Megan McKenna opens up about the struggle to make mum friends after moving abroad with son Landon

The reality star turned singer opens up about motherhood in Germany, her difficult IVF journey and the lasting impact of a traumatic robbery.

Youtube/Happy Place

Published: October 8, 2026 at 11:24 AM

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Moving abroad with a young child can be an adventure, but finding your feet without your usual support network isn't always easy. And Megan McKenna has opened up about just how difficult making new mum friends can be when you're raising a toddler in another country.

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The former TOWIE star, who shares son Landon with her footballer husband Ollie Burke, spoke candidly to Fearne Cotton on her Happy Place podcast about life in Germany, where the family have been living because of Ollie's football career.

From struggling with the language barrier to navigating a new city with a little one, Megan also reflected on her emotional journey to motherhood and how she's still dealing with the effects of a traumatic robbery.

Megan McKenna on the struggle to make mum friends in Germany

Megan revealed that the family have recently moved to Berlin after previously living in Bremen, a smaller German city where she found it difficult to settle into everyday life.

While Berlin offers more places to explore with Landon, including parks and cafés, building a new circle of friends hasn't been straightforward.

There's a few more parks, but I've got one good friend there. You only need one gal, I suppose. Then there's moms in the park, but obviously there is a language barrier.

Megan McKenna

When Fearne asked how her German was coming along, Megan admitted: "Not good."

She added: "No, not good. And it's a really hard language to learn."

It's a situation many parents who've relocated will recognise. Finding your people after having a baby can be challenging enough without also navigating a different language and culture.

And with Ollie's football commitments taking him away from home, Megan has also had to adjust to periods of parenting without him there.

How Megan juggles motherhood between the UK and Germany

Megan explained that travelling regularly between the two countries has become part of her family's routine, even if flying with a toddler isn't always the easiest experience.

"Yeah. I mean, it could be a little easier with a baby, obviously, you know. But he's good on the plane."

Luckily, Landon seems to have developed a love of flying.

"He's kind of, he's used to it. He likes the airport. He loves planes."

And while the logistics can be demanding, Megan is embracing this chapter of family life, sharing cooking videos and everyday moments with Landon on social media.

Megan also opened up about her difficult IVF journey

During the conversation, Megan reflected on the fertility treatment she underwent before welcoming Landon, revealing that she had initially considered freezing her eggs after turning 30.

After meeting Ollie and deciding to try for a baby, she sought medical advice and discovered that her womb lining was thin.

She subsequently underwent fertility treatment but developed ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), a potentially serious complication associated with fertility medication, which delayed her journey.

Yeah, while I was injecting and making my womb line thicker, I got OHSS, which delayed everything, was hospitalized. My ovaries were like so overgrown.

Megan McKenna

Megan described the experience as stressful and revealed just how important her mum's support had been throughout.

"Very. It was stressful. But I couldn't have done it really without my mom."

She explained that she regularly turned to her mum for reassurance, particularly when Ollie was away working.

The lasting impact of a traumatic robbery on family life

Megan also spoke movingly about the aftermath of a robbery at her former home, revealing that she continues to experience anxiety at night, despite feeling safe in her new surroundings.

She explained that she moved out of her first home following the incident and spent a long period living with her mum.

The experience has also affected her bedtime routine with Landon, who still sleeps in a cot in her bedroom.

But even though I'm so, so safe, I still feel like could someone get in? You know, I've still got that feeling at night. And I'm waking up in the night still thinking someone's coming in.

Megan McKenna

Megan revealed that she has returned to trauma therapy and has experienced night terrors and episodes of sleep paralysis.

Despite these ongoing challenges, she spoke warmly about how much motherhood means to her.

'Landon has made me the happiest girl in the world'

When Fearne asked where her happy place was, Megan didn't hesitate to put her family first.

"My happy place is obviously my family. Landon, obviously my husband, Landon has made me the happiest girl in the world."

She added that watching her son experience the world has brought her a happiness she hadn't expected before becoming a mum.

I have Landon and I literally live my life for just seeing his face, his first views of things. And honestly, I'm like a proper soppy mum.

Megan McKenna

From finding her feet in a new country to navigating the challenges of motherhood, it's clear that family life is now at the heart of Megan's world.

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Authors

Ruairidh PritchardDigital Growth Lead

Ruairidh is the Digital Lead on MadeForMums. He works with a team of fantastically talented content creators and subject-matter experts on MadeForMums.

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