‘I Choose to Hold Back’: Mark Wright’s Mum Shocks Fans as She Reveals How She Keeps the Peace in His Marriage to Michelle Keegan
‘I Choose to Hold Back’: Mark Wright’s Mum Shocks Fans as She Reveals How She Keeps the Peace in His Marriage to Michelle Keegan
Mark Wright’s mum Carol has offered a refreshingly honest glimpse into her son’s marriage to Michelle Keegan, revealing that she deliberately “holds back” to avoid tension and rows within the family.
The former The Only Way Is Essex star, 38, and the Fool Me Once actress, also 38, tied the knot back in 2015 in a lavish ceremony at St Mary’s Church in Bury St Edmunds. A decade on, their relationship — and Carol’s role within it — has become a topic of open discussion on the family podcast Wright At Home.
During the latest episode, Carol responded to a letter read out by her daughter Jess, which described a familiar fear many wives share: that their mother-in-law behaves as if her son has been “stolen”. Carol admitted the feeling is complicated, explaining that sons inevitably change when a partner enters their lives. She said that while many mothers struggle with this shift, she chooses to take a step back, consciously holding her tongue so as not to overstep.
Carol acknowledged that when a woman joins the family, she can feel overpowering to others, which is precisely why she prefers to restrain herself rather than risk unnecessary conflict. However, she was quick to add that her silence does not mean indifference. She explained that if she ever felt her son was about to marry someone who was truly wrong for him and destined to make him unhappy, she would not hesitate to intervene — insisting that a mother’s instinct to protect never truly disappears.
Her daughter Jess was keen to shut down the long-standing stereotype of the “evil mother-in-law”, stressing that her mum is nothing like that in real life. Carol agreed, saying her ultimate wish is simple: that once her children marry, they remain happy and stay married forever.
The candid conversation comes at a particularly joyful time for the family. Mark and Michelle have just celebrated their first Christmas as a family of three after welcoming their daughter, baby Palma, earlier this year. Festive snaps shared on social media showed the couple surrounded by relatives at their Essex home, with Michelle smiling beside Mark while holding a champagne flute, and proud aunt Jess cradling baby Palma in a red velvet outfit beneath a beautifully decorated Christmas tree.
Jess later captioned the photos with a heartfelt message about gratitude and togetherness, reflecting on how lucky she felt to be surrounded by family — while also sparing a thought for those missing loved ones during the festive season.