Camilla Thurlow
Newly engaged Camilla Thurlow on her surprise when Jamie Jewitt popped the question, hitting back at body-shaming trolls and why baby girl Nell has made her feel complete
Camilla Thurlow and Jamie Jewitt stole the hearts of the nation when they fell head over heels for each other on Love Island in 2017.
And bucking the trend of doomed villa romances, the pair are just as happy four years on – in fact, they’re now even engaged to be married!
Jamie, 30, popped the question last month with the help of their gorgeous daughter Nell, four months, after he dressed her in a baby grow which read: “Mummy, will you marry my Daddy?”
Clearly still on cloud nine, Camilla tells new she feels lucky to be marrying the man of her dreams and “didn’t see the proposal coming”.
Here, the 31-year-old tells us all about the touching significance behind her unusual engagement ring, what she’s learnt from lockdown and why she feels like a “badass”...
Hi, Camilla, and huge congratulations on your engagement!
Thank you so much, that’s so kind. I didn’t see it coming. You can see how absolutely perfect the ring is – Jamie designed it. He did the most amazing job. My mum was born in the same month as Nell [October], so their birthstone is the same [opal] and Jamie put my mum and Nell’s stone into my engagement ring.
That’s lovely. Have you started wedding planning?
No… we haven’t started planning anything yet. Maybe soon though. So far, we’re just enjoying the joyful moment of being engaged!
You previously said marriage wasn’t a priority for you and Jamie. What changed your minds?
You’d have to ask
Jamie because he obviously planned the proposal! All I know is I feel incredibly lucky to have been asked to be his wife. But I think our priorities remain the same, making sure each other is happy and obviously with Nell. She will always be our top priority.
What has been the biggest struggle for you in lockdown?
Nell is growing up very fast and I would love for her to be able to see a few more of my family, that would be lovely. But we do also know that’s all still to come. We know there will be plenty of chances once things get a bit more back to normal. So as much as it might feel a bit sad just now, we’ve got lots to look forward to.
What positives have come out of lockdown for you?
Honestly, we would have been at home so much anyway with our baby. I’ve been lucky in that I can really enjoy my time with her and not feel any pressure. But that is only because I am one of the lucky people who is able to work from home. I really feel for the people who have struggled way more than us during this lockdown and Jamie and I count our lucky stars everyday.
What have been the biggest challenges of motherhood?
I’m absolutely loving being a mum, I feel incredibly lucky. I’m the happiest and the most content I have ever been. Motherhood is amazing because you love your baby so much. But motherhood is also challenging – because you love your baby so much!
The challenges have been trying to do everything as well as I can and learning to feed her. We’re missing out on the baby classes or the mum groups, but I found support from the amazing groups online. Every group you’d expect to have in real life if the pandemic wasn’t going on is out there. All new mums will know what it’s like when you really want to talk to someone about the experience, so it’s been incredibly useful.
What have you learned since becoming a mum?
For the very first time in my life, I look at myself and think, “You’re giving this everything you’ve got and more, you’re really doing everything you can.” It’s the first time I can look in the mirror and I have so much respect for myself. I’m becoming the woman I’ve always wanted to be. It’s taught me a lot about appreciating myself – I’m doing what’s right for me, what’s right for Nell and what’s right for Jamie, and us as a family. It’s taught me to really celebrate our achievements as a family and know that we can do this.
You recently hit back after people asked if you were pregnant again. How did you feel when that happened?
I felt like the understanding of women’s bodies postpartum is
so limited, my body is still changing after giving birth! When I look in the mirror, I am so grateful for the changes in my body and the way it’s adapted to try and make me as good a mother as possible. I don’t want to be fighting those changes because of outside expectations.
Were you upset?
No. When you’re pregnant, and then after you have your baby, your body changes every single day. Every morning, you wake up and you see this new body that you have to learn to love. For the first time ever, I look at it, and I think, “Yeah, you’re a badass, you’re stronger and so much braver.” I don’t want to lose that respect I have for myself. There’s a huge amount of discussion of women’s bodies now and I wanted to gently remind people that it’s not okay, only a woman has a right to discuss and judge her own body.
What has the response to that been like?
Amazing – but it highlights an ongoing problem with the demands that have been placed on women to appear a certain way at any point in their life. It’s been the first time where I’ve really appreciated my body for everything that it does, rather than worrying about how it looks.
Tell us about working with Herbal Essences?
It’s been amazing. I grew up loving all their products, so to have the chance to work with them on the Essences Of Life vegan treatment range has been incredible. The range is perfect for me because it’s for dry or damaged hair, which is exactly what I need. But also these luxurious products are crueltyfree and contain plant-based ingredients that really give your hair the nourishment it needs.
Camilla Thurlow is a Herbal Essences ambassador