I Woke Up Like This: Melissa Whitelaw's mood-boosting morning TV habit

'I Woke Up Like This' is 9Honey's new series, where we remove the filters from everyday life and bare all for a much-needed reality check.

We will be speaking to a range of people — from faces you know to faces you will want to know — to tear away the façade of make-up and social media and bring things back to basics with realistic 'I woke up like this' selfies and morning routines.

Today, we're 'waking up' with personal trainer and Instagram star Melissa Whitelaw.

What time do you wake up?

"5:30am."

How many alarms do you set?

"Just the one, I get my eight hours almost every night so it is usually pretty easy to wake up."

Tea or coffee?

"Coffee!"

In the morning, do you prefer TV or radio, podcast or silence?

"I love streaming re-runs of my favourite shows in the morning whilst getting ready for the day. Will and Grace or Friends always puts me in a good mood."

What do you eat for breakfast?

"I am such a creature of habit, I eat the same breakfast almost every day: Greek yogurt with oats, nuts, seeds and cinnamon."

How long does it take you to get out the door?

"I really don't like rushing, I find that stresses me out and makes me anxious. I always give myself at least an hour so that I can slowly wake up and get myself ready for the day calmly. A nice gentle start usually puts me in a better mindset for the rest of my day."

Any unusual morning rituals or habits?

"I wouldn't say it's too unusual but I'm very focused on skin care. Every morning before I do anything else I wash my face, apply a vitamin C serum, a moisturiser and facial oil."

What's the one thing you never have time for in the morning?

"Making my meals! I always prepare my breakfast and lunch the night before so I can just grab everything on my way out the door."

What's the one thing you always do?

"Before I leave the house I always make sure to apply sunscreen to my face, neck and ears. Living in Australia it's the best way to protect your skin and it's the greatest beauty tip I've ever been given!

"At the moment I am loving the new Duo Defence range from Hawaiian Tropic as it has both a face and a body lotion. It's not only SPF50+ but also includes a protective anti-pollution layer that helps to prevent premature skin ageing from the sun and pollution for your skin. Just what every girl needs."