Vogue Williams has never been somebody who’s been afraid to speak her mind. After finding fame on Irish reality TV in 2010, the 39-year-old has gone on to share her hilarious opinions and anecdotes with followers on social media and the listeners of her three podcasts.
And now, fans will be delighted that she has put pen to paper to write her new memoir, Big Mouth.
Although Vogue – who shares children Theodore, five, Gigi, four, and Otto, three, with husband Spencer Matthews – is known for being frank, she admits that she had to hold back from putting absolutely everything into her book.
‘I put most things in except for things that were probably a bit of an overshare, even for me,’ she confesses. ‘I did take some things out that would get me in trouble, but I think you can read between the lines.’
Whether they’re working out or enjoying lavish holidays, we regularly see Vogue and Spencer, 36 – who she married in 2018 – living their best lives on social media. But the presenter says there are certain parts of her life that were more difficult to open up on – including the death of her father Freddie, who died from a stroke in 2010.
‘There were a couple of chapters that I found more difficult [to write]. Obviously, the death of my dad and that part of my life, because it was really difficult going through it at the time,’ she says. ‘I’d write bits of them, and then when I felt like it was getting a bit too much, I’d move onto something a bit lighter and then go back again.’
She jokingly adds that it was her rise to fame which caused his passing, after starring on reality show Fade Street. ‘I jumped at the chance to be on Fade Street. It was like Made In Chelsea if they didn’t have any money! Now [Irish broadcaster] RTE put it on every Christmas, just to p**s me off,’ she says. ‘I really enjoyed doing it, because it was really cringey. People loved to hate it, which is fair enough if you watch it. My dad was dying, and it was airing on the Thursday night, and he died on the Friday morning, I said that he’d died of embarrassment.’
Another tough thing for Vogue to share in her book was the breakdown of her first marriage to former Westlife singer Brian McFadden. The pair tied the knot in September 2012, but announced they were separating in July 2015 after almost three years of marriage. ‘When my first marriage broke down, I was 31, and women put pressure on themselves for what age they are, I was like, “I want to get married and have kids by the time I’m 32.” But then when it didn’t happen for me, I was just like, “F***, I’m divorced at 31, this is way off plan,’” she explains.
‘Not only was I really embarrassed and humiliated by that whole situation and upset – although less upset because I do a “long goodbye” – I knew it was coming for about a year, so it was more embarrassing by the time it happened. I thought I’d never meet anyone and I’d never have kids and that it was kind of it for me.’
Vogue admits her biggest regret about her divorce from Brian, 45, was giving away her wedding dress. She says, ‘I was living in an apartment, and I love Christmas, I have two trees – which Spenny loves – our whole storage space is Christmas decorations. I’ve collected them since I was about 17. I had no more space, and I was like, “I can’t give it to Gigi because it would be a bad omen”, so I gave it away. I do regret that.’
Vogue is now happily married to Spencer, and despite constantly making headlines with speculation of a split, the pair recently celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary. She reveals the key to their long-lasting relationship may be that neither of them are in charge, admitting, ‘I don’t think anyone wants to wear the trousers full time, no way.
‘I do like controlling things, but I think it’s more to do with my anxiety. Even though Spenny is a great cook, it’s like a bomb has gone off in the kitchen. Wearing the trousers shifts between us.’
And although they are more loved-up than ever, Vogue – who met Spencer on reality show The Jump in 2017 – admits she only started dating him because her gay friends wanted her to.
‘I have this gay WhatsApp group – they were all just asking me constantly, “Have you been with Spencer yet?”, because they all really fancy him. So, I did it for the gays… and that’s how I’m married with three kids. I love the gays!’
Vogue Williams spoke at Union Chapel, London to promote her memoir Big Mouth, out now.