Former Coronation Street actress Michelle Keegan and TOWIE star Mark Wright have enjoyed almost 10 years of marriage together as they prepare to take the next step and become parents
Actress Michelle Keegan and husband Mark Wright have announced they are expecting their first child together.
The couple tied the knot almost 10 years ago and have built a mega mansion together in Mark’s native Essex. They are now ready to take the next step in their romance as they become parents. Michelle and Mark shared a joint post with their followers announcing the happy news.
“2025 is going to be a special one for us… [baby emoji. love heart emoji],” the caption read alongside a photo of Michelle cradling a baby bump on the beach with Mark looking on. As the couple prepare for their next step together we take a look back at their romance…
Path to romance
Mark is known for his time on The Only Way Is Essex, where is relationship with Lauren Goodger was well documented. However, they split in 2012 and Mark moved on with Michelle. Mark and Lauren had been together for 12 years on and off. Michelle met Mark in 2012 in Dubai and kept their romance away from the public gaze until the Soap Award in 2013, appearing as a couple for the first time.
Lavish wedding
Their wedding day on 24 May 2015 was a spectacular affair, with the service held in St Mary’s Church in Bury St Edmunds. The couple had ordered 20 trees, each 12 feet high, to decorate the aisle, and there were flowers galore. The new Mr and Mrs Wright treated their audience to a version of the iconic Patrick Swayze-Jennifer Grey routine and lift from Dirty Dancing, accompanied by the hit song (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.
The couple then jetted off to Dubai for their honeymoon, staying at an amazing underwater suite at the exclusive Atlantis, The Palm hotel. The beachside resort in the United Arab Emirates was where the Our Girl actress first met Mark in 2012.
Mega mansion
Mark and Michelle have been renovating their home, which is reportedly worth around £3.5 million, for the past three years and have been keeping fans update with their progress. The work is pretty much complete, yet the couple love to share new additions with their followers.
In a recent post, Michelle shared an update on their garden, unveiling the impressive pergola. Their stylish outdoor area features a bar, kitchen, dining space, and outdoor heating – while the summery setup, built on tiled flooring and surrounded by glass windows, even includes a pizza oven, which Michelle put to use in the post.
In an interview with The Observer last year, Michelle said: “I was filming in Australia and hadn’t seen the house for months. And when I walked in, Mark had lit all the candles and… I couldn’t speak for five minutes. He was like, ‘What do you think?’ I couldn’t find the words to say how I felt, because I was so overwhelmed. I just burst out crying.”
Baby plans
The couple’s happy news follows years of intrusive speculation from fans and family members about if and when the two stars would start a family together. Speaking in 2020, former soap star Michelle revealed her loved ones had finally stopped asking when she was going to have a baby.
“I get asked about children whereas Mark wouldn’t for example,” she explained to Women’s Health. Michelle added: “Why haven’t I had a child? When am I going to have a child?’ I don’t know what they want me to say. I don’t know what the right or wrong answer is.” When quizzed if her family ask her the dreaded question, the star laughed and replied: “Not any more!… People don’t mean any harm by it, but they know what the answer’s going to be.”
Speaking to The Mirror about being asked about baby plans, she said: “It’s horrible. People don’t know if we’re trying. They don’t know the background of what’s happening. In this day and age, you shouldn’t be asking questions like that. I’m asked purely because I’m a woman. But I’m immune to it now – it’s like a reaction, and as soon as I hear it I brush it off as it’s no one else’s business.”
Long distance romance
Due to their work commitments, Michelle and Mark have been long-distance many times before. “People said how did you deal with it and stuff. Thank God for FaceTime and things like that,” former Coronation Street star Michelle said on The Jonathan Ross Show. “You’re on a countdown the whole time to just get home. I had six months off when I went home, so I went to America.”
Michelle was asked on the Happy Place podcast, by Ferne Cotton how they make it work. She said: “That’s the thing – we’re not the first to it. And it is a job thing.” Discussing a previous project she worked on in Australia, Michelle added: “I had like two months alone but then he’d come out and stay with me for six weeks. And it’s just having and finding that time for each other. I think that’s the main key, but also letting us have our freedom to do what we wanna do career-wise.”
Joint business venture
This year, the couple launched a new business together. They recently launched a new sportswear brand called Aytee7 and have teamed up with online retailer Very. Sharing their news in March, Mark said: “Absolutely BUZZING with this. Exciting news, we’ve collaborated with @veryuk on the new exclusive @aytee7 collection. Focusing on true performance sportswear, check it out and let me know what you think!” Michelle already has a number of her own collections with the brand. The married couple were flooded with support following their news as one said: “Smashed it.” Another added: “Awesome news congrats.” Someone else commented: “So cool,” while others posted clapping hands emojis.
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