Content Warning: This article touches on the topic of prenatal depression which may be triggering for some readers.
She was once known as Geordie Shore’s happy-go-lucky party girl, but these days, Charlotte Crosby is a world away from the boozy antics that catapulted her to fame on the hugely popular reality series.
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Currently 31 weeks pregnant, Charlotte has swapped shots for hot chocolates as she chats to New Idea about everything from finding her true love, the dark side of pregnancy, and the relaunch of her podcast.
“It’s been a long time since the Geordie Shore days, so I’ve gradually become a bit calmer – but I definitely wouldn’t say I’ll be one of those calm, sensible mums!” Charlotte laughs.
It’s no secret that the star had her fair share of failed relationships throughout her 20s, which included a turbulent on-and-off relationship with Geordie Shore co-star Gaz Beadle that ended after Charlotte was hospitalised with an ectopic pregnancy in 2016 – while he was cheating on her during filming for Ex On The Beach!
Now 32, Charlotte no longer suffers fools and believes she’s finally found “the one” in partner and father of her child, Jake Ankers, with whom she went Instagram-official in January this year.
“Jake just is an angel sent from above,” the I’m A Celebrity star gushes. “I don’t know what I would do without him in my life!”
“It was so worth all the bad relationships to finally meet the person who not just opened my eyes, but has, like, blown me out of the water! I feel like I’m living in a movie every single day of my life – he’s perfect.”
“The only ‘bad’ thing I can say about him is that he loves football so much. I’ve literally never had anything bad to say about him!”
Always an open book, Charlotte has chosen to take fans along for the ride in her pregnancy journey in her new Nova podcast, Always On, where she certainly doesn’t hold back on dishing every detail.
“While I’m pregnant and I’ve got so much going on over in the UK it just made sense to almost do a diary once a month, just checking in and occasionally getting other people involved who are on the journey with me,” she explained.
But along with sharing her excitement in becoming a mum for the first time, Charlotte revealed that she hopes to shine a light on the not-so-happy things that expectant mothers often face.
“I don’t think anyone really prepares for it, but I got a really bad depression feeling in the first trimester which lasted about a week,” she said.
“It was like a cloud was constantly looming over me, I had no motivation to do anything. I just felt really unhappy, I couldn’t even have conversations with Jake – he didn’t know what to do, I pretty much went mute.
“I didn’t know what to do because people don’t usually talk about feeling low or sad while pregnant, I was embarrassed. No one talks about it”
After researching her feeling on forums, Charlotte soon found that she wasn’t alone.
“I wanted to know if anyone else felt the same, and all these women were dealing with the same thing – it’s called prenatal depression.
“That feeling only lasted about seven days – I think it was the influx of all the hormones, and I think it’s a totally normal thing to feel but it’s not talked about.”
You can tune in to Charlotte’s musings on Nova’s Always On podcast.
If you or someone you know has been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, help is always available. Call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit their website.
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