming work, and also a new-found love of power tools with Sky Dining!” explains Max. “We’ve partnered with a Surrey building firm who are friends of ours to create amazing outdoor kitchen areas,” Max explains.
From patios with fire pits or poolside bars, to traditional British BBQ areas or cool outdoor wine caves, Kim & Max can model your perfect space, giving you that special outdoor area to gather with family and friends. Themed areas, such as a Tuscan-style pizza oven zone, a Cornwall-style surf shack for seafood straight-off-the-grate, or an adventurous Argentinian grill, can incorporate a fresh herb garden as part of the design for straight-to-plate flavours, or treat yourself to a classy outdoor cocktail bar!
Whether you want a ground-breaking at-home bar’n’grill area to host with holiday vibes, a place for the man in your life to watch sport with his mates, or an intimate outdoor cinema experience, whatever your wish list, let your imagination run wild with Max, ‘Celebrity Masterchef’ champ Kim and their expert team’s innovative ideas and beautiful bespoke builds. Their high-end craftsmanship, coupled with inventive ideas, ensures everything you need for a fully-operational kitchen is incorporated in your outdoor kitchen design.
Kim famously showcased her Kansas family BBQ rub on TV. “Doing ‘Masterchef’ helped me connect to the things that I loved growing up in the Mid-West of America, which was all about barbeques… barbeques are EVERYTHING… Sundays were all about having barbecues and tailgating for the football games and having your chillies, your barbeque sauces and your briskets and all these lovely foods. Now, barbeques have become a real focus within OUR family, and I’ve got my secret barbeque rub recipe, that I’d like to share with people when the time is right!”
“And out of that we’ve developed Sky Dining!” Max divulges. “That was kind of the seed of it all, showing people how that outside lifestyle that Kim loved as a kid can be achieved in THIS country. We can also put a roof on it, just in case! But there’s no reason why we can’t enjoy that same barbeque culture that Kim grew up with here. And that’s the basis of Sky Dining.”
Not just for spring and summer dining, covered outdoor entertainment areas allow you to offer outdoor socials and cook up culinary experiences on tap all-year-round, while the kids play happily in the home-pub garden, or dedicated play area.
Max can maximise your outdoor space and unlock its potential. “We can make the most of an uninspiring area by transforming an unused corner of your garden into a gorgeous, functional space,” he says.
When day turns to dusk, Sky Dining’s clever lighting designs can create a cosy alfresco atmosphere. Adding infinite value to your life at home, Sky Dining’s stylish designs guarantee a stunning space to entertain. For tasteful talk-of-the-town summer/autumn/winter/spring socials, get set to party and stay in to dine out!
With Max and Kim’s sustainability ethos at its heart, their brand-new business’s homely handmade smokers are made locally from reclaimed materials as part of their signature Kansas City Grill package, creating an enviable centre piece for your original outdoor kitchen, complete with the flavours of an striking Kansas City-style smoker.
“Once the studio’s fully finished, we’ve got another corner earmarked for our Kansas City barbecue grill by Sky Dining,” adds Max. “So, hopefully, by the end of the summer we might be fully functional and broadcasting our first Sky Dining barbeques from our house via Instagram @skydininguk… Check it out!”
Eco-friendly fashion
From their fervour for food to their passion for fashion, with ‘fast fashion’ the planet’s second worst polluter, eco-conscious models Max and Kim make a stand against it whenever they can.
“The impact of the disposable nature of fashion cannot be underestimated,” says Max. “It’s an environmental, economic and human rights disaster, which has been expertly covered up by huge marketing budgets.”
With young people aspiring to those in the public eye, heavily influenced by their image, the fash pack need to slow down their consumption of clothes, and Kim and Max are calling on others in the spotlight to be seen wearing the same outfits more than once, and encourage their fashionista fans and followers to do the same.
“Fast fashion is a HUGE problem,” says Kim. “It’s time to make a stand to encourage people to love and support pre-loved vintage clothes. You have a real relationship with your wardrobe, and you need to buy clothes to wear at least 30 times, because we need to cut down the amount of clothes that we’re sending to landfill. I feel the pressure of being in a different outfit every day, and I’ve kind of taken a step back against that. With the slowdown of the world over the past year-and-a-half, it’s time to take real measures, to lead by example, wear clothes that you love and have an emotional relationship with. For me, it’s about raising that awareness and stepping up, being able to wear the same jacket twice, maybe get on Insta and shout about it, like, ‘I love my clothes and I’m gonna wear everything in my wardrobe way more than once!’”
Prince Charles and his trend-setting daughter-in-law Kate Middleton are also setting an examples when it comes to clothes, wearing the same garments years apart. By leading by example, hopefully those who love fashion can do the same. Another strong message Max and Kim are keen to promote is renting designer clothing for a day or night out, as recently demonstrated by the PM’s new wife, Carrie Johnson.
“It makes perfect sense,” says Max. “Wearing items once and then having them take up space in your life for the rest of it, makes no sense compared to renting something that beautiful. And going down the rental route, you can wear something out of your price range, which you couldn’t afford to buy, so you end up expressing yourself more.”
As for kids’ clothing, “I LOVE a hand-me-down!” says Kim. “I grew up with them… my big sister was my hero when it came to clothes, and now, as a mum of three, hand-me-downs are everything! And when your kids have finished with them, Asda offers a take-back scheme, which is brilliant.”
Along with their role as ambassadors for Cool Earth, the eco-friendly husband and wife are ambassadors and sustainability advisors for George at Asda, which recently found that we don’t wear a whopping 90% of the clothes in our wardrobes.
For the past decade, the creative duo’s also acted as ambassadors for the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF). Modelling green designs, they’ve helped spread the message that style doesn’t have to cost the earth. “I recognise that it is, ultimately, my job to sell clothes and, hopefully, this inspires people to buy clothes ethically,” Max explains. “This experience also inspired my #styletakestime InstaTV series.”
As a longstanding advocate of eco living, he says we can all help to save the planet. “As consumers, we can all vote with our wallets on this issue and ensure that if we’re buying clothes (or anything else for that matter) we’re buying to last. It’s better to buy one item for £100 which lasts 10 years, than 10 items for £10 that each only last one year.” He says this is an attitude which helps develop a wardrobe that makes far more of a style statement. “Buying sustainably is about who you are as a person. True style takes time to develop and reflects who we are as people much more thoroughly.”
The public is finally starting to follow suit and becoming conscious when it comes to buying clothes. “I respect the fact that people want to express themselves stylistically, which often involves buying clothes, but with pre-loved vintage and upcycling, you really can express yourself, without buying box-fresh outfits every single time,” he says. “Personally, I think that’s an expression of MORE style, than just buying something straight from a mannequin.”
Saving the planet with Vivienne Westwood X Cool Earth
With big names including Cate Blanchett and Joaquin Phoenix joining the anti-throwaway fashion movement, sustainability is still very much a buzzword, with people becoming more conscious of the fact that fast fashion – and wearing an outfit just once for Instagram – is detrimental to the environment.
Playing their part in protecting the planet, the environmentally-conscious couple has also collaborated on a global eco campaign for Cool Earth (@coolearthaction), a charity working with rainforest villages to help halt deforestation and climate change. “It was a privilege to work with Cool Earth and Vivienne Westwood,” says Max. “The work they do is very effective and makes a lot of sense.”
Say ‘no’ to fast fashion!
The Surrey power couple recently rocked a sustainable fashion shoot that I arranged with my outstanding photographer Earl (Stephen Santos @wackpaper17photography) and superb Surrey-based London Fashion Week designer V from Vz Perfection (@vzperfection), who has worked with Cool Earth’s Patron, the one-and-only Vivienne Westwood.
Kicking off the promo for a star-studded celebrity LFW charity show that I am organising at Surrey’s stunning Horsley De Vere Estate (www.devere.co.uk/horsley-estate) Kim and Max had an absolute ball at this beautiful venue, which featured its famous turrets in ‘The Crown’.
“We had a great time!” says Max. “It was really lovely…”
“I LOVED doing this shoot!” adds Kim. “I love living in Surrey and discovering gorgeous places like this in Horsley! What a gem… just dripping in elegance and history!”
V reworked her famous Dragonflies showstopper dress, which saw out LFW SS2020, to make it sustainable for our shoot, showcased exquisitely by Kim in Earl’s mind-blowing photos.
Max sported a pop of purple after V reworked a sumptuous velvet jacket, now also adorned with her signature Dragonfly design to complement the jaw-dropping dazzling Dragonflies dress on Kim. V also mixed black denim with tweed for a second striking jacket, before Kim jumped up to dance in V’s gorgeous upcycled blue silk dress from her ‘Colours of Life’ collection last year.
Sustainable vintage-loving designer V cares deeply about her products’ provenance and the issues surrounding fast fashion. For her fantastic new collection, she is also cleverly upcycling ballgowns with modern twists and turns, transforming a couple of them into jumpsuits to make them sustainable, all to be showcased at our star-studded charity show in September.
Going green with garments is ‘de rigeur’, seeing recycling and repurposing very much in vogue. Upcycling garments is BIG news, it’s the way forward, a new way of creating, being economical, and saving the environment at the same time. With not one of her garments mass produced, they’re all one-off bespoke pieces made in the UK by highly-skilled British craftspeople.
Kim and Max also showcased several other sustainable Surrey-based brands and boutiques at our ethical shoot, including Nanushka (stocked at Bernard Boutique, Esher and Gigi Boutique Haslemere), along with Hampton Court’s Paradise Boutique, which sells carefully-curated global fashion brands, selected not only for their design, quality and ‘en-pointe’ status, but also for their sustainability, with supply chain and work ethics at the forefront of each brand’s ethos. Elegant, stylish and fabulous, their unique quality pieces cater for different budgets and age ranges, from 30’s to 70’s, at great price points.
Kim flaunted a flowy leopard-print skirt and blouse by Scotch & Soda for our outdoor shoot, specially selected and styled as the perfect outfit for a Pussycat doll by Helen at Paradise Boutique. Responsible fashion brand Scotch & Soda works with only factories and manufacturers using stringent environmental policies, and where good working conditions are guaranteed.
“V’s Dragonflies dress is incredible… Thanks for introducing to me to this beautiful historical building, Angela!” says Kim. Thank you for having us – and we look forward to supporting the show!”
A sustainable Surrey charity catwalk show
Raising awareness of our message to make more responsible choices every day to reduce our environmental impact on our vulnerable planet, the celebrity couple are the stars of the star-studded charity event I am organising at this spectacular Surrey venue, which blew Kim, Max and all of my team away.
Our forthcoming celebrity catwalk show with Vz Perfection in aid of Cool Earth already has big names on board supporting our essential #saynotofastfashion message.
A sensational silent auction on the night will see bidding on glittering star experiences plus products from carefully-curated sustainable Surrey business. From a one-to-one dance class with Pussycat Doll Kim, and a round of golf with model Max, to afternoon tea with Purley-based A Place in the Sun presenter Laura Hamilton at her deli & coffee shop Lord Roberts on The Green, and sustainable premium gin tasting on Silent Pool’s terrace overlooking the famous pool in the Surrey Hills, some super VIP experiences are for grabs. De Vere hotels are kindly donating a two-night stay at any of their astounding venues, while Cobham-based TV star Dr Esho, Reigate’s Sicilian wine makers Veeno, Cheam-based The Lavender Avenue Company and Surrey-wide Korpi Forest School are among the other brilliant brands offering specially-selected items and VIP experiences, all in aid of charity.
What’s more, V will donate 10% of the takings of any sales of her magnificent Vz Perfection garments on the night to Cool Earth.
Don’t Rock the Boat!
All at sea filming afloat in lockdown last year, powerhouse of a PCD Kim was among the famous faces, including Fleur East, Guildford-born Jodie Kidd and gold medal-winning cyclist Victoria Pendleton, battling it out by rowing the entire length of Britain, from Cornwall to Scotland, in ITV’s gruelling celebrity challenge ‘Don’t Rock the Boat’.
“I’d wanted to try rowing ever since meeting Sir Redgrave when I was doing ‘The Jump’,” says Kim. “But it was BRUTAL… rowing for over 36 hours, being seasick, rowing two hours on, two hours off, through the day and night, was UNREAL.”
She says rowing with Surrey-born James Cracknell was “a game changer!” and describes fellow skipper, Olympic Gold medallist Denise Lewis, as an “absolute legend.” “As the lockdowns were happening and the everyday struggle of trying to stay excited about the juggle struggle of motherhood, being in that rowing seat and rowing through the blisters, the pain, the wanting to give up and just continuing to push, knowing that you’re not gonna give up on yourself, it taught me a lot. It helped tap in to that mental and physical resilience that was always in there, but I think I just needed another reboot.”
“And to have really lived it with the most amazing woman, Denise Lewis, who’s another amazing athlete but also a mum, together we had so many hours in the middle of the night of just being like, ‘Wow, this is pretty epic!’, and just being able to look on the fact that we are women, we are mums, but look at us, to still be able to throw down and just revel in the fact that it’s important to keep testing yourself throughout your life, and keep having adventures, and keep finding that spark and zest for the everyday!”
Backstage breastfeeding
When baby Senna arrived on the scene in October 2019, model Max and his Missouri-born pop star wife were over the moon to become a family of five. “He’s a good lad,” says proud dad Max. “He had quite the start in life; being breastfed in The Pussycat Dolls’ rehearsal room and kicking around on his playmat in the corner of photo studios, but he’s remarkably settled and seems to love his varied environment. His sisters, Maple and Willow, love him as well, which helps!”
PCD comeback – React!
Back with a bang in November 2019, just over a month after giving birth, Kimberly reformed with fellow Dolls Nicole Scherzinger, Ashley Roberts, Carmit Bachar and Jessica Sutta, back on form shortly after welcoming baby Senna to the brood.
Alongside the rest of her American pop/R&B girl group and dance ensemble (minus Melody), Kimberly made a super-sensational return to our screens with an exclusive performance and a very special announcement, revealing their reunion tour. Reuniting with her Pussycat pals for the phenomenally-popular group’s first public performance in a decade, the gyrating girls graced the stage on ITV’s ‘X Factor: Celebrity’, on which Nicole also served as a judge alongside music mogul Simon Cowell and talent show judge Louis Walsh.
Dubbed “Wonder Woman” by her bandmates, strutting on stage, following just four days of rehearsals, over ten years since last performing together, and just seven weeks after having Senna by caesarean was some feat! She says the Pussycat Dolls’ comeback performance was “immense”.
“I knew I was signing up for the challenge of a lifetime… I love being a Pussycat Doll and I love being a mum, and surprise baby number 3 definitely threw a bit of spanner in the works! But I was really excited to have that opportunity to celebrate being a new mum, a mum of three, and stepping up to the plate to see what our bodies really are capable of. I was fascinated by the journey, from those first baby steps to being able to do that leg tilt on that first reunion performance on ‘X-Factor’. “I came off stage and SCREAMED to Max, who was holding our new-born baby, and there were tears and everything, just because of the hard work, the dedication, the sacrifice that we had made to make it to that moment. So, it was crazy then to get complaints to X-Factor about looking too revealing, because what was going on behind the scenes, as a mum, going from C-section to PCD was SO intense and in that moment, seeing all the haters, it felt like so much was overlooked, but together, we really pushed it to the max and were able to yeah, see what the body is really capable of.”
Fans went wild as the reformed sassy girl group took to the stage, performing a medley of PCD hits such as ‘Buttons’, ‘When I Grow Up’ and ‘Don’t Cha’, and also treated us to the band’s brand-new finger-snapping track ‘React’. The accompanying racy music video, featuring fire, leather outfits and seductive dancing in the rain, clocked up almost 50 million views.
“I was overcome with unbelievable pride at watching what my wife had managed to achieve,” reveals admiring husband Max. “We were both pretty emotional afterwards, because getting up on that stage to do what she truly loves and what makes her feel empowered involved quite the journey… She worked incredibly hard to make it happen.”
Max and Kim’s young daughters enjoyed special dispensation to stay up late to watch their mum on the show. “It’s wonderful to see them witness their mum doing what she loves to do… Seeing the dedication she puts into her work, and the joy she takes out of it, is an inspiration to them,” he says. “They’ve been singing ‘When I Grow Up’ ever since, so if they do decide to be in the public eye when they are older, we have plenty of video footage to embarrass them with!”
Max the Method maker
Max was key in assisting Kimberly to safely regain her fitness levels in the run-up to the show, getting her back into the rhythm with her dancing proficiency post-surgery, and ensuring she wouldn’t miss a beat when she took to the stage with the chart-topping mega-group. “We were able to work together on her challenge to regain her ability to dance, and I built a program to help make that happen. I was also in rehearsal every day with the baby, making sure Kim was safe from a fitness angle. But she did the hard work. It was truly incredible to see her achieve it, and I’m excited to share the journey with the doc we made.”
Bringing back Doll Domination, the feisty girl group not only generated excitement with their eagerly-awaited energetic stage performance, showcasing their hot-to-trot dance routines and vocals, but revealed they would be releasing a new album and also reuniting for a UK-wide tour, now postponed to 2022.
Dolls on Tour 2022
Live performances will take in Sandown Park and Lingfield Park racecourses in Surrey, seeing The Dolls deliver new anthemic hits and fan favourites, with a showstopping show packed with the sizzling dance routines and unforgettable vocals the super-talented ladies are famous for.
“My main focus is touring. When I tour the world with the Dolls, or any other job, I always connect with local dance classes and try to teach there. I recently taught a class in Australia. and when the Dolls finally go on tour, I will align my tour with the Dolls’ tour dates and try to teach in every city, which is great for the fans to say ‘hi’.”
Max will take the kids on tour to support his hard-working wife. “Fortunately, my work involves a lot of travel, so we hope to be able to tour as a family and I’ll continue to work as normal in different markets along the way. It will also be a good experience for the kids to see a bit of the world, and it’s great that we’re set up to be able to that!”
Britain’s Next Top Model neighbours
Since clinching that celebrated ‘Celebrity MasterChef’ title, Kim’s appetite for food and family cooking has seen her own ‘Kimberly’s Kitchen Garden’ cookery slot on ITV’s ‘Lorraine’, where she’s shared her delicious dishes featuring fresh, homegrown, wholesome ingredients, putting nature on the table in the form of her fave healthy, tasty and simple meals.
Along with accommodating hungry households alfresco, the family particularly enjoys festive entertaining. “We host Christmas for all our friends, who are all having children now,” adds Max. “So, what started a few years ago as civilised drinks and good food, has turned into absolute mayhem with kids, dogs, and the occasional Pussycat Doll or model thrown in… and we love it!”
Alongside good friend/fellow model/‘Strictly’ 2013 Glitterball champ Abbey Clancy, Max sits as a judge on ‘Britain’s Next Top Model’. “I love being on ‘BNTM’… Just lovely people, a lovely environment and it’s really nice to be able to help people with their aspirations to become a model, and reflect on my own attainments and achievements in modelling from that perspective.”
Supermodel Abbey and her footie pro hubby Peter Crouch are also Weybridge residents. “Abbey and Pete throw great parties, and it’s fun turning up and finding out that you’re neighbours with people you’ve known in the industry for years… All these friendships that happen in London, and then we find out we’re neighbours in Surrey!”
“Auntie Ash (Ashley Roberts from The Pussycat Dolls) lived with us for most of 2018 before she made her permanent move to London. Auntie Melody (Thornton) came for Christmas 2018. And Nicole and Thom (Evans) who lives just around the corner, were actually the last people to come to our house before lockdown. We went to The Waverley with them and they popped round for dinner a few days later. All the Dolls will be regular visitors once their tour starts and they’re all in the UK.”
Fine wining’n’dining in Weybridge
With stylish shops a-go-go on their doorstep, sustainable fashion fans Max and Kimberly’s highly-desirable hometown is a prime spot for elegant eateries. “We LOVE Nikki’s Coffee House in Weybridge. You’ll likely to find us in there after the school run if we have a free day!” “I love having coffee with friends… in the sunshine, ideally!” says Kim.
Although they now have the ULTIMATE home chef and kitchen, when they do dine out, there’s one particular place that tops this power couple’s menu. “Cantina 41 is one of our favourite restaurants in the world… We absolutely love the place and the people there!” They’re also huge fans of Weybridge’s aforementioned new nearby inn The Waverley. “They do an INCREDIBLE Sunday roast… one of the best I’ve ever had,” says Max. “I go there with my kids’ school friends’ mums for ‘Mums’ Night’, too!” Kim reveals.
Max the film buff
Surrey shoots have seen Max modelling not only in Horsley but sashaying at Shepperton Studios, while with watching films his favourite thing to do, he loves walking the red carpet and attending premieres. “We live within walking distance of the new Light cinema in Addlestone, which is a dream and one of the selling points when we first moved here. It’s great that the new Addlestone One development brought such a great cinema with it. It’s also been great seeing how much that development has done for the area; it really feels like a community is building now!”
He also relishes local festivals and events. “I love doing things in the local community. It’s great to get out and meet people.”
Max & Kim’s purrfect weekend…
Swapping the runway and A&R for R&R, historic Foxhills frequently comes into play. “That’s our spot in Surrey,” says Max. “Abbey and Peter RAVE about Beaverbrook in Leatherhead, so that’s also on our radar…” And now that they’ve discovered the delightful De Vere Horsley Estate, they can’t wait to enjoy an overnight stay at this fairy-tale castle hotel…
Their perfect weekend? “An uninterrupted weekend of no plans, with my family,” says Max. “We would probably spontaneously drop in on Abbey and Pete, maybe watch a film in Addlestone, and almost certainly eat at Cantina 41!”
And for Kim? “The Sunday barbeque is always lovely… Now that the sun is starting to shine a bit more, I can’t wait to host barbeques on a Sunday here at ours!”
FACTBOX
Follow Max & Kim on Instagram @maxrogersuk @kimberlywyatt
Kim has just announced a winter tour of her Bring Your Heels classes, kicking off in Oct/Nov. Check her Insta for news and to book your class for your dance school or party!
Find out more about Sky Dining: skydining.co.uk Insta @skydininguk
Watch Kim & Max’s video promoting our forthcoming LFW charity catwalk show: www.instagram.com/p/CS1dfW8DxHt/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
A limited number of tickets to our exclusive show will be made available on the Surrey Rocks website. Say ‘no’ to fast fashion and help protect the planet!
© Angela Sara West 2021 Insta @angela_sara_west
