How Michelle Keegan & Mark Wright overcame ‘crisis talks’ & ‘toughest moment’ as notoriously private pair share baby joy

WHETHER they were batting off pregnancy questions or going through rumoured ‘crisis talks’, Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan have overcome a lot before announcing they’re expecting a baby.

The couple – who have been married for nine years – shared a touching post on social media yesterday, announcing the happy news that Michelle, 37, is pregnant.

Michelle and Mark, also 37, posted on Instagram with a photo of the former Coronation Street actress cradling her growing baby bump on the beach.

The Brassic star, dressed in a chic white outfit with an off-the-shoulder jumper and matching skirt, couldn’t stop smiling as Mark walked towards her, wearing a coordinated outfit.

They captioned the post: “2025 is going to be a special one for us…”

Here, we take a look inside the notoriously private couple’s relationship – from their ‘toughest moment’ to battling ‘sexist baby questions’. 

‘Sexist’ baby questions 

Over the years the pair, who met on the showbiz circuit after both rising to fame as TV stars, have fielded questions about having children – but have made no secret about wanting a large family.

Back in 2018, Michelle told Women’s Health: “I’ve always been broody. I love kids, and I want four, so hopefully in the near future.”

While in 2019, Mark told The Sun: “We say we’re going to try [for a baby] every year but something comes up with work. So it’ll be Michelle filming in South Africa and then I got the job in Los Angeles – so we think, right, we’ll try next year.”

However, Michelle in particular, has been hit with contact ‘sexist’ questions about when the pair would start a family.

Earlier this year, 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.”

‘Crisis talks’

The couple, who live in a dream £3.5million mansion with five bedrooms, a state-of-the-art gym, a cinema room and an outdoor pool, have faced ‘crisis talk’ rumours too. 

Ever since the private couple tied the knot at St Mary’s Church in Bury St Edmunds in 2015, the pair have been inundated with work. 

Michelle’s acting career has taken her all over the world, while Mark has been busy with his role as a presenter on Heart FM, as well as various fitness initiatives and a spell hosting red carpets in Hollywood.

Earlier this year, the couple, who reportedly fell in love immediately, packed on the PDA as they soaked up the sun on Sydney’s Bondi Beach whilst Michelle enjoyed a break from filming her second series of Ten Pound Poms. 

But trolls were quick to rain on their parade – labelling the former Towie star, “Mark No Job Wright” and accusing him of “keeping his meal ticket sweet”, after his actress wife, had been tipped to land Hollywood fame amid the huge success of her recent Netflix drama, Fool Me Once.

One troll cruelly jibed: “Love the fact all he’s carrying is his shoes. She carries everything else”

Whilst someone else said: “He’s a nobody now. Five minute wonder!”

But insiders claimed that the couple were trying to rise above the negative backlash and had made a pact to support each other.

As reported by Closer, a source delved into the ‘crisis talk’ rumours and said: “Mark has been doing his best to put on a brave face and ignore the comments, but it’s easier said than done – especially when he’s already feeling conscious of the fact that he’s not where he thought he’d be at this point in his career.

They’ve both made a vow that as long as they continue to put each other first, nothing else matters

Source

“He’s immensely proud and supportive of Michelle, but it does hurt when the haters come out in full force and belittle him.

“Michelle is conscious of Mark feeling in any way inferior to her or demasculinised, and seeing how affected he was by the cruel jibes sparked a deep heart-to-heart and, in a way, made them stronger.”

The source also claimed that the couple’s differing career trajectories had been a tense topic for them and added: “Michelle has reassured Mark that these people are just bitter and don’t know the ins and outs of their relationship or what’s going on behind the scenes.

“While Mark and her marriage will obviously always be Michelle’s number one priority, her career is also extremely important to her and she’s keen to ride the wave of success that’s come after Fool Me Once.

“She’d love to conquer Hollywood at some point, and would love it if there were an opportunity there for Mark too.

“Being in Australia has given them time to really talk about their future, and they’ve both made a vow that as long as they continue to put each other first, nothing else matters.”

‘Long distance love’ and their ‘toughest moment’ 

Due to their work commitments, Michelle and Mark have been long distance many times before. 

And Michelle shared the secret to getting through, as she said on The Jonathan Ross Show: “People said ‘how did you deal with it’ and stuff. Thank God for FaceTime and things like that.”

She then added: “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.”

We are based down south but if we travel, we go with each other and I think that really works for us

Michelle Keegan

The couple, who have been married for almost 10 years and recently launched their new sportswear brand Aytee7, also spoke about how their busy schedules can be “really tough”. 

Of Michelle’s possible new opportunities, a source told OK! Magazine: “Heading to America would mean they’d be apart and they’ve already spent a lot of their marriage across the pond when Mark moved over for his job [on entertainment show Extra].

“This would mean another parting for them and it would be tough, no matter how supportive Mark is of her.”

But to get through the toughest moments, travelling together where they can is key. 

Michelle, who’s from Stockport, Greater Manchester, told Fearne Cotton‘s Happy Place podcast: “I think we are really lucky where if I go up north, he comes with me if he can and same when I go down south.

“We are based down south but if we travel, we go with each other and I think that really works for us.”

‘A bit boring now’

Despite travelling for work and living in a luxe mansion, the Fool Me Once star gave fans a glimpse into their private life, revealing that their once late-night outings have now been replaced with earlier evenings that are “a bit more boring”.

Michelle previously revealed: “I’m happy to have a night on the sofa with our dogs watching TV and relaxing.

“But we do still like to get dressed up and go out for dinner.

“In the old days, we’d go out for dinner and drinks until the early hours.”

However, things have now changed as she humorously remarked: “But now, after dinner, I’ll look at my watch and say, ‘It’s 9:30pm, we’d better get back home for bedtime! It’s a bit more boring now!”

The pair live in Essex, round the corner from Mark’s beloved family and fellow Towie stars including Jess Wright and mum Carol.

‘Best friends’ and their ‘Notebook’ romance 

Whilst their romance, which initially started 12 years ago, might be ‘a bit boring’ now, according to the brunette beauty, being ‘best friends’ is the key to their strong relationship.

When asked what makes her and Mark so compatible, Michelle told Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast: “I think just being best friends. I think just being friends and having that relationship.”

Not only are the couple best pals, but Mark has even gone as far to compare his relationship with Michelle to the epic romance between Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams‘ characters in love story, The Notebook.

I remember watching The Notebook, and I honestly feel like what Noah has got, I’ve got

Mark Wright

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Mark previously revealed: “Every single thing you imagine and you dream about falling in love with someone, I’ve got now. 

“I remember watching The Notebook, and I honestly feel like what Noah has got, I’ve got.’” 

And keeping the spark alive is key for these TV stars, as Michelle previously told The Observer: “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. It still gets me emotional. Because we’ve worked really hard for it. We’ve had to make a lot of sacrifices.”