"I had to have these internal conversations like well okay, you've got a kid now, what are you gonna do? Are you gonna be a shitty mum? Are you going to be selfish? Like it would constantly challenge me, and this voice has stuck with me the whole way through."
"I would not be where I am without my kid."
This kind of self-backing and determination is what makes Angelou so personable and explains why she became a fan favourite on both Celebrity Treasure Island and Shortland Street. Since then, her following has continued to grow but despite her popularity, her maternal instinct always comes first.
"Seven to eight years ago someone had taken my kid's pictures and put them all over a fake Instagram with our address and cellphone number and for me, that was it, that was enough. I've just kept him out of the public eye. I'm very particular, my son is my baby, I'm very protective."
In a black hoodie, hosting Flava and munching on a cracker/tuna combo, Angelou's relaxed environment was filled with fond comments about her son and motherhood.
"What I love most about being a mum? Oh, just my baby. That bond, he's my best friend, my motivation more than anything. There's someone who depends on me, there's someone I've raised."
With her son now reaching the tender age of 13, she is aware girlfriends, have been and will continue to be a part of her son's life, but like all good mothers, she has the right advice hidden up her sleeve ready to use when he needs it.
"When he told me about the girlfriend thing, I was like look, before you do this, you need to make sure they're your friend first, cause that's the whole point right, they're your friend. You don't just like someone and get together."
Angelou tells me the love of a mother is unconditional but if she is being fair, it wasn't something that came naturally. She explains it was due to a combination of things, like never being around small children as well as working through all her emotions of nerves and anxiety but after three months with her mum and her newborn son, she learnt what it meant to nurture and since then she's constantly been learning how to navigate the ever-changing role of motherhood.
Talking to people about their passions is where you'll find the real magic and Angelou, is no different, when asked about her best moment as a mother, her entire face lit up.
"I would say it's when my son started flying planes. He's starting to get his pilot license by 16 so he can be a solo pilot and it's like oh, I made money and I'm going somewhere. I've got a pilot in the making; it can't be that bad right?"
Angelou once told her son "things are ever-changing, never think that where you are right now is where you are going to be in the future." It speaks volumes to her own personal experience and changing her outlook from being a young mother, homeless and struggling, to 13 years later, having a continuously flourishing career with her son by her side as her best friend.
• For more from Athena Angelo, tune into FLAVA between 3-7pm every weekday.
