LAUREN ‘PULLS OUT ALLTHE STOPS’ TO START A FAMILY

She’s been a thorn in Michelle Keegan’s side ever since the actress began dating her ex-fiancé, Mark Wright, in 2012 – with a series of public spats seeing Lauren Goodger dubbed “the bitter ex”.

And after Michelle, 32, sparked pregnancy rumours last week when she announced she was quitting Our Girl to “spend more time at home”, pals say Lauren, 33 – who has previously revealed she aborted Mark’s baby aged 20 – has been upset by the speculation.

Commenting on Michelle’s news, fans went into overdrive online, with one commenting, “I bet she’s preggers”, while another added, “I think two may become three soon!” A source says, “Lauren felt pained when she saw what people were saying, but has jumped to the same conclusion.

She always felt it would only be a matter of time, but realises now it really could be imminent.

“It’s brought a lot of raw emotions and heartbreak to the surface, and it’s a painful reminder of the baby dream she lost with Mark – made worse by the fact she’s still single and desperate to become a mum. She’s going to pull out all the stops to make that happen this year.”

The former TOWIE stars have been at loggerheads since breaking off their engagement in 2011, following a rocky, 11-year romance.

Since then, Lauren – who’s been single for 18 months after two failed romances with ex-cons Jake McLean and Joey Morrisson – has been blasted by her ex for making a series of bitter swipes at him and Michelle.

Lauren’s made no secret of her broodiness, confessing in 2015, “I want to be a young mum,” before revealing that being a single mum didn’t scare her following her “toxic” split from Jake.

And pals say Lauren – who has vowed to get in shape in 2020 in response to her Boxing Day hospitalisation due to

“the world’s worst hangover”

– is weighing up her options.

The source adds, “She’s looking for a new man and is focused on getting into the best shape possible to conceive. She’s given herself a ‘boyfriend deadline’ of her September birthday and insists if she hasn’t found a man by then, she’ll explore other options – she’s seriously considering going it alone.”