As filming for The Real Housewives of Cheshire picked up again last week, team Closer were fully prepared to churn out a fair few Cheshire-based stories this week (as well as endless Winter Love Island content, obvs).
RHOCheshire-wise, we anticipated a few hair transformation updates (we were right), perhaps the odd bit of tea-spilling (we were right), maybe even some naughty behind-the-scenes snaps (we were right), but we certainly didn't expect to be writing about yet another new addition to the already packed-out Lugo household.
Seriously, it's like the von Trapp mansion with more riding boots.
If there's one thing iconic Housewife Rachel Lugo knows how to do it's tease her fans with cryptic af life updates – and flog beauty products nobody really needs (but we still want, of course). Thinking about it, it's quite possible she's been on RHOCheshire for so long that she's actually transformed into the living, breathing embodiment of an episode of the hit ITVBe show; made up of equal parts dramatic editing, cliffhangers, teasers and a whole lot of glam. This isn't a read, by the way – we adore this woman, and wouldn't have her any other way.
In the last year, Rachel has teased us with her current relationship status, a Christmas special, and the revelation that she was becoming a granny for the first time, following daughter Sophia's pregnancy news last year. Her little girl was born earlier this month, by the way, and is adorable.
In November 2022 – as Sophia was about ready to pop – Rachel unleashed yet more cryptic family news upon her Instagram followers, teasing that ANOTHER baby was on the way.
She wrote on her Instagram story, "Soooooooo we are expecting another baby in our family 😍😍."
As this is queen of cryptic Rach Lugo we're talking about, at the time we accepted that 'baby' could literally be referring to anything; a puppy, a car, a pair of shoes, a Forever Unique dress, or perhaps some fabulous new product she's flogging on Instagram that will no doubt be pushed through our letterbox next week. As it turns out, we were kind of on to something...
A baby ready to pop and another baby on the way? We were utterly perplexed, and even when we spoke to her on the phone a couple of weeks later, she gave nothing away.
However, earlier this week, the Cheshire queen posted a video of herself seeing to the horses at her beautiful Cheshire home and, after watching it, we think we've finally cracked this puzzle.
We think said baby belongs to one of Rachel's horses – who before anyone comes for us, the RHOCheshire star very much considers part of her family.
In the video, which has vanished into the Instagram story abyss, Rachel filmed herself going up to one of her horses early in the morning, saying, "Hello, mama. How's baby growing in your tummy?"
Puzzle solved; the Lugo family is expecting a foal at some point this year and apparently could not get more perfect and wholesome.
So who was 'Baby Lugo'?
When Rachel first announced her daughter's pregnancy on her Instagram, the phrase 'Baby Lugo' led some followers to surmise that Rachel was announcing her own pregnancy.
At the time, she told the Daily Star, "It was actually quite flattering.
"A lot of people were like 'Oh' because when I put it on my social media it said 'Baby Lugo due January'."
Rachel added, "The social media thing, I used Sophia's picture which said 'Baby Lugo due January' and a lot of people said 'Oh my God, I thought it was you having the baby.'
"It was really sweet because I am approaching 50, I don't even know if I can still have children."
Rachel Lugo throws shade at "dead beat dads"
Then, of course, there's the last time Rachel spoke out about dads in general. Last year, she hit out at "dead beat dads" following a relationship that she's described as a "bumpy ride".
Rachel seemingly appeared to throw shade at her ex, John Lugo, by writing on her Instagram Story, "To all you amazing mums out there who pick up the slack when their dead beat dads refuse to pay any maintenance for them whatsoever... You are doing amazing."
While Rachel never named John outright, her five children are all from her marriage to her ex-husband, so it's safe to assume she was referring to him on her Instagram Story and that Rachel is perhaps done with children altogether at this stage in her life.
So there you go.