She shot to fame on TOWIE in 2010 – the hit show known for its fake tans, false eyelashes and backcombed hair, and as Lauren Goodger gets glammed up during our festive photo shoot, she admits her three-year-old daughter Larose is the real beauty queen in the house.
‘I’ve had to buy so much make-up for Larose this Christmas,’ she laughs. ‘She is so girly, and my mini-me! I’ve bought her eye shadows, lip-gloss, a blusher and even a nail kit machine with stick-on gel nails and mini diamonds. When I do my face, she says, “Mummy, I want the make-up!” I’ve got a lock on my dressing room to stop her from going in there. One day she came out wearing my Louboutins – she’s definitely her mother’s daughter!’
And Lauren, 38, who shares Larose with ex Charles Drury, admits she’s looking forward to Christmas more than ever this year. The star has had a tough few years after splitting from Charles and coping as a single mum, and has experienced crippling loneliness along the way. She also suffered heartbreak after losing daughter Lorena shortly after she was born in July 2022 after she lost oxygen following birth complications, and readily admits to having post-traumatic stress disorder in the aftermath.
While she’s still healing, Lauren admits to being in a ‘better place’ and credits her return to TOWIE after a 10-year hiatus with helping her feel like herself again. ‘I’m grateful for TOWIE, it’s helped me come of out my shell, I forgot who I was, and it’s built my confidence back with all the trauma I’ve been through. I’ve definitely brought the viewers in, though – why do you think they’re having a Christmas special? They’ve not had one in years until I came back,’ she laughs.
And the star, whose house is adorned with pink decorations, is going all-out on the festivities. She says, ‘I’m so excited because Larose finally understands Christmas and she’s aware of Santa! We’ve got a nutcracker in the house, and I’ve told her Santa’s keeping an eye on her through there. I’m taking her to Lapland UK on Christmas Eve, which will be magical, and we’ll put out mince pies and carrots at home. I can’t wait to see her face when she sees all her presents – when you’re a mum, this is what it’s all about.’
And though she split from Charles back in 2022, Lauren says the pair co-parent well despite him living over three-and-a-half hours away. She says, ‘Normally, Charles spends Christmas Day with us, but Larose will see him over the festive break period. It is hard because he lives far, and the journey is draining, but Larose loves spending time with him. He FaceTimes her, takes her swimming and to the park and it’s a change of scenery for her. It’s me who’s looking after her every day and when she’s poorly, but I’m lucky he sees her most weekends. I don’t always get the response I want from him, but we can communicate. I sent him pictures of Larose on her sports day because I still want him to be a part of her life.’
While she’s prepared Larose’s gifts, Lauren has her own Christmas wish list too. She says, ‘In 2025, I’d like a new man – I can definitely see myself having a new boyfriend next year.’ In the background, Lauren’s mum Cheryl shouts, ‘What about an older man this time?’ Lauren laughs, before adding, ‘I don’t want an older one or a younger one either.’ She adds, ‘I need a mature man – someone who’s mentally on my level. They need to be secure in themselves, successful, confident and kind too. Also, they’ve got to be good-looking, I can’t be with someone I’m not attracted to.’
And after staying celibate for nearly two years, she reveals she’s finally ready to be intimate again. ‘Because of all the trauma I’ve been through, my walls were up and I couldn’t imagine having anyone in my space, or kissing someone. I had friends telling me, “Just go out and sleep with someone”, and I couldn’t think of anything worse! Now Larose is settled at pre-school, I’m finding me again and I feel like it’s coming. I’m ready to be intimate with someone again.’ She giggles, ‘Maybe I’ll treat myself to some underwear soon... there you go, that’s my new year plan – new sexy underwear and a new man!’
Also top of Lauren’s wish list is another baby, and she’s even been considering adoption. ‘I’d love another sibling for Larose. But, again, I’ve got to get the man first, have sex with someone and get there, stage by stage,’ she says. ‘I definitely want to get married and have more kids, as many as I can. I’d love a boy so badly, I want to raise a good man and teach them how to treat a woman, because we’re lacking good men these days.’
She adds, ‘I’d love to adopt or even foster, because I’ve got so much love to give. I’ve been thinking about it a lot, but I’m not sure I’ll qualify because I’m in the public eye and there’s a lot that comes with that.’
Meanwhile, earlier this year, Lauren wore her heart on her sleeve on Paul Brunson’s podcast, We Need To Talk, where she opened up about her past, including the highs and lows of fame, her 10-year romance with Mark Wright, and her ex, Jake McLean, who died in July 2022 in a car accident, as well as losing Lorena. The filmed podcast got nearly half a million views on YouTube, and Lauren hopes it’s helping to change public perceptions of her.
‘I had 100k views in less than 24 hours, even Steven Bartlett posted about it. What does it tell you? It shows I’ve still got the power and I’m still interesting,’ she says. ‘It was nerve-wracking because it was real, raw and the most vulnerable I’ve been. People still try to tarnish me and use Mark and Michelle’s stories to drag me down.
‘They make me out to be some bad, nutcase ex, which isn’t true. I’m very thick-skinned, but it’s just sad and has been going on for years, though the podcast helped people see through the rubbish and show who I really am. I still get messages daily, where people say I’m different to what they imagined after watching it, and that makes me happy.’
And as she looks to the future, Lauren is hoping to transform her figure, too. She reveals she’s gained weight and is planning to have surgery to remove her boob implants and tone down her Brazilian bum lift.
She says, ‘I absolutely love the gym, but I’ve had a month off and my god it’s shown. I’ve put on a stone and a half because I’ve not been training. Larose and I have been unwell, so I’ve not been getting enough sleep, then I crave carbs. I fall into bad habits, like grabbing food while I’m out or eating lots of biscuits. I’ll never do a strict diet because it doesn’t work, but I love the routine of going to the gym. I eat better and it gets rid of my anxiety. I need to work on my body so it’s ready for the summer!’
She adds, ‘When I get my implants out next year, I’ll be half the size. My boobs and bum are huge right now, clothes don’t fit me because there’s so many lumps and bumps. I’ve found a surgeon in Essex who specialises in breast cancer reconstruction. This is a totally different ballgame to going abroad, I’ll never do that again. It’s a big operation, they’re going to scrape out all the old tissue, make them smaller and uplift them.’
She laughs, ‘I don’t want a new man till the boobs are out, though – I want him to see me looking better. A lot is going to change for me next year, I can feel it.’