'I always wanted to be famous... but it's come with a price'

Ferne McCann looks back on an explosive decade in the public eye and talks regrets, the darker side of fame and what she has learned about herself

- BETH NEIL

When Ferne McCann stepped in front of the TOWIE cameras for the first time back in June 2013, she was thrilled to get her moment in the spotlight. She’d always wanted to be famous and, having seen several of her friends already become celebrities thanks to the show, couldn’t wait to get started herself. Ten years on, Ferne admits that she was naïve and didn’t have a clue what she was letting herself in for. Fame, she says, is not all it’s cracked up to be.

“It’s definitely a case of be careful what you wish for,” she says. “I always wanted that limelight and for people to know who I was and I was never shy about saying that, growing up. It makes me feel uncomfortable now, knowing what I know.

“I wanted it all, but that’s come with a price which I really wasn’t prepared for,” says Ferne, who is currently expecting her second child, due this summer.

But when asked if she regrets ever signing up to TOWIE, her reply is instant.

“No! I know you might expect the answer to be, ‘Oh, I wish I could be normal,’ but even though I’ve had my ups and downs, it’s that whole butterfly effect.

“Would I be sitting here now pregnant with my second baby and about to launch my own business with my partner without having made the decision to go on that show?

“It’s all part of the journey.” She’s referring to Shoorah, her new on-the-go wellbeing app which focuses on creating bite-sized mental health tools. It’s a joint venture with entrepreneur fiancé Lorri Haines, 32, and Ferne admits that going into business with a partner is a big decision.