"I'm a nanny for children of billionaires - I do the school run in a Lamborghini"
A VIP nanny who cares for billionaires' children jets off to private islands, does the school run in a Lamborghini and splashes thousands in designer baby shops.
Sonya Kumar, 28, is trusted by A-list celebrities, business people, international footballers and diplomats to care for their little darlings.
The VIP governess, based in Wimbledon, south west London, does everything from shopping for clients' designer gear to accompanying them travelling abroad.
She stays in five-star hotels such as The Ritz, flies first-class and eats Michelin-star quality food on yachts.
The role is hard work and long hours - but sees Sonya rewarded with a salary of up to £200k per year.
Sonya said: "Initially I never had any desire to work in childcare.
"But I did some nannying part time as a side hustle while doing another job and I realised it's what I wanted to do.
"I signed up with some agencies and clients seemed to love how I presented myself - and by 21 I was a full-time governess.
"I've worked for some very well known people which has taken me all over the world - getting paid to travel is the best thing ever.
"Sometimes the client will just hand me their bank card to pay for everything, and sometimes I'll have a private car and chauffer.
"I once did a school run in a Lamborghini - and I was once given £150k to kit out a nursery with exclusively designer gear.
"My work keeps me so busy that I don't have much time for socialising or relationships - but I'm happy and have no plans to stop."
Sonya started nannying when she was 17 to bring in extra cash while managing a restaurant.
She enjoyed it - and signed up with a nannying agency while she began working on her childcare qualifications.
Because she is also qualified to homeschool and tutor children with their studies, she is classed as a governess - making her even more appealing to high net-worth clients.
Soon, she was in high demand thanks to glowing references from previous clients' personal assistants and house managers.
She said: "Because I was from the world of business, I knew how to handle myself and speak to clients.
"That’s what they wanted – someone professional and mature."
For the past 11 years she has been a governess to ultra-wealthy clients, so high-profile she has to sign a non disclosure agreement (NDA) before she can work for them.
These have so far included an A-list footballer, a Hollywood actor, an international diplomat and a high-profile fashion designer.
Five days a week, Sonya cooks, cleans and cares for their children, as well as homeschooling them if required.
But she is also expected to travel if the family aren't at home - such as accompanying them going on holidays abroad to private islands, on private jets, and on luxury yachts.
She said the hefty salary is not for the faint-hearted - because there's a lot of pressure when "everything has to be perfect".
Sonya Kumar, 28, is trusted by A-list celebrities, business people, international footballers and diplomats to care for their little darlings.
The VIP governess, based in Wimbledon, south west London, does everything from shopping for clients' designer gear to accompanying them travelling abroad.
She stays in five-star hotels such as The Ritz, flies first-class and eats Michelin-star quality food on yachts.
The role is hard work and long hours - but sees Sonya rewarded with a salary of up to £200k per year.
Sonya said: "Initially I never had any desire to work in childcare.
"But I did some nannying part time as a side hustle while doing another job and I realised it's what I wanted to do.
"I signed up with some agencies and clients seemed to love how I presented myself - and by 21 I was a full-time governess.
"I've worked for some very well known people which has taken me all over the world - getting paid to travel is the best thing ever.
"Sometimes the client will just hand me their bank card to pay for everything, and sometimes I'll have a private car and chauffer.
"I once did a school run in a Lamborghini - and I was once given £150k to kit out a nursery with exclusively designer gear.
"My work keeps me so busy that I don't have much time for socialising or relationships - but I'm happy and have no plans to stop."
Sonya started nannying when she was 17 to bring in extra cash while managing a restaurant.
She enjoyed it - and signed up with a nannying agency while she began working on her childcare qualifications.
Because she is also qualified to homeschool and tutor children with their studies, she is classed as a governess - making her even more appealing to high net-worth clients.
Soon, she was in high demand thanks to glowing references from previous clients' personal assistants and house managers.
She said: "Because I was from the world of business, I knew how to handle myself and speak to clients.
"That’s what they wanted – someone professional and mature."
For the past 11 years she has been a governess to ultra-wealthy clients, so high-profile she has to sign a non disclosure agreement (NDA) before she can work for them.
These have so far included an A-list footballer, a Hollywood actor, an international diplomat and a high-profile fashion designer.
Five days a week, Sonya cooks, cleans and cares for their children, as well as homeschooling them if required.
But she is also expected to travel if the family aren't at home - such as accompanying them going on holidays abroad to private islands, on private jets, and on luxury yachts.
She said the hefty salary is not for the faint-hearted - because there's a lot of pressure when "everything has to be perfect".
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FunTranscript
00:00 My name is Sonia Kumar and I am a VIP nanny. I have been doing this for about 12 years
00:07 now and I'm here today just to kind of introduce myself and what I do and talk about the perks
00:13 of it. I work for diplomats, I try and work with industrialists, around the world, sheiks
00:20 as well, A-list celebrities, also sports personalities as well. I've worked for them permanently,
00:28 done trials for them as well. I also do maternity nursing, sleep training in a holistic way
00:35 and I'm a governess and a tutor as well.
00:37 My favourite part for me is just being able to be a child with the children and have a
00:43 really good time, going to some really fancy places for dinner and just the perks that
00:49 come with it. For example, the gifts that you can get over Christmas or on your birthdays,
00:53 the getaways, the travelling is amazing, you travel five star, private jets, amazing resorts,
00:59 private islands, it's just amazing.
01:01 The salary for a nanny like me, with the experience I've got, the qualifications and everything,
01:09 it's a starting salary of about £80,000 gross a year and it can go up to anything, I would
01:15 say, from my experience and from my previous earnings, up to £200,000 a year, my gross
01:20 mark.
01:21 Designer bags, designer shoes, luxury holidays, going out, dining out with friends and family,
01:30 amazing cars as well and I'm huge on jewellery as well and shoes is my biggest weakness,
01:36 so shoes for sure.
01:38 [Music]
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02:16 [Music]
02:24 (dramatic music)
02:27 (whooshing)