As Lauren Goodger gears up for the new series of TOWIE, a source reveals how filming the reality show while taking care of her young daughter on her own is leaving her “shattered”
Lauren Goodger says she’s “rebuilding” herself with the support of her “TOWIE family” – but a source claims her TV role is taking its toll elsewhere in her life. The reality star, 38, who first appeared on The Only Way Is Essex as the ex-girlfriend of Mark Wright in its first series in 2010, returned to the set as a permanent cast member last year after experiencing some devastating personal losses.
But according to our source, while the high-profile gig is doing wonders for Lauren’s confidence, the reality of juggling her life as mum to a four-year-old daughter with the demands of a job on a prominent reality show is “overwhelming” at times.
Lauren was “gutted” to pull out of a planned promotional appearance on This Morning last week because she couldn’t arrange childcare for Larose, whose father is builder Charles Drury. Instead, the interview featured fan favourite Harry Derbidge in the studio and fellow TOWIE original Amy Childs via video link. It comes after Katie Price reaches out to Harvey’s lookalike half-brother but fears ‘he’s too scared’.
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“Lauren was devastated to miss This Morning last week because she’s really trying to get back out there with her career,” our source claimed. “She doesn’t think it looks good to miss things, but she also needs to be the best mum to Larose. She really hates letting people down but also doesn’t want to feel like she’s a bad mum if she leaves her daughter – especially after everything they’ve been through.”
Lauren has been vocal about her struggles with anxiety since her and Charles’s second daughter, Lorena, died in July 2022, just a few minutes after her birth. The tragic loss came only a week after Lauren’s ex-boyfriend, Jake McLean, died in a car crash on holiday in Turkey at the age of 33.
Just before her big TOWIE return last year, Lauren revealed she was “realising who I am again” after spending the last few years in a “mum bubble” as she learned to navigate her grief.
Larose was born in July 2021 after Lauren became pregnant early into her relationship with Charles, 28, and the pair are widely thought to have had an on-off relationship ever since. Rumours they had reunited circulated when the two were photographed with Larose at an airport last month, reportedly jetting off on a family holiday.
Regardless of her relationship status – Lauren has yet to publicly confirm or deny that they are back together – our source said she’s struggling to find a healthy balance when solo parenting.
“Lauren is overwhelmed – she’s overwhelmed with mum duties and with work,” said the source. “It’s so hard to find that balance of taking care of Larose and also making sure she stays healthy and happy herself. TOWIE is her main job so it has to be a priority, but she’d never put it before being a mum to Larose, so it’s a really difficult balance for her to find.”
Lauren spoke out earlier this summer before jetting off to Portugal – without Larose – to film for the hit ITV2 programme. She revealed it was the first time she’d left her daughter “to go away or do anything for me” and had been kept awake most of the night by doubts about going on the trip.
The reality star also confessed that she felt “lonely”, but had to stay strong all the time for the sake of her daughter. “I haven’t got anyone to lean on and that’s really sad,” she said.
The sun-soaked trip to Portugal, where the cast celebrated 15 years of the series, clearly did wonders for Lauren’s confidence, however. Sharing a sunset snap of herself with her 945,000 Instagram followers, she wrote, “What a rollercoaster but an amazing achievement for me personally. Here’s to rebuilding me. Thank you @itvxofficial @towie thank you whole of TOWIE production and my TOWIE family.”
But it hasn’t all been plain sailing for Lauren since visiting Portugal in June, as she revealed to her followers last week that she was feeling “absolutely shattered”.
“I’m so tired, I don’t know how I’m doing it at the minute,” she said. “It has been absolutely hectic.”
Lauren put her exhaustion down to Larose’s six-week summer holidays and travelling back and forth to London to film, adding, “I’m going to do bath, do bedtime and do work again. I haven’t stopped working. I wish I could have a nap but never. You know how it is being a mum.”
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Source: Mirror
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