At a time where fat-shaming is the realm of anonymous trolls and where “girl code” is law, fans of Ferne McCann were shocked last week to hear voice notes, allegedly recorded by the First Time Mum star, calling childhood friend Sam Faiers a “fat c***” and a “narcissistic b****”.
The messages, reportedly leaked anonymously before being made public by Sam’s mum, Suzie Wells, last week, were thought to have been recorded by Ferne, 32, in June – just a month after Sam gave birth to her third child, son Edward.
In the first message, a voice sounding remarkably like Ferne’s says, “Sam Faiers is a fat c***, her thighs are so big, and I looked really skinny today.”
In another message leaked just a day later, seemingly the same voice is heard saying, “Sort of girl that she is, she’s just a narcissistic b**ch, she honestly won’t care… It’s an exact copy. It’s just so s**t on people who have worked so hard. Because she’s got a big following, it’s just ridiculous.”
Posting the messages to her followers, Suzie wrote, “So, after a few days of hurt and upset I can no longer sit back and say nothing. The vile voice note has been circulating social media…This has come as a complete shock to myself and my family. Ferne has always been a very close family friend to all of us for over the past 20 years. It appears this voice note was sent just weeks after Samantha gave birth back in May. Nobody should ever speak about their friends like this ever! My girls are my absolute everything and I’ll do anything to protect them. I don’t have anything else to say on the matter.”
Later, another voice note emerged, where the speaker could be heard commenting on Sam’s sister Billie’s choice of name for her son Arthur – the name of Ferne’s convict ex. The voice says, “It feels so weird saying Arthur – it’s like me having a little boy and calling him Greg”.
As Closer went to press, neither Ferne, Sam, 31, nor Billie, 32 – who is Ferne’s best friend – had addressed the drama and Ferne had not confirmed or denied that she was the speaker in the voicenotes. But sources say Sam is feeling “incredibly hurt” and “at a loss”.
Fans took to social media. One wrote, “Vile. Fat-shaming anyone is disgusting,” while another added, “Who needs enemies with friends like Ferne McCann?”
In 2017, their friendship came under strain when Ferne released First Time Mum after a scandal which saw her ex, Arthur Collins, father of her daughter, Sunday, jailed for 20 years after a heinous acid attack.
While many saw the reality show as empowering for Ferne, Sam is said to have accused her friend of “copying” her, and the pair didn’t speak for months.
However, they made up, and on Sam’s birthday last December, Ferne posted a tribute, thanking her for “your kindness, your smile, your advice, and your friendship”.
And insiders tell Closer that the feud has strained Ferne and Billie’s friendship, saying, “Ferne and Sam have never really got over their first fallout and mainly made up because it was awkward for Billie. Billie and Ferne have always been so close and now that’s ruined – Billie was so furious and let Ferne know. There have been lots of rows and tears over this and 20 years of friendship could be thrown away.”
Now, Closer speaks to former TOWIE star Fran Parman and pop culture and brand expert Nick Ede about what could happen next.
Fran Parman: ‘Everyone has seen her true colours now!’
Fran Parman, who starred on The Only Way Is Essex from 2014 to 2017 alongside Ferne, says she should apologise for her “vile” actions.
Fran says, “Ferne and Sam have been friends for years and how she can backstab her own friend like that is just awful. It’s vile, disgusting and shocking.
“She may be embarrassed but she shouldn’t have said it in the first place, it’s her own fault. You should think before you speak. Girls should stick together and lift each other up. We worry about our weight anyway and to hear that from your friend? It’s just really unfair for Sam.
“I’ve been through the experience of everyone saying I was overweight [Fran lost 3 1/2st in 2018] and I would never want another girl to feel that way. You need support from other girls – women are beautiful in all shapes and sizes.
“This goes to show how much Ferne only thinks about herself – maybe this is the shock she needs to be brought down to reality. Sam and Billie have always been sweethearts and mostly kept themselves to themselves and never made me feel out of place. But she [Ferne] has always been quite nasty. I didn’t get on with her on the show and she doesn’t look like she’s changed at all. A leopard never changes its spots!
“Everyone’s seen her true colours now. She hid it for a long time and now it’s come to the surface. I hope she apologises to Sam for hurting her.”
Nick Ede: ‘Ferne will be humiliated, but she can bounce back’
Celebrity culture expert Nick Ede believes that while Ferne’s reputation could be damaged, her feud could end up being the making of her
Nick says, “I think the best thing Ferne can do in the short term is remain silent and not fuel the fire. There’s no denying it certainly sounds like Ferne in the recording; if so, it’s very sad, as they’ve been friends for such a long time.
“Of course, we don't know everything that has gone on behind the scenes between them, but this will be damaging and humiliating for Ferne. To body shame somebody – especially a friend who’s just had a baby – is shocking and brutal and she’ll certainly lose fans.
“As a brand ambassador for positivity, this could definitely be damaging to her reputation. To shame somebody so vocally – I think brands would probably choose somebody else to represent them.
“However, people do buy into honesty. The likes of Katie Price have been hugely successful by being honest about their mistakes. If the cameras are rolling and Ferne has to talk, it’s likely to pull in even more viewers for First Time Mum – so maybe she can still bounce back.”
