TOWIE's Ferne McCann’s had a whirlwind two years, falling in love with businessman Lorri Haines, getting engaged and welcoming her second daughter, Finty – a little sister to her first born, Sunday.
And chatting to Closer ahead of the 12th series of Ferne McCann: My Family & Me, the reality star shares her and Lorri’s night-time set-up that she credits for “saving their relationship”.
She says, “We’re going to try to aim for a date night once a month. In this series, it’s a whole new chapter for us – finding the time to actually have quality time because we don’t even sleep in the same bed. We are so here for it. I don’t even want to sleep in the same bed as him – I think he would irritate me.”
She adds, “It’s healthy for our relationship because we live together, we run the business, Shoorah, and we’re raising children. We need our own time.”
Former TOWIE star Ferne, 33, and Lorri, 32, went public with their romance in January 2022 and he popped the question six months later. Before meeting Lorri, Ferne was a single mum to six-year-old daughter Sunday, whose father Arthur Collins is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for carrying out an acid attack in 2017. The pair had started dating the year prior to his conviction and split after it was announced, with Ferne’s first pregnancy news surfacing just weeks before he was imprisoned.
As well as the past turmoil in her love life, Ferne – who welcomed Finty with Lorri last July – became embroiled in a leaked voice note scandal in September 2022, when she was alleged to have made derogatory claims about her former friend and TOWIE co-star Sam Faiers and one of Arthur’s acid attack victims, calling her “one ugly f***ing c***”. Ferne issued an apology to all the victims of “Arthur’s abhorrent actions in 2017” and in an interview on This Morning she said, “It definitely wasn’t my finest hour… the words I used were unpleasant and I have reached out privately to those people.”
And now, with 11 years’ experience in the public eye after first finding fame on TOWIE, Ferne reveals how she’ll guide her daughters – especially Sunday, being the eldest – as they grow up in the spotlight.
“I want Sunday to have her own destiny, walk her own path and create the life that she wants,” Ferne says.
“And if one day she says, ‘I want to do a reality show’, of course I’ll support her. Sunday’s very vocal. If she doesn’t want to be in front of the camera, she just won’t. However, I think for me, I always wanted to entertain, be on the stage and experience that fame, where I don’t actually think Sunday’s like that at all.”
Ferne goes on to explain why she doesn’t think you can advise anyone on navigating fame, saying, “You have to figure it out for yourself. For me, over the years, I’ve grown a thick skin. Whatever you’re doing in life, whatever job you’re doing, or the situation you’re in, it comes with its ups and downs. You just have to ride the wave.”
Like any working parent, Ferne has been grappling with striking a balance between her career and motherhood.
And she admits, “I think it’s something that I have always struggled with. Don’t get me wrong, I feel like a really present mother. But for me, working is an escape – not from my children, but it’s something that’s really important to me, because we know that mothers can lose their identity after having children.
“I don’t want to be a full-time mum, and I feel bad even saying that. I’ve constantly got plates spinning. I’m not super mum, but I do try my best. It’s about what works for you and your family, and prioritising the important things and picking your battles.”
Elsewhere, Ferne has also set out on a disciplined health and fitness regime since having Finty, documenting her progress on Instagram and telling her followers how she’s been focused on nourishing her body to feel her best.
On finding herself again after motherhood, she says, “I think it’s about being OK with prioritising yourself and giving yourself some 'me time’. I know that I can’t give the best of me and parent my children unless I’ve filled my own cup first. I’m a big advocate of leading a healthy lifestyle. I feel really uncomfortable saying this… I’m just going to fricking say it. I am the fittest that I’ve been since I trained for SAS [in 2022]. That doesn’t mean that I don’t have my wobbles. Even on social media, sometimes I’m like, ‘I don’t know who to show up as’ and compare myself to others. But in terms of me, mentally and physically, I’m feeling really good.”
Ferne McCann: My Family & Me returns for series 12 on Thursday 28 March at 9pm and will air weekly on ITVBe and ITVX.
WATCH: Ferne McCann spills the tea on her new boyfriend Lorri | My First Times
Millie Payne is a News and Entertainment Writer for Closer. She has specialised in showbiz interviews, features, articles and roundups for over three years and loves combining her love for writing, talking and all things popular culture.