Billie’s life lessons: “You need to accept you’ll have bad days with your partner”
Reality star Billie Faiers, 28, shares what she’s learned since becoming a mum, and why she didn’t pick pal Ferne Mccann as a bridesmaid for her upcoming wedding to Greg Shepherd
‘TRY NOT TO STRESS OVER YOUR BIG DAY’
When I was younger, I thought I’d want a big white wedding in a church with loads of people there, but I wouldn’t do that now. It’s going to be intimate. Greg and I haven’t set a date yet, but it’s definitely going to be next year. It’s been a long time coming and I can’t wait, but I’m not going to stress over it. I’ve asked my sister Sam to help me find a wedding photographer – it’s good to share out the responsibilities.
‘NEVER CHOOSE BETWEEN YOUR FRIENDS’
So many of my friends have had eight pals as bridesmaids, but I think it’s too much. There was a story that my friend Ferne [Mccann] was upset she won’t be one of my bridesmaids, but I’ve got a really good group of friends and I could never pick just one or two of them – never choose between your friends. I decided to just have Sam as my Maid of Honour. Ferne wasn’t upset about it, she’d known for ages.
‘ASK YOUR FAMILY FOR HELP WHEN YOU NEED IT’
I always speak to my mum Sue or my sister if I have a problem. Mum always helps me out with childcare [Billie has Nelly, four, and Arthur, one, with Greg] at the last minute. I wouldn’t be able to work as much otherwise. And we’re a vocal family, so if we ever have a problem, it’s best to be open and honest with each other – I’m not one to hold back! But I’ve learned to be subtle sometimes, too.
‘MAKE SURE YOUR CHILDREN STAY GROUNDED’
Nelly’s starting school soon and I hope everyone’s going to treat her the same as everyone else. People always want selfies with her now. I was in a situation recently where it got too much and I had to say, “I’m really sorry, but she’s not doing any more selfies.” Because she was getting a bit embarrassed. She’s so funny, she’ll come out with, “Mummy, I’m a superstar!” People constantly tell her that, so I have to be careful because I don’t need a diva on my hands!”
‘WORK WITH YOUR PARTNER TO GET THROUGH TOUGH DAYS’
Greg and I are a lot more understanding of each other and we get on better since we became parents. We realised that when you have tough days and you’re tired, or the kids aren’t behaving, you’ve just got to get through it together. You have to accept you’ll have bad days and just work on it as one unit. We find it really hard to have date nights because I’m always really busy, but I love cooking dinner for him at home – we cherish that time together.
‘DON’T FEEL GUILTY ABOUT BEING A WORKING MUM’
I sometimes feel guilty about working, but I try to make sure I’m back from work to put the kids to bed. When I’m with them, I make up for lost time. We do something fun, and it doesn’t have to be extravagant. We do a lot of role play, so we have tea parties or play “school teachers”. It’s about being interactive with them. That’s what they thrive off the most. Kids are happiest when they’ve got your full attention.
‘BE BODY CONFIDENT, NO MATTER YOUR SHAPE’
My body’s not perfect – there are always little improvements to make. But I’m pretty confident. I’ve learned to dress in what suits my shape, because different clothes suit different body types. My waist is probably my smallest part, so I tend to wear things that flatter that. I’ve seen pictures of me when I look quite orange with white hair and pink lipstick. It’s just all too much going on. Some days, for certain events, I wear a lot of make-up, but overall I’m more natural now.