Michelle Keegan hits back at 'volatile' claim as Lauren Goodger risks Mark Wright's wrath

Michelle Keegan and Mark Wright are reportedly not impressed with Lauren Goodger's tearful revelations.

The former The Only Way Is Essex star spoke candidly of her former relationship with Mark in a new bombshell interview with dating expert Paul C Brunson. On his We Need to Talk podcast, Lauren shared how Mark was the 'love of her life' before they broke up in 2012, and said he promised to build her a house - which he later did for Michelle.

The reality TV star, 37, confessed: "I never ever thought I was going to love anyone else. I was with him for 12 years on and off. It wasn't a smooth sailing relationship. We broke up a few months here, got back together, but we grew up together." But her poignant admissions were apparently not received well by her ex-boyfriend and his wife.

READ MORE: Lauren Goodger reveals Mark Wright's broken promise which he fulfilled with Michelle Keegan

A source told OK! Magazine: "It's not that Michelle can't sympathise with Lauren or is cross with her, she doesn't know her at all, but she doesn't like what she reads when Lauren talks about her. Mark also gets annoyed and he's very protective of his wife and family. He doesn't like them being brought up by Lauren, especially as it was so long ago. It's ancient history for him."

Another source said: "They've both got so much going on and they don't need someone dragging up history from so many years ago. They've got no issues with Lauren, they just want her to move on."

Lauren has since stood her ground on Instagram and told her followers that the podcast isn't about Michelle or Mark - but how her past shaped her as a person. She said: "Telling my story was never about shaming, blaming or hurting anyone else but just telling my story to help me heal and move forward with my life and career with positivity.

"These are questions I am always asked and I'm no longer afraid to answer." The star heartbreakingly lost her ex-boyfriend, Jake McLean, in a car accident in 2022, and her second daughter Lorena, who was born full-term, shortly after.

Meanwhile, Michelle and Mark have been married since 2015. The former Coronation Street actress was previously set to tie the knot with The Wanted's Max George, who she met in 2010 and got engaged to a year later. Sadly, their romance lasted just two years.

Max blamed his boozing for the split. Speaking to The Sun, the singer explained: "I had a real problem with drinking too much and that was, without doubt, the downfall of our relationship. I was drinking more to forget the fact I was with someone who wasn't making me that happy." Soon after, Michelle's romance with Mark began.

At the time, Mark had been making a name for himself as a reality star on TOWIE. They met on holiday in Dubai and were spotted locking lips in a nightclub. Once back in the UK, they made plans to go on their first official date and managed to keep their relationship under wraps for some months until May 2013.

They arrived hand in hand for the British Soap Awards, and nine months later, Mark popped the question to Michelle. He told The Mirror after the proposal: "I've got now, for the first time in my life, what I've always wanted and what every boy dreams of - affection in a relationship, love, best friend, a girl I fancy... everything rolled into one."

The couple went on to tie the knot in May 2015 in a lavish ceremony where they performed a dance routine to Dirty Dancing classic, Time of Your Life. Following the ceremony, they were separated by 9,000 miles for several years as Mark pursued a presenting role with Extra TV in America and Michelle landed a role in BBC's Our Girl and was filming in South Africa.

It wasn't long before rumours about the state of their marriage flew. A friend of the pair told The Sun: "It's been a turbulent first year and they've been apart much more than they've been together. Things between them are pretty volatile. When you add it up they're just not sharing time, a bed, meals, days out, or chilling together the way couples need to."

Both have always furiously denied the cruel rumours, with Michelle once telling Fabulous magazine: "All the marriage reports are ridiculous. Our marriage is going really well. We're happy. I don't want to constantly say 'We're happy, we're fine,' because why validate it?"

And ambitious Mark wrote on Instagram: "To achieve any dream, you have to jump many hurdles.... you have to face ups and downs along the way and be prepared to do what it takes to conquer it. It may come to you quickly or it may take a while but in the end, if you want something bad enough, with hard work and determination you will achieve it ."

In a recent interview with The Guardian, Michelle became emotional when discussing her life and career, including the dream home she and Mark have built in his hometown of Essex. The couple moved into their stunning new home in September 2022.

They bought the mock-Tudor style house in Essex for a reported £3.5million back in October 2019 and over nearly four years, they transformed the existing property into their very own luxury Georgian-style mansion.

Mid-build, she was filming in Australia for BBC historical drama Ten Pound Poms and said: "And when I walked in, Mark had lit all the candles and... I couldn't speak for five minutes. He was like, 'What do you think?' I couldn't find the words to say how I felt, because I was so overwhelmed. I just burst out crying."

Fighting back tears, Michelle continued with the memory of that moment: "It still gets me emotional. Because we've worked really hard for it. We've had to make a lot of sacrifices. I missed lots of milestones in my life due to work. Mark went to LA and we spent months apart, which was hard. But, it's worth it. And the house it's also about security. Because you never know when all this is going to end."