‘Fame is addictive
but it left me
feeling worthless’
After two years in the TV wilderness, Lauren Goodger
is making a return to our screens on Celebs Go Dating
- but she tells us her fame has come at a price
EXCLUSIVE
W
e’ve interviewed Lauren
Goodger many times over the
years and we like to think we
know her quite well. But when
we meet for our exclusive shoot at a posh
members-only club in London, there’s
something different about her.
The star seems happier than ever after a
tough couple of years, during which she broke
up with jailbird boyfriend Joey Morrisson,
briefly rekindled things with another bad
boy ex, Jake McLean, and dealt with horrific
panic attacks.
Throughout all the drama, Lauren laid low,
resisting big TV offers and choosing to focus
on her private life instead. But now she’s back,
starring in the new series of Celebs Go Dating,
and it’s clear she’s bursting with excitement.
“It’s the most fun I’ve had in a long time,”
she gushes, her face radiating happiness.
“I feel like people are finally gonna see the
real me.”
Lauren has certainly been misunderstood in
her time. Whether she’s been reviled for making
bad relationship choices, criticised for her
weight or mocked for her infamous pout, she’s
had it tougher than a lot of her counterparts.
“I have no idea why I was always a target,”
she tells us. “It has been upsetting.”
Indeed, finding fame alongside childhood
sweetheart Mark Wright in the first series
of TOWIE exposed Lauren, 32, to the brutal
trappings of showbiz at a young age and left
her suffering from panic-induced nightmares.
As a result, she took a step back from the
limelight, but her turbulent love life and not
working consistently left her feeling lost, so
PHOTOGRAPHER: David Cummings VENUE: The King’s Head Members Club HAIR & MAKE-UP: Rosie Lewis CGD couldn’t have come at a better time.
And so here she is, sitting pretty in the
public eye once more – but this also means
the rumour mill is in full swing all over again.
Did she really get cosy with co-star Lee Ryan?
What’s the truth behind the rumoured TOWIE
reunion? And what madness goes down on a
night out with Katie Price and Jack Fincham?
Here, Lauren sets the record straight on
the gossip, talks about her recent near-death
experience and tells us how she deals with
the anxiety brought on by fame...Hi Lauren! It’ll be nice to see you back on the
box. How’s it going on CGD?
I absolutely love it. It’s one of the best shows
I’ve ever done. I’m so glad that finally people
are going to see the real Lauren. Thank God!
There have been rumours that you’ve been
getting cosy with Lee Ryan...
Er, wrong one!
Excuse us?
I’ve known Lee for a long time. He’s a lovely
guy but there’s absolutely nothing romantic
in it. Everyone got that one wrong! If they
knew the truth about who I really liked, they’d
be shocked.
Tell us who, then!
[Laughs] I’m not saying a word.
Are you saying you’ve met someone?
I can’t say yes or no, but I am dating. I’m still
single, technically, for the first time ever,
really. It’s such an exciting time. Plus, I haven’t
done TV for two years, so this feels like a real
comeback for me.
It’s been a tough couple of years, hasn’t it?
My whole life has been filled with ups and
downs. Finance, family, relationships – I’ve
been through it. But I get through it. Eventhough I’ve had anxiety, I’ve had panic
attacks, I take five minutes and I get past it.
To be honest, I haven’t cried for ages – but
I cried last week just because I needed that
release. It’s healthy. I’m a human being and
I’m not always going to be happy.
Is it true you’ve been having nightmares?
I did when I first started in this industry. The
paps used to hide in bushes outside my house
years ago when I was in TOWIE. That’s when
I first started getting anxiety. It used to freak
me out because it was so stalkery! They’d try
to take horrible pictures that made me look
bad when I came home from a night out. They
used to jump out at me.
Why do you think you were a target when
co-stars like Sam Faiers were never treated
like that?
I don’t know, but the paps always preferred
to follow me. Out of all the TOWIE lot, I’d be
the one they’d choose to focus on. It was
upsetting, but at the same time flattering.
It means you’re the bigger star in their eyes.
And I get it, TOWIE was initially based on mine
and Mark’s relationship, so there was a lot of
interest in us. And that’s what made fame so
addictive. But equally, that’s what’s hard – one
minute you can be so current and doing so
much, and the next you’re not doing a whole
lot. You can feel worthless.
Would you say that’s been your narrative?
Well, I’ve been off the telly for a while, but I’ve
done other jobs in the meantime. And I did
want a break. I needed one. Mental health
is quite important and there’s only so much
a person can take. At that point, I stopped
doing TV, I didn’t have a strong family unit
or a boyfriend who was by my side.