Georgia Kousoulou is the busiest mum-to-be in Essex. She’s excitedly preparing for the arrival of her baby boy in May, moving house and filming the latest season of TOWIE, but she’s not letting the pressure get to her.
“I’m so laid-back,” the 29-year old, who is seven months pregnant, laughs. “I’ve loved being pregnant. The first 12 weeks were the worst – I had a hungover feeling all the time, but luckily I wasn’t sick. I’ve got heartburn now because the baby is in a breech position and his head is so high I can feel it under my ribs.
“My plan is a water birth, but if I have to have a C-section because he’s breech, then it is what it is. He hasn’t moved in a month, so he’s stubborn, like his dad!”
Georgia’s boyfriend of six years, and TOWIE co-star, Tommy Mallett, 28, has been busy getting their new house in Essex ready for the baby’s arrival. The star, who shot to fame on the reality show in 2014, adds, “Tommy has been amazing – he’s been at the house day in, day out, sorting it out. I’m excited to get in there – I need a month to nest and get the nursery ready.”
While she’s enjoyed her pregnancy, Georgia admits it’s been tougher during lockdown, and she’s missed seeing friends and family. “Lots of people still haven’t seen me with a bump. I’ve missed out on baby showers and I’ve struggled with not seeing my family and sharing this experience with them,” she says. “But we’re over the moon about the baby and I feel blessed, so I focus on the positives.”
The star, who’s agreed with Tommy to film spin-off TOWIE episodes for ITVBe about their journey to parenthood, says she’s adopted a relaxed approach to diet and exercise during pregnancy.
“I eat exactly what I want,” she laughs. “I don’t think I’m overeating – but we love takeaways and I don’t feel bad about it. Exercise has gone out the window! I did get some energy after the first 12 weeks and started working out a bit, but then I got sciatica (nerve pain in the lower back and legs), so I stopped and haven’t done anything since.
“My midwife advised me to exercise because it’ll help in labour, but I’m filming, I’m moving house, I’ve got a lot on, so do I really want to exercise? No! I’m lazy and I’m enjoying not feeling under pressure. I’ll train afterwards.”
And while she’s recently launched a maternity clothing range with online brand In The Style, she insists she’s in no rush to get back into shape after the baby’s born, and says her confidence has soared during pregnancy.
She explains, “I’m not even thinking about bouncing back and I’m going to miss my bump – I feel much more confident in clothes with a bump than I’ve ever been, which I didn’t expect to say. I’m bigger and wider, but feel happier and more content.
“I felt so confident shooting the maternity range and it’s probably the only shoot I’ve done in seven years where I just felt great and not self-conscious.”
Once lockdown restrictions ease, Georgia is looking forward to introducing her son to family and friends, and is planning a small party in her garden for her 30th birthday in June. And there’s one person she’s desperate to share her baby joy with – her beloved nan Koulla, who sadly has dementia.
“I haven’t seen my Yia Yia [Greek for nan] for a year because she’s in a nursing home. Sadly, her condition has worsened during the pandemic because she’s missed out on physical contact with people,” explains Georgia, who’s an ambassador for Dementia UK.
“I’m not allowed to visit, but if I did turn up with my bump, she’d be confused. She’s there physically, but not mentally, and that’s very hard to process – you’re grieving for a person who’s still alive. But I know she’s being well looked after.”
Check out: 11 jaw-dropping TOWIE couples we completely forgot about
11 TOWIE couples you completely forgot about - slider
1 of 11Mark Wright and Sam Faiers
Mark and Sam's on/off relationship goes all the way back to when she was 16 and they met on MySpace (aw, those were the days). They briefly dated during their time on TOWIE but were never able to give things a proper go before he quit the show in 2011.
2 of 11Kirk Norcross and Amy Childs
Kirk and Amy's flirtationship was one of the main storylines during the first season of TOWIE and they eventually briefly dated before splitting in 2011. In a 2013 appearance on This Morning, Kirk admitted, "I will still love Amy until the day I die - she is literally like the girl version of me. When it didn't work out, it broke my heart really... and it wasn't her fault, it was both of our fault."
3 of 11Gemma Collins and Charlie King
Gemma and Charlie briefly dated in 2012 but split after she grew concerned about his friendship with Bobby Norris. Two years later, Charlie came out as gay during an appearance on This Morning. He's still friends with Gemma and even admitted in 2017 that he would consider being the GC's sperm donor if she asked.What a turn of events that would be.
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4 of 11Lauren Goodger and Tom Pearce
Remember the days when Joey Essex's BFF Tom Pearce romanced basically every woman within a 10 mile radius of Brentwood? Lauren Goodger became one his many conquests following her split from Mark Wright but they hit the rocks when she caught wind of him bragging about their rendezvous.
5 of 11Mario Falcone and Chloe Sims
It's fair to say Chloe Sims has been unlucky in love over the years but things looked up for her when she began dating close pal Mario. Things moved quick for the pair and she even admitted she loved him - causing friction with BFF Lauren Pope who'd previously dated Mario - but he wasn't ready to settle down and called things off.
6 of 11Harry Derbidge and Bobby Norris
After three years away from the TOWIE scene, OG cast member Harry Derbidge returned as Bobby Norris' boyfriend (in some very skimpy swimwear, nonetheless) during the cast's annual jaunt to Marbs.Their relationship ended in tears though when Harry confessed to sleeping with his ex while on holiday in Tenerife.
7 of 11Dan Osborne and Lucy Mecklenburgh
They've now found love with soap star other halves Jacqueline Jossa and Ryan Thomas but before that, Dan Osborne and Lucy Mecklenburgh were an item.They began dating in 2013 but called it quits amid claims he knew about his ex Megan Tomlin being pregnant before getting with Lucy.
8 of 11Charlie Sims and Ferne McCann
Ferne McCann's on/off relationship with Chloe Sims' brother Charlie provided LOTS of dramz on TOWIE over the years, with rumours she cheated on him cropping up more than once.Eventually Charlie publicly quit the show AND dumped Ferne at the same time in a series of tweets in 2014. Awks...
9 of 11Dan Edgar and Kate Wright
Before she wed footballer Rio and became Mrs Ferdinand, Kate Wright joined TOWIE as the ex of Dan Edgar, who reportedly dumped her to star in the show.She took him back after his romances with Lauren Pope and Jess Wright but it wasn't to be and they eventually split for good.
10 of 11Shelby Tribble and Tom McDonnell
Tom McDonnell joined TOWIE alongside a whole host of newbies including Harry Lee and Chloe Brockett in 2019 and soon caught the eye of Shelby Tribble following her split from Sam Mucklow.Sam soon came back on the scene though and Shelby dumped Tom to reunite with her ex. Sam and Shelby later quit the show together and are now expecting their first child.
11 of 11James Argent and Jasmin Walia
In between his long-running relationships with Lydia Bright and Gemma Collins, James Argent was set up on a blind date with Jasmin Walia and they appeared to hit it off. Things seemed to move too quickly for his liking though, causing him to run from her house after being introduced to her parents. Oh, Arg...
And as she prepares for her new arrival, Georgia says she’s not daunted by the change in lifestyle that comes with a new baby and is happy to put her party days behind her. She adds, “If you ask any of my friends, they’ll all say I love being at home with a cup of tea – that’s my thing – so I don’t particularly think my life will change that much socially.
“I think it’ll be more fun with a baby. I just want to enjoy him and enjoy this new phase of my life!”
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My views on...
My TOWIE mum mates...
“Being a first-time mum can feel overwhelming. I’ve called Danielle [Armstrong], Lucy [Mecklenburgh] and Lydia [Bright] a lot! They’re amazing and have told me what to buy and what not to buy. I genuinely didn’t realise the amount of stuff you need for such a little person!”
Tying the knot...
“I’m more interested in marriage now I’m having a baby, as I’d like him to have the same surname as me. At the same time, the last thing I could think about is organising a wedding!”
Having a boy...
“I genuinely thought I was having a girl because I’d Googled all the old wives tales, so I was shocked, but Tommy had a sixth sense that it was a boy from day one. We found out privately and then we did the gender reveal for everyone else.”
Dementia UK supports families affected by dementia through its specialist Admiral Nurses. For advice or support, call 0800 888 6678 or email helpline@dementiauk.org. For more info, visit Dementia UK.