Sam Faiers' fourth baby bombshell as she opens up on plans to expand family

With three young children to raise, a hit podcast to host with her sister Billie Shepherd and the launch of beauty brand Revive Collagen in LA, Sam Faiers definitely has her hands full. But the 33-year-old is not about to kick back and relax any time soon and when we sit down for an exclusive chat, she is keen to discuss motherhood, family life and leaving reality TV behind her.

Talking about the arrival of her youngest child — two-year-old Edward — the former TOWIE star, who is also mum to Paul, eight, and Rosie, six, with her partner Paul Knightley, says, “People say, ‘You’ve had two, the third will slot in.’ But I found my whole life was turned upside down. Paul and Rosie are in school, there are no nappies and they are fairly independent… and then I went back for the third!

“Paul and I always wanted a big family. However, I was getting my routine back with some breathing space. It was almost a shock [having a third]. I think I got used to being like, ‘Oh, right, I can do this now they’re at school in the daytime and I can work out my week.’ But Edward’s never been a great sleeper. Even last night he had me up two or three times.”

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So having been through the nappy changing and sleepless nights for a third time, does that mean Sam, who’s been with Paul since 2014, has ruled out expanding her family any further? “Do you know what, it’s hard to say no,” she sighs. “I’m such a maternal person and I love babies, and even now Edward is coming up to two and a half, I say to Paul, ‘Why is it all so sad?’

“Being a parent you have all these highs and lows, and now I’m looking at him and he’s such a character. But he’s not a baby any more. So I don’t know. I’m not going to say no. I am maternal, but I’m busy at the moment, so I don’t know about it right now.”

Sam first appeared on our TV screens in 2010, when she starred in TOWIE, but since leaving the show in 2014 and welcoming her first child at 25, she’s led a far less drama-filled life. In fact, she’s happy to admit she’s learnt from her mistakes and “isn’t perfect”, especially when it comes to being a mum.

Talking about parenting mishaps, she says, “I’ve probably had loads over the years. No one is perfect, are they? I guess I’ve never really been a ‘routine mum’, and I breastfed all mine on demand. For the first year of each baby, I never gave myself a break.

“I’ve got friends that breastfed and also expressed to get a good night’s sleep. I’ve never done that but I probably should have in hindsight. I think sleep is something mums should prioritise as much as we can because our energy just gets sapped.”

Breastfeeding Edward wasn’t easy for Sam, who developed mastitis twice. “I was very poorly,” she explains. “It was so painful but I powered on through it. The best thing you can do, I think, is to feed through it. But it knocked me down, you feel helpless because you’re in so much pain.

“Edward then had really bad eczema. He’d never had it before but it started around four months of age. I didn’t know what to do and at one point he was covered in sores and was weeping, it was that bad. As a parent, it was difficult to understand and I had to wrap his little fingers up at night because he would scratch his body and he would wake up and there would be blood. It was so sad because I’d never had it with the other two. And you start thinking, ‘What have I done wrong? What’s different?’ So that was quite tough.

“We finally overcame that after six months and Edward had a new lease of life. I know it’s only eczema, but when you go through that, it feels like so much more than that.”

Sam, who was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2014 after becoming ill while in the Celebrity Big Brother house, drew on her own health experiences to help find a cure for baby Edward.

“They always say the main thing could be dairy, but it couldn’t have been because he was exclusively breastfed. However, at that time, I began to wean him. We got his diet under control, stripped everything back and did things naturally and holistically so we didn’t have to use any medication.

“I also bought this red light, which was said to be beneficial for healing eczema and skin allergies. I’d wrap it around his car seat or when he was in his high chair in the morning to get as much red light as possible. And things like vitamin D, I would give him drops three or four times a day. I tried everything. He grew out of it and he doesn’t have it now, touch wood. But it was tough. I’ve been really into holistic health for a long time because of my health issues with Crohn’s and I’m always researching and finding new potions.”

After leaving TOWIE, Sam starred in her own reality series Sam And Billie Faiers: The Mummy Diaries for nine seasons. But three years ago she shocked fans when she decided to quit. To this day, she still stands by her decision.

“I always felt comfortable doing reality; it’s something I’d done for a very long time. It’s not that I was saying I’m never coming back to TV, it was more for the point of letting my kids just be kids and not having to film with my whole family,” Sam explains. “It’s something I would always look into doing myself in the future, but it was more about when the kids started school. I just wanted them to be living their lives as normal children, not having to come home and cameras be there.”

It was reported last month that her sister Billie, who has three children — Nelly, 10, Arthur, seven, and 22-month-old Margot — with her husband Greg Shepherd, would also be stepping away from the show, so it seems they may both be encouraging a life away from the limelight for their kids. “I’ll try to keep them away from having a smartphone for as long as possible,” Sam says. “I’ll prolong it for as long as possible because I want to keep my children as innocent [as I can] and keep their childhood.”

Living life online, Sam explains, has been a constant battle over the years as she’s been trolled and received hurtful comments. But nothing will ever stop her from speaking her mind, and in her book, My Baby & Me, she revealed baby Paul was in her bed for a year and that she breastfed for 15 months.

“You get a few trolls, but 99.9% of the time I’ve got such a lovely following,” she says. “I think there are quite a few things that might be seen as controversial which I don’t think are at all, like co-sleeping or the way that I breastfed for longer than maybe some others. It’s quite hard to find other celebrities who would maybe showcase this side of parent life. I don’t do stuff all the time, but when I do, I find it quite impactful. Not everyone’s going to agree, but that’s the risk you run by being honest and open.”

One thing’s certain, family time will always be Sam’s priority and she’s just enjoyed a much-needed holiday with her brood on Royal Caribbean cruise ship Oasis of the Seas. “It was so nice to do something where we were all fully involved with the activities. The trip was so family-packed and we visited five different places in Europe, which we would probably never do with young kids. There were so many advantages to it and everything was seamless.

"There were so many activities, including a dry slide called The Ultimate Abyss, a surf simulator called FlowRider, a zip line and an aqua park called Splashaway Bay. Then every night there was an AquaShow. I could list a million things. The highlights for me were the activities and the entertainment. There was a lot of juggling though to try and keep all three children happy because there was so much to do. It was a trip of a lifetime.”

Sam Faiers has partnered with Royal Caribbean International (www.royalcaribbean.com/gbr/en) for her holiday onboard cruise ship, Oasis of the Seas. Offering the ultimate choice for a family holiday and memorable quality time, six Royal Caribbean ships will sail from five European destinations next summer (2025).