She had an incredibly tough time growing up, but Frankie Essex now has a little family of her own after welcoming twins Logan and Luella in May.
And she tells Closer she can’t wait to celebrate her first Christmas as a mum, and has already taken her children to meet Father Christmas.
“There are four of us now! It’s so exciting, I’m really looking forward to it,” she says.
When we catch up with Frankie, 35, she admits she’s exhausted as the twins battle with a bout of conjunctivitis amid an ongoing home renovation which has left her without a kitchen for Christmas. But that hasn’t stopped her and boyfriend Luke Luv from enjoying festive days out.
She adds, “They just love the Christmas lights. It’s nice for them to see it all and we met Santa at Hamleys in London. I was really thankful they didn’t cry!
“They’re both so interested in everything. Being a mum has made Christmas 100 per cent more magical.”
Reflecting back on Christmas Day last year, Frankie says she wrapped up copies of her scan picture as gifts to loved ones to announce her pregnancy.
She says, “Luke and myself were so excited that we woke up and went round to my dad’s on Christmas morning in our pyjamas so we could tell him.
“Nobody clocked we were having twins – we kept saying, ‘Look at the scan! Look at the scan!’
“I was four months pregnant by then. We hadn’t let on before as we were scared we were going to lose one. Our family was so happy – [brother] Joey’s face was a picture of shock and my dad called Luke thunder-balls!”
Alongside her brother, TOWIE legend Joey, Frankie rose to fame when she starred on the reality show for three years before quitting in 2014.
Joey is currently in the midst of training for Dancing On Ice, but Frankie says he still finds time to visit his niece and nephew.
She says, “Joey’s great. He came over the other day and hopefully he’ll have some time off over Christmas.”
But despite their success and popularity, Frankie and Joey had to endure immense heartbreak after losing their beloved mum to suicide when Frankie was just 13 and Joey was 10.
Frankie says special occasions like Christmas and birthdays are always difficult, but that becoming a mum has made her grief a little easier to bear.
She says, “When the twins are both poorly and I don’t feel well myself, I think, ‘I really miss my mum’. And I miss her on days like my birthday and Christmas.
“But the twins have taken over my whole life. It’s hard to be upset, because even if I feel sad for a minute, I just look at their faces and think, ‘You two are so amazing!’”
And Frankie says she will wait until her daughter is a little bit older before passing on a very special present.
She adds, “My mum bought me a traditional doll’s house when I was seven and there’s a picture of me opening it. My mum decorated it all for me and I’m going to keep it for Luella for when she’s a bit older.”
Frankie has also reached out to her close friend and former co-star, Lauren Goodger, who is grieving the loss of her daughter Lorena after tragically losing her minutes after her birth in July.
She says, “I saw Lauren the other day. She’s done so well, bless her. We’ve had a few conversations about stuff. It’s just really s**t isn’t it? But she’s done amazingly well. She’s a good girl, Lauren, she’ll be all right.”
Frankie and personal trainer Luke have been dating since 2019 and will celebrate their fourth anniversary on New Year’s Day.
And while she says it’s hard to muster up the energy, and the babysitters, for date nights, she and Luke have booked a restaurant to celebrate.
She says, “We haven’t been out on a date since my birthday in September.
“Our first date was the cinema and it’s a tradition so Luke asked if we could get someone to keep an eye on the babies, but everyone will have a hangover!”
Frankie says she and Luke would love to get married but they’re not in a hurry.
She adds, “We’ll wait until the twins are a bit older so they can both remember it.”
Frankie has also been very honest about her weight journey over the years – fluctuating between a size 16 and size 8 – but in recent years she’s made peace with her body and says she feels great in her own skin.
Having children has given her even more of an appreciation for her body and she’s comfortable at a size 14.
She says, “I feel like after you have a baby, you just need to fuel your body. I’d love to be in the gym, but with two babies who are still bottle feeding, it’s just too hard. We go out as much as we can on walks, but I don’t sit down anyway! I’m self-conscious of my scar but it brought my babies into the world and I’m happy in myself at a size 14.”