Lauren Cowell, wife of music mogul Simon Cowell, has revealed she had a phone call with Meghan Markle after becoming neighbours in the Cotswolds, saying she can "relate" to the Duchess of Sussex.
Lauren lives with Simon in an £8m farmhouse in the Chipping North area of the Cotswolds. She made headlines in 2013 after becoming pregnant with Simon's child Adam while still married to businessman Andrew Silverman, leading to a fallout that left her "ashamed and embarrassed".
Shared experiences with scrutiny
The years of scrutiny have allowed her to "connect" with Meghan, who has also spoken publicly about her struggles with the media after marrying into the Royal Family. Meghan returned to the UK last month and is said to have moved to the Cotswolds with Harry and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Lauren explained: "I definitely feel a lot of, I don't want to say similarities, but I can relate to her in a lot of ways." She added that the pair had discussed "some charity work stuff" in a call over Zoom, including their shared interest in children's online safety.
Mixed reactions from locals
Meghan famously told Oprah Winfrey that relentless press interest left her feeling suicidal. "I just didn't want to be alive anymore," she said. "And that was a very clear and real and frightening, constant thought."
Lauren fought back tears in her interview with The Sun when reflecting on the scrutiny following her affair: "I feel a lot of compassion for that girl [Lauren 13 years ago]. It makes me want to hug my former self. I beat myself up so much and allowed what other people were saying about me to define me."
Not everyone has been as supportive. Meghan's presence has been branded "terribly inconvenient and annoying" by some locals, with others allegedly just "ignoring her". Staff at The Three Horseshoes pub have even allegedly "refused to serve" her. Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen, who also lives in the region, warned her that residents can "smell bulls***".
Family separation
Lauren is back in the UK with son Eric for the start of the school year after a summer in California, while Simon remains in the US after undergoing surgery linked to his serious back injury in 2020. She admits she and Eric are "missing Simon": "I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed," she said. "I'm a nurturer and we're so close's o being this far away feels very odd. I feel helpless."
