Sam Mucklow admits he and Shelby Tribble have a stronger relationship as parents

Sam Mucklow admits he has a stronger relationship with girlfriend Shelby Tribble now they have a son – and he’s better suited to being a father than a reality star. 

The former TOWIE regular, 28, who quit the series in 2019, told MailOnline the arrival of Abel has ‘changed his lifestyle for the better’ and he feels closer to Shelby thanks to them being a family.

In an exclusive interview, Sam revealed him and Shelby, 28, are in a ‘much better place’ after leaving TOWIE and despite the ‘ups and downs’ of lockdown, they’re enjoying their new lives together as young parents.

Sam, who stars with Shelby in new MTV series Celebrity Bumps: Famous and Pregnant, said: ‘My lifestyle and my life have changed now so much for the better.

‘I thought what I was doing before was good and productive but this lifestyle suits me a lot more.

‘I am concentrating a lot more on work and being constructive, I feel a lot fitter in myself. Shelby is in a much better place after we came away from that previous show.

‘Abel’s brought us closer together more than anything. We thought it would be stressful being on top of each other.

‘Don’t get me wrong, we’ve had our moments, ups and downs but we’ve been through three lockdowns now, we’ve moved house and had a baby all in the space of 10 months. But we’re still here!’

Sam and Shelby welcomed baby Abel in November and since his birth have been forced to raise a newborn in the confines of a national lockdown.

But the couple has been unfazed by the limitations, with Sam explaining how they’ve kept busy while still being aware of the struggles faced by others in the pandemic.

He sad: ‘It’s been really good, he keeps us on our toes most of the time so you don’t really have loads of time to yourself – it all revolves around the baby.

‘But we’ve been making the best out of a bad situation in regards to being locked indoors.

‘We’ve been going out for walks and cooking, baking, we’ve tried everything.

‘We have posted a few photos and that but I’ve got to be honest I have definitely been a bit more reserved on Instagram recently because people are having hard times at the minute and are going through a lot of bad things.

‘But we have a lot of good things in our lives with the baby and having a home and our health.’

Sam quit TOWIE in 2019 alongside Shelby so they could continue their ‘little fairytale away from the pressures and anxieties’ of the show. 

His departure came after him and Shelby were filmed having an explosive row in Thailand after he called her cruel names and flirted with co-star Demi Sims, 24, behind her back. 

The young couple has signed up to MTV’s Celebrity Bumps: Famous and Pregnant, which means their son Abel will begin his life in front of the cameras. 

With Abel already facing the wrath of trolls after mum Shelby posted an adorable photo of him on Instagram, Sam admits deciding to be part of the fly on the wall series was a difficult choice to make.  

He said: ‘There were a few factors. It wasn’t a decision that I made lightly to come on the show and bring him into the public eye.

‘It’s one thing doing a reality show and it being yourself and friends and people you have got around you but putting your baby out there… I was a little bit reserved.

‘But I don’t think it matters what you do or what photo or what topic it is, there are always going to be negative trolls and people with bad things to say.’ 

• Celebrity Bumps: Famous and Pregnant premieres on March 3 at 8pm on MTV