She’s mum to two of Essex’s most glamorous stars – Sam and Billie Faiers – but at 52, Suzie Wells looks just as gorgeous in a bikini as her daughters, with each swimwear snap she posts on social media receiving thousands of likes from followers.
And when Closer speaks to Suzie – who is tanned and toned after her Christmas Maldives break with daughter Billie’s side of the family and friends, including Ferne McCann – she reveals she feels sexier than ever.
“I’m more confident now than I was in my twenties. As I’m getting older, I think I accept myself for who I am and I think you’ve got to make the best of it,” she says.
Check out: inside Billie Faiers' gorgeous home
Billie Faiers and Greg Shepherd's house SLIDER
1 of 36Billie and Greg's Essex home
Billie and Greg's Essex family home looks traditional from the outside. The front door has been painted a neutral grey and has a silver knocker and stained glass window.
2 of 36Entrance
How cute are Billie and Nelly in their matching dressing gowns? We love this sweet selfie taken in the reflection of Billie's chic French-style mirror.
3 of 36Entrance
And the chic decor continues... Billie has filled her console table with minimalist framed prints, placed to a Jo Malone candle and room diffuser.
4 of 36Entrance
She's off! A much younger Nelly parades through Billie and Greg's tiled hallway in this adorable snap. Cute red suitcase, too.
5 of 36Hallway
Proud mum Billie couldn't resist to get a picture of Nelly on her first day of school. The Essex mum has hidden her radiators behind made-to-measure grey fittings, which she has used to display family photos in metallic frames.
6 of 36Living room
Billie and Sam pose with Arthur and Rosie propped on their hips in this family pic. Nelly's toys and Arthur's high chair - designed by his auntie, Sam - can be spotted in the background.
7 of 36Living room
Greg settles down with with daughter Nelly under a cosy blanket to watch some TV on what looks like the world's comfiest armchair.
8 of 36Living room at Christmas
Billie and Greg's Christmas looks so plush - albeit a little chaotic! We bet Nelly was thrilled with that miniature white range rover - we know we would be.
9 of 36Living room at Christmas
Billie and Nelly posed for a mummy-daughter photo in front of the tree in December 2018. Billie opted for a lavish white and gold theme for her Christmas tree.
10 of 36Living room
This is the PERFECT sofa for lazy Sundays. Billie even has personalised cushions - one for her and husband, Greg and one for Nelly and Arthur.
11 of 36Living room
Talking of personalised cushions, Nelly and Arthur have a whole bunch of their own. Arthur looks so cosy in the heap of cushions.
12 of 36Living room
This is totally the adults-only area. Even the thought of little rascals anywhere near that lush wallpaper and cream carpet makes us feel anxious...
13 of 36Living room / Play area
... But luckily with Billie and Greg's open-plan ground floor, the kids' area isn't far away. A cheeky Arthur chuckles in front of a mass of toys in the background.
14 of 36Living room / Kitchen
That's a wrap! When the family are filming for ITV's The Mummy Diaries with Sam's family, things are bound to get a little hectic - it's only right that Nelly steps in as director before things get out of control in the Faiers/Shepherd household.
15 of 36Nelly's tiny furniture
Here's a much younger Nelly looking angelic whilst eating a fruit yoghurt at her very own dining table in the kitchen.
16 of 36Nelly's tiny furniture
Nelly has her own miniature sofa - and it's even a neutral crushed velvet to match mum and dad's. Totally adorable.
17 of 36Nelly's tiny furniture
Not content with just her own sofa, Nelly has her own pink kitchen, too! The kitchen is complete with a fridge, sink, hobs oven and toaster. When can we come round for dinner?!
18 of 36Arthur's tiny furniture
Why stop at just one miniature kitchen?! Arthur has his own set, too. The head chef looks busy at work in this picture... licking the whisk... he's a pro.
19 of 36Kitchen
Fans of ITVBe's The Mummy Diaries will remember the hilarious episode when Billie's husband Greg was made to cook after bragging about his chef skills.
20 of 36Kitchen
Viewers will also remember there was a lot of confusion with cooking dinner and a rather hectic kitchen - but luckily it all worked out in the end.
21 of 36Dining table
Nelly sits at the dining table to decorate digestive biscuits. We don't know what we love more - Nelly's fluffy pom-pom hair band or the pretty Emma Bridgewater heart plate.
22 of 36Dining table
Mum Billie can be seen cracking on with some admin at the dining table in this pic, with Nelly's cute mini sofa again in the background.
23 of 36Dining table
This family sure do know how to pull off a good roast dinner - with a table set for three people, we're wondering if there's room for us to come along next time?
24 of 36Stairs
Back to the entrance hall and we have Nelly striking her best pose whilst dressed as a LOL doll. Billie's mini-me pouts in front of the stairs.
25 of 36Stairs
An adorable Arthur looks mischievous standing at the top of the stairs with striped fabric on his head. At the top of the stairs, the landing splits into two sides of the house.
26 of 36Nelly's bedroom
Wow. We want Nelly's bedroom and yes, we know we're meant to be adults. But seriously, who could resist that comfy bed and grey/pink theme?
27 of 36Master bedroom
But that doesn't stop her from getting into Billie and Greg's double bed. Comfy bed? Check. Pyjamas on? Check. Biscuit to snack on? Check. Nelly, we're totes jel.
28 of 36Master bedroom
And the apple doesn't fall far from the tree - like Nelly, mum Billie loves to get comfy under the cover with a warm brew in hand.
29 of 36Master bedroom
Billie and Arthur have a matching smile in this picture - and matching pyjamas for that matter. We need those in our life, now.
30 of 36Master bedroom
Billie shows off more of the master bedroom - and her lush outfit, of course - in this mirror selfie. The mum of two has co-ordinated the silver decor throughout her bedroom.
31 of 36Wardrobe
Nelly is playing in Dad Greg's wardrobe - sorry Nelly, we don't think any of those trousers are going to fit. We'd stick with the pink hoodie and leggings!
32 of 36Bathroom
Nelly contemplates brushing her teeth in this cute snap. Billie's plush white sink is complete with a Jo Malone hand wash and mural mirror on the wall above.
33 of 36Bathroom
Nelly plays with educational number toys whilst havin a splash in the bath. We love Billie and Greg's genius bathroom toy storage.
34 of 36Bathroom
How adorable is this snap of baby Nelly sharing a bath with mum Billie?! The couple's oldest child is a total mini-me of Billie. And CHECK OUT that TV in the background. Bathroom goals!
35 of 36Garden
Billie's garden is huge - and perfect for a competitive snow ball fight in this picturesque snowy scene. Not one to get covered in cold snow, Nelly wraps up warm in a faux-fur coat and pom-pom wooly hat.
36 of 36Garden
Billie and Greg's garden looks just as great in Summer, too. How perfect is that decking for a good old British bbq with family?!
“Whenever we go on holiday, the girls are always saying, ‘Come on Mum, let’s get that bikini shot.’ I’m quite awkward but they help me pose and take about 1,000 pictures. They both say, ‘I hope we look like you when we’re older!’
“But when I was younger, I didn’t think like that at all. I wasn’t confident and I didn’t put myself out there because I was a young mum [Suzie had Billie at 20 and Sam at 21 – they were born in the same year].”
Now, Suzie, who runs Minnie’s Boutique alongside Billie, says she finds it “funny” when customers are shocked to discover she’s seven-year-old granddaughter Nellie’s nanny – and not her mum – and admits fans regularly ask her how she stays in shape.
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She says, “I’m lucky because I’m naturally slim, and I’m tall so I can carry extra weight. But I live a very balanced lifestyle. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy meals out and a Chinese takeaway. But I mostly cook from scratch – so everything fresh with no pre-made sauces or anything like that. I prioritise protein, like grilled fish, and always have it with lots of vegetables. To anyone starting out with healthy eating, I’d recommend stir-fries – they’re so easy and delicious.”
And when she hits the gym, Suzie focuses on toning her stomach, with abs exercises like crunches and planks, but says she prefers stretching to high-impact exercise.
“I stand in front of the mirrored wardrobes in my bedroom and do quite a lot of stretching – the old-fashioned sort of moves you used to do in PE at school. Lunging, stretching your arms out and touching your toes – that sort of thing,” she says.
She’s happy to admit that she has collagen injections to smooth out her frown lines, and although she hasn’t had Botox or surgical work, she says she wouldn’t rule it out in the future.
“I’ll just see how I age, really,” Suzie says. “I always say to the girls, ‘I wonder whether I’ll want a face lift in my 60s.’ Then I look at Helen Mirren and she looks incredible. But I’d never say never.”
Suzie has mostly been single since splitting from the girls’ stepdad, Dave Chatwood, when Billie and Sam were young teenagers – despite dabbling in dating apps and being spotted in a steamy clinch with a young man on Billie’s hen do in 2018. But that could be set to change.
“I was having this conversation with all of the girls who were on holiday,” she laughs. “They were saying, ‘Suzie, you’re such a catch, you’ve got to get yourself out there.’
“And I’m going to. We all sat around and spoke about what our goals for 2022 were, and I said, ‘I suppose I should find myself a nice man.’”
WATCH: Ferne McCann on breaking up with her ex-boyfriend and her heartbreak plan | First Time Mum Secrets
Suzie’s tips for looking young
Don’t ignore the signs of ageing – work with them
“As you get older, your skin becomes less firm, so I use body scrubs and creams regularly, and I’m going through the change at the moment, so I take supplements like vitamin D, turmeric and magnesium to look after my joints.”
Banish greys without destroying your hair
“I’ve noticed the grey hairs around my hairline, but instead of bleaching my hair like I used to, I’ve been touching up the grey with hair dye using a small root touch-up brush – so the rest of my hair has stayed shiny and healthy.”
Make simple diet swaps
“I cook from scratch 99 per cent of the time, as I like to know what I’m putting in my body. But there are some really simple swaps to make – such as freshly squeezing oranges to avoid the additives in shop-bought juices, and drinking lots of water. It flushes out so many toxins.”
Love yourself first and foremost
“I think feeling good is about self-care and self-love. It’s how you feel about yourself, and you have to think, ‘This is me, this is what I look like’ and love yourself for who you are. If someone says anything negative on Instagram, I just think, ‘Stop looking at my pictures then – just un-follow me!’ Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks about you, just worry what you think of yourself.”