Billie Shepard, who is set to star in a new fly-on-the-wall series with sister Sam, talks fashion, parenting – and the trend that worries her when it comes to her eldest, Nelly
For Billie Shepherd, fashion isn’t just about looking good – it’s about making life easier for busy mums like her. And when you’re juggling three kids, a business and a camera crew, looks that are simple and stylish make all the difference. The 35-year-old recently shared the exciting news that she’s reuniting with her sister Sam Faiers for a new fly-on-the-wall TV series, four years after The Mummy Diaries ended.
She teased in an Instagram post, “The new series will follow us as we navigate our careers, motherhood and relationships – and we can’t wait to share this next chapter with you all. Coming soon.” In the meantime, she’s been busy with her new kidswear collection for George at Asda, and it’s clear her own kids – Nelly, ten, Arthur, eight, and Margot, three – are at the front of her mind when it comes to the range, she reveals exclusively to OK!.
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She tells us, “I’d never design something I wouldn’t dress my own children in. I’m always very inspired by the kids and what they like to wear, especially when it comes to fabrics.”
With Nelly starting to develop her own sense of style, Billie admits dressing her can be a bit of a challenge these days. “The age Nelly’s at now, and I’ve spoken to other mums who say the same, it’s the hardest age to dress them. She’s still my little girl and she’s not a teenager yet, but it’s that in-between stage.
“They want to feel grown up, but you still want them to be dressed appropriately for their age. “Nelly has her own sense of style. She’s quite an effortlessly cool chick. She’s not into bows or sequins. She doesn’t like much fuss going on with her clothes.”
Billie admits her husband Greg is happy to leave the styling to her. Laughing, she recalls once coming home to find Margot had been out for the day in what looked like a pair of pyjamas. “It was a little two-piece outfit, but I did say to Greg, ‘Really?!’” she says. “I usually take control when it comes to dressing the kids.”
Even when she’s busy at work, Billie makes sure everything’s prepped at home. “If I’m not there in the morning, I’ll fold up outfits for Arthur and Margot and put them in their rooms,” she says. “Nelly’s great now and gets herself ready.”
Billie and Greg tied the knot in the Maldives in 2019 and have long shared their family life on social media and on their hit show The Family Diaries , which recently ended after six seasons. At the time, Billie explained she’d like the young family to be able to grow up “away from the cameras”.
Though her life is packed with filming, fashion collabs and family duties, the former TOWIE star still makes time for fitness and self-care. “I try to eat as healthily as I can. I don’t really eat processed foods and I’m big on cooking from scratch,” she reveals. “I’m also really active. I love weight training and I enjoy reformer pilates too. I think I’ve found a good balance. I’m not someone who says, ‘I’d never eat carbs.’ I love my food and I enjoy it, so I try to keep it balanced.”
But she admits she doesn’t like to go to the gym with Greg. “It just doesn’t really work for us. I can’t take it seriously,” she says. “I don’t want to be in the gym with him. It’s just not for me.”
When it comes to keeping the kids active, Billie says it’s second nature. “Arthur plays football two or three times a week and Nelly does horse riding and netball. They love swimming and whenever we can we’re out in the garden. We’ve even got a netball post up now.”
Billie is also mindful of what her children eat. “I try to avoid too much sugar,” she says. “Easter was hard. I found an Easter egg hidden in Arthur’s bedroom drawer the other day! I always keep berries, apples and oranges in the fridge so they have healthy snacks.”
As a fashion lover herself, Billie’s own style has evolved with age. “I definitely know what suits me now,” she says. “Day to day I’m super casual, but when I get the chance to dress up I love it. I’d say my style is quite classic – it’s all about the fit and shape of things.”
She’s a fan of mixing high street finds with a few designer touches. “I’m very much a high street girl,” she says. “I’ve got the odd designer bag or pair of shoes, but most of my clothes are high street.”
It’s a similar story with her beauty routine: it’s simple but effective. “I use a cleansing soap bar in the shower that’s got little beads in it,” she says. “Then I use moisturiser and eye cream. I’ve also started using a red light LED mask that has a setting for pigmentation, which I suffer from quite badly, and I’ve really noticed a difference.”
But with TikTok fuelling a rise in younger girls experimenting with skincare, Billie’s having to lay down the law to her children. “Nelly loves the idea of skincare but I’ve had to be really strict with her because she’s still so young,” she says. “I don’t want her to clog up her beautiful skin too early.
“We’ve got a rule. I’ve only bought her a couple of really natural, two-ingredient products. I’ve explained everything to her because I know it’s a craze.”
“When you’ve got a full outfit ready to go, it just makes life so much easier as a mum,” she says.– she’s got all these brightly-packaged products on her dressing table. I’ve had to be really strict with her, because she’s still so young – I don’t want her to clog up her beautiful skin too early.
I’ve told her, “You cannot put that on your skin!”” Billie explains. “I’ve bought her a couple of really natural bits, TV star has become known for her stylish mum and baby collections, and it’s her role at home that inspires her designs, she shares.
Billie’s George at Asda children’s spring range is available online and in store, with pieces from newborn to 14 years.
