Being a mum is a full-time gig, but when you’re in the public eye, it can be a very lucrative one, too. Think of all those baby food, nappy and buggy ranges, plus that all-important reality TV series.
So, we’re not surprised that newly pregnant Lauren Goodger, who’s expecting her first child with boyfriend Charles Drury in the summer, is vying to land a show of her own.
And all the better if it means dethroning her long-time rival – and Essex’s ultimate yummy mummy – Samantha Faiers in the process.
“Lauren’s been lobbying hard for her own show for weeks now, ever since the baby news was revealed,” says an insider close to the former TOWIE star. “She’s already been documenting everything on her phone, and she’s said she’s planning to film the birth. She’s not shy, and she’ll give a camera crew free rein in the delivery room. Her family and friends are urging Lauren to keep it classy, and keep some of it back for herself and her private memories. But she wants to share everything with her fans.”
Last month, Lauren confirmed her telly ambitions during a live Instagram Q&A, posting a gif of someone confidently nodding in response to one fan’s question, “Would you do a First-Time Mum show like Sam/Billie [Faiers] or Ferne [McCann]?” And this time, we’re told, it’s personal.
CHECK OUT the jaw-dropping TOWIE couples you completely forgot about
11 TOWIE couples you completely forgot about - slider
1 of 11Mark Wright and Sam Faiers
Mark and Sam's on/off relationship goes all the way back to when she was 16 and they met on MySpace (aw, those were the days). They briefly dated during their time on TOWIE but were never able to give things a proper go before he quit the show in 2011.
2 of 11Kirk Norcross and Amy Childs
Kirk and Amy's flirtationship was one of the main storylines during the first season of TOWIE and they eventually briefly dated before splitting in 2011. In a 2013 appearance on This Morning, Kirk admitted, "I will still love Amy until the day I die - she is literally like the girl version of me. When it didn't work out, it broke my heart really... and it wasn't her fault, it was both of our fault."
3 of 11Gemma Collins and Charlie King
Gemma and Charlie briefly dated in 2012 but split after she grew concerned about his friendship with Bobby Norris. Two years later, Charlie came out as gay during an appearance on This Morning. He's still friends with Gemma and even admitted in 2017 that he would consider being the GC's sperm donor if she asked.What a turn of events that would be.
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4 of 11Lauren Goodger and Tom Pearce
Remember the days when Joey Essex's BFF Tom Pearce romanced basically every woman within a 10 mile radius of Brentwood? Lauren Goodger became one his many conquests following her split from Mark Wright but they hit the rocks when she caught wind of him bragging about their rendezvous.
5 of 11Mario Falcone and Chloe Sims
It's fair to say Chloe Sims has been unlucky in love over the years but things looked up for her when she began dating close pal Mario. Things moved quick for the pair and she even admitted she loved him - causing friction with BFF Lauren Pope who'd previously dated Mario - but he wasn't ready to settle down and called things off.
6 of 11Harry Derbidge and Bobby Norris
After three years away from the TOWIE scene, OG cast member Harry Derbidge returned as Bobby Norris' boyfriend (in some very skimpy swimwear, nonetheless) during the cast's annual jaunt to Marbs.Their relationship ended in tears though when Harry confessed to sleeping with his ex while on holiday in Tenerife.
7 of 11Dan Osborne and Lucy Mecklenburgh
They've now found love with soap star other halves Jacqueline Jossa and Ryan Thomas but before that, Dan Osborne and Lucy Mecklenburgh were an item.They began dating in 2013 but called it quits amid claims he knew about his ex Megan Tomlin being pregnant before getting with Lucy.
8 of 11Charlie Sims and Ferne McCann
Ferne McCann's on/off relationship with Chloe Sims' brother Charlie provided LOTS of dramz on TOWIE over the years, with rumours she cheated on him cropping up more than once.Eventually Charlie publicly quit the show AND dumped Ferne at the same time in a series of tweets in 2014. Awks...
9 of 11Dan Edgar and Kate Wright
Before she wed footballer Rio and became Mrs Ferdinand, Kate Wright joined TOWIE as the ex of Dan Edgar, who reportedly dumped her to star in the show.She took him back after his romances with Lauren Pope and Jess Wright but it wasn't to be and they eventually split for good.
10 of 11Shelby Tribble and Tom McDonnell
Tom McDonnell joined TOWIE alongside a whole host of newbies including Harry Lee and Chloe Brockett in 2019 and soon caught the eye of Shelby Tribble following her split from Sam Mucklow.Sam soon came back on the scene though and Shelby dumped Tom to reunite with her ex. Sam and Shelby later quit the show together and are now expecting their first child.
11 of 11James Argent and Jasmin Walia
In between his long-running relationships with Lydia Bright and Gemma Collins, James Argent was set up on a blind date with Jasmin Walia and they appeared to hit it off. Things seemed to move too quickly for his liking though, causing him to run from her house after being introduced to her parents. Oh, Arg...
Lauren and Sam’s rivalry goes back to the early days of TOWIE, when Sam started dating Lauren’s then on/off boyfriend Mark Wright. Who can forget that famous run-in, when Lauren yelled, “You’re a f--king mug” at Sam across a packed room, to which the latter replied, “And you’re a desperate wanker!”
According to our insider, Lauren’s waited a long time to square up to her former foe. And now that Sam’s moved her family to Surrey, she sees a golden opportunity to stake her claim as Essex’s top mum-fluencer.
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“Lauren and Sam have always been competitive with one another,” we’re told. “Lauren thinks it’s time Sam stepped aside, and she’s been saying that The Mummy Diaries has been getting ‘a bit stale’. Their mutual friends are all well aware of Lauren’s plans, and Sam thinks it’s ridiculous that she’s trying to step on her patch. There’s concern that there could be a full-blown row between them, but Lauren says that mums could do with a new person who has something to say about parenting.”
Anyone else reckon they should combine forces and do a TV show together? It would be like a celebri-mum version of The Odd Couple – but with more “f--king mugs” and “desperate wankers” being yelled across the playground.
Read more in the latest issue of heat magazine – OUT NOW.