I’ve finally met someone I want to have kids and spend the rest of my life with, reveals unlucky in love Ferne McCann
HER laces are tied and her tabard is ready ahead of the Great Manchester Run.
But the finish line isn’t the only thing Ferne McCann is running towards — as right now she’s barrelling head first into what she says is true love.
In an exclusive interview, the former Towie favourite says she has finally met the man she will spend the rest of her life with — Dubai-based jeweller Lorri Haines.
Beaming Ferne, 31, says: “I would love to get married and I think about it all the time.
“I have never thought about it until now because I have met someone now that I would genuinely marry.”
A video of Lori appearing to inhale a white powder in Dubai was revealed last month after pals shared it on WhatsApp groups.
'Absolute hell'
Despite this, Ferne is confident he is the right man for her — and just days after the video came to light, she told her 2.7million Instagram followers he was her “soulmate”.
Ferne adds: “He is a very grounded, likeable, loveable, loyal man and I really respect him.
“We have a lot of parallels in our lives that are very much aligned. I have never experienced that before.”
There is no doubt Ferne, who came third on I’m A Celebrity in 2015, is made of sterner stuff.
In April 2017 her life came crashing down when her boyfriend Arthur Collins was arrested for an acid attack at Mangle nightclub in Dalston, East London.
Ferne was pregnant at the time with their daughter Sunday — and just days before the attack, the couple had posed for a glossy magazine cover and said they planned to marry.
Collins, 29, was later sentenced to 20 years behind bars — with an extra five years on licence.
He lost his appeal against the sentence and is still locked up at Category A HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes, Bucks.
Ferne later spoke of her devastation on her ITVBe series First Time Mum.
She said: “You find out you’re pregnant, you’re so excited — and then your whole life and world is turned upside down. It was like absolute hell.”
Now she makes it clear her life has changed a lot since her relationship with Collins.
She says: “I am different now — I am older and wiser. I have learned from mistakes.”
And so sure is Ferne of her romance with Lorri, that she cannot wait for them to expand their family.
Ferne says: “I want to have more kids, for sure.
“I have met someone that I can see the rest of my future with. I can’t wait to extend my family and for Sunday to have siblings.”
Lorri, says Ferne, will also feature in the eighth series of First Time Mum which reveals the warts-and-all reality of single parenting.
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Ferne says: “He is the first man I have ever properly introduced on my show. You are going to see lots of him. We are filming it now and I love it.
“I will continue to entertain and share what is in my life for as long as people want to watch me.
“I like to plan ahead but I think if you’re happy and content, why rock the boat?
“I love that First Time Mum represents single parent families, which are very common in the UK.
“I started filming the show when I was pregnant and I didn’t have the most conventional pregnancy, so it’s had ups, downs and everything in between. I am a live-in-the-moment girl. Things can happen and change is inevitable.”
Born and raised in Brentwood, Essex, Ferne has worked hard for what she has.
Since her three-year stint on Towie ended in 2016, the former Miss Essex has carved out a successful career in her own right as a TV personality and lifestyle influencer — propelling her wealth to more than £5.5million.
And when she is not juggling filming, work projects and being a solo mum, Ferne has found solace in running.
She explains: “Running is the ultimate cardio. If you are on some kind of body goal journey you will experience weight loss.
“But for me, running isn’t just about your physical health. It is also about your mental state.
'Pent-up anxiety'
“The other week I had pent-up anxiety and stress over something that had really irritated me.
“I went for a run and when I came back I felt much calmer. It’s like meditation and therapy to me.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re not a professional. Running is accessible to anyone. It doesn’t matter who you are.
“I am still very much a beginner. It is just one step at a time.
“For your mental state it really is quite amazing, especially because of the pandemic. Running is so freeing for the mind.”
Now she is taking the next step. In May, Ferne will compete in her first event when she takes part in the Great Manchester Run.
And although she has had more than her fair share of challenges in her time, Ferne says the idea of tackling a 10k run worries her. She adds: “I’ve done a few open water swims and I’ve led an active lifestyle but I’ve never done anything like this.
“I probably have a few miles in me running around after Sunday over the years but I have never signed up to a race.
“This was a New Year’s resolution for me as I really wanted to challenge myself more.
“I am aiming to have done a half marathon by the end of the year.”
Completing these fitness challenges aren’t the only ambitions Ferne has for the future. And after spending more than three decades in her native Essex, she yearns for an adventure.
Ferne says: “I’d love to travel the world with Sunday. And I would love to relocate — to jet off to LA.
“I think Essex will always have a very special place in my heart but I am not stuck there. An opportunity could land on your lap that could take you outside of where you know.
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“Anything could happen.”
Ferne is taking part in the Great Manchester Run on Sunday, May 22. For more info, visit .
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