‘Michelle’s a bit like me – grateful for anything!’
TOWIE star turned TV presenter Mark Wright shares his plans to celebrate the New Year with wife Michelle
He shot to fame ten years ago on TOWIE as the Essex party boy and events promoter but, these days, it’s a very different story for former ladies’ man Mark Wright. The TV star admits he’s dreading hosting a New Year’s party with his wife of four years, Michelle Keegan, at their Essex mansion – because he can’t stand the mess!
“We’re thinking of hosting a New Year’s Eve party,” he says, “but I’ve got OCD, so I hate having parties. I’m just debating it at the moment.”
COMING HOME
The presenter – who has always taken pride in his appearance, regularly posting gym and selfie pictures on his social media – admits he doesn’t like hosting a lot of people in his home, sometimes even resorting to drastic measures. “I just hate a mess in my house,” he reveals. “When I had a party before, during the summer, I actually rented portable loos and put them out on my drive so nobody could go inside.”
In February, Mark, 32, returned to the UK to live full-time with wife Michelle, also 32, after spending a two-year stint presenting US TV show Extra in Los Angeles. He said at the time, “It just feels like the right time to come back to the UK and live here with my wife and family.”
Admitting he was homesick, Mark says, “It’s good to be home, it really is.
All the things I didn’t think I’d miss, I did, which is everything. Just little things, like going to the pub.”
The big move home means he’s even more excited for a traditional family Christmas in Essex this year. He says, “We do north and south alternate years and, this year, it’s south – so we’re going to be in Essex. Some of Michelle’s family are going to come down and we’ll have Christmas dinner at my mum and dad’s.”
QUALITY TIME
Despite Mark and Michelle having an estimated joint fortune of £6million, the showbiz couple don’t go overboard on Christmas gifts – and even keep to a set budget.
“I’m at that stage where I’ve gone over the amount – I’ve bought her new trainers, new perfume, new tracksuit, holiday, dress, whatever – now I’m like, what do I do now?” Mark says. “Now, it’s the risky bits – you choose something a little random and hope that it works.
“She’s [Michelle] so grateful for anything. She’s a bit like me – it’s more about the thought that makes it special.”
As well as spending quality time with his wife, Mark has been busy with the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special. He competed in the main show in 2014 with dance pro Karen Hauer, and is excited to dance with new partner Janette Manrara this year, alongside favourites like real-life couples Gemma Atkinson and Gorka Marquez, and Joe
Sugg and Dianne Buswell.
Mark says, “I remember when I first started Strictly, it took me ages to learn a dance, and then, towards the end of the series, I learnt pretty quickly. It’s been five years now and I thought it was going to be hard again, but I went straight back into it and it felt good.”
‘It’s good to be home… I missed all the little things’