Billie: “I’d love another baby after the wedding”
Billie Faiers on her upcoming nuptials, life as a mum of two and her dream for a bigger family
She’s been hailed as the star of S ITVBE’S The Mummy Diaries, and when we arrive at Billie Faiers’ house in Essex for our shoot, And Billie’s daughter, four-year-old Nelly Shepherd, is just as entertaining off-screen as she is on – helping our photographer take pictures and making the crew laugh with her cheeky quips.
And as mum and daughter cuddle up for the camera, the former TOWIE star – who is also mum to Arthur, 19 months, with fiancé Greg Shepherd – admits she can’t believe how quickly her children are growing up.
“Nelly’s getting more and more grown up by the day,” says Billie. “She started school in September, which was emotional, but she’s settling in well. And to wind us up, she tells us she’s got three boyfriends there!”
BIG-DAY STRESS
Billie and businessman Greg have been engaged since she was pregnant with Nelly, and the couple are finally just months from saying “I do.”
“We’ve been engaged for years, but held off because we knew we wanted another baby quite soon after having Nelly,” Billie explains. “It will be lovely to have the two of them there. And obviously we may go on to have another, but I was worried if we put the wedding off any longer, we might never end up getting married!”
And the TV star, 28, admits that the plans for their Maldives wedding next spring have spiralled.
“We’ve got 90 people coming!” she laughs. “We have a contact on the island who is helping us with the planning, and they’ve told us the largest wedding they’ve ever had was 20 people. They’ve said to us now, ‘You’re over capacity, no more guests!’”
And Billie admits she feels extra pressure with the wedding being abroad.
She says, “It’s been a lot harder because we’re planning a whole week for our guests. We’re putting on events almost every day for everyone, so it’s a lot to organise. We’ve got to get so much stuff shipped out there, too. It’s going to be ridiculous!”
But Billie – who stars on The Mummy Diaries along with sister Sam Faiers, 27 – has loved shopping for her wedding dress.
She reveals, “I went with my mum and Samantha and it’s such a nice thing to all do together. When I put my dress on, I knew it was The One. I got that feeling, and my mum also got really emotional about the same dress, so it was like a sign.”
However, not everyone has been easy to please when it comes to wedding attire, and Billie admits she’s worried Nelly will refuse to wear her bridesmaid dress on the day.
She says, “Nelly is really funny about fabrics and labels because she says they’re itchy, so I had to make sure that whatever I put her in was really soft and that she liked it. So I’m getting all the bridesmaid dresses specially made. I didn’t want the extra stress of her not wanting to put on her dress, on the day. I wouldn’t put it past her!”
JUGGLING ACT
Wedding planning isn’t the only priority in the family’s life at the moment, as they juggle work and two young children – and Billie admits that going from one to two children when Arthur was born in March last year has been a big change.
She says, “It’s definitely different, as they both have their own needs. Nelly was so used to having all of our attention so, when Arthur came along, it was a big change for her. She was a bit jealous at first, but I prepared her for having a new
brother with her Baby Annabell interactive doll, which she absolutely loved, and I think it really helped her as she had her baby, too – because she could change the doll’s nappy and feed her, just like I was doing with Arthur. And now they get on really well – they still have their moments and they’ll row over the same toy – but it’s a normal sister/brother relationship and they play really well.”
FUTURE PLANS
Once the wedding is over, Billie and Greg have no worries that life will ever be dull. The couple already have plans to move house next year and will then think about another baby. Billie says, “I’ve loved this house, but we’ve outgrown it. We’ll stay in the area as Nelly’s school is so great, but we want somewhere bigger. I’d like another baby at some point, too. Nothing will happen next year, but potentially the year after. People think I’m mad, because at that point I’ll have just got the other two out of that toddler stage, but I just love babies. I could definitely have one more, it would be amazing.”
‘I was worried we might never get married!’