By Holly Thomas


With a baby on the way and an engagement on the rocks, most couples would put all other commitments aside to work through their problems together.

Sadly for Chantelle Houghton, she is having to carry the weight of impending motherhood- and her weekly shopping- alone.

The 28-year-old was seen struggling with her bags outside her Essex home today, looking in dire need of some assistance from her errant fiancé Alex Reid.

Struggling on: A heavily pregnant Chantelle Houghton was pictured battling with her weekly shopping outside her Essex home today as errant fiancé Alex Reid remained nowhere to be seen

Alex, 36, has been away with the touring production WildBoyz. With Chantelle due to give birth within six weeks, the timing is hardly ideal.

Chantelle addressed the rumours that her wedding with Alex is off in her last column for New! magazine.

'People have been asking all week if my engagement to Alex is still on, after newspapers reported that he’d called it all off last week,' she wrote.

Visible strain: Chantelle has spoken out against the rumours that her engagement is on the rocks, but there's no doubt recent events have taken their toll

'Waking up to the reports was the weirdest feeling ever. It was like, “Oh right, I’m not getting married now."'

However the blonde insists that nothing has changed, as she continued: 'The wedding is not off and I don’t know which “friend” or associate is saying these things. It’s a bit of a bitch.'

'It’s like, “Give me a break, I’m almost eight months pregnant.'

Calling for a catch-up? Perhaps Chantelle was having a quick word with Alex, who is currently touring the UK with Wildboyz

'To be honest, the last thing on my mind right now is a wedding and I haven’t made any plans.'

'When Alex asked me to marry him, we said it wouldn’t be for at least a year.Then I found out I was pregnant and having this baby is more important than getting married right now.'

The stress of pregnancy twinned with the many arguments the couple have been having, have clearly made a glitzy showbiz wedding the least of Chantelle's priorities.

Weary: Chantelle, who is due to give birth in less than six weeks, looked as though she could use a hand

The former glamour model told OK! magazine: 'The wedding won't be happening next year or maybe even the year after that.

'We have much more important things to deal with.'

She admitted to the magazine that things are far from perfect between her and the cagefighter and she has been suffering paranoia as a result.

Fresh concern: Chantelle has expressed worries over the fact that close 'friends' appear to be leaking details of her arguments with Alex to the press

The pair often read stories about their arguments and neither one of them knows how the accounts are getting out.

She said: 'I'm finding it hard and me and Alex are having arguments because I don't want to be coming home and talking about how our private business is getting in the tabloids and who has said what to who.'

With Alex, 36, away with the touring production WildBoyz, she has been left alone at home in Essex and feels like a nervous wreck.

Getting ready for baby: Chantelle and Alex are expecting their first child together next month

She said: 'I stay in the little room right at the back of the house where no one can get me and I climb in the cupboard and hide.'

The couple have reportedly spent little time together recently, despite having just moved into a new house together.

Alex and Chantelle didn't even see each other on the one day that Alex had off from his touring strip show on 30 April.


Making the brand: The demanding tour schedule has Reid away from his fiance a lot of the time, which has left her feeling lonely



source:dailymail