MEGGA STORY
Inside Megan McKenna’s ‘messed up fairytale’ life that’s seen her transform from ‘mental Megs’ to a ‘zen’ mum
Watch the video above to see 'zen' Megan announcing her birth
SHE was once known as 'Mental Megs' whose fiery temper saw her have blazing rows on TV and earn a reputation as a drama queen.
But as she welcomed her first child Megan McKenna couldn't seem more at peace with life.
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The 31-year-old took to Instagram to share a heartwarming video of her newborn baby boy, Landon, who she shares with her footballer fiancé, Oliver Burke.
After announcing his name, she revealed that Landon was born on October 7 at 8.33am, weighing 9lbs 2oz.
However, life hasn't always been so serene for Megan.
As a reality star on shows like TOWIE, Celebrity Big Brother, Ex On The Beach, and Celebs Go Dating, Megan's turbulent love life has been well documented.
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The Essex star, who was dubbed “mental Megs”, even once claimed that she has had a “messed up fairytale” when it came to her love life and admitted to regularly seeing a psychiatrist to deal with the stress of filming TOWIE.
So, what's changed and what's really helped her become Meg McZen? Fabulous investigates...
Dating lotharios and a 'complete dog'
Once hailed as Towie’s power couple, singer Megan McKenna and Pete Wicks first began dating around April 2016, with their relationship deepening when Megan joined TOWIE.
They even spoke of being in love until The Sun exclusively revealed a sex text scandal that rocked their relationship in September 2016.
Pete had sent a series of x-rated messages to model Jacqui Ryland while on holiday with his co-star Megan.
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The tattooed star, 26, confided in Jacqu - whom he had secretly dated earlier in the year - that he missed their time together and couldn't wait to return home from his "boring" trip with Megan
According to the model, their relationship had "fizzled out" but ended on good terms, which is why she reached out when his dog suddenly died.
Megan McKenna gives fans a close up look inside her neutral nursery but eagle-eyed mums are all saying the same thing
Jacqui said: "Why is he doing all these big public affections with her when actually he is just a complete dog?”
Despite the setback, the couple reunited a few months later and were officially back together by December of 2016, and Megan announced that she even wanted to have a baby with Pete.
But throughout their turbulent relationship on TOWIE, Megan branded Peter a “f***king p***” after denying cheating rumours with her ex-boyfriend.
Everybody had this perception of me on the show and I wasn't there to be a b***h
Megan McKenna
However, they ultimately called it quits for good in October 2017. Pete later moved on to date his TOWIE co-star, Shelby Tribble.
In 2019, after a year of feuding Pete and Megan reunited on television for Celebs Go Dating, where they were forced into counselling and candidly discussed their past romance and the reasons behind their breakup .
The pair, who had both signed up to the dating show, buried the hatchet and became friends.
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Megan also dated the late Love Island star Mike Thalassitis, as well as known lotharios Scotty T during her time on Celebrity Big Brother and Ex on The Beach’s Stephen Bear.
But 2021 seemed to be the turning point for Megan who appeared to be happily involved with someone less in the public eye, as she sparked up a relationship with London businessman Josh Riley, but after nearly two years of dating the pair split due to different schedules causing stress.
In February 2023, Megan was then spotted leaving the Corinthia hotel in London after a romantic Valentine's Day mini break with footballer Ollie Burke, and five months later the pair announced their engagement.
Reality TVs drama queen
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In 2021, the former reality TV star also opened up about her complicated relationship with fame, posting a video detailing her journey from "Mental Megs" to a successful recording artist.
She captioned the post: "It’s a messed up fairytale…My shows are being announced sooner than you think."
In the clip, the star is seen mouthing along to the lyrics from Mika's hit single, Grace Kelly.
Rocking a velour Juicy Couture cropped boob tube, the former TOWIE star candidly admitted that she was "judged badly" during her TOWIE and reality TV phase, even though she was just a "young, heartbroken mess."
She shared that her stint on The Only Way is Essex was short-lived, as she struggled with the constant drama.
Last year, she revealed that her stint on TOWIE was “one of the most miserable times of my life” and how the show was like she was “walking into the lion’s den.”
She said: “Everybody had this perception of me on the show and I wasn't there to be a b***h. I stood my ground - although I definitely ruffled a few feathers.”
Finding her zen
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Despite finding fame through reality TV, Megan's always said it was something she was pushed into rather than chose with music being her life-long passion.
Shortly before quitting TOWIE in 2017, Megan jetted off to Nashville to chase a dream in country music, releasing her debut studio album, "Story of Me,"; the following year and this became one of the first real turning point in her life.
The trip was a big win for Megan as her album peaked at number four on the UK Country Chart, with reviews praising her on how well the album was written and said her voice and tone fits country music well.
Winning The X Factor: Celebrity in November 2019 was then huge step up for her career and self-esteem boost, as it marked when people started taking her seriously and recognised there was more to her than being a gobby reality star and saw she was "growing up."
Throughout this time and with the help of her music career launching, Megan admitted to finding her "zen" through therapy and distancing herself from toxic environments.
Cheffing it up
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Since her reality TV days, Megan has not only turned off her fiery temper but also completely overhauled her image.
Long gone are the explosive outburst in silky PJs on Big Brother, as many now see her as a foodie influencer regularly posting gluten-free recipe videos for her 2.9 million Instagram fans.
Growing up, Megan found that she was constantly unwell but in 2016 she was finally diagnosed with coeliac disease, a condition where your immune system attacks your own tissues when you eat gluten.
She also battles irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common condition that affects the digestive system.
In 2022, Megan released her cook book Can You Make That Gluten-Free?, where she speaks about her health battles, as well as revealing tasty recipes for others to try.
Megan’s videos on her social media have been going viral as she reveals her home-cooked recipes including spag bol, Indian style currys, pancakes.
Happily ever after
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She just welcomed her son along with footballer Ollie Burke.
Alongside the sweet video, Megan wrote: "A little bit of you and a little bit of me… now we’re a family."
Megan announced in April she was pregnant with her first child, after rounds of IVF treatment with fiancé Ollie in order to conceive.
Ollie got down on one knee and proposed on June 14, 2023, after the pair had been together for just five months.
The footballer pulled off a romantic proposal while they were away together in Montenegro.
Now she is living the WAG life, with the right winger born on April 7, 1997, and has been on loan at Championship club Birmingham City from Bundesliga club Werder Bremen since 2023.
His football career began at Nottingham Forest when he signed a professional contract in September 2014.
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According to , he has an impressive net worth of £6.5million, while Megan has an estimated net worth of £3.15million, according to .
Megan - who found fame on The Only Way Is Essex - told fans at the time: "YES YES YES a thousand times YES. You have opened up a world I never thought was possible."
How Megan managed to find her happily ever after
Megan McKenna's journey through fame has been a rollercoaster of highs, lows, reinventions, and triumphs - and that has turned out to be the recipe to her success.
Few reality stars have owned that fiery temper, no-nonsense attitude and combined with her gorgeous looks she became instantly memorable when she joined Towie in 2016.
But the darker side of fame took its toll and it would be years before she could shake off her hothead reputation.
Megan had several infamous meltdowns, some on Celebrity Big Brother, but often involving dramatic rows with then-boyfriend Pete Wicks. These were the iconic reality moments that made her tabloid fodder.
Her decision to step away from reality TV and focus on music was a bold move, even bolder was her new look.
At the height of her reality TV fame she embraced the glamorous Towie aesthetic - think lip filler, heavy make-up, big hair and sky-high heels.
After quitting Towie Megan stripped everything back, dissolved her fillers and - as you do when you're getting over a bloke - she got an edgy bleached fringe hair do.
But she faced skepticism from the public and the music industry alike, who questioned whether she could be taken seriously as a singer after years in the reality TV world.
She persisted, even travelling to Nashville to hone her craft and work with seasoned country music producers.
Fans fell in love with her newfound confidence, and winning the spin-off X Factor Celebrity series was a massive seal of approval from them.
A slot at Glastonbury was another jaw-dropping achievement that nobody expected from the Towie star from Essex.
Her latest transformation into becoming a mum has been just as amazing for her fans to see, especially because she has been so honest about her health battles and IVF journey.
Her honest daily updates on Instagram keep her in the public eye and I have no doubt that she'll embrace this new chapter in her life and succeed as she has done many times before.
By Mary Gallagher, Senior Showbiz Report
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