Ferne McCann has confirmed she is single again after splitting up with boyfriend Albie Gibbs despite admitting she wanted to marry him.
The reality star, 29, confirmed in Wednesday’s episode of First Time Mum that she and the city trader, 25, had ended their romance due to being apart because of the coronavirus lockdown.
Ferne explained that with her in the UK and Albie in New York for a year, it had put a strain on their relationship, leading her to conclude he was the ‘right guy at the wrong time’.
Breakup: Ferne McCann, 29, has confirmed she is single again after splitting up with boyfriend Albie Gibbs
Speaking to the camera, Ferne said: ‘How can I see a future with someone when I can’t physically be with them for the foreseeable future? I was naive to think the long distance thing would be OK. We have broken up and it is proper s**t.
‘It sucks to say that I think he was the right guy, and I want to stress this, the right guy at the wrong time. But that to me just means it wasn’t right at all. I think yet again, Ferne McCann is officially back on the market.’
Viewers watched as Ferne debated the status of her relationship with Albie throughout the episode.
The former TOWIE star explained that lockdown had put a strain on the relationship and their conversations were ‘dead’.
Split: The reality star, 29, confirmed in Wednesday’s episode of First Time Mum that she and the city trader (pictured), 25, had ended their romance due to being apart because of the coronavirus lockdown
She said: ‘There’s a lot of time to think which isn’t the best when you’re an overthinker. I’ve had a lot of time to think and it is massively putting the strain on my relationship.
‘Long distance relationships are hard. Not knowing when I’m next going to see him is rubbish. The conversations, it’s dead.
‘There’s nothing to talk about is there? “What are you up to? Not a lot,” It’s very monotonous. It’s completely out of both of our hands. I can’t help but think this is for a reason.’
The breakup comes after Ferne previously admitted she wanted to get engaged to Albie during the first episode of the current series of First Time Mum.
Apart: Ferne explained that with her in the UK and Albie in New York for a year, it had put a strain on their romance, leading her to conclude he was the ‘right guy at the wrong time’
Ferne insisted to her close friends that she will be married next year and even tried on wedding dresses as she envisaged their future nuptials.
Opening the first episode, the reality star revealed to her friend: ‘I am in a relationship, a really serious grown up relationship with cinema guy who I dumped in the back of the cab.
‘We went on the most gorgeous date, one downfall, he’s moving to New York. The person I want to spend the rest of my life with has moved to New York for the foreseeable future. Of course he has!’
Tough decision: Viewers watched as Ferne debated the status of her relationship with Albie throughout the episode
Ferne revealed that he offered to stay and move in with her but it was ‘too early days’ and she wants to ‘keep it cute’.
Later in the show, the star, who already has daughter Sunday, two, joked about having a baby with Albie as she invited pregnant BFF Danielle Armstrong over to her new house.
Ferne admitted that she’d love to be pregnant at the same time as Danielle and their kids be the same age.
She joked to her former TOWIE co-star: ‘Me and Albie are official… it’s been 11 weeks so we can get started [on having a baby]. I am in love, give the girl a break or a baby!’
Ferne said: ‘Long distance relationships are hard. Not knowing when I’m next going to see him is rubbish. The conversations, it’s dead’
Realising she might be going too fast with their relationship, Ferne added: ‘He knows the kind of girl he is with, I can’t scare him off. He just text me ‘I miss you’.’
Although Ferne admitted that she was finding the distance difficult, she continued: ‘Right now, I feel like I don’t have a boyfriend. People think I am making him up.
‘He doesn’t want to be in the public eye, he hasn’t even been on my Instagram then he coincidentally moves to NYC so no one can meet him. He’s there for a year. Why move to NYC when you’ve got your future wife sitting right here… come home!
‘It’s so hard, it will test our relationship to the max, I want to be with him, I want to marry him.’
Wedding bells: Ferne previously revealed she wanted to get engaged to Albie on the first episode of the current series of First Time Mum
To which Danielle joked: ‘Babe, it’s been eight weeks!’ with Ferne adding: ‘I’ve got to take it slowly. I am not going to get pregnant, I can see a future now. Something I couldn’t see before Albie.’
Later in the episode, Ferne went to try on a gown for the NTAs and couldn’t resist getting fitted for a wedding dress while she was there.
Wearing a collection of different white gowns, the star admitted: ‘I’ve never tried on a wedding dress before. I honestly think he is the one, why am I getting emotional? I might have found the guy but not the dress. I can’t wait to be engaged now.’
Looking at herself in a wedding dress in front of a mirror, Ferne gushed: ‘I can’t wait to be engaged now! I do, I do. Do you think this will scare him?’
Dead serious: Ferne insisted to her close friends that she will be married next year and even tried on wedding dresses as she envisaged their future nuptials
The reality star also added their potential wedding to her vision board on the episode, she said: ‘I would love to marry Albie. I could see myself in NYC, who knows, how exciting. This is the thing about life, I could end up in New York on Broadway.’
While Ferne insisted to friends that she would be married next year later on the show.
While getting ready for the NTAs, which took place earlier this year at London’s The O2, the star said: ‘I look at Canary Wharf and it reminds me of my boy. Mark my words, I am going to be married next year.
‘I mentioned if we get married, I want to do a magazine, he said absolutely not.’
Hooray: She admitted: ‘I honestly think he is the one, why am I getting emotional? I might have found the guy but not the dress. I can’t wait to be engaged now.’
Ferne is said to have met Albie in 2018 during a luxury holiday to Dubai with the two dating last year.
The star is even reported to have attended Albie’s family birthday meal in December and taken Sunday who she shares with her acid attacker ex Arthur Collins.
Ferne previously admitted she wants to keep her budding romance ‘private’, two years after splitting from Collins, who is serving 20 years for throwing acid over 22 people in April 2017.
Prior to Albie, the TV personality had enjoyed a brief fling with Love Island’s Jordan Hames in September.
Motherhood: Meanwhile, on Wednesday’s show, Ferne was also left feeling overwhelmed by Sunday’s tantrums
Meanwhile, on Wednesday’s show, Ferne was also left feeling overwhelmed by daughter Sunday’s tantrums.
The star went with her daughter and mother Gilly to purchase a hot tub when Sunday started screaming and crying in the store.
Later, Ferne expressed her frustration at the ‘terrible twos’ as Sunday cried as her mother tried to dress her.
She said: ‘Honestly I thought we were over this but clearly not. I don’t want to go back to this daily battle. I’ve tried to just ignore her, didn’t work.
Parenting: Ferne found that as lockdown began, she was able to get Sunday’s tantrums under control
‘I’ve tried to give her options, didn’t work. I need to put something in place but I don’t know what that is.’
Ferne went on Instagram to ask her followers for advice but soon found that as lockdown began, she was able to get Sunday’s tantrums under control and was thrilled when she presented her with a card for Mother’s Day.
She said: ‘The tantrums believe it or not, are kind of getting less and less and not lasting as long. I’ve gone from being super busy to being a stay at home mum.
‘The more occupied Sunday is, the happier she is so we are cracking on with all the activities. I am really having a lovely time with her. Her personality is growing day by day.’
Ferne said: ‘The tantrums believe it or not, are kind of getting less and less and not lasting as long. I’ve gone from being super busy to being a stay at home mum’