It’s normally three-year-old Francis at about 6.30am, keen to get some Rice Krispies down his neck.
Recently he’s also developed a taste for granola with almond milk, like me. He’s going to fit very nicely into north London’s cafe society!
Then the other two – Susie, nine, and Robert, seven – appear saying they don’t want to go to school.
If I’m filming then I’m simply not around. I’ll be up at 5.30am to get into make-up and all of that.
We always walk to school. It’s important to get some exercise and breathe in some air pollution every morning.
Sometimes my wife Katie will do the school walk, but if I take them then I’ll go to a cafe afterwards to do some writing and tuck into poached eggs, salmon and smashed avocado on toast.
I’m working on a memoir and a novel at the moment, and I’ve just done a Master’s in creative writing.
Katie and I have a competition as to who can get to their computer and hide first. It isn’t easy with a toddler who’ll find you wherever you are!
However, I often make a work/life balance choice to go and play with Francis because they’re not little for long.
We’re kind of healthy. My childhood was eating a lot of stuff out of packets.
My mum Shirley died of leukaemia when I was six and my dad couldn’t cook, so most of my meals were from a tin.
I’m not much of a cook myself, but I like being in the kitchen with the kids. Last week I made some leek and potato soup from scratch – it went down a storm.
But sometimes after we’ve fed the children we’ll be too knackered to cook for ourselves, so I’ll sit on the sofa eating cheese and wondering why I’m a stone overweight.
The kids love reading. They joined the library round the corner from us, so I get them into bed at 7.30pm and read to them. They love Asterix and Tintin – books like that never seem to date.
Hopefully they will continue reading into their teens rather than being glued to their phones.
Saying that, I’m fully part of the box-set culture. Katie and I love shows like Trust, Bodyguard and The Little Drummer Girl.
We like to go out, too, and will often watch Arsenal play before going for a curry or to the cinema. And on Fridays I play football.
We go to bed too late. Often it’s gone midnight when the light goes out, even though we’re always saying we have to get to bed by 9.30pm. It’s easier said than done!
I’m really into James Baldwin’s novels at the moment. They’re so brilliant, I can’t put them down.
- Watch Alan as Jonny Cork in the Frankie Drake Mysteries, Tuesdays, 9pm, on Alibi.
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