‘I’M DEVASTATED – MY WEDDING PLANS ARE OVER’
Her boyfriend was named as a suspect in an acid attack
W hat a dramatic week it’s been for Ferne Mccann – and it started out so well. Proudly cosying up to boyfriend Arthur Collins in a photo shoot, the former TOWIE star didn’t hold back in gushing about their relationship, revealing that the pair had discussed marriage and babies – adding, “We want to get married on a beach.”
Unfortunately for Ferne, by the time the interview became public, Arthur, 25, was on the run from police after being named as a suspect in an east London nightclub acid attack that left 20 people injured, and a woman blind in one eye.
News of the attack has understandably floored Ferne, 26, who had repeatedly rubbished claims that Arthur is a “bad boy” after Facebook posts in which the scaffolder previously boasted about taking drugs were exposed. She even said, “He’s a very good boy... We all did silly things when we were teenagers.” But after Arthur was named by police, Ferne quickly attempted to distance herself, deleting any trace of him from her Instagram and making a public plea for Arthur to hand himself in.
A source close to the star tells us, “Ferne’s devastated, just in complete shock. She’s in tears all the time – she’s so upset. Of course, any wedding plans are the furthest thing from her mind right now. And the fact that she’s deleted all his photos from social media tells you a lot.”
‘Everybody’s wishing they had never got back together’
A spokesperson for Ferne said she had neither been at the nightclub, nor seen Arthur on the night of the attack. She also announced that she was taking time off from her presenting role on ITV’S
This Morning. “Right now, work is just not Ferne’s priority,” our insider says. “Of course, the situation shouldn’t affect her career, as she’s not involved in any way, but she can’t even think about that right now.”
Ferne and Arthur have had an on/off relationship since New Year’s Eve 2015, but things turned serious last month after the
TOWIE star appeared on Celebs Go Dating in March. The pair recently returned from a loved-up holiday to Dubai and the Maldives, and were planning to move in together in early May, with Ferne saying, “It seems rushed, but when you know, you know.” In the interview, Arthur said he’d thought about proposing and Ferne described their wedding plans. “Arthur has never given me a reason not to trust him,” she added. “He’s normal, and that’s what I like.”
But last week, police raided three properties, including Arthur’s house in Hertfordshire, where they discovered cannabis plants and illegal firearms and arrested two people. At the time of heat going to press, Arthur still hadn’t handed himself in, with police advising the public not to approach him if they spot him.
Ferne, meanwhile, has been left picking up the pieces. Her spokesperson said the star had cooperated with the police in their inquiries and added, “As much as anybody, she wants to know the truth,” while friends and family are attempting to console her. Our source says, “Everyone’s really wishing that they never got back in contact. She has the worst luck with men.”