Billie Shepherd is the first to admit the journey to her dream home was far from straightforward, and she’s not sure if she would actually do it again.
But the results of all her hard work are pretty impressive, and she’s finally opened her doors to give fans a peek inside.
The reality star’s life with her husband Greg, 39, daughter Nelly, nine, Arthur, seven, and 16-month-old Margot is laid bare each week on their ITVBe show, Billie & Greg: The Family Diaries.
You can easily put your best foot forward in this shoe closet (OK! Magazine / Chelsea White)Billie first found fame on The Only Way Is Essex before leaving to film The Mummy Diaries with her sister Sam Faiers, whom she now records a podcast with.
Viewers watched the family settle into their stunning new home in the last series after a huge renovation, which the mother-of-three admits she’s unlikely to ever find the energy to do again.
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On a tour of the plush home with OK! Magazine, Billie, 34, says the Essex mansion offers respite from her busy life.
She said, “It’s really funny, actually, because last night when everyone was in bed, I was downstairs on my own, without the TV or anything, just pottering and tidying things up for today.
The five-bed mansion is great for entertaining (OK! Magazine / Chelsea White)
Fancy a drink? The plush bar is kitted out (OK! Magazine / Chelsea White)“I was walking around, and it was really quiet. I don’t know what it was, but I had a little moment. It sounds really sad, but I just thought, ‘Oh my God, we actually made it; we did this.’ Life is so busy and fast-paced at the moment that I don’t have many moments to myself like that.
“We’ve made a big commitment, and it wasn’t easy, but now that we’re here, I’m so happy we did it. Now we just need some sunshine so we can get out in the garden!”
The luxury five-bedroom home is a paradise for kids and adults, with its own private bar and outdoor pool.
It also includes a massive shoe closet featuring six shelves of colourful high heels arranged neatly.
The mammoth renovation was worth the effort (OK! Magazine / Chelsea White)But Billie says her favourite space is the open-plan kitchen and dining area.
Featuring a sleek marble kitchen island and mirrored splashback, it’s hard to imagine any messy cooking happening, but she promises the couple loves entertaining guests.
Billie adds, “I love our bar, and we use it far more than I thought we would. Greg and I obviously don’t go out much, so sometimes on a Saturday night we’ll go in there for a game of pool and a few drinks; it’s just nice.
“And we love entertaining and having our friends over, so if I’m in the kitchen with the girls cooking and having a few glasses of wine, Greg and the boys are in the bar playing pool. Then, after dinner, we’ll all go in there. I love it.”
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Despite the mammoth task of designing and decorating taking over her life, Billie isn’t certain the family won’t ever leave the home.
“Actually, who knows where we might end up?” she admits. “I’m always very open-minded, and you never know where life’s going to take you. I love this house and where we live, but I’m not stuck in my ways.”
Billie and Greg love to host (OK! Magazine / Chelsea White)Around the time the couple marked their fifth wedding anniversary in March, little Margot sparked alarm when she suffered a febrile seizure after her temperature spiked.
Billie said, “It was the most scared I’ve ever been in my life, and the thing is, the doctors all said the seizures are more common than you think. I wanted to put it out there to maybe help other people. We’ve always just been open and honest; I’ve not hidden anything. So putting something like that out there kind of gives people a sense of my normal, right?”
Billie with husband Greg and older children Nelly and Arthur (REX/Shutterstock)
Billie shared the reason she could step back from her family reality show one day (David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock)Series six of Family Diaries has just started, and while Billie loves filming the show, she’s conscious her children might not want to feature in the future. “Filming is all the kids have ever known, really.”
“But we’ve been quite good at keeping them normal and having a normal life because they’re normal kids. Still, I say to Greg sometimes, ‘It must be weird, being a kid and seeing yourself on TV!’.
“Arthur and Nelly really enjoy it, but ultimately, our kids’ happiness is always our number one priority. So when it’s not right for the family any more, we’ll stop. I would never, ever force my kids to do something.”
Series six of Billie & Greg: The Family Diaries airs every Thursday at 9 p.m. on ITVBe and ITVX.
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