Danielle: “Our new baby has brought the family closer”
After moving into a new home with fiancé Michael and her four boys, Danielle Lloyd is happier than ever – but she still hasn’t given up on her dream of having a daughter
As she coos over her threemonth-old A son Ronnie at our exclusive shoot, you’d hardly suspect glamorous-looking Danielle has endured such a difficult year. But the past 12 months saw her estranged relationship with ex-husband Jamie O’hara hit boiling point after he entered the Celebrity Big Brother house and painful memories of their split were dragged up.
The former couple became embroiled in a series of toxic Twitter spats and accusations. And Danielle, who was then pregnant with her partner Michael O’neill’s child, was left bed-bound early on in her pregnancy, due to “crippling migraines” caused by stress.
But after giving birth to baby Ronnie in September, and moving house in October, Danielle says she’s finally found happiness and is looking forward to new beginnings.
She says, “I’ve had a difficult few years, and I was in such a bad place not too long ago. But time has moved on and I’m glad to be out of my old house – now I don’t have to be reminded of bad memories.
“I have a fresh start. A new house, a new baby, my fiancé and my three boys, and we’re going to have a lovely Christmas. I couldn’t be happier – I’m living in a dream.”
CRUEL COMMENTS
The former glamour model – who’s also mum to Archie, seven, Harry, six, and George, three, with former footballer Jamie – has been the victim of trolling this year, suffering a barrage of abuse after Jamie appeared on CBB. She was also bodyshamed while pregnant with Ronnie and branded a “washed-up whale” by cruel trolls after pictures of the star on holiday in Dubai were published in May.
Danielle – who’s previously suffered from anxiety and postnatal depression – credits her fiancé, electrician Michael, as her rock and says he is helping her to learn to brush off any nasty comments. “Michael tells me not to let people bring me down,” she says. “For the first time in my life, I don’t care about the trolls. I just don’t have a desire to read the comments; I’ve taught myself not to look. It’s been a journey to get here.”
FRESH START
A calm and contented Danielle says she’s now focusing on life with her new addition, Ronnie. Although the mumof-four hasn’t given up on her ultimate dream of having a daughter. The star says she can’t wait to start trying for Michael’s second baby and is planning on using gender selection.
She reveals, “Michael’s an incredible stepdad to my three boys, so I knew he’d be amazing with Ronnie. He’s up in the night at any little grumble and he won’t take his eyes off Ronnie. It’s brought us closer, too – we now have that bond and our own child. But I need a girl! I want another baby next year and I think we’ll go for gender selection. We’ll definitely go to America or Cyprus next year, where you can do it. I don’t want to leave it too long. She’ll be a very protected little girl with her four big brothers.”
Having given birth to four children, the former Miss Great Britain is in incredible shape – but she hasn’t always been comfortable in her body and previously
admitted to Closer she spent “years crying over my figure.”
But Danielle, who’s a size 10, now believes there are bigger things to worry about and became an advocate for being confident in your own skin after posting a tummy-bearing Instagram snap just one week after giving birth. She captioned the image, “I’ve had four children and I’d never dream of sneering at another mum’s body. Let’s all start focusing on what’s REALLY important, looking after our kids.”
LOSING A STONE
And while she isn’t putting pressure on herself to lose weight, she says she’s lucky with her genetics, and reveals she’d eventually love to get back to her size 8 figure.
“I am lucky; I only put on a stone during pregnancy and I think my genes have enabled me to slim down quite quickly,” she admits. “I think it’s breastfeeding and being on the go, too – moving house and all the stuff that goes with that.
“I’m 10∂st now, but I’d love to be a stone lighter. I mostly go to the gym to keep my mind healthy, and I’m not going to push myself to hit my target weight. I’m someone who just loves enjoying myself. If I want a glass of wine in the evening, I’ll have one. With four kids to look after, that glass of wine keeps me sane!”
And Danielle says she’s planning a funfilled Christmas with all the family. She tells us, “We can’t wait! We’re taking the kids to New York just before Christmas to do some shopping. Then on the actual day, I’ll say, ‘Let’s see if Santa’s been!’ I video the boys every year – I want to make a film of all their Christmas mornings to watch when they’re older. Then we’ll have a big lunch with 14 of us, including Michael’s parents and mine.”
INTIMATE WEDDING
Next year will be a big one for Danielle – she’s planning a low-key wedding to Michael. “We’re talking about going to Vegas and just getting it done,” she says. “I’d love a wedding in a hot place; I think we may just run off and do it. I definitely don’t want a big wedding like I had with Jamie. I know Michael would hate that. And I don’t want anything for Christmas – honestly, as long as everyone is with me and they’re happy and healthy, that’s all I want.”
‘All I want for Christmas is for everyone to be happy’