MARK: ‘WOMEN ARE THROWING THEMSELVES AT ME!’
He wants them both to make sacrifices for their marriage
‘He’s told her they can’t go on living apart’
They spent the majority of the last year living on opposite sides of the globe. But despite being finally reunited and spending the holidays together, we’re told that things are far from peachy between Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan. According to an insider close to the pair, who have been married for two-and-a-half years, there’s a whole lot of tension at home.
“Mark has been having some very honest talks with Michelle,” says an insider close to the pair. “They had to go through eight months of separation, with him in LA presenting Extra for E! and her filming Our Girl in Nepal and various other places, and he’s told her that women are throwing themselves at him in America. Of course, Michelle trusts him and they both know nothing would ever happen, but it doesn’t lessen the tension caused by their time apart. They are going through the motions and saying nice things about one another in public, but something has got to give.”
And from where Mark’s standing, that something has got to come from Michelle. “He has told Michelle they can’t go on living apart for such long stretches,” our source tells us. “He’s told her the time has come for them both to re-evaluate and prioritise their relationship – and that she needs to be in the US with him.”
Since they met, the dynamics between the couple have dramatically shifted. At the beginning, Mark was just an ex-reality TV star. He’s now hot property and the source says he wants Michelle to understand this. His career is going from strength to strength – as reported in heat, Mark has signed a contract to stay with E! until September 2018 and Extra want him on board for another year after that. We’re told he wants Michelle to consider that, and try to look for jobs in the US for the sake of their marriage.
“Mark feels he is doing well for himself, and there is no reason Michelle can’t also make it in America, but she sees things differently,” our insider tells us. “It was a massive coup for her to go from a soap star to a serious TV actress, and she wants to stick with it and see how ratings go for Our Girl. Hopefully, she’ll be asked to do another season. She has had auditions for roles in the US, but a lot of the producers said she reminded them of Cheryl Cole – they couldn’t understand her accent and didn’t think she would translate well for American audiences.”
And friends aren’t totally convinced that all is well in the relationship. Insiders say that, as far as Mark is concerned, the only way is LA. ■ KATIE HOLLOWAY