Will Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan ever escape Mark's ex-girlfriend and TOWIE co-star Lauren Goodger?
She’s the girlfriend who’s haunted him ever since their turbulent ten-year romance came to a bitter end in 2011, when Lauren Goodger and Mark Wright called-off their engagement after accusing each other of cheating.
While Mark, 32, has gone on to find happiness with wife Michelle Keegan, Lauren, also 32, has continued to bear the brunt of car-crash relationships – ending her last romance with jailbird Joey Morrison last year and repeatedly telling fans she’s desperate to settle down.
After Lauren – who last week confirmed she was still friends with Joey and was spotted enjoying a night out with the criminal and mutual pals – opened up about her sex life with The Bachelor host last week, claiming it’s what kept them together and that they had an “obsession” with one another, pals say it’s pushed Michelle, 31, to ask Mark to silence his ex once and for all.
Lauren said, “He was obsessed with me and I was obsessed with him. Sex keeps you together as well.”
CHECK OUT Lauren Goodger boyfriends and fiancé - 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!"
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A source says, “Michelle went through a range of emotions when she read Lauren’s words – going from feeling stung and hurt to feeling frustrated at the fact Lauren is still managing to be in their lives.
"Mark was angry too, but he urged Michelle to just ignore it, which caused tension. She said she can’t continue to worry about what Lauren will say next and that it was time he put an end to her constant remarks.”
It’s not the first time Lauren’s dragged up the past. She sparked a war with Mark after posting an Instagram message about lost love on the eve of his wedding in 2015, before jetting to the Middle East where the newlyweds were honeymooning.
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Mark reacted furiously on Twitter, writing, “Endless mentions re: me and us is embarrassing. I really thought after lawyers being involved and polite pleas to stop mentioning me she would stop. Maybe not. It’s hurtful to think one person needs to mention YOU every week to earn a living.”
At the time, Closer’s sources alleged Michelle had dictated the post. This came shortly after Lauren posted a screen shot of a text she’d received from automated question and answer service Bongo, saying she’d made the “Wright choice over Mark.” Mark responded, dubbing it “ridiculous.”
Now pals say the Our Girl actress wants to meet Lauren face-to-face in a bid to put an end to the drama for good.
The source says, “Michelle wants to talk to Lauren in private and get to the root of why she’s so intent on continuing to twist the knife. She hopes that by talking to her without Mark, she’ll be able to see how hurtful it is.
“She thinks a face-to-face showdown is the only way to get Lauren out of their lives, so she’s asked Mark to reach out through a mutual pal. He doesn’t like the idea and has warned her it could antagonise things. He worries they’ll never escape Lauren.”
Read even more about Mark, Michelle and Lauren in this week's Closer - out now.