British fitness coach, TV presenter and author
Joseph Trevor Wicks MBE (born 21 September 1985), also known as The Body Coach,[1] is a British fitness coach, TV presenter, social media personality and author.[2]
His fitness method uses High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts.[3] Starting off by posting 15-second recipe videos on social media, Wicks grew his brand to become one of the most followed fitness accounts on Instagram and YouTube. His first published cookbook Lean in 15: 15-minute meals was a best-seller in 2015, having sold over 900,000 copies.[4][5] He has created a "90 Day Plan" with workouts and meals with portions tailored to the individual.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, he began "PE with Joe" on YouTube to try to help children stay active; this livestream had a wide impact and was viewed by over a million users worldwide.[6] The first stream occurred on 23 March and ended almost one year later, on 5 March. For this, he was awarded his MBE in the Birthday Honours of 2020.[7] He is a Channel 4 television presenter with his own show The Body Coach.[8]
Wicks was awarded a Guinness World Record for "most viewers for a fitness workout live stream on YouTube", after achieving over 950,000 viewers on Tuesday 24 March 2020 for his second live stream.[9]
Early life
Wicks was born in Epsom, Surrey to Gary Wicks, a roofer, and Raquela Mosquera, a social worker of Italian descent. His maternal grandparents were from the Isle of Man.[10][failed verification] He grew up on a council estate with his parents and two brothers, Nikki and George.[11]
Wicks attended Blenheim High School in Epsom, Surrey[12] and NESCOT technology college in Epsom.[13] He went on to study sports science at St Mary's University in Twickenham.
Career
Joe Wicks worked as a teaching assistant after completing his sports science degree.[14] After realising it was not his ideal job, he became a personal trainer for the next five years.[14]
In 2012, he appeared as a contestant on the Channel 4 game show The Bank Job. He went out first after being the only player left in the vault when the time ran out.[15]
A segment on Channel 4 named Joe Wicks: The Body Coach aired in 2016 with Wicks as the presenter. As of 2020 there have been 3 episodes.[16]
Wicks launched a range of kitchenware in 2018.[17]
Online presence
Wicks began to gain traction for his fitness and nutrition related content on social media. In 2014 he began posting videos to Instagram relating to workouts and nutrition advice.[18] He has amassed over 4.1 million followers on his Instagram account.[19]
He launched a website called The Body Coach where he sells his kitchenware and a range of fitness/nutrition plans.[20][21]
Wicks has been recognised by several major publications, such as Harper's Bazaar, Elle UK and Forbes for his online fitness efforts.[22][23][24][25]
YouTube
He began posting fitness content to his YouTube channel, named 'The Body Coach TV', in 2014. His first video garnered over 6 million views.[26] The channel has amassed over 2.7 million subscribers and more than 282 million views.[27] Wicks also topped both the YouTube charts as the number one trending and breakout creator of the year.[28]
On 19 March 2020 Wicks uploaded a video announcing that he would begin to produce "P.E with Joe" videos on his channel.[29] These videos were exercise videos aimed at children to keep fit during the COVID-19 pandemic as schools were closed. Wicks announced on his Instagram that he will donate profits from these videos to the NHS.
Books
In 2015, Wicks published a cookbook named Lean in 15: The Shift Plan which sold 77,000 copies in its opening week.[18] He released a further two books in the Lean in 15 series, including Lean in 15: The Shape Plan, released 2016 [30] and "Lean in 15: The Sustain Plan", also in 2016.[31]
Since the success of the Lean in 15 series, Wicks has published several more cookbooks. His newest cookbook, Wean in 15 was released on 14 May 2020 [32] and focuses on 'weaning babies onto solid food and recipes for time-pressed parents'.[33][34]
Charity
In November 2020, Wicks completed a 24-hour workout challenge which raised over £2 million for Children in Need. Blue Peter awarded him a Gold Blue Peter Badge as a thank you on behalf of Children in Need.[35]
In June 2021, Wicks became Patron of The Amber Foundation, a youth homeless charity.[36] Surrey-born Wicks first became aware of The Amber Foundation after his mother, a social worker, started to work with some of the residents at their site near Dorking in Surrey. Since then, Wicks has visited the centre on a number of occasions, donating fitness equipment and giving advice on physical activity and nutrition.
Personal life
Wicks married former glamour model Rosie Jones in June 2019.[37] Together they have three children—a daughter born July 2018, a son born December 2019 and a second daughter born September 2022. In January 2024 Wicks announced, via his Instagram account, that he and his wife are expecting their fourth child.[38]
