Ferne comes out of hiding to talk heartbreak, pregnancy and trying to stay positive
She put on a brave face on TV, but friends say she’s still struggling
She’s kept out of the public eye for a month – ever since her now ex-boyfriend Arthur Collins went on the run, and was subsequently arrested for his alleged involvement in a nightclub acid attack. But Ferne Mccann, who is three months pregnant with Arthur’s child, made an emotional return to the spotlight last Thursday.
Fighting back the tears, she told This Morning’s Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby that being pregnant “has given me strength” during “such a stressful, surreal situation”. And despite having suffered with headaches, nausea and morning sickness “morning, noon and night”, she said she was “feeling good and positive”.
Ferne didn’t utter her baby’s father’s name once. As Phillip gave a brief summary of the events that led to Arthur’s arrest, she swallowed back tears, but made no mention of the man who, last month, she said she’d marry. In private, though, insiders say she’s struggling to get over her ex. “Although she knows the relationship is
over, friends are worried a part of her is still in love with Arthur. It’s hard for the people close to her, as they don’t know how to help her move forward,” a close source tells heat.
“She’s not in a good way – she keeps randomly bursting into tears. Like, when she’s shopping or cooking. She’s feeling too scared to return fully to her former life, as she’s worried about what everyone is thinking. She doesn’t think she’s ready.”
Making her first live TV appearance since the attack was clearly a challenge, and the star had to pause several times. Ferne told Phil and Holly that the stress of the past month had been made worse by the fact that she’d been in the very early stages of pregnancy. “That was my main concern – and is why I haven’t spoken to anyone,” she explained. “This isn’t how I imagined my first pregnancy to be, but it’s not about me or what happened – it’s about this baby. I’m going to be strong.
“I got over the shock, my family got over the shock, and I’m just so excited,” she said. “I feel it’s a blessing.”
The 26 year old added that she was “70 per cent sure” she didn’t want to know the baby’s sex. “It’s so not like me – I’m an impatient person,” she said. “But now that I’m in the situation, I think it will be a lovely surprise. I think it’s an incentive, when it comes to the birth, to push it out.”
Welling up when describing the public’s support, she said, “It was a concern – would the public judge me? But I actually didn’t need to worry. Everyone has been so supportive.”
Ferne’s personal life was hit by the controversy last month, when Arthur was named as a prime suspect in the acid attack in Mangle nightclub, which left 20 people injured. He went on the run, but was later arrested and charged with 14 counts of wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm. He will remain in custody until a hearing on 22 May. Up until all this happened, Ferne had gushed about their relationship, cosying up to Arthur in a photo shoot and revealing that they were planning to move in together.
But during her chat with Phil and Holly, she spoke of her plans to move into her new flat – alone. “I’m finally moving out of my mum’s,” she said. “The moving date’s been delayed, but it means I can get the decorators in.”
As for facing life as a single mum, she insisted, “I love a challenge, as you know, and I’m so looking forward to it. I just can’t wait to meet my baby and be the best mum I can be.” n CHARLOTTE OLIVER
‘This isn’t how I imagined my first pregnancy to be’