Fitness trainer reveals he thought it was ‘a prank’ when Liz Truss employed him to help her deal with mini-budget stress – saying her husband often joined Number 10 workouts, and 80s music provided the soundtrack
- Former Prime Minister Liz Truss hired Elliot Espinoza to help keep her fit
- According to The Sunday Times, the former PM liked training to eighties music
- Training sessions saw Truss’ husband, Hugh O’Leary, 48, joining in too
- Truss was known to go jogging in New York when she was Foreign Secretary
A personal trainer has revealed how he was drafted in to help Liz Truss deal with the stress of her 44 tumultuous days in office.
According to The Sunday Times, the former Prime Minister hired PT Elliot Espinoza to help keep her physically and mentally strong as she dealt with the fall-out of her much-derided mini-budget.
The embattled one-time premier reportedly asked one of her special advisors, Jason Stein, if he knew a trainer who could help her.
Stein then allegedly put Truss in touch with 35-year-old Espinoza towards the end of September.
Drafted into Downing Street: Fitness instructor Elliot Espinoza posted a photo on Instagram outside Number 10 in his gym gear
The former Prime Minister was seen out jogging in the early mornings during her short tenure in office. A personal trainer enlisted to help her says she enjoyed working out to 80s music
Liz Truss making her final statement after resigning. She served one of the shortest ever periods as prime minister
Speaking of the initial enquiry into his fitness services, Espinoza told The Sunday Times: ‘I thought it was a prank.’
Then he added: ‘She wanted to have the opportunity to switch off from the rest of the day.’
After the first call, Espinoza reportedly was summoned to meet Truss at the Downing Street flat’s gym, which reportedly has a rowing machine and a treadmill.
They then worked out to Eighties music as well as tracks by Taylor Swift, typically early in the morning – at around 7.15am.
Espinoza would reportedly set his alarm for 5.30am to get to work on time.
Elliot Espinoza told The Sunday Times that he thought it was ‘a prank’ when he was asked if he would train Liz Truss during her 44 days in office
Former prime minister Boris Johnson is still regularly seen out and about running in London with his dog Dylan
The prime minister would wear a fluorescent gym top with black leggings while her husband Hugh O’Leary, 48 would wear navy shorts.
Truss reportedly booked two 40-minute ‘Tabata method’ sessions every week, each one costing £60.
Tabata is a high intensity work-out that aims ‘to yield the most benefits in a short amount of time’.
For each exercise – for example, squats – the person does eight rounds of 20 seconds of strenuous exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest.
Truss apparently cancelled her sessions with Espinoza via Whats App after resigning from her post.
When not having the sessions, Truss was also known to go for early morning jogs. She was frequently seen leaving Downing Street in her exercise gear.
She was known to go to the Archbishop of Canterbury’s 12th Century Thameside garden at Lambeth Palace in the company of hand-picked advisers.
The aim was apparently to thrash out solutions to the intimidating set of issues filling up her in-tray.
She would then return to No 10 to shower, ready to hold her first meeting at 8.30am at her desk in the Cabinet Office.
Her predecessor Boris Johnson is also known to be a big jogger.
He is often seen taking his dog Dilyn – through St James Park and central London.