Why Sam Faiers is devastated over her cancelled 30th birthday party
It’s her cancelled party and she’ll cry if she wants to
The problem with having a sister so close in age – 11 months, to be exact – is that you’re always going to be comparing yourself. Just ask Samantha Faiers: for the most part, she and her ever-so - slightly senior sis Billie Faiers are neck-and-neck. Both are happily settled in fab, lavish homes with a son and daughter apiece, plus massive TV and brand deals behind them. But when it comes to throwing parties, Billie’s winning by an absolute landslide. And now that Samantha’s long-awaited 30th is fast approaching, ongoing restrictions and virus uncertainty mean it’s almost impossible to prepare for an epic birthday party to match Billie’s. Which – in a family where parties mean everything – is pretty devastating.
“Sam has been planning for her 30th for the past few years, and had wanted to throw a huge party for all her friends and family as it falls on New Year’s Eve,” says an insider close to the Mummy Diaries star, who pulled out all the stops earlier this year to give her older sis the 30th of her dreams. In addition to Billie’s swanky Great Gatsby-themed do, Sam surprised her with a first-class ticket to New York for a girls’ weekend away alongside their mum Sue. “She knows she’s in a fortunate position, but she still can’t help but compare herself to Billie. They had an amazing time in New York, and Sam knew Billie would do something extra-special for her in return, but who knows when that will happen now? She really felt like it was her time, as the last couple of years have been all about Billie.”
In addition to Billie really making the most of her milestone birthday earlier this year, the elder Faiers sister has had quite the run of big bashes. In 2019, she and husband Greg Shepherd threw a no-expenses-spared wedding in the Maldives, gathering 95 guests for a raucous week of celebrations. Before that, she’d also enjoyed more than her fair share of bridal showers/hen dos, culminating in a massive trip to Ibiza. Sam, meanwhile, has spoken of her desire to get married to partner Paul Knightley, but they have yet to make things official. Last year, she said she’d like to get hitched “when I’m 30”. But with wedding restrictions still in place, and no proposal in sight, we’re told Sam had been pinning her hopes on an end-of-year birthday bash. And while it’s no one’s fault but COVID’S, it’s still a bitter pill to swallow. Here’s hoping her family and friends fork out on some fab gifts to soften the blow. n
‘She can’t help comparing herself to Billie’