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Billie Faiers has detailed how she deals with mummy-shamers when she is targeted on social media when The Mummy Diaries airs.
In an exclusive chat with MailOnline, the former TOWIE star, 31, shed light on life on-screen on the show, which has now been re-styled as Billie And Greg: The Family Diaries, following the departure of her sister Sam Faiers and her family.
The new format will follow Billie, Greg and their children Nelly, seven, and Arthur, four and while Billie is well-used to life on-screen – having shot to fame on TOWIE 11 years ago – she confesses she is still faced with the odd exchange with critics.
Speaking about trolls, she said: ‘Sometimes mums try and pick something out [but] we will just delete and block, I would never retaliate’, and while Billie said feedback is largely positive she confessed on-screen tantrums fill her with dread.
The whole family: Billie Faiers has detailed how she deals with mummy-shamers when she is targeted on social media when The Mummy Diaries airs
The ever-evolving Mummy Diaries began on ITVBe in 2016 as Sam Faiers: The Baby Diaries, before Billie joined the show which became Sam and Billie Faiers: The Mummy Diaries. Sam then announced her departure earlier this year.
Billie and Greg spoke to MailOnline about the new format and how they are adjusting to life without Sam as well as what it is like to have life play out on camera.
On dealing with pubic reaction, Billie said: ‘Do you know what? Generally, I feel like we get so much lovely feedback, I get so may mums in my DMs like “Billie thank you so much for sharing that with the kids on The Mummy Diaries.”
‘We’re really lucky, but don’t get me wrong I’ve definitely had the odd comment here and there, and it might be something about a seatbelt or a car seat, you know…
Family first: In an exclusive chat with MailOnline, the former TOWIE star, 31, shed light on life on-screen on the show, which has now been re-styled as Billie And Greg: The Family Diaries, following the departure of her sister Sam Faiers and her family
My girl: The new format will follow Billie, Greg and their children Nelly, seven, and Arthur, four
‘Sometimes mums my try and pick something out, but for us personally it’s actually not that bad. If it was on a post or something we will just delete and block, I wouldn’t retaliate’, while Greg added: ‘We just delete it!’
Billie also discussed her fears over certain aspects of family life being shown on-screen, including candid moments with the kids acting up.
She said: ‘I think there’s been so many scenarios where you think “Oh my gosh, they’re filming” and naturally, as a parent you think it’s not ideal and then you do think, “Oh I wonder what reaction that’s gonna have.”‘
‘There’s been so many scenarios with us, Nelly and Arthur and you think “How’s that gonna go down?” I’m gonna get loads of bad comments, “you’re a bad mum” and actually, nine times out of ten it goes the opposite way.
A welcome return: Billie (right) confirmed that her sister Sam (left) will appear on her spin-off series Billie And Greg: The Family Diaries despite leaving The Mummy Diaries in June
‘People relate to it,’ Greg said of the show.
It still shocks Billie when she receives DMs from other parents in a similar position, she said: ‘You worry about it and people go, “Oh my goodness my child did that or my child is like that” so it’s actually quite funny how you build it up in your head but it goes the other way.’
While the former TOWIE star is happy to be realistic on her new series, she still sees Instagram as the holy grail for the more glamorous moments of her life.
She explained: ‘Instagram is a very different place, obviously you do get a lot of celebrities that do insta vs. reality and stuff like that, and obviously for us, the show is that platform. I think that’s why people enjoy the show cause it’s not all perfect life, it’s not like Instagram if you like.
‘It is reality and that’s why I think mums like it cause they feel it’s not just their kids that have these tantrums and have these meltdowns. I think that’s a great thing about the show, it’s just relatable to other families.’
Candid: The nature of their new show means that sometimes the kids aren’t always shown on their best behaviour on camera – which Billie initially worried about when filming for the series
Speaking about their determination to never let the kids be ‘forced’ on-screen, the couple explained how they find balance.
She said: ‘The kids, I think they’re just so used to it but naturally, don’t get me wrong, as the kids have gotten older as well, they don’t actually really film as much, especially with Nelly…
‘Let’s say we’re filming at home and it’s after school [when] me and Greg are doing it, we just let her get involved as she would want, cause I don’t want her to feel like she’s coming home from school and the cameras are in her face…
‘We have to be really careful and monitor that just to make sure it doesn’t feel overwhelming for her.
‘She’s at an age now where her classmates potentially could be watching the show so it’s having that balance, but I do think we juggle it quite well…
Growing together: Pictured L-R: Rosie Knightley, four, Nelly Shepherd, seven, Paul Knightley, five, Arthur Shepherd, four
Sweet: At four years old and having just started school, Arthur is also becoming aware of the film crew’s presence – something that he really enjoys at his age
‘Every week is different, some weeks we might film loads, others we might not film as much so it’s just depending on what’s going on with us, the family, work, isn’t it?’
Billie and Greg explained that they want their kids to enjoy their childhood, and allow them to decide as and when they’d like to appear on camera.
She went on: ‘The ball’s in her court, if you like. We don’t say to her “Oh we need you to film this” because for us, they’re children…
‘Nelly’s a bit older now, she’s very aware of the cameras there and aware of the show, so we just have to keep it as natural as possible for her.’
At four years old and having just started school, Arthur is also becoming aware of the film crew’s presence – something that he really enjoys at his age.
Glamorous: While the former TOWIE star is happy to be realistic on her new series, she still sees Instagram as the holy grail for the more glamorous moments of her life
Billie joked: ‘Oh, he loves the cameras! He’s like his dad. It’s funny though so obviously where he’s only four, when Nelly was that age as well she would always be asking me “when are the filmers coming round mummy?”’
On what to expect from the upcoming series, Billie said: ‘There’s so much going on this series it’s actually been a really packed series, it’s everything in this whole last year… The house renovations, the highs and lows of parenthood…
‘We’re always very open about what goes on with us and the kids, then you’ve got holidays, different work things going on…
New series: Billie & Greg: The Family Diaries starts tonight (Wednesday) at 9pm on ITVBe and ITV Hub
‘It’s a really good fun-packed series with loads of different stuff. We’ve been filming since May as well. We’re so ready for the show to air tomorrow, really excited.’
Aside from life as a family of four, Billie revealed that Sam will still feature in the upcoming series just months after announcing her departure. She said: ‘She’s still done some filming for the show…
”Obviously it was a big change for us cause we were so used to being the two families and like you say we’ve done it for so long…
Parenthood: Billie also revealed that her and Greg Shepherd (right) have become increasingly aware of their children’s reluctance to film at times. Pictured on The Family Diaries, 2021
‘But I totally understand that Samantha is at a place where she just wants to do other things and I’m 100% supporting her, I totally get it.
‘The same with us, she’s still done some filming for our show which has been lovely. Naturally, obviously she would, because we do see each other a lot.
‘But actually, because of the last two series,’ which were filmed with lockdown restrictions in mind because of the pandemic, ‘we got so used to filming mainly as a family – we were so limited. It wasn’t so much of a shock going from eight of us to four of us if you like. It did in a weird way ease us in, didn’t it?”
Billie & Greg: The Family Diaries starts on Wednesday at 9pm on ITVBe and ITV Hub
Stepping down: Samantha told her Instagram followers in June that she would be leaving The Mummy Diaries, but has now been confirmed to return for cameos in Billie and Greg’s show
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