Former TOWIE star Ferne McCann may have landed herself in hot water after last year’s shocking voice note scandal, but an insider tells Closer she’s hoping to heal her troubled friendships as she celebrates her baby joy. The TV star is pregnant with her second child, thought to be due in the summer.
Our insider shares, “Ferne is desperate to make plans in her life that will stop people talking about the voice note drama. She’s decided that throwing a big baby shower could be a way of mending some burnt bridges.”
Ferne is thrilled to be expecting a baby with fiancé Lorri Haines, 31, but the pregnancy follows a humiliating few months for the star. In November, she was embroiled in an explosive scandal, when an anonymous Instagram account posted a series of voice messages from a woman they claimed was Ferne. In the shocking recordings, a voice was heard calling former co-star and childhood pal Sam Faiers a “narcissistic b***h” and a “fat c**t” , and in another appalling message, labelling the acid attack victim of Ferne’s ex, Arthur Collins, an “ugly f***ing c***”.
Last month, Ferne publicly apologised for the drama in an interview with Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield on This Morning.
“It definitely wasn’t my finest hour and it was a very difficult time in my life when they were leaked,” she said. “I need to publicly apologise to those affected, the words I used were unpleasant.”
Speaking on her show, ITVBe’s First Time Mum, Ferne confessed she recorded the “hurtful” messages because she was envious of Sam, 32, at the time.
“They were from about five years ago when me and Sam had a fall-out,” she said. “I’ve lost some of my best friends. I’ve lost my whole relationship with Billie, and that really hurts.” While she and Sam have had their ups and downs over the years, it’s thought Ferne had remained close to Billie. However, since the scandal she has revealed she’s “mourning the loss of a 22-year friendship”.
Now, as 32-year-old former TOWIE star Ferne – who is mum to Sunday, five, with criminal ex Arthur – prepares for the arrival of her second child, sources say she hopes a baby shower can provide the perfect platform to right her wrongs with Billie, 33, and Sam, 32.
Our insider reveals, “She’s told pals she’d love to use the event as an opportunity to make amends with the Faiers sisters. She knows the girls have been upset with her, but she’s hoping they can leave all of that in the past.”
But while Ferne’s since apologised for the scandal, the Faiers sisters aren’t quite on the same page.
Our insider shares, “Billie and Sam aren’t interested, because they feel it’s all about Ferne doing damage control. They don’t see why they should hand their forgiveness to her on a plate. Sam in particular feels it’s going to take her years before she could consider talking to Ferne. Time is a big healer, but the wounds are still raw. She doesn’t wish Ferne any ill will, but she doesn’t feel she owes her any of her time.”
Our source adds that the possibility of some unanswered RSVPs might prove something of a blow for Ferne. “Pals fear she might be in for a reality check,” says the insider. “Ferne also feels that Sam and Billie are gatekeepers when it comes to other TOWIE celebs wanting to be associated with her. She thinks it would help a lot if she could get their forgiveness or blessing, but it doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen anytime soon.”