TOWIE legend Lauren Goodger, 34, sent jaws dropping on Monday when she revealed she is expecting her first child with her boyfriend of three months Charles Drury, 23.
Happy news: TOWIE legend Lauren Goodger, 34, sent jaws dropping on Monday when she revealed she is expecting her first child with her boyfriend of three months Charles Drury, 23
The TV personality confirmed she is pregnant in her new magazine column, and announced that she will welcome their first baby in July.
And in announcing her baby news, the star has confirmed her place in The Essex Mummy Elite, which has seen reality stars monopolise the online world of ‘mummy influencers’.
A legion of her former co-stars – including the Faiers sisters, Ferne McCann and Lydia Bright – have monetised life as mums to move their party girl reputations to being authorities on all-things family.
From TV shows to endorsement deals, the rise of the Mummy Influencer has been growing larger and larger among reality stars and bloggers alike.
It is reported that the Faiers sisters rake in six-figure sums for each series of The Mummy Diaries, which is entering its ninth season, while collaborations with pram companies, clothing ranges and even nappies have meant that reality stars have turned having a baby into a multimillion pound industry with the help of social media and the lure of their luxury lifestyle.
So how have the original stars of UK structured reality TV, transformed themselves from party-loving, designer-donning, drama-causing divas to a multimillion pound entity entertaining the nation with their family lives?
Happy days: Sam shot to fame as one of the original stars of the ITV2 show in its 2010 inaugural series and has gone on to have two children with her partner Paul Knightley
SAM FAIERS, 30
CHILDREN: Paul Tony, five, Rosie, three
BABY DADDY: Paul Knightley [Partner of six years]
Sam shot to fame as one of the original stars of the ITV2 show in its 2010 inaugural series where her romances with Lauren’s fiancé Mark Wright and her eventual fiancé Joey Essex, however she left in 2014.
After sporadic appearances from her sister Billie, the show was remodelled in 2017 to become Sam and Billie Faiers: The Mummy Diaries and feature Billie and her family
After a stint on Celebrity Big Brother, which was plagued by her diagnosis with Crohn’s disease, she soon found love with Paul Knightley and revealed she was expecting her first child in 2015, she welcomed baby Paul Tony in December of that year – and so was born her mummy-influencer career.
In 2016, she hit screens in the wildly popular Sam Faiers: The Baby Diaries, a on-off documentary which followed her pregnancy and the early stages of motherhood, before ITV went on to commission The Mummy Diaries.
After sporadic appearances from her sister Billie, the show was remodelled in 2017 to become Sam and Billie Faiers: The Mummy Diaries and feature Billie and her family.
The Mummy Diaries has been wildly lucrative for the sisters and it was reported in 2017 that Sam had signed deals ‘worth several hundred thousand pounds’ for series of the show.
Speaking about the show, Sam previously said: ‘It literally captures everything as first-time parents, the highs and lows, it’s really raw…
‘That’s why it’s really refreshing because, although I’m in the public eye and I’ve got a celebrity status, I want mums to relate to me because I’m doing it for the first time like every mum does.’
Born: Proving just how closely she is willing to lay bare, Sam even shared footage of her daughter Rosie’s birth on the show, after she welcomed the tot by water birth in 2017
Proving just how closely she is willing to lay bare, Sam even shared footage of her daughter Rosie’s birth on the show, after she welcomed the tot by water birth in 2017.
On the shock decision to show Rosie’s birth on the show, Sam said in 2018: ‘That wasn’t a hard decision for me. It was a home birth and it was so nice…
‘I had all my family around me. The nature of our show is all about what it’s like to be a mum. Me being pregnant was a massive part of the series so I was never not going to do this…
‘You don’t see everything obviously. It’s not graphic or gross or disturbing – if it was like that then I wouldn’t have put it in. It’s just really lovely and emotional.’
As well as her TV work, Sam has a line of prams with My Babiie named Dreamiie, with the collection listed as: ‘Soft and sophisticated, ‘The Dreamiie’ collection by mum and ‘The Mummy Diaries’ TV star Samantha Faiers blends classic pastels and delicate chevrons with unexpected pops of animal prints and bold stripes.’
Sam’s kids often feature in her sponsored content, including a recent trip to Pandora alongside Rosie.
The family have their own Instagram page entitled Knightley Adventures, which follows their family holidays and activities, as well as a YouTube channel to document their life together.
Her loves: After a stint on Celebrity Big Brother, which was plagued by her diagnosis with Crohn’s disease, she soon found love with Paul Knightley and revealed she was expecting her first child in 2015, she welcomed baby Paul Tony in December of that year – and so was born her mummy-influencer career
Billie was a minor character in early TOWIE, as she appeared as Sam’s sister but seldom got involved in the drama herself before Sam’s departure and her more prevalent role
BILLIE FAIERS, 31
CHILDREN: Nelly, six, Arthur, three
BABY DADDY: Greg Shepherd [Husband of 10 months, partner of eight years]
Billie was a minor character in early TOWIE, as she appeared as Sam’s sister but seldom got involved in the drama herself before Sam’s departure and her more prevalent role.
Billie pictured on TOWIE in 2010
Her pregnancy with Nelly came as a surprise to Billie and her husband Greg, who she wed on The Mummy Diaries in March 2019, with Billie detailing in 2014: ‘We kept it to ourselves because I was so in shock…
‘In my head I knew I was pregnant because I missed my period, which never happens, but I was too nervous to do the pregnancy test because suddenly my whole life was about to change.’
Much like her sister, Billie has managed to market motherhood, as she also has a collection with My Babiie. Her collection is listed as: ‘Designed in collaboration with Billie Faiers the award winning Signature range is bold & contemporary…
‘The collection of designs are simple and stylish, using classical colours mixed with more modern prints and finishes. The prams are packed full of features and functionality and all come at an affordable cost.’
Billie also launched a kids’ clothing range for George at Asda last year as well as her own range My Nelly.
Her love: Her pregnancy with Nelly came as a surprise to Billie and her husband Greg, who she wed on The Mummy Diaries in March 2019
As with most influencers, Billie’s Instagram feed is littered with scantily-clad snaps, sweet family shots and advertisements – with a number of collaborations being with toy companies.
She has worked with Sylvanian Families, Na! Na! Na! Surprise dolls and Spotify in recent months.
Now that their kids are growing up, Billie said of the show: ‘We do [worry about having the kids on the show, especially in the last year since Nelly is getting older and Paul [Sam’s five-year-old son] has started school…
‘The kids aren’t featured as heavily on the show now compared to when they were babies, because they are older and Nelly doesn’t want to come home from school and have a camera in her face. It’s not fair.
‘The situation with the kids now is if we are filming in the house and they’re there and they want to get involved and chat and are happy to be there, then great. But we would never say: ‘We need to film this,’ because it wouldn’t work. We do have to be more thoughtful about things like friends at school watching the show or the mums and dads, so it’s all about having a good balance really.’
Sweet: She shares Nelly, six, Arthur, three, with husband Greg Shepherdc
Way back when: Ferne shot to fame on TOWIE’s ninth series in 2013 before leaving the show three years later, shortly before scooping her own reality show which initially documented her pregnancy and later her life as a single mother
FERNE MCCANN, 30
CHILDREN: Sunday, three
BABY DADDY: Arthur Collins [On-off partner from 2015 until his arrest and eventual incarceration for a horror acid attack in March 2017]
Ferne shot to fame on TOWIE’s ninth series in 2013 before leaving the show three years later, shortly before scooping her own reality show which initially documented her pregnancy and later her life as a single mother.
Her road to motherhood was undoubtedly bumpy yet like her childhood best friends the Faiers sisters, she found her way to lucrative opportunities and happiness amid her baby joy.
Alarming: The star split from her boyfriend and baby daddy Arthur while expecting their daughter Sunday in 2017 after he was found guilty of hurling acid on clubgoers in a shock attack in April 2017, and being jailed for 20 years
The star split from her boyfriend and baby daddy Arthur while expecting their daughter Sunday in 2017 after he was found guilty of hurling acid on clubgoers in a shock attack in April 2017, and being jailed for 20 years.
In 2017, ITV commissioned Ferne McCann: First Time Mum, which dopsumented the 12 weeks up to the birth of Sunday and followed her road to working out life as a single mother. After scoring huge viewing numbers, in 2019 the show returned to screens and has been ongoing since.
Like the Faiers girls – her show runs alongside a legion of endorsements and collaborations – some involving Sunday – which are heavily featured on her Instagram, which boasts 2.6million followers.
She previously spoke about featuring Sunday on TV, saying: ‘I wouldn’t let her walk into anything without being 100 percent happy and feeling positive about it. Technically she’s on a reality show but I would definitely question her and make her think about it because it’s not for everyone.
‘I don’t want her to be a reality star, I want her to be a superstar. I just want her to immerse herself in lots of different things and find what she wants to do. And if that’s through reality TV then so be it.’
Sweet: She is single mum to daughter Sunday
Starring role: After shooting to fame as Mark Wright’s love interest in TOWIE’s first series, Lucy stayed on the show for three years before departing in 2013’s tenth series and appearing on a number of other reality shows
LUCY MECKLENBURGH, 29
CHILDREN: Roman: 10 months, stepdaughter Scarlett Thomas, 12
BABY DADDY: Ryan Thomas [Fiancé of 22 months, partner of three years]
They welcomed their son Roman in March last year
After shooting to fame as Mark Wright’s love interest in TOWIE’s first series, Lucy stayed on the show for three years before departing in 2013’s tenth series and appearing on a number of other reality shows.
It was during her appearance on Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls in 2017 where she met her fiancé Ryan Thomas, who popped the question in Italy in June 2019 before they announced their baby news in August.
They welcomed their son Roman in March last year and Lucy has since been able to tie motherhood in with business as she has branched out in her fitness programme Results With Lucy.
While pregnant, she launched her pre-natal fitness and wellness programme, Results with Bump.
Lucy’s Instagram has seen her collaborate with baby brands such as Pampers and Little Tikes of late.
Lucy recently discussed the challenges of being a first time mum amid the coronavirus lockdown as she, admitted she has ‘good days and bad days’ and ‘took life for granted’ before the COVID-19 crisis.
Starring role: Lydia was an original star of TOWIE in 2010 alongside her gal pals as she entered the show as James Argent’s long-suffering girlfriend however she left in 2013 and returned in 2014 before leaving again in 2017
LYDIA BRIGHT, 29
CHILDREN: Loretta, 11 months
BABY DADDY: Lee Cronin [On-off partner of two years before eventual split during her 2019 pregnancy]
Lydia was an original star of TOWIE in 2010 alongside her gal pals as she entered the show as James Argent’s long-suffering girlfriend however she left in 2013 and returned in 2014 before leaving again in 2017.
She announced she was pregnant with her first child with Lee Cronin in 2019.
Lee broke things off three months into Lydia’s pregnancy
Lee broke things off three months into Lydia’s pregnancy, but the pair decided to rekindle their romance after he showed his supportive side during pre-natal appointments and the birth. The couple met in Ibiza in June 2017 but separated and reunited three times, ultimately deciding to split for good in April.
However, Lydia has the support of her close-knit family including her parents Debbie and Dave and sisters Georgia, 31, and Romana, 17.
Loretta is reportedly very advanced for her age, with the mother-of-one labelling her ‘Miss Independent’.
Lydia revealed that her daughter’s first word was ‘mama,’ she already has two teeth and has even started wearing 18-month-old clothing
Last month, in an interview with Hello!, she said of her relationship with the tot: ‘Me and Loretta have the most incredible relationship and special bond – especially because she’s a 2020 baby as well. We are inseparable.
‘She still sleeps in my bedroom, and she’s my whole world. It has just been me and her all along, she’s my whole happiness. Any single parent will relate to this; that bond that you have, because it’s just been you two, is so special. We’ve been through it all together. I’ve experienced every one of her first milestones.’
Loretta is reportedly very advanced for her age, with the mother-of-one labelling her ‘Miss Independent’
DANIELLE ARMSTRONG, 32
CHILDREN: Orla, nine months
BABY DADDY: Tom Edney [Fiancé of 10 months, best friends of 22 years]
In November 2019, Danielle announced she was pregnant two months after revealing she has found love with her best friend of 22 years, Tom.
She took to Instagram on to reveal the exciting news with a slew of snaps including one of herself and her boyfriend holding a picture of the ultrasound.
In March 2020, she then revealed he had popped the question during a romantic trip to Dubai.
Sweet: In March 2020, she then revealed he had popped the question during a romantic trip to Dubai
She then gave birth in June and the following month, Danielle openly discussed her ‘tough’ birthing experience after she welcomed an overdue Orla, who weighed 8Ibs 11oz.
Speaking to new! magazine, she said: ‘She’s so beautiful. I’m so in love with my little girl, we are totally smitten. [The birth] was tough, but Orla was totally worth it.’
She returned to work on her Herbalife nutrition plans which she revealed helped her lose her baby weight after becoming the victim of cruel trolls.
Danielle, who gained 4 stone during her pregnancy, has revealed that fat-shaming trolls left her in tears just days after giving birth, as she insisted that ‘most of us don’t snap straight back’.
The former TOWIE star also slammed juice boot camps and explained how she couldn’t ‘put herself through’ trying to lose her baby weight in six weeks in order to bring out a fitness DVD. 10 days after giving birth to Orla, photographs of Danielle were published online.
After the images surfaced a sick troll decided to create an anonymous Instagram account just to tell Danielle that she ‘still looked fat and pregnant’. Describing the impact which the online trolling had on her, Danielle explained that she was left in tears over the comments.
Happy days: She then gave birth in June and the following month, Danielle openly discussed her ‘tough’ birthing experience after she welcomed an overdue Orla, who weighed 8Ibs 11oz
Sweet: Last month, Georgia and boyfriend Tommy revealed they are expecting their first baby together
GEORGIA KOUSOULOU, 29
CHILDREN: Five months pregnant with her first child
BABY DADDY: Tommy Mallet [Partner of six years]
Last month, Georgia and boyfriend Tommy revealed they are expecting their first baby together.
Much like their fellow stars, Georgia and Tommy, 28, have also bagged their own ITVBe spin-off series that will give fans the chance to watch them as they become parents for the first time.
Touching: They recently shared their baby scan
In emotional scenes filmed for the TOWIE Christmas special, the couple – who have been together for six years – revealed their exciting news with the rest of the cast. A TOWIE insider confirmed: ‘Georgia and Tommy are incredibly happy to be starting a family together.
‘TOWIE has been their lives for seven years now and they wanted to reveal their special news in a way the cast will never forget on this year’s Christmas special. None of their friends on the show knew until they filmed the festive episode and there was not a dry eye in the house – both cast and crew were in tears.
‘Due to the couple’s popularity, ITVBe have also signed them up for a spin-off series and they’re planning to share their baby with viewers on TOWIE in the future.’
Unlike some of the show’s couples that have had their relationships plagued with drama, Georgia and Tommy have stood by each other and maintained a strong romance over the years.
Georgia supported Tommy through his battle with mental health in 2018, when the entrepreneur admitted to not being able to leave the house amid his toughest days. While they are not yet engaged, the pair did discuss the prospect of getting married during the latest series of TOWIE.
Georgia said: ‘God, I’m with you for the rest of my life, that’s mental isn’t it? Like we’re actually going to be together forever, that’s long.’ Tommy added: ‘I come in handy sometimes George. I’m needed in other ways, kids, marriage, you’re not going to get married by yourself, are you?’ to which Georgia replied: ‘No and I am happy about it.’
Nice! Much like their fellow stars, Georgia and Tommy, 28, have also bagged their own ITVBe spin-off series that will give fans the chance to watch them as they become parents for the first time
Star: Lauren shot to fame on the first season of TOWIE when she caused ructions as Kirk Norcross’ love interest before they became locked in a tumultuous romance throughout the show. She left nine year later in March 2019
LAUREN POPE, 38
CHILDREN: Raine, seven months
BABY DADDY: Tony Keterman [Partner of two years]
Lauren shot to fame on the first season of TOWIE when she caused ructions as Kirk Norcross’ love interest before they became locked in a tumultuous romance throughout the show. She left nine year later in March 2019.
![Her love: Speaking of finding The One, she previously said: 'I'm just so glad I did wait for that person & never settled for anything less [than] I felt I deserved](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/01/19/14/38199894-9162691-image-m-163_1611067647816.jpg)
Her love: Speaking of finding The One, she previously said: ‘I’m just so glad I did wait for that person & never settled for anything less [than] I felt I deserved
She then moved on to a host of other projects, collaborations and endorsements and
Lauren surprised the public when she announced she was expecting with millionaire boyfriend, Tony, 33, in March 2020.
In July, the couple then welcomed a baby girl and she told MailOnline at the time she still can’t believe she’s a mum. She said: ‘It’s still so surreal that she’s finally here after all these months…
‘I just can’t stop staring at her beautiful little face. The birth was tough of course but she is worth every bit of pain, tears, sickness and exhaustion. I now feel at my most content…
‘I may have painful sore parts of my body and a belly that still looks five months pregnant but I don’t even care, all I care about is being the best possible mum I can be and to soak in every minute of every day with her.’
Speaking of finding The One, she previously said: ‘I’m just so glad I did wait for that person & never settled for anything less [than] I felt I deserved.
Yay! In July, the couple then welcomed a baby girl and she told MailOnline at the time she still can’t believe she’s a mum. She said: ‘It’s still so surreal that she’s finally here after all these months’
Happy days: In October 2019, Chloe, who joined TOWIE in series five, gave birth to her first child, a baby boy as she announced that she had welcomed her son to the world earlier this week and is ‘completely besotted’
CHLOE LEWIS, 30
CHILDREN: Beau, 15 months
BABY DADDY: Danny Flasher [Partner of three years]
In October 2019, Chloe gave birth to her first child, a baby boy as she announced that she had welcomed her son to the world earlier this week and is ‘completely besotted’.
Chloe, who announced she and boyfriend Danny Flasher were expecting their first child back in May 2019,
Chloe, who announced she and boyfriend Danny Flasher were expecting their first child back in May 2019, revealed the month before she was going to welcome Beau that she had been expecting twins but tragically lost one baby eight weeks into her pregnancy.
In her original pregnancy announcement she shared an image of an ultrasound and the reveal date of ‘05.22.19’, which she captioned: ‘Half me, half you’. The couple decided to not find out the sex of the baby prior to giving birth because they wanted it to be a surprise.
Chloe revealed she had been expecting twins but had suffered a miscarriage at eight weeks pregnant. The reality star only found out she was carrying twins after going to the doctor when she was worried about the bleeding.
After waking in the middle of the night to find she was bleeding, Chloe went to a private doctor, fearing she had miscarried. A scan showed two fetuses in the womb, but the doctor warned that only one was visible, meaning she was unlikely to be able to carry the baby to full term.
‘I told her about the bleeding and she said that I probably had lost it,’ Chloe told OK! magazine. ‘The doctor did confirm the twins had been identical. That was so sad for me to hear. I kept thinking this one is going to come out and they would have looked exactly the same.’
The family have since moved to Dubai and Chloe has been littering social media with snaps of their time in the sun.
My boy: The couple decided to not find out the sex of the baby prior to giving birth because they wanted it to be a surprise
Here she comes! Chloe is the only star to enter the show having already had a child, after welcoming her daughter Madison when she was a teenager and keeping much of their life away from the show
CHLOE SIMS, 38
CHILDREN: Madison, 15
BABY DADDY: Matthew (surname unknown) [little is known about their relationship]
Chloe is the only star to enter the show having already had a child, after welcoming her daughter Madison when she was a teenager and keeping much of their life away from the show.
‘Nosy fans’: Chloe, who has always kept her love life before TOWIE private, called out her ‘nosy’ fans as she shared a video of herself with Madison’s dad
Last month however Chloe’s teenage daughter Madison made her TOWIE debut on, The Only Way Is Essexmas. Madison, 15, appeared in a scene alongside her reality star mum, 38, and her aunties Demi, 22, and Frankie, 24, as well as their nanny, Linda.
Although Chloe has been a regular on the ITVBe programme for the past nine years since shortly after it began in 2010, it was one of the rare times she has shown her daughter. While Chloe shares much of her life on the ITVBe reality show, including her recently ended romance with Pete Wicks, she tends to keep her daughter’s life private.
However Chloe did finally showed her ‘nosy’ fans her daughter Madison’s dad’s face last year, as she shared an inside look at her daughter’s 14th birthday party. Chloe took to her Instagram stories to share the fun evening shared with her nearest and dearest, including her ITVBe co-stars.
Chloe, who has always kept her love life before TOWIE private, called out her ‘nosy’ fans as she shared a video of herself with Madison’s dad.
She said: ‘So lots of people have always been interested in who is Maddie’s dad, well, here he is… I was 18, he was 24… all you nosy f**kers who wanted to know, here he is!’
Chloe has spoken about her relationship with Madison’s dad in the past but has never revealed his identity.
In a past interview with New! magazine, she said: ‘I was with Maddie’s dad, Matthew, for seven years, but we ended up like brother and sister and that isn’t what I want. I’ve only ever been in love once and that wasn’t with Madison’s dad. It was with the most amazing man I ever met – he was so funny with perfect looks. I really fancied him.
‘She [Madison] has a good relationship with her dad. I’m very close to her dad’s parents. She is surrounded by people who love her.’
TV debut: Chloe’s teenage daughter Madison appeared on the TOWIE Christmas special, The Only Way Is Essexmas, last month
BILLI MUCKLOW
CHILDREN: Arlo, four, Wolf, two, Marvel Mae, four months and stepchildren Emilie, 11, and Lucas, nine
BABY DADDY: Andy Carroll [Fiancé of four years, partner of five years]
Her guy: They started dating in 2013 and became engaged in 2014, after which Billie revealed: ‘I definitely want a massive wedding’
Billi starred on the third season of the show in 2011 before quitting in the eighth season in 2013.
After enjoying romances with Kirk Norcross and Tom Kilbey on the show, she found love with football ace Andy Carroll, who already has Emilie, 11, and Lucas, nine, from a previous relationship.
They started dating in 2013 and became engaged in 2014, after which Billie revealed: ‘I definitely want a massive wedding’, although babies have come first as they have gone on to welcome two more tots.
In September, Billi announced she’d welcomed a baby girl with a sweet Instagram post, revealing the newborn had arrived as a ‘surprise’.
In the post, Billie wrote: ‘Welcome To The World Baby Girl! You Arrived On Your Big Sister Birthday What a Lovely Surprise. 15-09-20. 6lb4oz. Hope Your Ready To Come Home To Our Crazy House.’
Billi and Andy, who live with their children in their £5million mansion in Chigwell, Essex, initially kept the due date and gender of the baby under wraps.
Stunner: She often shares family snaps