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Guess who’s back, honeys! TOWIE original Amy Childs had us glued to our screens when she made her long-awaited comeback.
And to celebrate her return to the show that made her famous a decade ago, we asked the vajazzle queen to take part in our retro beauty parlour-themed shoot.
“I’m really excited to get my glam on and I’m made to do photoshoots,” she excitedly tells us as she travels in the car on her way to our London studio.
Since leaving TOWIE in 2011 after just two series, Amy, 30, has had her own show It’s All About Amy, appeared on Celebrity Big Brother and has become a mum to two children, Polly, three, and two-year-old Ritchie.
Amy Childs reveals details of six year feud with Bobby Norris after his failed romance with her cousin Harry Derbridge
Amy Childs’ ‘mini-me’ daughter Polly calls her mum ‘hun’ in adorable TOWIE teaser clip
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She’s certainly had her ups and downs and suffered two public break-ups from her children’s fathers Bradley Wright and Ritchie, whose surname she has never revealed.
So we’re pleased to hear she’s in a much better place after “losing herself” two years ago.
“I am back! TOWIE’s given me a new lease of life,” she says.
And it’s not just the ITVBe show that’s putting a smile on her face – Amy is happily loved-up with boyfriend and businessman Tim, whose surname she is also not disclosing. But she tells us he’s pretty much moved into her Brentwood home.
“He hasn’t moved all his stuff in, but he’s with me every single night,” she says. “He’s such a lovely guy.”
Tim, she tells us, is also a huge hit with her kids and has a close bond with Polly, who has emerged as the big star of this series of TOWIE. But don’t expect Polly to be returning for a 20th anniversary show.
“I’d love her to be a lawyer or an accountant,” Amy says.
Here, everyone’s favourite Essex girl reveals the real reason she decided to come back, opens up about her romance with Tim and why she’s hoping for a ring before another baby…
Hi Amy! Was it an easy decision to come back?
I’ve always been associated with TOWIE – it made me the person I am today and it’s been a big part of my life. I always said I’d like to come back, so it was about when it was the right time for me. When I got the call about the 10-year anniversary, I said, “I’d love to come back, even if it was a little cameo.” I’m an Essex girl through and through, so when I got the call I felt overwhelmed. It honestly feels like I’ve never left.
We’re so pleased to have you back on our screens!
I’m the most Essexiest person ever and TOWIE has never left me. People ask me, “Why did you leave TOWIE so early?” But at that time so much got offered to me, and TOWIE was different back then and you couldn’t do certain shows [at the same time]. I wanted to spread my wings and do other things. Coming back 10 years on, I’ve grown up, I’m 30 and I’ve got two children. There’s more to me now than five years ago.
Do you have any regrets about leaving when you did?
TOWIE had just won a Bafta, it was such a big show and at the time it felt right, but years on I thought, “Maybe I did leave too early?” I look back now and think if I didn’t do what I did, it might not have worked out. What will be, will be and it all worked out for me in the end. I remember leaving series two and I burst out crying, because it was such a big part of my life. I get emotional now, being back on there. I’m back and I’m back for good.
Were you welcomed back with open arms?
All of the cast have been amazing. I didn’t want people to think, “Oh my God, why has Amy come back?” I’ve come back because it’s the right time for me.
Are we going to hear more of your iconic catchphrases?
What do you think, honey? I’m not going to let the side down. I’m fun, I’m still the same person, I’ve still got banter and I’ve got Polly on there now. She’s constantly saying, “Shut up!” Polly is definitely going to be a girl who’s very Essexy and she’s a cutie.
How’s Polly finding filming?
If I thought it was too full-on for Polly, I wouldn’t let her do it. She’s a natural, like her mum. She goes to private school in Brentwood for a few hours a day and she’s come on leaps and bounds. She doesn’t stop talking and she’s loving it.
As a busy mum, was it hard to commit to the show?
I love working and I’m very dedicated to anything I do. When I put my mind to something, I’ve got to do it. It was a big thing for me, but in the end I made it work because I wanted to.
Who are you closest to out of the current TOWIE cast?
I film with all of the cast and I really love Georgia Kousoulou and Saffron Lempriere. I filmed with Chloe Brockett the other day and I call her my little daughter as I really mother her. I had my disagreement with Bobby Norris, because he was with my cousin Harry for quite a while. Harry’s my main priority and I was a bit put out, but I’m so glad we cleared the air, because I hate confrontation and rowing with people. We’ve had quite a few scenes together since and had a bit of a laugh, so it’s all good.
Are you the TOWIE agony aunt?
Definitely. I’m the mediator and the mum of the group. I say, “This is what I think you should do.” I see the good in people, but also I get my opinion across and I’m not scared to do that.
You said you wanted to come back for a confidence boost. Have you achieved that?
I feel like I’ve got my life back! I’ve got my mojo back. A couple of years ago, after having the two children, I felt like I lost myself a bit. My friends and family said, “You’ve lost yourself, Amy. You’re not the fun Amy we know.” Now I’m back on TOWIE, I can’t stop laughing.
Why did you feel so down?
I was a little bit down from the break-ups. I forgot who I was. Having two kids is hard work and there’s just 15 months between Polly and Ritchie. Being a mum is the most rewarding job in the world, but you lose yourself and it becomes all about them. I don’t know if I had depression, but I felt very low at times.
Did you get any help?
I didn’t have counselling, but every couple of months I saw a life coach and I think everyone should see a life coach. You feel so much better. I felt so upset with life. But now I feel like I’m back to normal. Amy Childs is back!
We’re so glad to hear it! Are you proud to have created the iconic vajazzle?
I still get people asking me, “Are you still vajazzling?” I want to get this across to readers of new! magazine – I did not invent the vajazzle. If I did I’d be on my boat in St Tropez! But I did bring it to Essex.
It was reported that you criticised Mark Wright for not coming back to the show for the 10-year anniversary…
I want to set the record straight! The only thing I said is that Mark is such a big character and people loved him, so I’d have loved for him to have made an entrance or a little cameo. There was no dig and there’d never be a dig. The show was definitely missing Mark.
What do you make of others who didn’t return?
Lauren Goodger should have come back. She was a big part of the show, but each to their own. She’d said she has been suffering from mental health problems, so I just hope she’s OK.
You and Sam Faiers have been sharing a lot of love for each other on social media recently. Are you in a good place?
I had a little cry the other day, maybe because of PMT as well, but mainly because the memories were so amazing. We had the best time ever and TOWIE with Sam was a big part of my life. There were days where we couldn’t stop laughing.
Do you still speak to Sam?
I haven’t for ages. I see Sue, Sam’s mum, a lot and Sam’s auntie. She lives in Surrey now and it’s hard to catch up when we’re both so busy. But if I saw Sam we’d be sitting there laughing and joking. She is a good friend of mine and always will be.
Would you ever leave your Essex roots behind like Sam and move away?
No! But me and Tim would like to move. I’m having my house done up, so I’m moving out of my house and into my mum and dad’s. My renovations will take about nine months and I’m having three bedrooms built. Then I’m thinking of selling up and moving three miles out of Brentwood, but Mum thinks I’m moving to Australia!
Speaking of Tim, is he The One?
I’ve had a few bad break-ups and people not being right for me, but I’m so happy with Tim. He loves the children and they love him. The relationship with the children and Tim is lovely to see. He is so proud of me and loves me so much. In life you don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’d like to think Tim is The One for me. He’s very affectionate and he’s an amazing guy. My dad loves him, too.
Will he appear on TOWIE?
Potentially, but not anytime soon. He’s got a such a successful business – he has his own flooring company.
Was it a whirlwind romance?
Well, we were set up at Holy Communion. Me and [Amy’s ex] Ritch had split up, I didn’t want a boyfriend and he’d just come out of a relationship. We were texting a little bit and we went for a few coffees, but it didn’t work out. All of a sudden I got signed to do Celebs Go Dating [earlier this year] and I took the show very seriously. But Tim never left my mind. The timing wasn’t right at first, but my heart was always going to be with Tim. I found out he took another girl out and I got a bit upset. The minute I finished Celebs Go Dating he took me out on a date. It was like, “Oh God, we’re going to be together.”
Have you guys spoken about having children of your own?
I’ve just started to get my life back and the kids are so small. I’d love to get married first and then have a baby. But if we had one of our own, he’d be an amazing dad.
Do you think he’ll pop the question soon?
Not anytime soon. We’d like to move first. Our next house will be our dream house – not in Australia, though! It’s about time I met my Prince Charming.
You keep your son Ritchie out of the public eye. Is that hard?
I get messages daily saying, “You care about Polly more than your son.” Me and [her ex] Ritchie had an agreement when I was pregnant not to put baby Ritch on social media. Yes, it’s hard, but I’m used to it. When he’s 10 he might ask, “Mum, why is Polly allowed on there?” I’ll sit him down and talk to him. But he’s got such a lovely character. He’s a mummy’s boy and he’s very clingy, whereas Polly wasn’t. He’s beautiful.
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How’s Polly doing at school?
I can’t believe she’s in school! But she’s really happy. When she first went I burst out crying – I was an emotional wreck. She’s so girly – she woke up this morning saying, “You OK, hun?”
And what’s little Ritchie like?
He is a mini-me. I think Polly resembles me, but my little boy is a double for me.
We’ve seen you doing some workouts on Instagram. Are you feeling confident in the way you look?
I don’t think I’ll ever be confident. I put on a bit of weight in lockdown. It’s hard because we were having food with the kids and having a glass of Prosecco on a Sunday. I try to go to the gym a couple of times a week and I eat healthily. At the minute I’m a size 10 and I would like to lose a bit of weight, but I’m happy. I’ve got the children and a lovely boyfriend – and I’ve still got the mum tum!
Finally, what’s next for you?
TOWIE is my life, but I’d love to do some more reality shows and Strictly one day. I’d love to be a midwife and do a show about it. There are so many mummy shows like The Mummy Diaries and Ferne McCann’s show First Time Mum, so I’d love to do something completely different.
Watch Amy on TOWIE, Wednesdays and Sundays, 9pm on ITVBe
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