New parents Michelle Keegan and Mark Wright have been spotted on the set of the actress’ comedy -drama series Brassic – along with their baby daughter Palma. And, while the show’s fans can’t want for the seventh and final season to arrive, the photos have also sparked backlash about the former Coronation Street actress returning to work so soon after giving birth.
Michelle, 37, and former TOWIE star Mark, 38, welcomed their first child in March and have been sharing an abundance of cute baby content on social media. But after a newspaper published the photos from the Brassic set, one keyboard warrior lashed out, ‘So much for her taking time off work after the baby’, while another sniped, ‘The baby is barely out and she’s back at work!’
And while Michelle’s return to acting is said to be gradual, a source tells heat that the defiant star – who recently shared snaps from a photo shoot with fashion brand Very – is more than happy with the current arrangement.
‘Michelle was so excited about getting back to work,’ says our insider. ‘She feels truly blessed, because the crew on Brassic have all been fully supportive of her having Palma and Mark there with her. Everyone has been really accommodating and welcoming of Michelle bringing her baby to the set and having her in the trailer, with her family looking after her while she’s filming. While it might seem like chaos to some, Michelle feels as though it’s the perfect environment and feels really secure about it.’
Safety is paramount to the new parents, especially after it was reported back in February that Michelle and Mark had ‘locked themselves in the bedroom’ of their £3.5million Essex mansion after their alarm alerted them to intruders, who smashed a patio window.
Our source says, ‘Michelle is still getting over the burglary experience. It was truly traumatising, not to mention she was heavily pregnant at the time, too. Since then, she hasn’t felt like spending any time alone at home. She was slightly worried about how being a new mum would work with her going back to filming so soon, but everything has just slotted into place.’
Since welcoming baby Palma, Mark and Michelle – who will celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary this month – have given fans numerous glimpses into their parenting life. In April, the pair enjoyed a staycation at Soho Farmhouse with their newborn, with Michelle captioning an Instagram album, ‘A little break away filled with special memories’.
However, her return to work has surprised many, especially after she told Grazia magazine during her pregnancy, ‘I’m going to take a good chunk of time off to enjoy being a mum. I’m never normally at home in the summer, I’ve always been away working, so I can’t wait.’
But, our source tells us that the online mum-shaming will not impact Michelle’s work ethic – and she’s quite rightly proud to be a working parent. ‘Mark’s family were a bit surprised, as they thought Michelle would be spending the first few years at home with Palma. But that’s not who Michelle is. She’s proud of her job and success and knows how lucky she is that she can ask for schedules that work around her most important role as a new mum,’ heat’s insider says.
Our source says that so far, it’s all gone smoothly. We’re told, ‘Michelle loves that she can be called to set to film a scene and then within a few hours get straight back to bonding with Palma. Of course, it does all take a lot of careful planning and making sure she always has a friend or family member with her, but there’s no shortage of volunteers, so it’s all been fine.’
The insider adds, ‘Michelle has also been impressed with how hands-on Mark has been. He’s happy as long as Michelle is – he’s never seen her this glowing before. He’s just thrilled that they’ve finally made it to this milestone in their marriage and knows that Palma is going to have a very fun-filled upbringing being with her hard-working parents.’