Michelle Keegan is ‘mortified’ and Mark Wright is ‘fuming’: Insiders tell KATIE HIND what the couple REALLY think of his mother and sister as Essex rivals celebrate downfall of ‘toxic’ family

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 There has been much unpleasant whinging within the Wright family this week.

The Essex family, who previously seemed confident in their public image, were shocked by the strong negative reaction to comments made by Carol and her daughter Jess criticizing women who wear thong bikinis at the beach.

Even people who used to support the family are now critical of them. Adding to the negativity, online trolls have been especially cruel to Natalya, the youngest daughter and sister of Jess, with their attacks being particularly harsh.

They’re still surprised and upset that a simple comment on their podcast about a small piece of fabric caused such a major and impactful controversy, significantly affecting their careers.

As a lifestyle observer, I’ve been hearing from people who aren’t fans of the Wright family, and they’re playfully predicting that if things don’t go well for them, you’ll be hearing Sisqo’s ‘Thong Song’ everywhere in bars and clubs around town. It’s a bit of a cheeky prediction, suggesting a celebratory atmosphere if the Wrights face setbacks!

Despite a cheerful public image, things aren’t happy within the walls of Carol Wright’s son Mark and his wife Michelle Keegan’s £3.5 million home.

Until now, how the glamorous couple have felt about it all has been unclear.

I’m hearing from sources in Essex that Michelle, 38, is deeply upset and humiliated by the current drama surrounding her in-laws. This is especially true because she’s worn revealing thong bikinis herself, sometimes while on vacation with the Wright family.

Mark was shocked and angry that his mother and sisters not only started such a large problem, but also let it become much worse than it needed to be.

According to my source, Michelle is deeply embarrassed by the situation and wants nothing to do with it. She’s completely separating herself from the drama and doesn’t want to discuss it, as it involves her husband’s family. She simply doesn’t want to be involved in this kind of controversy.

Mark is incredibly angry and shocked that someone would say such things on a podcast, and even more so that those comments weren’t removed during editing.

According to a source, the decision-makers have the ultimate authority over published content and should have anticipated the strong negative reaction to those remarks. The source believes they have enough experience to have known better and questioned who was responsible for editing the content.

It’s really upsetting to see everything that’s happening. There’s so much negativity and people are quick to point fingers. Poor Mark is caught in the middle – his wife is staying out of it completely, which I understand is her way of coping, but his mum and sister are absolutely heartbroken and don’t know where to turn. The situation just isn’t getting any better, and honestly, it feels like they’ve really lost touch with a lot of the people who used to support them. It’s a really difficult time for everyone involved, and as a long-time follower, it’s hard to watch.

Last week on their hit podcast, ‘Wright At Home,’ Carol, 65, and her daughters, Jess, 40, and Natalya, 25, started talking about thong bikinis.

In the now-infamous exchange, Jess asked: ‘How’s it acceptable to walk around a beach in a thong?’

Carol didn’t find it appealing for men, and Jess said her husband, Will, really disliked it.

The negative reaction they expressed in a widely shared video caused a significant online uproar, inspiring many women to share pictures of themselves confidently wearing thongs.

The most upsetting thing for the Wrights is that this incident – nicknamed ‘Thong-gate’ – has revealed a less pleasant side to Carol and Jess than they usually present.

My source told me that Jess is really upset by the cruel things people are saying online. She’s been reading the posts and comments and can’t understand why anyone would be so unkind. Carol is usually more resilient, but even she agrees the reaction has been awful.

It’s been surprising to both her fans and her older brother, Mark, that Natalya, the 25-year-old youngest member of the Wright family, has also faced significant criticism.

People were surprised to learn Natalya was involved, as she’s generally not known for getting into drama. Carol and Jess, however, have a reputation for being critical and putting other women down.

‘They have a track record of it and have fallen out with so many people in Essex over the years.’

The Wrights have reportedly tried to counter criticism by having their manager, Benji Rom – who sources close to them describe as overly eager to please – discourage the press from writing negative articles, citing their mental health as justification.

They also attempted an apology, which read: ‘We’ve listened, we hear you and we want to say sorry.

‘Our judgment was wrong and we take full accountability and will do better moving forward.

‘Love Jess, Natalya & Carol.’

It doesn’t seem like their apology has won over many critics. In Essex, a lot of people who didn’t like the Wright family are enjoying their current troubles and are now wondering what will happen to them. Some are even speculating this could mean the end of their time in the spotlight.

You know, I’ve been thinking a lot about something someone said recently – it’s that old saying about being careful who you encounter on your way to success. It really hit home because it feels like there’s a certain kind of negativity coming from some women towards others, and it’s just… exhausting. Honestly, in this day and age, especially by 2026, I truly believe no woman should be policing another woman’s choices, especially something as personal as what she wears. It’s just not okay.

The damage caused by their public shaming of other women is irreparable, and their reputations are likely ruined.

People in Mark’s community are curious to see how things unfold with his family. Will he remain close to them, or will he follow his wife’s lead and create distance?

Good news: Marks & Spencer will continue to work with the Wright sisters as fashion ambassadors, despite recent rumors suggesting they might be dropped.

‘That’ll give them something to be more arrogant about,’ my source quips.

But winning back their fans might take longer than they may have hoped

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2026-03-14 20:04