Ferne McCann has announced her engagement to boyfriend Lorri Hanes, just seven months after going public with the property developer.
The former TOWIE star, 31, shared the news with followers on Instagram on Saturday afternoon, along with the first look at her sparkling engagement ring.
Captioning a photo of herself and her new fiance embracing, she wrote: ‘So happily existing. I can’t wait to deal with you forever baby.
Sharing a similar photo with her own followers, delighted Laurie, also 31, added: ‘She said yes, yes.
Happily ever after: Ferne McCann announces engagement to boyfriend Lorri Hanes, just seven months after going public with property developer
The TV star confirmed her romance with the businessman in January, shortly after the break-up of her six-month relationship with DJ and marketing manager Jack Padgett.
Speaking to the Sam & Billie podcast in May, Ferne admitted he has already changed the family dynamic on her ITVBe show, First Time Mum, and is looking forward to viewers seeing her happy.
But she admitted she found it difficult to introduce her daughter, Sunday, four, to Laurie as they also navigated the cameras around.
Over the moon: A shared a similar photo with his own followers after proposing to her
She said yes: Lori broke the news to her own followers at the same time as Ferne
She said, “Filming this series was a completely new experience for me. It was the first time I shot with a partner in a relationship and it was a completely different dynamic.
“Going from being a single parent and Sunday having to deal with that, I think people will love that in this series, seeing the dynamic between our family.
“It’s hard, it’s not easy to introduce your child to your new partner and you want everything to go right, then obviously there are cameras following you.”
Whirlwind romance: The TV personality confirmed her romance with businessman Laurie in January
cute! Fern admitted it was difficult introducing her daughter Sunday, four, to Laurie (pictured in April) as they also navigated the cameras around while she filmed her reality show, First Time Mum
Ferne revealed that Laurie is a natural when it comes to filming her reality show and is a “great addition”.
She continued: “It’s scary and it’s alien and it can be quite uncomfortable because when you first start shooting with someone, you’re almost filtering and editing yourself to say what you think they want.
“But for some people, it just comes naturally to them, and Laurie really took it in her stride.”
She added: “He’s been such a great addition, I’m really excited for this new series because I can’t wait for viewers to see me happy.”
Bravo: Celebrity friends lined up to congratulate the couple after they announced their engagement on Saturday afternoon
She also hinted at marriage after admitting that he is the first boyfriend she sees as a long-term commitment.
She said OK! ‘[Marriage and kids] it’s definitely something we talk about all the time. Laurie is the first person I see a future with, so these things often come up.
“And with one of my best friends, Danielle [Armstrong] getting married this year – it’s happening all around us. This is not just a dream – I feel it will happen.
Upset: Ferne was left blindsided when a video of her boyfriend, 31, allegedly taking drugs, was shared online while filming her ITVBe program
Family getaway: Ferne was on holiday in the Maldives with Laurie and her daughter on Sunday 4 when video emerged of him allegedly taking drugs when the video
However, the former TOWIE star was left stunned when a video of Laurie allegedly taking drugs was shared online while filming the ITVBe program in the Maldives with her daughter on Sunday
In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, she admitted that using her series as a platform to document the incident was “difficult” but essential to her healing process.
Viewers watched in shock as the businessman expressed his guilt and tearfully said he felt like a “burden”.
Romantic: In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, she admitted that using the series as a platform to document the incident was ‘difficult’ but essential to her healing process
After putting the episode behind her, she said: “I’m a very open book and I’m an honest person. I wear my heart on my sleeve with everything from relationships to what’s going on in my life to parenting.
“I just feel like when something happens in my life and it’s in the press, just being open about it and talking about it and using the show as a platform to do that… sometimes it’s not easy, but sometimes it felt therapeutic.
“But it was really hard when Laurie’s past came up in the press and managing and dealing with that while filming a TV show.”
Exes: Ferne has had a famous love life, recently splitting with Jake Padgett (pictured together) last year after they spent the second lockdown together
Hard times: Before Jack, she was in a relationship with jailed acid attacker Arthur Collins, with whom she shares her daughter on Sunday, four
Speaking candidly, she vowed not to judge her husband by his “colorful” past, adding that she would only accept people “at face value in the present moment”.
Ferne continued: “Laurie has done so much work and I know the person he is today, moving forward, and I know what kind of person he is.
“I just can’t judge past videos and the person in those videos, I can only judge the person I know today.”
Love: Last year the star admitted she used to ‘struggle to come to terms’ with being a single parent (pictured with Sunday)
The former I’m A Celeb co-star, who has previously made no secret of her desire to marry Laurie, also declared him ‘The One’ and said she ‘wants a ring on her finger soon’.
She said: “It’s not subtle at all, I’d like to get engaged before my 32nd birthday but I have to give him a chance. We’ve only been together since… almost approaching five months.
“Hopefully he’ll have a ring on his finger soon.”
Here it is: Lori is a real estate agent and describes herself as a “part-time jeweler and aspiring entrepreneur” in her social media bio
Fern has had quite the love life, most recently splitting with DJ Jake Padgett last year after they spent the second lockdown together.
After the split, the TV personality revealed that she still wants to find her happily ever after, but falls for men too easily.
Fern told The Sun: “I’m such a love freak – I love love so much and of course I want to find my happily ever after.”
The blonde bombshell had only positive things to say about Jack, 27, describing the split as “mature”.
Cute: The former TOWIE star took to Instagram in January to post a handful of pictures with Laurie
“I’ve learned so much from this relationship and from Jack, and we’ve had some wonderful times,” she said.
Fern and Jack moved in together amid the winter lockdown shortly after they started dating and she admitted the next step in their relationship was her downfall.
“But in the end it also precipitated our separation because coming out of the blockade and the world opening up meant that suddenly our lives were very different and we were like passing ships,” she explained.
She was previously in a relationship with convicted acid attacker Arthur Collins, with whom she shares daughter Sunday, four.
Arthur is currently serving a 20-year sentence in Woodhill Prison, Milton Keynes, after carrying out an acid attack at a London nightclub in 2017, which left sixteen people with chemical burns and three temporarily blinded.
Smitten: Ferne has previously made no secret of wanting to marry Lorri, declaring him ‘The One’ and saying she ‘wants a ring on her finger soon’
Last year, the former TOWIE star admitted she used to ‘struggle to come to terms’ with being a single parent as she reflected on the challenges she faced raising a child on her own.
Ferne said: “I guess I was one of the people who maybe had the wrong idea about single parenting because I didn’t want to be called a single parent when I was pregnant.
“I didn’t want to be labeled that because I still hadn’t come to terms with the fact that I was going to be a single parent. Until I started living and being like that, then I felt really proud.
Fern recalled that she did a ‘360 overnight’, elaborating: ‘Now I’m perfectly fine with being called a single parent because the fact is, I am.
“The misconception isn’t that you’ve failed, but that you obviously don’t plan on being a single parent – although I know some people do.”
Add Comment