She spent most of 2020 single after splitting from boyfriend Albie Gibbs during lockdown last May. But Ferne McCann has found love again, with her new relationship emerging when she was pictured smooching new man Jack Padgett in South Africa last month.
And excited Ferne, 30, tells Closer that despite being unlucky in love over her years in the public eye, she’s never given up on the dream of a happy ever after.
She says, “I’m a sucker for love – I love it. And I’m a true romantic, I can’t wait to settle down. I’m definitely up for having more babies and running off into the sunset with my new husband.”
Despite Ferne and model Jack being pictured looking cosy on holiday, the former TOWIE star has kept her new relationship under wraps so far, with the pair yet to go Instagram official.
In stark contrast, her previous serious relationships have been lived out in the spotlight. First she was with Charlie Sims on TOWIE, ending in 2015 after five turbulent years, and then with ex Arthur Collins, the father of her daughter Sunday, who was jailed in 2017 for a horrific acid attack in a London nightclub.
And while Ferne wants to keep her relationship with Jack as private as possible, she now says she believes she’s “grown so much” in terms of how she enters into relationships.
She reflects, “I used to start dating someone and get the doom that he was going to leave me or not fancy me. Sometimes you just need to take a step back, surrender, do a little bit of self work and be like, ‘You know what, if that happens, it happens’. Just looking after yourself and not making it a priority – being a bit more easy-breezy about it.
“I believe it should be mandatory for everyone to be single for at least a year in their life. How can you be with someone or know what you want when you don’t know yourself? You have to love yourself before anyone else can. You need to learn your behaviour patterns, what makes you tick and what makes you laugh – and by getting to know your true unapologetic self, that person can fall in love and support you.”
Check out: 11 jaw-dropping TOWIE couples we completely forgot about
11 TOWIE couples you completely forgot about - slider
1 of 11Mark Wright and Sam Faiers
Mark and Sam's on/off relationship goes all the way back to when she was 16 and they met on MySpace (aw, those were the days). They briefly dated during their time on TOWIE but were never able to give things a proper go before he quit the show in 2011.
2 of 11Kirk Norcross and Amy Childs
Kirk and Amy's flirtationship was one of the main storylines during the first season of TOWIE and they eventually briefly dated before splitting in 2011. In a 2013 appearance on This Morning, Kirk admitted, "I will still love Amy until the day I die - she is literally like the girl version of me. When it didn't work out, it broke my heart really... and it wasn't her fault, it was both of our fault."
3 of 11Gemma Collins and Charlie King
Gemma and Charlie briefly dated in 2012 but split after she grew concerned about his friendship with Bobby Norris. Two years later, Charlie came out as gay during an appearance on This Morning. He's still friends with Gemma and even admitted in 2017 that he would consider being the GC's sperm donor if she asked.What a turn of events that would be.
.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
4 of 11Lauren Goodger and Tom Pearce
Remember the days when Joey Essex's BFF Tom Pearce romanced basically every woman within a 10 mile radius of Brentwood? Lauren Goodger became one his many conquests following her split from Mark Wright but they hit the rocks when she caught wind of him bragging about their rendezvous.
5 of 11Mario Falcone and Chloe Sims
It's fair to say Chloe Sims has been unlucky in love over the years but things looked up for her when she began dating close pal Mario. Things moved quick for the pair and she even admitted she loved him - causing friction with BFF Lauren Pope who'd previously dated Mario - but he wasn't ready to settle down and called things off.
6 of 11Harry Derbidge and Bobby Norris
After three years away from the TOWIE scene, OG cast member Harry Derbidge returned as Bobby Norris' boyfriend (in some very skimpy swimwear, nonetheless) during the cast's annual jaunt to Marbs.Their relationship ended in tears though when Harry confessed to sleeping with his ex while on holiday in Tenerife.
7 of 11Dan Osborne and Lucy Mecklenburgh
They've now found love with soap star other halves Jacqueline Jossa and Ryan Thomas but before that, Dan Osborne and Lucy Mecklenburgh were an item.They began dating in 2013 but called it quits amid claims he knew about his ex Megan Tomlin being pregnant before getting with Lucy.
8 of 11Charlie Sims and Ferne McCann
Ferne McCann's on/off relationship with Chloe Sims' brother Charlie provided LOTS of dramz on TOWIE over the years, with rumours she cheated on him cropping up more than once.Eventually Charlie publicly quit the show AND dumped Ferne at the same time in a series of tweets in 2014. Awks...
9 of 11Dan Edgar and Kate Wright
Before she wed footballer Rio and became Mrs Ferdinand, Kate Wright joined TOWIE as the ex of Dan Edgar, who reportedly dumped her to star in the show.She took him back after his romances with Lauren Pope and Jess Wright but it wasn't to be and they eventually split for good.
10 of 11Shelby Tribble and Tom McDonnell
Tom McDonnell joined TOWIE alongside a whole host of newbies including Harry Lee and Chloe Brockett in 2019 and soon caught the eye of Shelby Tribble following her split from Sam Mucklow.Sam soon came back on the scene though and Shelby dumped Tom to reunite with her ex. Sam and Shelby later quit the show together and are now expecting their first child.
11 of 11James Argent and Jasmin Walia
In between his long-running relationships with Lydia Bright and Gemma Collins, James Argent was set up on a blind date with Jasmin Walia and they appeared to hit it off. Things seemed to move too quickly for his liking though, causing him to run from her house after being introduced to her parents. Oh, Arg...
Ferne is a single working mum, which means that lockdown – with most childcare facilities closed – has made it hard for her to keep fit, with Sunday, now three, running around. So she has been working on a “short but sharp” workout programme on her fitness website, Embodyment With Ferne, aimed at working parents.
“There are lots of ten-minute workouts in my new six-week programme. The main thing for me was being able to do the workouts around kids, and I guarantee you can – and you’ll be sweating.”
“Sunday does squats with me now,” she laughs.
“Sometimes when I’m doing an abs circuit, she gets involved. I think it’s important to encourage your children to exercise or to see you be active, even at a young age.”
Ferne has overhauled her body since having Sunday – slimming down from a size 12 to a svelte size 8. And since launching Embodyment with Ferne on her 30th birthday last August, she says her bum and her stomach have become more toned.
She adds, “My weight has fluctuated over the years, until recently where I’ve been able to sustain and maintain a healthy, happy weight. After having Sunday, I had a baby weight-loss goal, but of course your goals change all the time.”
Ferne reveals she does a 45-minute workout three times a week and a few ten-minute workouts on top of that, along with daily walks with Sunday.
“I want to get her involved with food and cooking, because it helps with engagement and she’s more likely to eat the food,” she reveals.
“For breakfast, I’ll have a slice of rye bread with smashed avocado, chilli flakes, a dollop of low-fat cottage cheese and scrambled eggs. Lunch is rocket and spinach loaf salad with watermelon, feta, tomatoes, artichokes and olives. Dinner is fish and fennel-and-carrot salad.”
While Ferne follows a healthy diet, she insists she doesn’t obsess over calorie intake.
She says, “I don’t know what I weigh. I don’t like to fixate on a number, because you can obsess and really beat yourself up – especially when you see stuff on Instagram and you’re like, ‘Oh, they’ve lost such amount’ and you feel deflated. It’s more about feeling energised, fit and healthy.”
WATCH: Ferne McCann opens up about how she stays motivated for the gym
READ MORE
Mark Wright reveals fears for his dad's life following Covid
Ferne McCann on her 'struggles' as a single parent to daughter Sunday
TOWIE's Chloe Brockett looks unrecognisable in throwback snap
My views on...
TOWIE
That chapter in my life has well and truly closed. I look back on it with fondness, because it’s what started my career and I’ve got some great memories from that show. I celebrated the TOWIE ten-year anniversary on my socials – I don’t really know many people on the show any more, so it would be weird for me to return.
BFF Danielle Armstrong
I saw her and [eight-month-old daughter] Orla, recently. We just dropped off presents at their door and waved, which was weird. And I saw her the other week to plan our 2021 Herbalife (dietary supplements) business. It’s always fun with me and Danielle, it’s never dull.
Sunday starting school
She starts school in September. I’m quite excited. I love seeing her grow, she’s my biggest achievement. It’s testing at times, but she’s a lot of fun. I love seeing her reach those milestones and get to the next chapter. And her chat is insane, we have full conversations.
Ferne’s new six-week programme, Shape It Up, from the Embodyment health and fitness platform, is available now. See more at Embodyment.co.uk.
Get the best celeb interviews in Closer magazine each week.