Her life has changed dramatically since finding fame on Geordie Shore in 2011, and these days she’s more focused than ever on her family. And now, with Charlotte Crosby – who is engaged to entrepreneur Jake Ankers – trading club nights for night feeds with her two young daughters, Alba, three, and Pixi, nine months, she reveals exclusively to Closer that life as a family of four hasn’t come without its fair share of struggles.
‘I honestly don’t even have the words,’ Charlotte admits when asked about adjusting to having two kids. ‘One child was so easy and then two children is just like… I don’t know if there are even words in the dictionary to describe the absolute chaos. And the exhaustion of two children – it’s excruciating. It’s getting a bit easier now Pixi’s a little older. She’s only nine months, but from day one it’s been a lot.’
Charlotte and Jake with Pixi and Alba ©Paramount Global/Paul Stephenson
Charlotte, 35, and Jake have been together since late 2021, with the businessman proposing during a holiday to Dubai in 2023. In April, while in Australia for work commitments, Charlotte shared with her 8.6 million Instagram followers, ‘OK, can we take a minute to appreciate Jake. He flew the whole way around the world to surprise us in Australia. Tonight, after weeks of broken time together, we are having a well-deserved bit of quality time. Relationships aren’t always easy. It’s about how you get through the tough times that count.’
While their early days were blissful, the pandemic and back-to-back pregnancies tested their relationship, which Charlotte documents in her new series, Geordie Stories: Charlotte, Mam Of Two.
‘We were going through a hard patch in our relationship. There was just so much pressure,’ Charlotte now explains. ‘We’re both self-employed business owners, and with two children and no maternity leave, it all hit us. It took us a while to navigate life as a family of four. That’s just the black and white of it.’
Despite the rows and the relentless pace of family life, Charlotte says she’s determined to be open with fans about the highs and lows on screen. ‘You’ve just got to get through it. There’s nothing in place – we’re just surviving every single day,’ she admits, adding, ‘When we started filming, we were learning how to adapt to bringing up two children instead of one. I want to share the real, unfiltered side of motherhood.’
Charlotte has a new series documenting life as a mum of two ©Paramount Global
The reality star first burst onto the scene 14 years ago, spending five years becoming a firm favourite of Geordie Shore thanks to her unapologetic personality and unfiltered emotional outpourings. After 10 series, she quit the show in 2016, and now reflects on those times with Closer.
‘There were lots of wild house parties on Geordie Shore but nothing dangerously out of control,’ she recalls. ‘We had a full team of about 100 crew members who made sure that didn’t happen – though, yes, some people definitely spent the night with their head down the toilet! But that’s kind of standard.’
Charlotte – who starred alongside the likes of ex-boyfriend Gary Beadle, Marnie Simpson and Vicky Pattison – admits the group dynamics on the MTV show were tough. ‘If you had an argument, you couldn’t escape the awkwardness the next day. It felt like being back at school. But I haven’t watched the new seasons. I think it’s the same, just less drunk these days!’ she says.
The cast of Geordie Shore: Jay Gardner, Greg Lake, James Tindale, Gary Beadle, Charlotte Letitia Crosby, Holly Hagan, Vicky Pattison and Sophie Kasaei ©Tommy Jackson/WireImage
Today, the Geordie lass is reliving her reality TV beginnings as the host of Aussie Shore. ‘It’s so nostalgic,’ she says. ‘Watching them all enter the house for the first time took me straight back to when I walked in. I get to go in there and relive the crazy experience that I went through with all these new Australian castmates, but I also don’t have to get involved with any of it because I’m just the boss.’
Being a mum surfaces even in her presenting style on the show, as she reveals, ‘I’ve got this strong mothering instinct now, so if I see someone upset, I want to go and comfort them. But the producers are always telling me, “Please don’t do that, it’s so boring, please don’t tell them to stop having fun, we’re making a TV show here!”’
GET THE BEST CELEB INTERVIEWS IN CLOSER MAGAZINE EACH WEEK ©Bauer Media
Looking ahead to the festive season, Charlotte shares her family’s unusual Christmas plans. ‘We’ll have dinner and open presents at my mum’s, then head straight to the airport that night to fly to Dubai and then the Maldives,’ she says. ‘It’ll be me, Jake and the girls. My parents and brother were meant to come, but our dog is poorly so they might stay home.
‘I’m not into Christmas presents at all. I can’t remember the last time I bought my parents or brother a gift. I’d rather create memories than get things. The girls get presents, of course, but honestly, for me, experiences matter more.’
Geordie Stories: Charlotte Mam Of Two launches on 19 November exclusively on Paramount+. One episode will drop at launch, followed by a new episode dropping every Wednesday
WATCH: Geordie Shore secrets
