In an exclusive interview, Ferne McCann has revealed that God saved her relationship with fiancé Lorri Haines, who she has been engaged to since 2022.
Ferne McCann has faced several hurdles when it comes to her relationship with fiancé Lorri Haines. But rather than having therapy or counselling, she firmly believes their love has survived thanks to God.
Not unused to a candid confession, the 35-year-old has lived her life through the lens of reality TV and made her name on The Only Way is Essex more than a decade ago. She has become a reality TV star in her own right after launching her own ITV programmes including First Time Mum in 2017 and then My Family & Me in 2023.
And with a life in the spotlight and Ferne’s open nature, she’s happy to chat about her life with businessman Lorri, 35, when we catch up over Zoom.
The former Towie star began dating Lorri four years ago, subsequently announcing their engagement in July 2022 and giving birth to their daughter Finty in July 2023. In recent years the couple have found themselves at the centre of split rumours, but Ferne is keen to put those to bed on our call.
“I would be lying if I said there weren’t moments that it had both crossed our mind,” she admits. “And that’s just me being completely honest, as honest as I probably have been in a long time in an interview.
“I really believe that actually welcoming God into our lives and into our relationship, and actually working on the relationship and just being more honest with each other… don’t get me wrong, there are still times when I think he’s really frustrating, like all relationships.
“But I strongly believe that having that relationship with God, and strengthening my faith with God and Jesus Christ, and really exploring that, has not only saved our relationship, but has made it even better than it was when I first met him.”
She adds that while some images have emerged of her without an engagement ring, this is because it’s missing, and the story involving its disappearance is slightly too ridiculous to share.
“It’s the most bonkers story that, even if I were to share it, people wouldn’t believe it,” she says. “It’s kind of a ‘dog ate my homework’ type story.”
The star, who is also mum to eight-year-old daughter Sunday from a previous relationship, clarifies that she and Lorri have never called it quits. “We’ve never actually split,” she says.
When it comes to sharing her life online, Ferne has posted numerous videos on Instagram about her family. While discussing a recent post about the end of her breastfeeding journey with Finty, who turns three in July, Ferne tears up.
“I’m holding back the tears, because obviously this is an emotional call,” she says. “So it’s been a good few months now [she’s finished breastfeeding], but hormones! And when I think, ‘Oh, this is going to be the last time,’ it makes me broody. It makes me emotional. It’s such a close bond you have with your babies.”
While Ferne admits to feeling broody, she is indecisive about whether another baby is on the cards.
“If you were to ask me, like, even two months ago, I’d be like, ‘Oh, I’m really happy with my two,’” she says. “I just don’t think you can plan your life. You can have an idea, and you can just go along with the plan, but you never know what’s going to happen. I feel very lucky that I’ve got two healthy girls. I’m 36 this year, like maybe. But I’ve just got rid of all my baby bits.”
However she’s keen to emphasise that she’s got the dream dynamic at home.
“I quite like my six-year age gap,” she says. “Sunday is in school, and then Finty’s almost had this first child experience, because me and Lorri are around. So maybe I’ll leave it another five or six years, when I’m 40. That could be quite cool.”
Ferne’s dedication to children extends well outside of her own family unit, as she’s recently been announced as a new patron for Little Havens, a children’s hospice in Essex that helps support families with children with complex or profound disabilities. Becoming a patron is something that she calls a massive privilege.
“I had such a joyous, wonderful experience there, meeting some of the families and the children. It’s actually a really uplifting place,” she says. “Something I didn’t realise is that Little Havens only gets 14% of its funds from the government and everything else is self-funded. Being able to use my platform and my profile in a positive way is something I’m so up for doing.”
She recalled meeting and being interviewed by one little girl, 10-year-old Sophia who has Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 1, the same condition as former Little Mix singer Jesy Nelson’s twins.
“She was just so charming and so brilliant. We bonded over the film Wicked and our love for pizza,” she says. “She particularly captured my heart, and I felt completely honoured. She’s an absolute darling.”
Through her work with the charity, Ferne admits to becoming a little starstruck when she met another patron, 86-year-old actor Rudolph Walker, who is best known for playing Patrick Trueman in EastEnders, at a charity ball.
She added that she loves “that whole camaraderie of meeting other celebs”, which is why she’d like to throw her hat in the ring when it comes to a certain reality TV show that captured everyone’s attention just a few weeks ago – I’m A Celebrity… South Africa.
“I’d love to do the South African one, because – that whole spider thing – it’s made my fear of spiders worse,” she said referring to her famous appearance on the 15th series of I’m A Celebrity in 2015, which saw Ferne come third. The show received more than 1,400 Ofcom complaints from viewers after Ferne ate a live spider, something she simply can’t imagine doing now.
“I’m like that lady off Catherine Tate who just screams when the toast pops up. That’s me with bugs,” she laughs. “But the reason why [I’d want to go in] is now being a mum, it changes you.
“When I went in I was 25. I’m 35 now, it’s 10 years on and I’m a mum and I’m a completely different person. Back then I was just so excited to be on it, I threw myself into everything. Now I just want to see how I’d even get on.”
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