It’s been a roller-coaster few weeks for TOWIE's Ferne McCann, who not only unveiled her pregnancy last month, but finally broke her silence on the shocking voice note scandal – opening up about her guilt and breaking down in tears on both This Morning and her reality show, First Time Mum.
But now insiders say shamed Ferne, 32, is feeling relieved that she’s finally addressed her shocking outbursts – when she apparently lashed out at pal Sam Faiers as well as the victim of her ex’s acid attack – and is hoping to be able to put the past behind her.
A source says, “There’s been lots of tears and a lot of drama, but she is feeling more settled now. Lorri has been an absolute rock for her over the last few months as well, especially during the backlash she’s received from the public over the scandal. It’s been really tough, but Ferne feels relieved to have apologised publicly. While there’s still an investigation going on, and it may be dragged up again, she’s hoping the worst is over.”
Last year, fans were left horrified after a string of vile voice notes, alleged to have been sent from the TOWIE star, were released. In the recordings, a voice sounding like Ferne’s was heard calling close friend and co-star Sam Faiers, 32, a “fat c***” and “narcissistic b***h.” Another referred to a victim of an acid attack carried out by Ferne’s ex, Arthur Collins, as an “ugly f***ing c***.”
The details of her outrageous slurs came shortly after Ferne revealed she and Lorri Haines – an estate agent – had got engaged after a six-month romance. And last month, the pair revealed they were expecting – giving Ferne’s daughter Sunday, five, and Lorri’s son Noah from another relationship, a younger sibling.
Despite the exciting news, Ferne admitted she’d hit rock bottom over the last few months, revealing on her show First Time Mum that the scandal had lost her brand deals, and tearfully told Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield, “I am so embarrassed and ashamed”.
She also insisted that the recordings weren’t recent and that she’s now in a different headspace, saying, “The notes were from a time when I was in a very vulnerable situation, about six years ago. I’ve been in therapy for six years since, and I’m a different person.”
And the source says that the work she’s done on herself has inspired Ferne to collaborate with Lorri and start a mindfulness and life coaching business called Shoorah – something she has already teased on social media.
The source says, “Becoming a life coach is something Ferne has dreamt of for years, ever since she started getting therapy. It has helped so much, and she wants others to get the benefits of it. Lorri is also a coach and passionate about mental health, so the pair have been working on how to make a business out of all this.
"She’s hoping to get a coaching qualification to go with it and is really determined to show people that therapy has changed her. She wants to help others become better versions of themselves too.”
Ferne navigated her first pregnancy alone, after criminal Arthur was jailed for 20 years in November 2017 – two weeks after the reality star gave birth. But this time around, she’s had Lorri by her side, with the pair gushing about each other on social media.
But the source says, with the baby due in the summer, Ferne has decided that a spring or summer wedding is off the cards for now, despite being more loved-up with Lorri than ever.
The source adds, “Ferne and Lorri are a great parenting team with Sunday and Noah and are going to be even stronger together once their baby is born. Ferne has fallen even more in love with Lorri ever since she’s been pregnant, especially as she didn’t have the support the first time around. She can’t wait to marry him, but at the same time she’s conscious that she doesn’t want to overwhelm herself or spoil the special time with added stress, so she’s going to start tackling wedding planning after the baby has arrived.”