Jason is my greatest protector and I hope he would say the same for me, says Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

HE’S the movie hardman famed for smashing the joint up in capers such as the Fast & Furious series.

But more recently, Jason Statham has channelled his energy into soft furnishings and interior design, according to wife Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

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Derbyshire-born Jason, 54, and Victoria’s Secret model Rosie, 34, recently moved from their £14million Malibu mansion in Los Angeles back to the UK and are busy refurbishing their £5million London home as well as a £7.5million investment property in the capital.

But when it comes to the interior design and choice of cushions, Rosie takes her lead from Jason.

The English beauty, who has four-year-old son Jack with the actor and is pregnant with their second baby, says: “I’m renovating at the moment, which is exciting because property and interiors are things I’m getting more excited about now.

“But Jay is the real visionary in this family, and his taste and aesthetic are second to none.

“People are so surprised because that’s not what they expect. But really, when it comes to furniture and architecture, I have learnt so much from him.”

The pair, who met in 2010 and have been engaged since 2016, moved back across the Atlantic to be nearer their British family and friends f­ollowing the pandemic.

Rosie says: “We’re definitely both ambitious and excited for life. Jay is my greatest protector and I hope he would say the same for me with him.

“He has been a great mentor for me with work. He’s renowned for being tough and as someone who’s a little bit softer by nature, he’s given me a lot of support to make those tough decisions.

“He’s given me wings to fly in that sense.”

Jason hit Hollywood big-time following 1998’s Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels and 2000’s Snatch.

Other top credits range from the Transporter and Fast & Furious films to The Italian Job and Crank.

But Plymouth-born Rosie missed the “British sense of humour” while in La La Land and was keen for Jack to grow up in his parents’ native country.

She adds: “Jay and I are at a place where we are asking ourselves what we want to create for our family outside of the day-to-day running of a household and work.

“For me, nature is where I find myself most restored. That’s something I really want to achieve for my family in the near future — our own little slice of nature, and animals and all those things.

Jay is my greatest protector and I hope he would say the same for me with him

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

“I think that will give a nice balance to our lifestyle. I’m excited to start creating that. That’s one of the great things about being back in the UK as well.

“Christmas will be here this year and I’m excited to be with my family.

“It will be very cosy because I’ll be nesting and it will be quiet . . . well, as quiet as a Christmas can be with the Statham bunch!”

Rosie unveiled her second pregnancy in August, with stylish snaps on Instagram and the caption: “Taaa Daah! Round 2.”

But while she is now fully embracing motherhood, she admits struggling to come to terms with her new life after giving birth to her son in 2017.

She says: “For a period there was a real shift in identity, a sort of mourning of the loss of your old life.

“I remember feeling like the rug was pulled from under me.

“I’d had all these years of being independent, being able to come and go as I wished, being self-employed to a degree, calling the shots.

“Then, suddenly having something that really anchored me to home life.

“If you’re someone that, like me, attached a lot of identity to my physicality and the way I felt and looked . . . it really took a long time to come around.

“But once I stepped into the role, embraced it, everything sort of relaxed a little bit. I did start to feel this new sense of life.

“Now, in my thirties, my confidence is so much greater and my ability to make decisions and not second-guess myself is stronger. I genuinely feel my life is much more rounded.”

Rosie is one of Britain’s most successful models, after fronting campaigns for the likes of Burberry and Dolce & Gabbana.

She recently extended her lucrative deal with Marks & Spencer, where her collection of lingerie has been flying off shelves.

This year she also launched her own ethical and sustainable beauty brand, Rose Inc.

She believes her determination to succeed began when, aged 19, she was frustrated with her lack of control over her life.

I remember getting off the phone and being so fed up with my life being at the mercy of other people’s decisions

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

She also reveals she was inspired by Australian super-model Elle Macpherson, 57, and her later move into business.

Looking back to the early years of her career, Rosie says: “I remember picking up the phone to my agent, checking every day what options had come in.

“And I remember getting off the phone and being so fed up with my life being at the mercy of other people’s decisions.

“It was in that moment I thought, ‘If I want to make stuff happen, I have to be really proactive’.

“Elle is my business idol. She was the supermodel who pivoted a successful career into successful businesses. We have connected over the years and she’s really wonderful.”

Since Rosie’s modelling career began, the industry has undergone seismic changes, including the banning of size-zero models in 2017 by the likes of Saint Laurent, Gucci and Louis Vuitton.

Earlier this year, lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret bowed to public pressure, replacing its catwalk Angels with a “culturally relevant” collective of seven women.

But Rosie, a former Angel, is excited to see the changes still to come in the industry.

Speaking in a Net A Porter interview, she said: “I think for a long time, there was a lot of heel-dragging.

Fashion people had a specific point of view and a specific look.

“But it is exciting to see that shift and to think where we’ll be in another five years’ time or ten years’ time, by listening to the consumer.”

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