Ferne McCann has certainly had her ups and downs over the past few years, but the former TOWIE star is currently loving life with her adorable daughter Sunday, who turns two on Saturday. HELLO! caught up with the model ahead of the fourth series of her TV show, Ferne McCann: First Time Mum, returning to our screens. Ferne told us how she initially struggled with the term 'single mum' as she adjusted to becoming a parent but now feels proud of the title. The star also revealed her hopes for finding love and expanding her family with another child in the future.
Ferne said: "When I was pregnant and when I gave birth, I had a real issue with people labelling me 'single parent' and 'single mum'. I can say now that at that time, I hadn't even come to terms with it myself. I struggled to even look at people raising a child in a partnership. I felt like I was robbed of that. I was like, why can't I just be Ferne McCann 'new mum', why does it have to be 'single mum'?"
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She continued: "It wasn't until I actually lived being a single parent that I was like, hang on a minute, I'm going to eat my words and take back what I said. Now I embrace and love being a single parent. I'm so proud to be a single parent. I couldn't imagine it another way and I feel very proud to be doing it on my own. It's super rewarding."
"Lots of people ask, what's the toughest thing about being a single parent? Well, the clue's in the title - it's the fact that you're on your own. But you just get on with it, whatever situation you find yourself in. There are single parents doing it out there with zero support, with multiple children working multiple jobs and I take my hat off to them because you do just get on with it."
The star is looking to the future and she hopes that means more children. Ferne revealed: "I don't want it to stay like this forever. I would love to fall in love. I would love to have more children. That's something I feel I can say now. I was asked these questions when I was pregnant and soon after I gave birth to Sunday and I felt like it was so premature. I'd literally just had my baby, I just want to enjoy her. Whereas now, Sunday's nearly two, I'd love to meet someone. I'd love to extend and grow my family."
Ferne, who turns 30 next year said she had put too much pressure on herself to find someone. "It was like I woke up one day and went, I want to meet someone, I'm ready, who wants to marry me? I go from zero to 100 and you set yourself up for disappointment. Now I just need to take the pedal off, get back in the dating scene. I'm open to meeting someone. Of course, I have to take Sunday into consideration because we come as a package."
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The star has also developed a tough approach to internet trolls. She explained: "Of course you get the occasional troll who tells me I should have had Sunday in a coat and she's sat in the car seat the wrong way around. The mum police do come out in full force. At this stage, I've grown a pretty thick skin to the trolls.
"I would be lying if I said I didn't read them and it didn't affect you, but I've seen it all now. I've read everything that anyone could possibly say about me. I've seen it all and I just don't focus on the negativity. I just focus on the love and support, otherwise, you just feel depressed and it will really affect you."
Ferne McCann: First Time Mum returns tonight at 9pm on ITVBe.
