Rock Out

KIM & MAX

Celebrity Journalist Angela Sara West chats exclusively to Pussycat Doll Kim & Model Husband Max on 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 Max Rogers walks and works with style legends, while his well-known American wife Kimberly Wyatt belts out her A-list band’s hits, brings her heels and shakes her booty on stages worldwide. The couple have three children and reside in Weybridge in Surrey. Supporting the local community is something they both feel passionate about.

Max factor

On being named ‘GQ Man for the Season’, high-fashion model Max Rogers has 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, (Watch out for their 2022 Tour – coming to Surrey!) 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… multitalented 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’.

Instagram @maxrogers

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-withside-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.”

DON’TCHA DANCE DOLLS

Filming new content for their Move Home Studio marketplace upped the tempo during lockdown, offering online dance classes in everything from commercial and contemporary, 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!

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 taken a class 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.

DOLL DOMINATION

Exploding onto the pop scene, The Pussycat Dolls' 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

Instagram @kimberlywyatt

‘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, 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 Kimberley Walsh.

Kim’s Well-Fit campaign

The super-flexible Pussycat Doll not only keeps herself on tiptop 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.”

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 entirelyreclaimed 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.

The overall method is called Kim’s ‘Bring Your Heels' 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…”

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.”

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.

Instagram @maxrogers 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.”

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.”

Along with their role as ambassadors for Cool Earth, the ecofriendly 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.

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 environmentallyconscious 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 Surreybased 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!”

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 afternoon tea with Purley-based A Place in the Sun presenter Laura Hamilton at her deli & coffee shop Lord Roberts on The Green, to a sustainable premium gin tour for four at Silent Pool Distillers in the Surrey Hills, some super VIP experiences are for grabs. De Vere are kindly donating a two-night stay with dinner at their astounding Horsley Estate, 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.

WORDS BY: ANGELA SARA WEST @angela_sara_west

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

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!