'It's not every day that Simon Cowell rings you'

Singer and foodie Megan McKenna on motherhood, The X Factor and cooking

- KENZI DEVINE

Megan McKenna is feeling more confident and settled since becoming a mum, she tells us. The Essex-born star may have made a name for herself on reality TV, but these days she's better known for her stunning singing voice and delicious cooking, in what appears to be a complete career change.

Now living in Germany with her footballer husband Oliver Burke, 28, and their nine-month-old son, Landon, it's clear that 32-year-old Megan – who tied the knot with Oliver in June – is feeling at ease in her new life, as new sits down with her for an exclusive interview.

“Motherhood has definitely made me more free. I don’t worry about the little things any more. As a mum, you have the most amazing gift already, so everything else is fine,” says Megan, as we chatted at London landmark The Shard, before she took to the stage to perform with acclaimed songwriter, Toby Gad.

The former Ex On The Beach star has been carving out a career in music since winning The X Factor: Celebrity in 2019. In the show, fronted by Simon Cowell, Megan debuted her original song This, which later went to No.1 on the iTunes charts, and made it into the UK Official Charts.

And after taking a time out from the industry to spend quality time with Landon and Oliver, she’s ready to get stuck in again.

“I took a break from music for obvious reasons and I moved to Berlin, so I've had a lot on my plate,” she says. “But, to be honest, I took a break because I don’t like doing things halfheartedly. I'm very passionate about what I do, so I want to do it properly.”