She’s been a thorn in Michelle Keegan’s side ever since the actress began dating her ex-fiancé, Mark Wright, in 2012 – with a series of public spats seeing Lauren Goodger dubbed “the bitter ex”.
And after Michelle, 32, sparked pregnancy rumours last week when she announcedshe was quitting Our Girl to “spend more time at home”, pals say Lauren, 33 – who has previously revealed she aborted Mark’s baby aged 20 – has been upset by the speculation.
Commenting on Michelle’s news, fans went into overdrive online, with one commenting, “I bet she’s preggers”, while another added, “I think two may become three soon!”
A source says, “Lauren felt pained when she saw what people were saying, but has jumped to the same conclusion.
“She always felt it would only be a matter of time, but realises now it really could be imminent.
“It’s brought a lot of raw emotions and heartbreak to the surface, and it’s a painful reminder of the baby dream she lost with Mark – made worse by the fact she’s still single and desperate to become a mum.
“She’s going to pull out all the stops to make that happen this year.”
Check out: Lauren Goodger boyfriends - where are they now?
Lauren Goodger boyfriends - where are they now SLIDER
1 of 8Mark Wright
Lauren dated childhood sweetheart Mark for 12 years - with nearly two years of their rocky romance aired on TOWIE. Lauren was so committed, she even had Mark's name tattooed on her bikini line. But in one dramatic episode in 2011, Lauren decided to have it lasered off whilst the couple were on a break - much to her suprise, Mark made a marriage proposal on the same day. The on/off pair split for good after just five months of being engaged.
2 of 8Mark Wright
Mark is now married to former Coronation Streetstar Michelle Keegan. The pair tied the knot in 2015, but have since juggled their marriage with work commitments whilst Michelle has travelled abroad for BBC drama Our Girl and Mark has taken on the showbiz world in America.
3 of 8Jake McLean
Lauren dated Jake McLean on and off from 2012 to 2016 - during which, Lauren had Jake's name tattooed on her wrist. But once the pair had parted ways for good, Lauren branded their romance 'toxic.' Following their split, Lauren said: "'I don't mean to sound horrible but I'm relieved it's over."
4 of 8Jake McLean
Following his time in the limelight with Lauren during their two year romance, Jake has now gone under the radar.
5 of 8Joey Morrison
Lauren raised eyebrows in September 2016 when she first started dating Joey, 33, while he was still in prison for a string of violent drugs-related charges. Defending their romance on Channel 5's In Therapy while they were still together, Lauren said, "This is the weirdest relationship ever, but it's exciting and I think that's why I like it. A bad boy never cheats, a bad boy is very loyal. They're strong family men, they've just got a bit of a naughty side to them." Opting for a tattoo hat-trick, Lauren also got Joey's name inked, once Jake's had been removed. The pair were together for two and a half years before they broke up in 2018.
6 of 8Joey Morrison
Joey was released from prison in September 2018, after serving half of his 16 year sentence. Enjoying his new-found freedom, he went onto social media to promote his luxurious lifestyle post-prison. Although Lauren and Joey have officially broken up, fans have spotted Joey featuring in Lauren's stories on Instagram on several occasions.
7 of 8Ricci Guarnaccio
Lauren and Ricci appeared on Celebrity Big Brother together, where he confessed to falling for her. But sadly for the Geordie lad, Lauren was adamant nothing would happen between them. Yet, despite the TOWIE star telling Vicky Pattison's ex that they would only ever "just be friends", the pair were inseparable at the post-eviction party. They were seen kissing and cuddling before heading back to their hotel together at 4am.
8 of 8Ricci Guarnaccio
After his time on Geordie Shore, Celebrity Big Brother and Ex on the Beach, Ricci has taken a step back from TV. Nowadays he uses his social media to plug teeth whitening brands and holidays. And it looks like TV isn't the only thing Ricci is steering clear of - in 2018, the Geordie star told Star magazine "I'm happily single. Women are evil. God put them on this earth to hurt us!"
The former TOWIE stars have been at loggerheads since breaking off their engagement in 2011, following a rocky, 11-year romance.
Since then, Lauren – who’s been single for 18 months after two failed romances with ex-cons Jake McLean and Joey Morrisson – has been blasted by her ex for making a series of bitter swipes at him and Michelle.
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Lauren’s made no secret of her broodiness, confessing in 2015, “I want to be a young mum,” before revealing that being a single mum didn’t scare her following her “toxic” split from Jake.
And pals say Lauren – who has vowed to get in shape in 2020 in response to her Boxing Day hospitalisation due to “the world’s worst hangover” – is weighing up her options.
The source adds, “She’s looking for a new man and is focused on getting into the best shape possible to conceive. She’s given herself a ‘boyfriend deadline’ of her September birthday and insists if she hasn’t found a man by then, she’ll explore other options – she’s seriously considering going it alone.”
You can read more celebrity news in this week's Closer magazine - out now.