Question Time’s Fiona Bruce says all working mothers worry about not spending enough time with their children

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Fiona Bruce has said that all working mothers are concerned that they do not spend enough time with their children.

Speaking to Good Housekeeping, the Question Time host opened up about her successful career and how that has impacted her relationship with her son, Sam, 22, and daughter, Mia, 19, whom she shares with her husband Nigel Sharrocks.

“Did I spend enough time with my children?” she said. “I think scratch the surface of any working woman and she will always think, ‘Probably not’.”

“I don’t think there’s such a thing as quality time with your children,” Bruce, 57, continued.

“I think it’s quantity. But there’s never been any question that they take precedence over everything in my life, and always have done.”

Bruce went on to explain how, during busy work periods, she relied on a long-term live-in nanny to help with childcare while she was working.

“It was definitely helped by having the same nanny living with us for 20 years,” she said.

“She left when Mia finished her GCSEs, but she’s a firm family friend.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Bruce criticised the fact that she was repeatedly asked as a young journalist whether she was “ambitious”.

“When I started my career, I got asked that time and time again,” she said.

“In the end, I was thoroughly sick of it because I never heard a man being asked that.

“It’s the same as only women being described as ‘feisty’. You want to do as well as you can in your job - that’s human nature.”

Speaking about Question Time, she explained that she is looking forward to the return of live audiences.

“When the live audience comes back I will kiss every single one of them, whether they like it or not,” she teased.

“There is no substitute for having people actually there, seeing what they want to talk about and gauging their reactions when the politicians speak. Having a live audience makes the programme an event - it’s the bit I enjoy most.”