5am starts and solo parenting: A day in the life of Erin Molan.

Want to know how celebrities really spend their days? Yep, us too. In Mamamia’s A Day in the Life series, fascinating people share everything from what they eat for breakfast to their pre-bedtime rituals. 

This week, we find out what life is like for television presenter, radio host and mum, Erin Molan.

It'll come as no surprise to hear that Erin Molan's typical weekday is pretty chock-a-block.

The radio host, television presenter and journalist lives in Sydney with her four-year-old daughter, Eliza. And because of her breakfast radio gig, she begins her day while most of us are still asleep.

Molan's alarm goes off at 4.40am, right before the babysitter arrives at 5am.

"It's a very quick shower and out [the door]," Molan told Mamamia. 

"I give my daughter a quick cuddle and a kiss - but she normally pushes me away."

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Molan arrives at work ahead of recording her radio show, Hughesy, Ed & Erin, between 5.20 and 5.30am. 

She'll have her usual breakfast - a low carb egg white wrap with extra poached eggs, spinach and tomato, with a green juice - before she goes on air.

"[I'll have] about three coffees a morning," Molan said. "Unless Hughesy is feeling particularly needy, in which case, we'll have six."

"... which doesn't bode well for my attempt at a daily nap," she added.

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Because her mornings start so early, Molan's clothes, hair and makeup depend entirely on how much energy she has on any given day.

You'll either find the 40-year-old wearing "ugly" track pants, a big jumper and UGG boots behind the mic, or she'll be in a dress with her hair and makeup done.

"There's really no in between. The first option is far more frequent."

After finishing up the radio show at 9am, it's straight into meetings or a podcast record.

Then Molan heads to Pilates for a morning session (which she does twice a week), or into the Sky News studio to pre-record an interview with an international guest ahead of her Sunday night show, Erin.

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A post shared by Erin Molan (@erin_molan)

After a busy morning, it's time for a snooze.

"It used to be negotiable," she said about her daily nap. "But the older I get and the more tired I get... I've now made that period between 12-3pm as clear as possible."

"I won't nap for long, but just [enough so] I can shut my eyes, lie down and replenish a little bit," she added.

Molan's daughter, Eliza, goes to preschool a couple of days a week, and while she's there the radio host spends the afternoon working on her other projects.

She'll prep for her Sky News show - doing research and scanning the news - and check designs for her baby range, Baby Singlets by Erin, which launches in Best&Less next month.

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"I'm actually lucky with the [baby] range and Sky News, I can just do a little bit whenever I get a moment," Molan said.

Although she has to be across the news for her presenting role, you won't find her watching television for her own enjoyment.

"I don't watch any series on Netflix, and I don't watch TV, really at all," she said.

Despite being a journalist, there are two instances where she won't look online: when she's with Eliza, and when she knows she's in the news herself.

"I will not read a word about myself, whether it's good or bad, it doesn't matter," she said.

Molan explained that during her early days with a profile, she would read everything - and even if the articles were positive, it wasn't good for her head.  

So, for the past five years, she's made a conscious effort to not look at all.

"I can't read the good and buy into it or read the bad and feel horrible," she said.

"So, if I know I'm featuring in the news for a particular reason, I don't look at it. [And] if I see one article, I won't go to any other site for 24 hours."

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By late afternoon, Molan is done with work and picks Eliza up from preschool - they'll either head to the park or go for a walk.

In the evening, her partner Todd might come around and they'll all have an early dinner.

After food, it's time for a bath, "a play with Barbies" and bedtime.

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Molan and her daughter jump into bed at the same time every night, between 7 and 7.30pm. 

While Eliza's straight to sleep, the TV presenter stays awake for another hour - reading, scanning the news and replying to emails.

She admits she needs to "get better" with self care.

"I'm either working or I'm looking after my daughter and that's basically it," Molan said. 

"I need to figure out a way that I can just chill out and switch off a bit... which has never been a strength of mine."

The lights go out by 9pm, ready for that 4:40am alarm.

Feature image: Instagram/@erin_molan

Catch up on our previous A Day in the Life series here: 

• Tag-team parenting and a 12am bedtime: A day in the life of Tammin Sursok.
• No TV, beach trips and bed by 7.30pm: A day in the life of Elyse Knowles.
• No breakfast, homeschooling and family movie nights: A day in the life of Julia Morris.