Chloe Sims is a reality TV veteran, having been a fixture on TOWIE for more than a decade. But it’s clear the most important role in her life is being mum to her 16 year old daughter Mady.
And to celebrate Mother’s Day, we join the duo for their first shoot together at their Essex home. Their mother-daughter bond is immediately obvious as newly qualified make-up artist Mady helps her glam 40-year-old mum paint her face, and banters with her over her choice of outfits.
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“She likes copying a teenager’s style because I think my mum thinks she’s a teenager!” jokes Mady, who is perfecting her TikTok dance routines throughout our shoot.
When Mady departs our chat, we get on to more hard-hitting topics with her mum, as we discuss cosmetic procedures and her love life.
Days before our interview, it was reported that Chloe had unfollowed on-off beau Pete Wicks on Instagram. Speaking about the decision, she tells us it wasn’t a “nasty” move, it was out of respect for future partners.
“I’ve had Pete muted for a long time and I just didn’t want to have him on there any more,” she explains.
Here, the pair discuss their relationship, while Chloe divulges on dating, adding to her brood, and her plans to be with her cousin Frankie when she gives birth to her twins later this year…
Hi both, did you enjoy our Mother’s Day shoot?
Chloe: It was really cute. Mady hasn’t done a shoot since she was about five. I wasn’t sure how she was going to get on, but she really enjoyed dressing up, and everyone was making a fuss over her.
What does Mother’s Day mean to you?
Chloe: It’s more about the nans – I end up arranging stuff for them, so it’s never actually about me. This year, we’ll probably do a nice lunch with me, Mady and the two nans.
How would you describe your relationship?
Chloe: We’re best friends, but there still has to be boundaries and she knows I’m the mum. She’ll push her luck! She’s almost 17, but is no trouble. She might try and give me a little bit of an attitude here and there, but when my face changes, she stops.
Mady, tell us about your mum…
Mady: She’ll sing all the songs that I play – even when she doesn’t know any of the lyrics. She’ll copy my style – and I don’t like matching Mummy! She likes copying a teenager’s style because I think my mum thinks she’s a teenager!
Chloe: I am! Mentally I’m a teenager.
What’s it like to have a famous mum?
Mady: I think she has done really well being on TOWIE. She’s made loads of mates and I’m proud of her for being on TV.
Chloe: Mady doesn’t know any different because she was five when I started working on TV. Back then she noticed when people kept coming up to me in the street asking for an autograph, but now I don’t get so many. She loves watching TOWIE as obviously her family have been on it.
Chloe, you kept Mady off camera while she was young – what was behind your decision?
Chloe: I just felt like she was five and wasn’t old enough to make that decision for herself. I didn’t want to paste my child across the TV and I certainly didn’t want to use my child to make money.
She’s obviously enjoyed things like going to events, she hasn’t been completely shut away. When she turned 16 I asked if she wanted to [film] and she said yes. She gets a little bit of money and I’m happy for her to do that.
Do you have worries about her being in the public eye?
Chloe: Yes. Teens don’t need that extra pressure of being judged. She’s only just been allowed to have social media – she’s got her TikTok and an Instagram page but only on my phone. I see everything and she doesn’t have the login details.
Are you concerned about her having her own access to social media?
Chloe: Yes, but I can’t protect her from everything. Music videos are sexualised and there aren’t that many role models who are bigger than a size 14.
I tell Mady she’s beautiful every single day and that women are all different sizes. I was careful with letting her play with make-up when she was young, but if she wants to do these things now as a teenager, it’s absolutely fine. I just make it clear that she doesn’t need to wear make-up and that she’s beautiful as she is.
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And in fact, Mady is doing a make-up course?
Chloe: She went to a private academy and is going back to do another course. At the moment we’re just trying to work out what direction she wants to go in.
I want her to continue learning in whatever her passion is. She loves drama and singing – she is a very good singer. I’m currently searching for a private tutor to give her some lessons.
I think it’s quite hard to decide one career for the rest of your life at such a young age. [Mady takes a break from our chat]
You have spoken in the past about taking Mady for ADHD and autism assessment – could you tell us about that?
I had her assessed and it was a possibility, but we’ve never followed it up. Now it seems to be all over the internet. I probably shouldn’t have been that open back then. That was an error on my part because now we get asked all the time, but we don’t talk about that anymore. I just had her assessed when she was seven, and they said potentially, that’s all.
Do you feel protective of her?
Of course. As soon as you give birth, children are a complete worry. It is terrifying. Her talking to me about driving and wanting to go on holiday with her friends scares me!
Do you talk to Mady about cosmetic surgery and the procedures that you’ve had done?
No. In the past, whenever I’ve had any bruises or anything like that, I’d just make something up, say I fell over or something. It’s not something she needs to be aware of. She’s only 16. She did ask if she could have veneers once, but now she’s got a brace.
Do you have any regrets about surgery you’ve had?
No, because at the time it was what I wanted. I stopped having surgery after I had the Brazilian bum lift about four years ago. It was the most painful thing I’ve ever been through in my whole entire life. It was worse than childbirth. I don’t have filler any more, but a face threading treatment instead. As you get older, filler doesn’t sit well on your face.
Moving on, you recently unfollowed your ex Pete Wicks on Instagram. Why did you do that?
Yes, I’ve unfollowed him and removed photos of us, but it’s not for the reasons that the media have said. There isn’t a major reason why.
We haven’t got a friendship or a relationship – not in a bad way, we just went our separate ways. I think moving forward, it’s disrespectful to someone I could date or he could date for us to have all those photos up.
I genuinely wasn’t doing it in a nasty way. I’ve had him muted for a long time and I just didn’t want to have him on there any more.
So are you on good terms?
We’re not on any terms. There’s nothing to say. It is what it is. I haven’t got the hump or anything, it’s just the decision I made. I’ve wanted to do it for a long time.
How have you juggled dating with being a mum?
I haven’t had that many serious relationships. When Mady was little you could get away with it as you could just say people were a friend.
I tend to keep her out of my private life. If I was in a serious relationship, I don’t think I would rush that, as she is used to having me all to herself. I would have to tread carefully and it would be a gentle process.
Are you dating anyone at the moment?
I’m not going to comment on that!
Tell us about Mady’s dad – do you have a good relationship?
I met him when I was 18, was engaged at 21, had a baby at 23. Back then, it was normal.
When we broke up, at first it was OK, then we had a couple of hard years when we met new partners and it got a bit messy. But we always ended up making up, as that’s just how we are.
I’m very close to his family. His mum would take my side in a lot of the arguments. We still have our moments to this day, but ultimately, we both love our daughter and that’s the most important thing.
Have you had a conversation with Mady about boys yet?
They’ve done all that in school. I’m a bit of a prude, so I don’t talk about things like that. Mady is comfortable enough to ask me if she has any questions, but I’m not encouraging the boy thing at the moment.
Your cousin Frankie exclusively revealed to new! that she’s expecting twins – you must be thrilled!
I’m so excited! Mady is the only baby in the family and she’s 16. My other cousin, Summer, is also pregnant, so we’ve got new babies coming.
Have you been giving Frankie any mum tips?
We have chats about what I felt like, but Mady is 16 and things have changed. I can’t sit here and tell someone how to go through these things as it’s such a different process.
Will you be on hand when the babies come?
She’s asked me to be there for her with the birth. I’m up for it, as when it’s not your child you’ve got that energy. I’ve dealt with babies all my life and I’m confident with children – she knows I’ll help her. Besides, I owe her so many hours of babysitting!
Has Frankie’s pregnancy made you broody?
I haven’t 100 per cent ruled out another child. If I had one, great, but it’s not in my plan right now. Though stranger things have happened! I know women start to panic when they are my age, but I’m grateful for what I’ve got.
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