For over a year now, Abbey Clancy and Peter Crouch’s hilariously unfiltered podcast The Therapy Crouch has been a Tuesday tonic. The couple promise listeners a safe space where nothing is off-limits, and they’ve kept their word – particularly when it comes to their “Weekly Whine” segment, where the pair get to air their grievances about one another. But, according to a source, beyond the airwaves, there is one big bone of contention.
After ex-footballer Pete shut down “getting back into the baby scene” in a recent episode, causing model Abbey to hit back with, “Oh, I could”, an insider tells heat that the idea of expanding their family has the couple at odds.
“Abbey loves babies and misses having them around now the kids are getting older, but Pete is totally against the idea,” we’re told.
“He has openly said he doesn’t want any more children, but Abbey is getting broody and feels this year would be their last chance to have another. She admits that she’s not the easiest pregnant person and doesn’t really enjoy it, but she doesn’t know if she can close the door on having more kids just yet.”
Presenter Abbey, 38, and former England striker Pete, 43, are already parents to two daughters, Sophia, 13, and Liberty, eight, and sons Johnny, six, and four-year-old Jack. News of their fourth pregnancy came as a shock, as Abbey later confessed things were far from rosy in their marriage. Speaking on another podcast, she said, “I don’t even know how I got pregnant. I hated [Pete], and he hated me, so I don’t know how it happened. That’s why we call [Jack] the gift from God. He’s just wonderful.”
The mum of four also recalled how her husband – who she wed in June 2011 – reacted to finding out he would be a father again when she called to tell him the news while he was working. Abbey said, “He went, ‘If you’re about to say what I think you’re about to say, just don’t say it.’ He had another two hours left until he got home, and I was so scared, but he got home, and he was like, ‘I’ve had time to think and it’s OK.’”
Pete’s aversion to having more children was further revealed by Abbey last year, when she quipped that he would “leave her” if they expanded their brood, and our source now says the pundit is worried that the timing of a fifth baby has the potential to be disruptive for both their family life and careers.
“Pete and Abbey have got back into a good place again in their marriage and he doesn’t want anything to affect that. They’re both so in demand at the moment that he wants to capitalise on their popularity while they can,” we’re told.
“Baby mode would be a hard thing to get back into, and now all the kids are at school, they have more time for each other. If they’re not working, they like going to the gym or having nice lunches. Everything would change if another baby came along.”
Abbey and Pete are also dog parents to Ralph and Geoffrey, who they welcomed into the Crouch household in October. Adding another pet into the fold was also something Pete was not totally on board with. Speaking about when Geoffrey knocked Ribena over their cream rug, he teased his wife, “This wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t get the dog.”
But our insider says Pete is well aware who the boss in their marriage is. “He knows Abbey always gets the final say, and if she’s desperate for another baby, then they’ll probably try,” we’re told.
“He jokes that she’s just had a new floor put in and doesn’t let anyone walk on it, so he’s hoping her love for that will outweigh her desire to have another baby, who would probably ruin it!”