Reality TV star Lauren Goodger was reportedly left stunned by ex Mark Wright's baby news as she always thought his wife Michelle Keegan "was too focused on her career" to start a family.
Lauren, who was engaged to former The Only Way Is Essex star Mark, 37, until they called time on their romance in 2012, is said to have "always thought she was The One" but thinks her relationship with her childhood sweetheart ended in order for him to further his career.
Mark and his wife Michelle, 37, tied the knot in 2015 and will start a family together later this year, with the happy couple announcing their exciting pregnancy news last month. Taking to Instagram shortly before 2024 drew to a close, Michelle and Mark shared a joint post with their respective followers announcing the news. "2025 is going to be a special one for us…" the caption read. The accompanying image showed Michelle cradling a baby bump on the beach with dad-to-be Mark looking on.
Lauren, who began dating Mark as a teenager, is said to have been taken aback by her ex-fiancé's announced. "Lauren knew Mark wanted a family and thought Michelle was too focused on her career to have a baby with him," a source claims. "Deep down she always thought she was The One."
The insider went on to claim to Closer magazine: "She thinks things ended between them all those years ago because their relationship didn't look good for his career. This has come as a bit of a blow for her. But Mark has long since moved on, he's very happy with Michelle." The Mirror has approached representatives for Lauren for comment on this story.
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UK Press via Getty Images)Lauren and Mark had an on-and-off relationship for over a decade, starting as teenagers and long before they appeared together on The Only Way Is Essex. The two reality TV stars were once engaged but ended their romance for good in 2012. Mark then married Michelle in May 2015.
Last year, Lauren revealed how her ex-fiancé goes to great lengths to ignore her when they bump into each other. She explained how she and Mark use the same gym, but he gives her the cold shoulder so much so that they've even queued up side by side in silence. In a candid revelation in September, Lauren disclosed: "We do see each other, but we don't speak at all. It's very, very strange. I would happily say hello, but if I'm not wanted somewhere, I shut off," adding, "We go to the same gym and stuff, and we don't live far from each other. I've stood next to him in a queue before at the gym and it is awkward."
Speaking on Paul C Brunson's We Need to Talk podcast, Lauren went on to muse: "Obviously, he's moved on with his life. He's got to respect that. And I respect that. But I would love to say, 'Hey, how are you? ' Like, 'all good? ' But it's never happened." Despite Mark giving her the cold shoulder, Lauren revealed she's genuinely "happy for him" without any lingering romantic feelings, even claiming to be "proud of him".
However, her emotional and heartfelt conversation didn't go down too well with Mark. A source close to the reality TV star and his wife revealed: "It's not that Michelle can't sympathise with Lauren or is cross with her, she doesn't know her at all, but she doesn't like what she reads when Lauren talks about her," while adding, "Mark also gets annoyed and he's very protective of his wife and family. He doesn't like them being brought up by Lauren, especially as it was so long ago. It's ancient history for him."
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