Marnie Simpson and Casey Johnson

Marnie Simpson and Casey Johnson open up to new about expanding their family and celebrating their first Christmas together with baby son Rox

Christmas is going to be very different for Marnie Simpson and Casey Johnson this year – it’s the first one they’ll be celebrating with their newborn son Rox. The couple, who welcomed their adorable baby on 29 October, say that while they’ve always loved the festive period, it’s even more magical now they have their little bundle of joy to share it with.

“I’m so excited now we have Rox,” Casey tells us, with Marnie adding, “We can’t wait to start our own Christmas traditions with him.” new

When arrives at their Bedfordshire home, we’re welcomed by Marnie’s grandmother Betty, who’s been staying with the pair in recent weeks.

“She came down from Newcastle to visit us and she’s stayed ever since,” the former Geordie Shore star explains as Rox sleeps peacefully in his great-grandmother’s arms.

Marnie, who is documenting her life as a new mum in MTV’S Geordie OGS, admits she needed as much help as she could get. A traumatic birth saw her lose two pints of blood and since then she’s been suffering with a chronic bladder infection.

After first being diagnosed with the condition in 2016, it flared up again after childbirth and left her too unwell to look after Rox. Thankfully, Marnie is now on the mend, but when it comes to having more children, she says they’ll opt for surrogacy next time.

Here, Marnie, 27, and Casey, 24, who’ve been together for three years, open up about how many babies they see in their future, sleepless nights and their plans for Christmas Day…

Hi guys! Are you looking forward to your first Christmas as parents?

Marnie: Yeah. I’ve always loved Christmas, but it’s going to be even more special now we have Rox.

Casey: I can’t wait. It’ll be a lot different. I’ve partied on Christmas Day every year but I won’t be partying as hard now I’ve got a baby.

Marnie: We don’t have time for hangovers now!

What are your plans for the big day?

Marnie: We’re going to have the family at ours. I originally wanted to go out for lunch because it’s always so chaotic, but Casey’s dad is going to be the cook.

Casey: He’s really good at cooking so I’m going to let him get on with it.

Will you both be indulging?

Casey: Yeah! I eat loads at Christmas. Our fridge is always stocked up.

Will you be enjoying a drink, Marnie? Marnie: No, I’ll be having a sober Christmas. I still haven’t had a drink yet. I’ve been told by the doctor to stay off alcohol because of my bladder condition. But my birthday is in

January, so I think that’ll be the time to have my first drink.

Will we ever see you in a nightclub again?! Marnie: I couldn’t think of anything worse right now! Maybe when Rox is a bit older.

Do you have any family Christmas traditions? Marnie: We’re going to make our own traditions now that Rox is here. I’ve always stayed in on Christmas Eve and when I was younger, I used to stay in with my mam and we’d eat sweets and watch movies. I want to do cute things like that with him.

Have you got him a Christmas outfit for the day?

Marnie: We’ve got loads to choose from!

Casey: We have a cute little reindeer one.

Marnie: I’m so excited to dress him up. I want to wear matching family outfits.

Cute! Will you be buying him lots of presents this year?

Casey: I don’t think we’re going to spoil him. At the end of the day, he won’t even know what’s going on.

Marnie: I’ve been buying him loads of stuff anyway.

Casey: We’ll buy him lots next year because he’ll be able to unwrap them by then.

Do you think he’ll be a spoiled child?

Casey: I don’t want him to be. I want to keep him grounded, but Marnie will probably spoil him.

Marnie: I will. I’ll definitely be the soft one.

Is he a mummy’s boy, then?

Marnie: I feel like he’s both. We’ve tried to mix it up a bit because I’ve heard mams say that when their children get older, it’s hard for them

‘WE DON’T HAVE TIME FOR HANGOVERS NOW’

to be with anyone else and I don’t want that. And because I’ve been ill, Casey has had to step up.

Casey: I’ve had to be a super dad. Marnie’s nana has also helped us out a lot.

Marnie: She kind of had to be around, otherwise I don’t know what we would have done!

What kind of things have you been helping out with, Casey?

Casey: More the feeds than the nappies! I’m not very good at changing them. I’m really good at settling him and putting him to sleep.

What do you both want for Christmas this year?

Marnie: I’m not bothered. I’ve asked Casey to get me a new vacuum cleaner. I’m so boring!

Casey: I’m not really big for presents.

Marnie: I’ll probably get Casey some nice clothes because that’s something he doesn’t like to buy himself.

Are you good at buying thoughtful presents? Casey: I think I am.

Marnie: Yeah, you are. I once bought him a nice watch, though.

Casey: For Marnie’s push present I surprised her with a nice bag and some flowers.

Do you prefer giving or receiving presents? Marnie: Giving. I feel awkward when I get given them.

Casey: You’d rather give than receive?

Marnie: Yeah.

Is a Christmas proposal on the cards, Casey? Casey: Not this year, no.

Marnie: I would hate it if you did it on Christmas! It takes away the attention because people are too focused on Christmas.

When would you like to get engaged?

Casey: It will definitely be the next step for us. I’ve got an idea in my mind, but I don’t want to say what it is.

‘GETTING ENGAGED IS THE NEXT STEP FOR US’

Do you plan to have any more children? Marnie: If we do have more, I’d have a surrogate. I don’t know anything about it so

I’d have to do a bit of research. It’s a route that I never thought I’d have to go down.

Casey: And I’m completely fine with it.

It’s her body, not mine. She doesn’t care about her body changing, it’s because of her bladder condition.

Marnie: Childbirth is really bad for me because of it. I’ve been in a lot of pain with it and it’s affected my first few weeks with Rox, which I’ve been really down about it. I wouldn’t want to risk that again.

How long have you had the bladder condition? Marnie: I was diagnosed in 2016 and I’ve had it managed since 2017. It flares up now and again but it got a lot worse after childbirth.

It’s like having a constant UTI. I got down about it after the birth. It hit me hard mentally because I was so ill and I wanted to do so much with Rox and I just couldn’t. I found it really stressful, but I’m on the mend.

That’s good to hear! How many more kids can you see yourselves having?

Casey: One more. I’m not being negative and I love Rox so much, but when people say they love the night feeds, I don’t understand it. I enjoy him now, but I think I’ll really enjoy him when he’s a bit older. At the moment, he just sleeps, eats and shits.

Marnie: I think men enjoy them when they get older and they can play with them.

Would you like a girl next?

Casey: I would, yeah, just so that we have one of each.

Marnie: Yeah, I would too. But I could see myself with two boys and one girl. Then the brothers can look after their sister.

How has parenthood changed you?

Marnie: It hasn’t changed our lifestyle, it’s just that all our focus is on him now. And it’s definitely matured us.

Casey: I just don’t get much sleep.

Marnie: You’ve slept every night!

Casey: That’s not true.

Who’s been doing the night feeds?

Marnie: My nana’s been doing a lot of them while I’ve been ill, but as I’m feeling better I’ve tried to do them. I was up the other night and Casey slept through it! He didn’t even flinch.

Did you feel an immediate bond with Rox? Marnie: Yeah. The feeling that you get is overwhelming. It’s surreal.

Casey: I cried! I’m not the type so I didn’t think I would. But it was such an overwhelming feeling when I held him for the first time.

Who do you think he looks like?

Marnie: I think he’s got a mixture of both of us. I did a poll on Instagram and 53 per cent of my followers thought he looked more like Casey, but that’s almost half and half, so I can deal with that.

Casey: I have a line above my top lip and Rox has got one as well.

What’s the reaction to his name been like? Marnie: Everyone likes it! But what I have found is that nobody has ever heard of it before for a boy.

Casey: Rox isn’t too out there, but it’s also unheard of for a boy.

Have you been targeted by any mummy shamers on social media?

Marnie: No I haven’t yet. But Casey has!

Casey: We’re currently giving him the presterilised milk bottles and I’ve had people questioning why we’re doing it, but it works for us. And people have been saying I wasn’t holding him right. I just think, “Shut up!”

Do you feel any pressure to get back in shape, Marnie?

Marnie: Not at all. That’s the last thing on my mind and I’ve been advised that I can’t work out yet. I’ve actually lost a bit of weight unintentionally due to the stress of my bladder infection.

Have you had lots of well wishes from your Geordie Shore pals?

Marnie: Yeah. Sophie Kasaei and Holly Hagan came to visit us.

Casey: And Gaz Beadle came down too, which was nice.

How is filming going for the second series of Geordie OGS?

Marnie: Really good. I haven’t filmed as much as I did last time because of my illness, but it was still so much fun. And they’re extending the series so we’re picking up filming again in January. Rox was so good with the cameras. All the crew thought he was so well behaved.

Will Charlotte Crosby be making an appearance at all?

Marnie: She’s doing her own stuff but it would be amazing if she did. We speak all the time. I’ve sent her loads of pictures of Rox and when she gets the chance she’s going to come down and see him.

What do you make of her split with

Josh Ritchie?

Marnie: I haven’t really spoken to her about it because I don’t want to intrude, so I don’t know what’s happened. But if they have split, it’s a shame because they made a lovely couple.

According to reports, they broke up because Charlotte is ready to settle down but he isn’t. Is marriage and kids something she wants? Marnie: It’s funny because the last time I spoke to her she actually said that she doesn’t think she’s ready, so I don’t know.

She definitely wants it some day, but she’s so busy right now.

Back to you… What would you like to do next career wise?

Marnie: I’ll do anything I’m interested in that’s thrown at me, but at the moment

I’m just really happy doing Geordie OGS.

It’s three to four days a week, but it’s very relaxed. I’ve really enjoyed it.

Would you ever consider doing your own family reality show?

Casey: I’d love to.

Marnie: I think it would be too demanding. I enjoy sharing [the spotlight] with the other Geordie Shore cast mates as there’s less pressure.

What’s been your highlight of this year? Marnie: It has to be having Rox.

Casey: Definitely. Looking back, we’ve had an amazing year all round.

What are you hoping 2020 brings for you? Marnie: Health and happiness are the most important things.

Have you made any New Year’s resolutions? Marnie: I don’t really set them for myself.

If I did, it probably would have been to quit smoking, but I haven’t smoked now for a year so I’ve done it. I obviously couldn’t smoke while I was pregnant and then my doctor advised me not to because of my bladder condition. I didn’t realise it before, but everything you put into your body can affect your bladder. I’ve even been told to cut out chocolate and sugary foods. So

I’ve gone on a bit of a health kick, but not for my weight. I just want to get healthy and back on track.