Charlotte Chilton, known for her striking red lipstick, jet-black curls and undeniable charisma, was a standout star of The Traitors when it aired in January.
However, less than a year since her scenes were broadcasted, the stunning 33 year old has swapped round tables for changing tables, having welcomed her daughter Penelope last month.
The first-time mum, who has publicly stated that singer Conor Maynard is Penelope’s father but claims he is not involved with the baby, is introducing her darling daughter to the world with our exclusive photoshoot at her home. Despite a challenging pregnancy and stressful initial weeks, Charlotte seems to be embracing motherhood, as she opens up in an exclusive chat with OK!
“I hated being pregnant,” she admits, effortlessly cradling a mug of tea in one hand and little Penelope in the other. “I loved the baby inside me, but everything else was s**t. I remember thinking, ‘This is vile.
“Women lie to women and say, It’s magical. There’s nothing magical about this.’ I was really, really negative, but I did have SPD [Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction, which causes severe pelvic pain during pregnancy], gestational diabetes, I had an allergy to my hormones. I had everything, so I was constantly in and out of the hospital.
“I couldn’t do much for myself. I had to stop working for the last three months. And I didn’t have a baby daddy there to help. It was really hard.”
Labour also had its challenges. “When I thought I was about 4cm dilated, the doctors told me Penelope’s heart rate was dropping and they were going to have to give me an emergency C-section to get her out,” recalls Charlotte.
“It turns out I was nearer to 9cm. I pushed so hard, she actually flew out of me – I needed a fair few stitches afterwards!
“Penelope was born at 3.53pm on 13 October, weighing 6lb 7oz. Her besotted mother chose the middle name, Royella, after her beloved grandad Roy, reports the Mirror.
Penelope and Charlotte will share Charlotte’s maiden name Thornett, once Charlotte’s divorce from her ex-wife Laura Chilton is finalised, reports OK!. “It’s incredible how it changes your life,” she gushes as she stares sweetly at her little girl.
“But it was difficult at first. The postpartum anxiety, which I didn’t know was a thing, was so high at the start. For the first couple of weeks everything would make me feel so panicked. Thank goodness I’ve got amazing family and friends around me. My ex-wife has been so supportive, always telling me what a good job I’m doing.”
Charlotte candidly shared her family dynamics post-baby, saying: “We went through a real ‘hate’ phase when I first got pregnant but we’re friends again now and she’s been great. And my mum, well, she’s basically taken on the role of the father.
“She’ll get the bottles sterilised for me, she’ll take the baby when I need it, she’ll make sure I eat dinner, because it’s so easy to get through the day without eating anything. It’s the best diet in the world, looking after a newborn. The weight has come off me.”
Enjoying the comforts of her parents’ spacious Warwickshire home, Charlotte is not only embracing her new role as a mother with the backing of her supportive family but is also boldly launching her own recruitment firm while planning to secure her own place: “I love it. We’re such a close family, it’s not like I’m ‘moving back in’, it feels very grown-up and natural, and their help is invaluable,” she elaborates.
“And I don’t feel like I’m missing out – people are always coming here and seeing the baby. Everyone’s so proud of me for doing this alone. I’ve got a real village around me.”
When Charlotte discusses the father of her child, Conor, one can sense an unmistakable change in her; she becomes tense and shifts from a serene new mum to an assertive guardian. “He knows. I’ve not heard anything,” she asserts.
Struggling with whether to inform him about their daughter’s birth, she said: “I had real torment over whether to contact him when she was here or not. And I figured I don’t want to speak to him, but he has a right to know. I knew if I didn’t reach out people would say I hadn’t bothered.
“But if I did contact him, it’d look like I’m hassling him. I thought the best thing to do would be to contact his representatives. And that’s what we did. I said, ‘Look, she’s here.’ He has a right to know.”
The sparks originally flew between Charlotte and Conor during a night out with The Traitors’ winner Harry Clarke, who is romantically linked to Conor’s sister Anna. Charlotte recounted that after a fleeting romantic encounter, Conor distanced himself upon learning of her pregnancy, while Harry also cut off contact after finding out.
In an emotional revelation, Charlotte Crosby shared the pain of being abandoned by a close friend after her pregnancy. She expressed, “That was a real kick in the teeth,” and explained, “The guy stopped speaking to me practically the second I told Conor I was pregnant. I guess the ‘bro code’ kicked in.
“And we all know, thanks to the show, that he has a ‘bro code’. [In a surprising turn on the show, audiences saw Harry famously deceive smitten contestant Mollie Pearce into believing he was loyal.] To say I felt devastated would be an understatement. Harry and I were thick as thieves; he was the link to meeting Conor initially, but now there’s Penelope, for whom I’m thankful.”
Opening up about her current emotional struggles, Charlotte candidly said, “There have been days where I’ve been in tears because I’m sitting here thinking, ‘I’ve got a daughter that looks f**king identical to you,'” referring to her child’s father Conor.
She then touched on her wishes regarding Conor’s involvement with their daughter Penelope: “If she wants to walk away from him, that’s fine, but she needs to make that decision for herself when she’s older,” emphasizing, “I’m not going to deny her contact if he decides he wants to see her.”
Despite facing cruel trolling online, including alarming messages wishing harm upon her and her baby, Charlotte stands strong: “I’ve got really thick skin, so trolls are wasting their time on me, but my God some are deranged,” indicating her resilience against online negativity.
Charlotte Crosby has spoken out against unjust claims, saying, “Because I stood up to a guy like Conor, trolls have assumed I must want his money or I forced him, or I trapped him. That’s my favourite one. ‘Trapped him’.
“I was like, hmmm, okay, so I planned, after infertility for five years and multiple miscarriages, to get pregnant. I even managed to make myself ovulate at that time with a guy that I did not plan to be with! Obviously! ”
Charlotte gushed over her daughter Penelope, smiling as she recounted the difficult journey to parenthood with her ex-wife Laura. “She’s just wonderful,” Charlotte said, visibly moved.
“When I’m not with her, I feel like my arm has been chopped off. It’s a huge adjustment, but I’m so in love.”
Fellow Traitors cast members including Diane Carson and Charlie Bees have sent their best wishes – a testament to the camaraderie among the cast. “They’re all so excited for me,” she shared, also letting slip her anticipation for the celebrity version of The Traitors.
“I’ve read that Courteney Cox is interested, which would be amazing. I personally would love to see Rylan on there, or even one of the queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race,” she admitted. Finally, Charlotte gave us a little behind-the-scenes glimpse into her time on The Traitors.
Charlotte opened up about her experience, revealing, “We stayed in a hotel down the road from the castle. I don’t know if everyone else did, but I got a suite, with a seating area and everything,” and detailed the strict privacy measures, “But you all come and go separately. You’re all blindfolded, you’ve got security guards outside your room. It would be impossible to sneak in or out. You do get video messages from family sent to you via your contact person, but that’s about it.”
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She also lavished praise on Claudia Winkleman, saying, “Oh, she’s such an empath,” and expressed her admiration further, “She is so proud of you when you do well. She was trying to sneak me a Twix to say well done when I’d done that awful Airbnb challenge. I remember her saying, ‘I just want to give you a big squeeze! ‘ She’s amazing. And, actually, she’d make an incredible contestant on the celebrity version, because she knows so much about how it all works. She’d smash it – but then who on earth would host? “.
Charlotte, who applied for the hit reality show “when I was drunk on Christmas Day”, has since developed a passion for television and is looking to expand her career in TV alongside running her recruitment business. She humorously contemplated joining a dating show now that she’s single, quipping, “Well, I do have to get back out there,” while also admitting her affection for romance by saying, “I love being in love. It’s my favourite thing in the world. But I have no idea where to begin. Thankfully, I don’t feel I need someone right now as I have Penelope, I’m so content just cuddling her. There’s no love like it.”
She elaborated: “I love being in love. It’s my favourite thing in the world. But I have no idea where to begin. Thankfully, I don’t feel I need someone right now as I have Penelope, I’m so content just cuddling her. There’s no love like it.”
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