Last month, Mark Wright jetted off to visit wife Michelle Keegan in Australia, where she’s currently living while filming a new TV drama. The pair have been spending some quality time together after eight weeks apart, enjoying dinner and cocktails and exploring the beaches, with Mark even climbing Sydney Harbour Bridge.
And while fans thought the trip would be a quick visit, former TOWIE star Mark has been enjoying the Aussie sun for well over a month – with an insider telling heat that the couple are considering moving Down Under for good,
and that Michelle, in particular, thinks it could be “good for their marriage”.
“Michelle has been blown away by how much Mark loves Sydney,” says our source.
“He’s been saying how it already feels like a second home, and has the edge over Los Angeles [where he lived while working as an entertainment presenter] for him. He has loved catching up with his [Extra co-host] Renée Bargh, who lives there, and she’s encouraging them to make it a permanent move. The more they discuss it, the more it makes them think they should do it. They adore the lifestyle, and also that they can, for the most part, go about unrecognised.”
But as Michelle and Mark, both 35, – who married back in 2015 – fall in love with Australia, there are some things holding them back from making the move. “The issue is, of course, being so far away from their family and friends in the UK,” we’re told. Although that does have its pluses, as our source explains. “They’ve both said it would be harder for people to interfere with their relationship.”
Ever since they got married, it’s been reported that the couple have been under pressure, particularly from family, to have a baby, but we’re told, Michelle doesn’t have motherhood in mind right now. “Michelle is angling for the move to happen, because she’s desperate for more time alone without Mark’s family weighing in on everything,” says our
source.
“Mark is definitely considering it, but telling his family is a whole other issue and one he’s not quite ready to address. They know it would be a huge bombshell for everyone back home. The Wright household would be shell-shocked and furious, whereas Michelle thinks her side would be more understanding.”
And there’s one more thing tying the couple to UK soil – their huge new Essex mansion, which they’ve spent millions building and is nearly finished. “They have their new house and have spent years building it,” says the insider.
“It’s a huge tie, but they know they could sell it for a good profit, or rent it out and make millions.”
Mark recently opened up about the struggles of having a long-distance marriage, due to their busy careers, saying, “You have to learn that you’ve been together for a long time and not seen each other in three weeks. So, it’s exciting at first, but then it goes back to being a ten-year relationship.”
And the thought of returning to real life back in Essex means they’re feeling torn over the future. We’re told, “Michelle is the one who thinks a move to Sydney could be good for their marriage. They’ve loved these past weeks, just the two of them, and she thinks they should seriously consider it.”
