Lauren Goodger has finally addressed the news about her ex, Mark Wright, expecting a child with his wife, Michelle Keegan.
The former star of “The Only Way Is Essex” (TOWIE) shared a lengthy ten-year relationship with Mark, which ended in 2012. Initially, reports suggested that Lauren felt ‘devastated and anxious’ following the couple’s announcement.
However, Lauren has now expressed genuine happiness for Mark and Michelle, stating, “I’m so happy he is going to be a dad, and I mean it.”
Speaking with Closer, Lauren clarified her feelings: “I’m not anxious, upset, or planning to leave Essex, and it didn’t ruin my Christmas!”
She acknowledged the ongoing public interest in her past with Mark, stemming from their time on TOWIE, but emphasized that she has moved forward with her life.
The star added: ‘It doesn’t affect my life whether Mark is having a baby, I’m not obsessed with him, my life will carry on.’
Lauren Goodger has broken her silence on her ex Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan’s baby news after reports she was left ‘devastated and anxious’ by the pregnancy announcement
It comes after Lauren was hit with reports she was ‘super anxious’ that she may bump into happy couple Mark and Michelle as they both live near one another in Essex.
A source previously told The Sun: ‘The news has been a huge blow to Lauren and she is devastated, especially as she’s not had a great Christmas, so it’s the icing on the cake.
‘It’s hit her hard, Mark’s building his perfect family and she’s being left behind.’
They continued: ‘She’s always had a lot of love for Mark, they were once childhood sweethearts and in an ideal world she would have reunited with him.
‘Plus Michelle and Mark live close by, so she is super anxious that she will bump into them at some point which will be horrific for her.’
Lauren denied the comments to The Sun and MailOnline contacted Lauren’s representatives for comment.
Mark and Lauren, who were together for ten years on and off, rose to fame on the ITVBe reality series, with storylines revolving around his numerous flirtations with other women, including Lucy Mecklenburgh and Sam Faiers.
Mark and Lauren even got engaged on TOWIE in March 2011 – only for the Essex lad to call things off five months later – and there has been bad blood between the pair ever since.
The star added: ‘It doesn’t affect my life whether Mark is having a baby, I’m not obsessed with him, my life will carry on’
The former TOWIE star had a decade-long relationship with co-star Mark until 2012 and she is now upset that she has ‘been left behind’; pictured 2011
A source said: ‘The news has been a huge blow to Lauren and she is devastated. It’s hit her hard, Mark’s building his perfect family and she’s being left behind’; pictured 2011
A year and a half later, Mark and Michelle met on a group holiday to Dubai and fell madly in love.
In September 2013, less than a year after their New Year’s break, the pair were engaged, trying the knot in May 2015.
But it hasn’t always been smooth sailing between the happy couple and Lauren, although things are cordial these days.
Ahead of his wedding to Michelle, the former reality star took to social media to hit out at his long-term love on Twitter after a war words.
He had seemingly taken issue a Lauren’s not-so-cryptic post, reading, ‘She’s the kind of girl a guy meets when he’s too young and he f**ks up because there’s too much living to do. But later he realises she’s perfect’.,
Mark declared: ‘If your reading this, please PLEASE respect my wife and STOP. I wish you well but leave me, my life and my wife out of it. Im sure there is other ways to make money [sic].’
He then went on to re-tweet a series of responses from fans, all supporting his stance.
Presenter Mark and former Coronation Street actress Michelle shared their happy news they are expecting their first child on Sunday in a sweet Instagram post.
Netflix star Michelle cradled her blossoming bump and wrote: ‘2025 is going to be a special one for us…✨’
The couple received hundreds of congratulatory messages from friends and family on their Instagram post including from Rochelle Humes, Kelly Brook, Vicky Pattison, and best pal Arg.
Michelle and Mark’s close pal has seemingly hinted that they are expecting a baby boy.
As fans and famous friends flooded the comments with their congratulations Michelle and Mark’s pal Dylan Hunt, who owns Essex restaurant Sheesh, appeared to let the cat out of the bag, The Sun reports.
As fans and famous friends flooded the comments with their congratulations Michelle and Mark’s pal Dylan Hunt (centre) who owns Essex restaurant Sheesh, let the cat out of the bag
With the entrepreneur teasing that Michelle and Mark’s son could date his daughter Gia while offering his own congratulations
With the entrepreneur teasing that Michelle and Mark’s son could date his daughter Gia while offering his own congratulations.
He wrote: ‘Make sure he’s Good Looking and Rich, then I might let him take Gia out’.
The publication also reported that one fan quickly spotted the clue and commented: ‘So it’s a boy lol’.
Meanwhile in her announcement Michelle shared a baby emoji sucking a blue dummy, which will no doubt leave fans speculating further.
The couple are frequent visitors to the restaurant and recently celebrated Mark’s father’s 68th birthday there.
It comes after Mark admitted the prospect of starting a family with wife Michelle was ‘hard work’ – eight years before announcing her pregnancy.
He had previously insisted he would wait for ‘a year or two’ before starting a family with former Coronation Street star Michelle, who he married in 2015, with the couple opting to put their careers first.
Appearing on Loose Women in 2016, he said: ‘It’s hard work with the pressure of having babies.’
The couple are frequent visitors to the restaurant and recently celebrated Mark’s father’s 68th birthday there (Wright family pictured)
Sheesh Restaurant in Essex pictured
The former TOWIE cast-member admitted much of the pressure came from his own family, as well as the expectation that any children they have will inherit their good looks.
He joked: ‘We’re going to give birth to an ugly duckling and let everyone down.
‘Aunty Debbie is the first of the sisters to become a grandmother and she tells my mum every day that being a grandmother is so much better than being a mum.
‘So now, my mum’s on our case. Hurry up and make it happen, I want to be a nan.’
He added: ‘I think we’ve got another year or two of her nagging and we’ll just have to do it. When she gives birth there will be 300 Wrights around her.’
Michelle also revealed her ‘frustration’ at the constant questions she received about her baby plans.
Speaking to You Magazine in 2021, she also said: ‘I’m used to people asking me but it’s no one else’s business.
‘Nobody else knows what goes on behind closed doors. I think that’s the reason that question affects me so much – it’s very private! Mark is asked about it occasionally but I’m asked every single time.’
It comes after Mark admitted the prospect of starting a family with wife Michelle was ‘hard work’ – eight years before announcing her pregnancy
Michelle previously revealed her ‘frustration’ at the constant questions she received about her baby plans with Mark
Asked whether her family still asked her about her plans, she confessed: ‘Not any more! People don’t mean any harm by it, but they know what the answer’s going to be.’
During a 2019 interview, Michelle, who was 32 at the time, spoke of her ‘frustration’ over being constantly asked, saying: ‘In this day and age, you shouldn’t ask questions like that.’
She said: ‘They don’t know the background of what’s happening. It’s no one else’s business.
‘I get so frustrated. I’m asked purely because I’m a woman. But I’m immune to it now – it’s like a reaction and as soon as I hear it I brush it off, as it’s no one else’s business.’
