‘She’s performing like she’s Queen!’ Poisonous gossip about Andy Carroll and Billi Mucklow’s divorce that is scandalised Essex: KATIE HIND reveals the way it’s torn aside movie star circuit – and war-of-words over Caroline Flack’s shut good friend

If you walk into the Theydon Oak pub in the Essex enclave of Epping, it is impossible to escape the feverish chatter about a feud that has captivated locals.

A smart, mock-country venue with a sprawling beer garden, it is the favourite watering hole for Epping’s celebrity residents. 

However, two of its regulars stand out more than most – former England footballer Andy Carroll and his now estranged wife, the ex-Only Way Is Essex star, Billi Mucklow.

During their 11-year relationship, the couple were frequent patrons of the pub. But since their acrimonious break-up last year, the pair, who have three children together, are keen to avoid being seen anywhere near it.

At the heart of this nasty debacle is Andy’s new girlfriend. Since splitting with Billi, 38, Andy has started dating stylist and property magnate Louise Teasdale, whose sister Sam is also a regular at the Theydon Oak. 

One source tells me: ‘It all makes for very awkward socialising. Billi has basically stopped going there. The divorce has been difficult for her: she has all the kids at home with her and she is now facing having to move out of her home and start all over again.’

Meanwhile, Andy, who met Lou – a close friend of the late Caroline Flack – at Glastonbury, has been living a markedly more lavish life. In fact, just weeks after the Mail revealed their romance in October, the new couple were seen frolicking in the Majorcan sea while Billi was at home doing the school run and caring for her and Andy’s three children, Arlo, eight, Wolf, five, and Marvel Mae, two – as well as Andy’s children from a previous relationship, who she has raised as ‘her own’, Emilie Rose, 15, and Lucas, 14.

Many might assume that Billi would have won the public’s sympathy vote after Andy – who is known as a bit of a hellraiser thanks to his colourful football career – left the six-bedroom marital home, which the couple bought from Sir Rod Stewart for £4.1million in 2019.

Alas, no. ‘Billi acted like she was the queen of Essex when she got with Andy, and even more so when they bought that massive house,’ said one insider. 

‘While many of her old Towie colleagues struggled to earn a living, she met an England footballer who was worth a fortune and immediately she put herself at the top of the tree.

‘And there are many around her who believed that she carried on like she was better than them, maybe it was jealousy. When they bought Rod Stewart’s house, she really did think she had made it and there was a lot of bitching behind her back.

‘Now she has lost it all, but her behaviour when she had it hasn’t been forgotten.’

Andy, 36, is now a player for FC Girondins de Bordeaux. His split from Billi hardly came as a shock to their family and close friends – there had been murmurings that all was not well ever since their 2022 wedding at the £1,675 per night 18th-century Four Seasons Hotel in Hampshire. 

In fact, in the weeks before the wedding Andy was pictured in bed with other women during his stag do in Dubai. Billi chose to ignore his misdemeanours.

Still, the divorce broke Billi’s heart. In public, she has kept a dignified silence while Andy flaunts his new girlfriend. But behind the scenes, it all turned nasty quickly – and took its toll on their close-knit community in Essex.

‘It’s a case of who is ‘Team Billi’ and who is backing Andy and Lou. While Lou hasn’t lived in Essex, she has spent a lot of time there with her sister and it has all become very awkward,’ said my Essex snitch. ‘It has caused a huge divide in the heart of the Essex celebrity circuit.’

When it comes to Team Billi, her sister Giorgie Dark and brother Sam have rarely left her side – but she has also won support from her former Towie co-star and award-winnng author Georgia Kousoulou who I’m told has been ‘staunchly’ in support of her close friend. Georgia’s husband Tommy Mallet, another Towie star, has also made it clear whose side he is on. ‘They have been there to pick up the pieces after Andy left,’ said a friend of the couple.

Then there is Cara Kilbey, another key member of the early Towie gang. Cara also has three children and she and Billi are closer than ever. In fact, Billi made her return to social media in the wake of news that Andy was in a new relationship by posting a series of pictures of her and Cara enjoying a Pilates class together.

Billi’s sister-in-law Shelby Tribble, who has two children with her brother Sam, often describes Billi and her sister Georgie as her own family. And Shelby has more than proven her loyalty since the break-up. She is always first to comment on Billi’s Instagram posts. When Billi recently posted a picture of herself with her children, Shelby commented the word ‘Team’ followed by six hearts.

Then there’s Kate Ferdinand, who starred alongside Billi on Towie before she met and married former England footballer-turned-pundit Rio. Although the women didn’t ever appear on the reality series together, they have been ‘super close’. Kate, also a step-mum, has publicly shown her support for Billi on social media.

One source said: ‘Kate knows what it’s like to come from Towie and marry a footballer, like Billi. She has been extraordinarily loyal to Billi and it is lovely.’

Dani Dyer – daughter of EastEnders star Danny Dyer – and Towie star Ferne McCann have also provided much-needed support.

‘Billi might not have won the man but she has certainly won a lot of love from her Essex crowd,’ said my insider. ‘Even if she did irritate and prompt a lot of bitchy comments when she was with Andy, so many have sided with Billi. She has been plodding on, being a mum, having to sell her house…’

Meanwhile, friends of Andy’s new girlfriend Lou have rallied around her. Lou’s twin sister Sam is her biggest supporter. While she may not be a household name, she is said to be one of the best connected women in Essex. She is friends with Strictly star Mark Wright – as well as his wife Michelle Keegan, whose acting career continues to soar after roles in Our Girl and Netflix drama Fool Me Once.

Sam ‘won’t have anyone say a bad word about her sister’, my insider said, and the pair are closer than ever. They gave a joint interview in January about how they made money flipping properties and they co-own beauty and hair brand Bleach London.

Even so, Lou was initially worried about the fallout from her relationship with Andy, and was terrified the whole of Essex would turn on her.

A source said: ‘For those first few weeks after the news broke that Lou was with Andy, it was all anyone was talking about in Essex and Sam felt that. There was some unfair blame going on, it was awkward for her to carry on going about her life in the way she was.’

In fact, she found things so tricky that she enlisted the help of glamour model-turned-talent agent Nicola McLean to speak to the Press and calm things down.

‘There was utter hysteria,’ says my source. ‘Poor Sam is at the heart of so many of the social events in Essex and there were fears she would be blacklisted because of her sister’s relationship.’

But Andy’s friends have also provided vital support for Lou. They include Mark Noble, a former West Ham team mate and Essex resident as well as Towie star Vas J Morgan, one of Rita Ora’s best friends who left Brentwood for Hollywood. Now an LA socialite, he often hosts exclusive parties for A-list superstars such as Channing Tatum, Paris Hilton, Kate Beckinsale and Demi Lovato. Vas had known Lou for years and is said to be ‘thrilled’ that she has found love with Andy.

‘Vas is a real mover and shaker so he is a big boost to Team Andy.’

While he might have some clout, it isn’t enough to persuade Lou and Andy to start drinking at the Theydon Oak again.

‘Lou and Andy are spending less and less time in Essex now,’ said my source. ‘It’s probably for the best.’