Jo Wood

Josephine "Jo" Wood (born 15 March 1955, née Karslake) is an English model, television personality, and entrepreneur. She is the former wife of The Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood.^[1] She accompanied him regularly on tour, looking after his wardrobe and diet.^[2]

Wood has travelled the world, and has lived in Los Angeles, New York and is now settled in London. When living in New York, Wood designed clothes for the fashion label No Scruples. Wood published her autobiography, Hey Jo, in February 2013.^[3]

Early life

Born Josephine Karslake, Wood was born on 15 March 1955 in Essex to Rachel (née Lundell), who is South African by birth, and Michael Karslake. Her father was an architectural model maker and her mother was an Avon lady and a doll maker. She is the oldest of four children. She has a sister, Lize, and two brothers, Vinnie and Paul.^[4]

Wood worked as a model until she was 22, and was The Sun's "Face of 1972".^[2]

Family

In 1973, Wood eloped with Peter Greene in Las Vegas. They had a son, Jamie, in 1973. They divorced in 1976.^[5]

She met Ronnie Wood in 1977.^[6] They married on 2 January 1985. They have two children together, Leah (22 September 1978) and Tyrone (21 August 1983). Jamie was adopted by Ronnie and Jo helped raise Jesse, Ronnie's son from his marriage to Krissy Findlay. She and Ronnie divorced in 2009.

Wood has nine grandchildren: three from Jamie, two from Leah, and four from Jesse.^[2] Jamie and Tyrone run a gallery in Mayfair, London, called the Scream Gallery.

Jo Wood Organics

Following a serious illness in 1989, Wood began to follow a strict organic lifestyle.^[2] In 2005 she launched her own range of organic fragrance, bath and bodycare products, Jo Wood Organics. The range has won many awards, including being Highly Commended in the Marie Claire Prix d'Excellence de la Beaute Awards.

Strictly Come Dancing

In 2009, she partnered Brendan Cole in the BBC show Strictly Come Dancing. The duo were eliminated in Week 6 of the competition when they received 14/40 for their samba.^[2]

Charity

Jo supports various charities. In January 2009 she went to Bangladesh with the People Tree Foundation to support the production of ethical and fair-trade fashion, and in August 2010 she made the pilgrimage to the sacred Mount Kailash in Tibet with Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev writing features for National Geographic Green & Hello! Magazine. Jo also visited Sadhguru's Project GreenHands initiative in India which plants trees to help combat the devastating effects of climate change.

Jo has taken to the catwalk two years running for Naomi Campbell's Fashion for Relief in support of the White Ribbon Alliance.

In 2009 she worked alongside daughter Leah to promote 18 Degrees of Inspiration for climate change charity Global Cool. In the same year she also joined the 10:10 project, a movement that encourages people to reduce their carbon emissions.^[7]

In April 2016 Jo also became an official Bee ambassador for environmental campaigning organisation Friends of the Earth working to raise vital awareness of the plight of British Pollinators as part of the critically acclaimed Bee Cause and Great British Bee Count Campaigns to protect and preserve Bees.

Mrs Paisley's Lashings

In 2009, Wood set up her own pop up restaurant 'Mrs Paisley's Lashings' with the UK eco chef Arthur Potts Dawson. The restaurant was set up in Wood's house with Wood's aim to promote sustainable dining and green living. All food is grown in Wood's garden, and locally sourced where possible. From each restaurant Wood donates profits to a 'Gardens in Schools Scheme' she set up to help children understand where their food comes from. Mrs Paisley's Lashings has also popped up at Harvest at Jimmy's, a food and music festival which happens in Suffolk every September.

Television appearances

Wood makes regular appearances on TV, which have included Strictly Come Dancing, Heston's Feast, Angela & Friends, Mary Queen of Shops, Britain's Got More Talent, The Hairy Bikers, Market Kitchen, Who's Doing The Dishes and on the sofa with Lorraine Kelly.

Wood was voted as one of Grazia magazine's 'Women of the Year' in 2008 and has also won the 'Inspirational Determination' Award in the Inspiration Awards for Women 2010. She is also on the judging panel for the Soil Association Organic Food Awards & Observer Ethical Awards.

Wood writes editorial columns in Fabulous & Natural Health magazine, and has written a book ' How to Look and Feel Healthy, Energetic and Radiant the Organic Way'.

Wood's life philosophy is "love your planet, go organic".

On 31 July 2013 Jo Wood appeared on the television show Celebrity Masterchef, where she was the second contestant to be eliminated.

References