Despite Ryan Thomas proposing in 2019, Lucy Mecklenburgh tells us any hopes of nailing down plans for their big day have fallen by the wayside for now.
“I think it’s become harder because we had kids before we got married,” says the mum of two. “So then your priorities change a little bit, and we actually fell pregnant with Roman the night we got engaged. Then that became a priority, then Lilah, and then we moved to Manchester, and it’s all been really full-on.”
Lucy, 35, does insist that getting hitched is still on the cards for her and former Corrie star Ryan, 42 – who she shares Roman, six, and Lilah, four, with. “We would love to one day,” she says.
But for now, she has another more pressing wedding to think about. She says, “My sister is getting married next summer, so the focus is on her at the moment. We went wedding dress shopping the other day. I’d love to do it too one day, but I’m trying to put my focus on her and enjoying the process for her first.”
Lucy and Ryan first fell for each other in 2017 after meeting on Channel 4 ’s Celebrity Island With Bear Grylls. But the couple made headlines earlier this year when Ryan confessed they sleep in separate bedrooms – and even watch TV apart.
But as Lucy explains, the night time arrangement ensures both can get some proper rest. “Ryan snores and sleep talks, and I need my sleep,” she says. “I have to sleep, especially with two young kids. It’s full-on, so I’d just turf him out to the spare room because I’d be like, ‘Shut up!’, and that kind of evolved.”
As for their TV-watching habits, she adds, “Of course, sometimes we sit in the same living room. But I like stuff like The Summer I Turned Pretty and Off Campus, which Ryan won’t watch. So he sits in the other room watching documentaries and things. That works for us.”
Ryan first shared the anecdote about their sleeping habits on At Home With The Thomas Bros, his podcast with brothers Adam and Scott. And Lucy says she learned very early on in her relationship that being with one of the siblings meant taking all three on.
“They are a very close family,” she says, adding that Adam’s wife Caroline once gave her some advice. “They’ve been together since they were about 16, so she’s been there for a long time. When I met her for the first time, she said, ‘When you get one Thomas, you get two free,’ and it’s so true.
“They work together and that’s made them even closer. We’re a close family and all get on well. It’s lovely for the cousins to be so close.”
But when the three brothers are together, she says the noise level is off the scale. “When they’re all in the house together, I’m like, ‘I need earplugs’. They’re so loud,” she laughs.
Last year, Adam struggled during his time on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!. Lucy says she and Ryan were both on hand for support. “We were all there for him. Afterwards Adam put a lot of his energy into training, which I think is a really healthy thing to do after something traumatic.”
Although Lucy admits “occasionally” needing to tell Ryan off for oversharing on the podcast, she says, “Most of it is light-hearted. It’s relatable and funny. I mean, they do overshare for sure. But I think everyone’s craving that now, aren’t they? To be open and honest and talk about things they can relate to, and also just to have a bit of a laugh.”
Looking back on a busy summer with their children, Lucy says the holidays have been “chaos”. But she has teamed up with vegan brand Beyond Meat to launch a new campaign, Beyond Busy: September Reset, to help families eat healthily as a new school year gets underway.
“I like the idea of the short, under 30-minute meals,” says Lucy, who runs her own successful fitness brand.
Any shortcuts are welcome, since evenings at their house are hectic. “It’s getting the homework done, then me or Ryan will be in the kitchen trying to whip something up, and then it’s bath and bedtime,” she says. “As much as I’ve loved the summer holidays, I’m excited for more time to cook and to make a few changes.”
While she and her family don’t follow a solely plant-based diet, Lucy always tries to make sure they make sensible food choices. She says, “It’s nice to have easy options, and something tasty. I’m trying to add more plant-based things to our diet – whether that’s one or two evenings a week. The great thing about Beyond Meat is you’re not compromising on taste or health goals, because they’re delicious and protein-packed. I love the brand.”
Lucy is working with Beyond Meat on their Beyond Busy: September Reset campaign to inspire the UK to implement healthier eating habits
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