As our festive photo shoot with Charlotte Dawson and her two boys gets underway, her house is well and truly ready for the big day, with not one but three Christmas trees towering in her lounge, kitchen and bedroom, red garlands running down the bannister and a giant bauble display wrapped around her front door.
Meanwhile indoors, three-year-old Noah is skidding across the hallway in-between the crew; 16-month-old Jude is fluttering his eyelashes at the glam team and, testament to her Northern roots, Charlotte is filling up on her beloved ‘chips and graveh’ before we get started. The 32-year-old star laughs, ‘You can’t beat it – this is just an average day in the Dawsy-Sarsy household!’
And at six months pregnant with her third child, you could forgive Charlotte for taking it easy, but the star, who’s engaged to partner Matt Sarsfield, 33, has other plans. Not only is she planning on giving her boys a magical Christmas, she’s also on stage doing back-to-back panto performances in her hometown of Blackpool – though she admits she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Charlotte, whose father is the late comedian Les Dawson, says, ‘I can’t lie, I feel very tired from doing panto and juggling the boys, while being on stage in heels and pregnant! I’ve put the boys in nursery full-time, which I’ve had some guilt about, but I love being on stage. It makes me feel close to my dad as he was a performer, and this will be the last time I’ll do panto because next year it’ll be impossible with three!’
But Charlotte is even more determined to make this Christmas special after a particularly difficult year. Her relationship with former rugby player Matthew was thrust into the spotlight in August after she caught him sending intimate messages to another woman on his phone, just hours before Jude’s first birthday party. Charlotte was left ‘devastated’ and ‘heartbroken’ after the betrayal and asked Matt to move out of their family home.
In a turn of events, just weeks later Charlotte revealed she was expecting her third child with Matt and later found she was carrying a much longed-for baby girl. Things were touch-and-go for a few months, but Matt has moved back in and the pair are giving their relationship ‘one last go’.
Charlotte candidly explains, ‘It’s been a challenging year and I’ll be glad to see the back of it. Of course, I was fuming when I found out what Matthew had done. The trust has gone massively, so it’s been very difficult, but there is still love there and that’s what important. We share two boys, a house, businesses and we’re engaged – it’s not as easy as cutting everything off, so we are giving it one last go. At the moment everything is going in the right direction.’
And Charlotte says they are taking steps to build the trust and repair their relationship, including accepting more help from family and planning romantic get-togethers.
She says, ‘When we got back together, the main thing we agreed on was that we’re not getting back together just for the sake of the children. If things aren’t right between us, it’ll only get worse and the kids will suffer. We’ve had therapy, which made us dive into how we met and fell in love. We’ve been away to London and the Lakes, and we’ve found our love back again. When we do come home, it’s chaotic, but there’s an understanding that it’s going to be hard work because we’ve had all our babies close together. We’ve got a babysitter, who the kids adore, and we’re asking for more help from my mum and Matt’s parents. Everyone’s mucking in.’
She adds, ‘When we were apart for a month, it was like we’d just started dating again – we were completely obsessed with each other because we weren’t seeing each other. Noah and Jude idolise their dad and he’s a good partner.’
The star has limited posting pictures of Matt on her social media pages because of backlash from trolls, who have criticised her for taking him back. She says, ‘I had to turn all the outside noise off and just think what was right for me. People can’t comment until they’ve been in the same situation. Some have said, “Don’t take him back, he’ll do it again.” But how do they know? That’s my decision and my risk. If he does, then he’s an idiot and more fool him, but he’s really trying and wants me to trust him again. We’ve been together for eight years and there’s a lot of history between us.’
Meanwhile, Charlotte has made no secret of her desire to have a daughter, and though she wasn’t actively trying for a baby, she believes her pregnancy is a ‘true blessing’. ‘This baby was definitely not planned,’ she laughs. ‘Usually I’m tracking when I’m ovulating and looking at the days carefully. We weren’t trying, plus Jude is still so small, so it came as a huge surprise. I’ve had two boys and never thought I’d get a girl, so when I did the gender reveal, I was lost for words. Knowing I’m having a girl has helped heal my broken heart and I believe it was meant to be. After all the storms of the past few months, she’s my rainbow.’
She adds, ‘I’d still be happy if it was a boy, but I felt like my family would be finally complete with a girl – especially after all the sh*t I’ve had. My mum, Tracey, and I are so close and she often says, “Oh, Charlotte, I’d love for you to experience this for yourself.” I can’t imagine my life without my boys, though. Jude melts my heart, he’s the most calm and pleasant little angel. Noah’s my best mate, I just know he’s going to be like my dad and be on stage – he’s got the charisma!’
And a beaming Charlotte, who loves either ‘Gigi and Penelope’ as names, is already planning matching outfits with her mini-me. She reveals, ‘She’s going to be a sassy little diva! I’m hoping that until she tells me “no” she’ll be in pink, bows, sequins – everything! I want to match her at all times. I really hope she looks like me when I was a baby, because my mum has kept all my baby outfits, so I’d love to dress her up in them.’ Laughing, she adds, ‘I want my daughter to be too glam to give a chuffin’ damn from the moment she pops out of this fanjita!’
And after a tricky year, Charlotte is trying her best to remain positive by focusing on her career, including her number-one podcast, Naughty Corner, which has seen her host the likes of Helen Flanagan and Tanya Bardsley to discuss their parenting fails and funny stories. The star has just released an episode with therapists Nik and Eva Speakman and fiancé Matt, which sees them confront him about his behaviour.
Charlotte says, ‘It’s just real girls and mums sharing their real-life problems and not sugar-coating anything – just like me! I’m thrilled because it’s been renewed for another year. I’d love to go on tour and perform in front of a live audience, with chips and gravy, Prosecco, and have a mums’ night out! I’d like to do more presenting and eventually comedy, that’s always been a dream of mine.’
She is known for her self-deprecating nature on social media, where she posts videos of herself shaking her ‘belleh’ in her underwear and, true to form, Charlotte is embracing everything about her pregnant body.
She says, ‘This is the biggest I’ve been in a pregnancy. I feel massive and I’m not due till March! Of course, I’m still craving chips and gravy, and I can drink a whole carton of whole milk, I love my food. I get so many nasty comments, saying, “You’re just pushing your existing fat out”, or, “You’re wobbling – that isn’t even a bump.” That does get to me, but then I think, “I’ve got to remember who I am.”
‘My whole personality is about having a laugh and I’m all about body positivity. I embrace the pregnancy body I’m lucky enough to have. I don’t care what my body looks like but, eventually, I would like my boobs done. It would be nice to have a lift as they’re down to my bunions!
‘Most of all, I’m looking forward to a happy and positive 2025, with my boys and the little girl I’ve always wanted.’ She adds, laughing, ‘Though knowing luck, it’ll come out and be another boy!’
