GIVING the appearance of a happy family jetting off abroad, Lauren Goodger and her ex Charles Drury, along with their three-year-old daughter Larose, looked as though they didn't have a care in the world.
But beneath this picture of domestic bliss lies a far more complicated reality, as 38-year-old Towie star Lauren’s relationship with Charles has been plagued with hardship, and pals say she’s struggling to let go of her "toxic" relationship with him.
Despite enjoying family getaways and a lavish spa break together - including a recent £250-a-night trip to Essex’s Greenwoods spa gifted by Lauren - she has yet to publicly confirm their rekindled romance.
And friends say that while she envisions a future with the 27-year-old builder and even hopes to have another child with him one day, they hold serious reservations about the relationship’s stability.
One pal told The Sun: “Lauren claims publicly that she and Charles are just co-parenting for Larose.
“But the truth is, she does still have feelings for him and would love nothing more than to have another child with him in the not-too-distant future.
“She isn’t putting a label on what their relationship status is, partly because she doesn’t want to be judged, but he is more than just her daughter’s dad.
“They are closer than they have been in years, and there is still sexual chemistry between them.”
Baby plans
Plans for a second child come after Lauren’s heartbreaking loss of their daughter in July 2022.
Lauren lost 9lb Lorena minutes after giving birth, despite doctors battling to save her, and the Towie star spent the following precious hours making memories with her.
They'd fallen pregnant just three months after welcoming first child Larose in 2021, and Lauren was over the moon to become a mum for the second time before the tragic loss.
Lorena, who Lauren described as the "most beautiful healthy baby she'd ever seen", died after her umbilical cord became wrapped around her neck.
On the day of the funeral, Charles was accused of attacking Lauren, and the pair split soon after.
Charles was charged with assault and engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour towards Lauren, which he has denied.
The case was dropped after Lauren withdrew her support for the case, which resulted in a not guilty verdict.
The pair hadn't had the most straightforward of relationships and split up several times.
Charles was also accused of cheating on Lauren.
But a friend of Lauren’s says she’d love nothing more than to be a mum again one day, and wants to have her children with the same man.
One pal said: “Ever since she lost Larose’s sister Lorena, she has wanted to give her another sibling one day.
“Lauren is very traditional in a lot of ways, and wouldn’t want children with different men. She’d like all her kids to have the same dad.
“I would put money on the fact that Lauren will have another baby with Charles one day.
“For all his faults, he is the best dad and absolutely dotes on Larose and vice versa.
“Seeing them together melts Lauren’s heart, and while she has done the best job being a single mum, deep down she just wants to be a family unit again. It’s hard doing it alone.”
'Not the best partner'
Despite Lauren’s wishes to extend her family with Charles, friends have shared their concerns for the star, saying they aren’t sure he’s the best man for her.
Weighing in on her current situation, one said: "No one can argue that Charles is a brilliant dad and will do anything for Larose, but he’s not the best partner in the world.
“The last time they were together, things were really toxic and he was even charged with assaulting her, although he was later cleared.
“Even though both of them have moved past that ordeal, Charles can still blow hot and cold with Lauren, and doesn’t always treat her with the respect she deserves.
“The problem is, Lauren is often drawn to these guys who give her mixed messages and mess her around.”
The friend also believes that part of the reason Lauren is so keen to make things work with Charles, despite their struggles, is that he is one of the few men she has genuinely loved since she split from Mark Wright.
“Lauren has only really loved two men since Mark - Jake McLean, who tragically passed away in July 2022, and Charles,” explains the pal.
“While she moved on from Mark a long time ago, he was her first love and she always compares subsequent relationships to him.
“She’s happy for Mark that he has found love with his wife Michelle Keegan, but it’s bittersweet for her to see Mark embracing fatherhood.
“It doesn’t help that she lives very close to Mark still, so could bump into him at any time. She told her mates just the other week that they had a very near miss when they were both at the same shopping centre at the same time.”
Lauren doesn't want children with different men, she’d like all her kids to have the same dad
Another friend explains: “It’s not that she wishes she was still with Mark in any way, but she still sometimes gets emotional thinking about everything she went through with him - especially as it all played out so publicly.”
In her autobiography, Lauren revealed she terminated a child when she was with Mark, and she still thinks about that.
Her friend continued to add: “That baby would have been 18 this year, and that’s a milestone that isn’t lost on Lauren.
“While Lauren knows it wasn’t the right time for her to become a mum, she still thinks about what their child would have been like from time to time and how different her life might have been if she and Mark had become parents then, almost 20 years ago.
“Even though she knows they made the right decision, based on where they were at that point in their lives, Lauren still feels emotional about it.”
Lauren, 38, and Mark dated for nine years before finding fame on the TV hit show, which led to their romance crumbling one year later.
Last year, Lauren opened up on the split on dating expert Paul C. Brunson’s podcast.
She said: “I hurt him, he hurt me. We had that chat and I knew I was never going to see him again.”
Mark was her first love and she always compares subsequent relationships to him
Paul then asked: “Were you still in love with him?” to which Lauren candidly replied: “Really honest, I don’t think that sort of love from childhood goes away.
“Obviously he’s moved on with his life, and he’s got to respect that and I respect that, but I would love to say, ‘Hey, how are you? All good?’
“We don’t speak. How can he have been seen chatting to me? If someone took a photo of that or said something, it could cause a lot of trouble, more than what it is.”
