Michelle Keegan’s mother-in-law forced to ‘step back’ in her marriage to Mark Wright

Mark Wright’s mother has shared a rare insight into family life with his wife Michelle Keegan in a recent episode of her family podcast, Wright at Home. Carol Wright was joined by her daughters and co-hosts Jessica Wright and Natalya Wright for a bonus episode solving listener dilemmas, which included how to cope with an overbearing mother-in-law.

Detailing the problem sent in by a listener, Jess said: “Whenever my mother-in-law comes over, she acts like I stole her son.” Carol – who is also a mum to footballer son Joshua Wright – paused before declaring that having a new woman enter the family can be “overbearing” and difficult for everyone involved.

Offering an insight into the dynamics between her two sons and their wives, she elaborated: “It’s a hard one because everyone’s sons are like, you know, they’re your sons and… a woman comes along and they do take your son.

“But I’m a bit different because I actually hold back because of that reason. I always think that when the girl comes into our family, they feel a bit overpowering.”

Jess stepped in to clarify that her mum Carol is far from the “evil mother-in-law” she has been painted out to be, no doubt harking back to the family’s days on TOWIE when the showbiz matriarch appeared frosty towards Mark’s then on/off girlfriend Lauren Goodger.

“It’s nothing like me, I’m totally the opposite,” Carol said. She added: “If I thought that my son was going to marry somebody that wasn’t right for them, and you knew they weren’t right for them, and you knew it was never going to last… of course, a mother-in-law should step in a little bit.

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“Because you don’t want them to be unhappy. You want them, once they get married, to be happy and stay married forever. 

Mark and Michelle’s love story 

Luckily for Mark, he found his dream woman in Michelle, leaving Carol able to take the step back she desired. The couple first met in Dubai in 2012 at a New Year’s Eve party and went public with their romance in early 2013 at the National Television Awards.

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The pair got engaged in September of that year in Dubai, the very spot where their romance started. Discussing the magical moment Mark got down on bended knee in the sand, Michelle told HELLO! magazine: “I thought he was joking at first, and then he said come here. I started crying, and said yes, and then he started welling up as well.

“Then as we walked further down the beach I saw a table set up with lanterns and petals, and with two glasses of champagne.”

As for Mark, he couldn’t believe his luck that the Our Girl actress had agreed to be his wife. “It didn’t take me long to realise that Michelle is everything I wanted,” he told us at the time.

Michelle and Mark made their union official at St. Mary’s Church in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, and their reception took place at nearby Tudor mansion Hengrave Hall with 200 guests in attendance.

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Baby Palma’s first Christmas

Ten years later, the couple welcomed their first child, a baby girl named Palma. Michelle and Mark, both 38, announced the arrival of their little one on 12 March. “Together we have a new love to share… Our little girl. Palma Elizabeth Wright. 06.03.25,” they posted on Instagram, alongside a black and white photo of their newborn wearing a crochet hat.

The Fool Me Once star and her former TOWIE star husband have just enjoyed their first Christmas Day with their little girl, spent in the company of the whole Wright family, further proving Michelle’s close bond with her mother-in-law.

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Palma was pictured rocking a red velvet dress and cute bow-embellished headband as she played with her young cousins.

The little girl had been gifted a giant personalised doll’s house with her name printed on the roof – and it appeared she had been lavished with gifts from her doting family. Too cute!