She first starred on our screens as a teenager over 10 years ago. And Amy Childs – now an engaged mum-of-four and businesswoman – is coming back as TOWIE returns next month.
And Amy – who gave birth in April to twins Billy and Amelia, who she shares with fiancé Billy Delbosq – says that while she still loves appearing on the hit ITVBe show with her 20-something co-stars, she now feels she’s the matriarch of the group and can’t handle the drama.
Amy, 33, says, “I feel like I am the mum of TOWIE now! I love the cast. We have a lovely energy. But I don’t have drama with anyone now – I get the goss, but I’ve never fallen out with anyone on this show. Essex is very small and I hate people arguing. I’m old now – getting older at 33!”
Mum to daughter Polly, six, with ex Bradley Wright, and son Ritchie, with her notoriously private ex, also named Ritchie, she has recently been on TV starring on her own reality show The Twin Life, which follows her and Billy, 39, as they get to grips with parenting newborn twins. It also followed Amy’s traumatic birth, which saw her have to have an emergency c-section.
And while Amy is often seen dolled up to the nines with her pals on TOWIE, she explains that she enjoyed the contrast of filming The Twin Life.
She says, “It was so raw. We had rows. We were just ourselves. We had a really traumatic birth and we put everything on the show. I would love to do another series.
“Of course, TOWIE is the real deal, but this was no make-up on, filming at two in the morning... Maybe next time we will do a wedding show! That would be fun.”
Indeed, as well as adapting to life as a family of six, the couple are planning their wedding. Billy proposed to Amy shortly after their twins were born, after 18 months together. While Amy’s said she wants to wait until the twins are a bit older and can walk down the aisle, that hasn’t stopped her from dress shopping, and she took cousin Harry Derbidge to the Essex wedding boutiques just one day after Billy proposed.
And Amy now says they’re still undecided whether to have a glamorous beach wedding overseas or something closer to home.
She says, “I wake up some days and think abroad, and then some days maybe in England, because we both have massive families and we want everyone to come.
“My mum’s excited – she started crying when she heard we were engaged. They love Bill.”
After their recent trip away to Tenerife as a family, Amy shared a swimsuit selfie on her Instagram and bravely opened up to her followers about her struggle with accepting her curves after having her twins, despite being proud of what her body has done.
She posted, “I’ve been a bit conscious of my post-pregnancy weight, it’s been quite a struggle lately… also having an emergency c-section, with the twins, not being able to do any fitness, the belly overhang. But I’m getting to a place mentally and physically that I am able to start loving myself again. We’ve got this, mums!”
An upbeat Amy continues, “I want to have a good year with my body to get back to normal after that trauma. It takes around a year... I have started training again a little.
“I’m never going to have a size 8 body – and I don’t want a size 8 body! I am grateful for what my body has been through. I am here! And I’m embracing my scar too.”
She adds that she’s been trying to make healthier habits, but is making sure she enjoys herself, too.
She says, “I’m doing a lot of walking with the twins, and I’m going to start doing yoga and reformer Pilates. I love healthy eating and cooking. We’ve got an air fryer and we love it. But because I was pregnant for nine months, I am enjoying a few proseccos, too!”
The new series of TOWIE begins in September and will available to stream on ITVX