Michelle Keegan is reportedly at the centre of a growing family tension after her mother-in-law Carol Wright sparked outrage with controversial comments about women wearing thong bikinis — remarks that insiders claim were a not-so-subtle swipe at the actress.
Carol, 65, faced a furious backlash after discussing the topic during an episode of Wright At Home, the podcast she hosts alongside daughters Jess and Natalya Wright. During the conversation, the trio criticised thong bikinis and the women who wear them, triggering a wave of anger from listeners.
The discussion quickly went viral on TikTok before being deleted from their social media pages, with many accusing Carol of making degrading and disrespectful remarks.
But according to sources close to the family, the controversy may run deeper than a simple podcast debate — with friends suggesting the comments were a thinly veiled dig aimed directly at Michelle.
The former Coronation Street star, 38, regularly shares bikini photos on Instagram while promoting her own swimwear line, Orfila Bee — making the timing of Carol’s remarks particularly awkward.
A source claimed the tension between the two women has been simmering quietly for some time.
To put it bluntly, Carol is the textbook mother-in-law from hell. She is completely obsessed with her sons and is your stereotypical possessive boy mum, the insider said.
The source added that while the tension is subtle, Michelle is well aware of the underlying tone behind the comments. Carol thinks she’s having a subtle dig, but Michelle sees straight through her, and everything is noted.
Insiders say Michelle’s husband Mark Wright has already stepped in to defend his wife, urging his mother to be more careful about the remarks she makes publicly.
Mark is completely obsessed with Michelle and her happiness is his priority. He won’t have his wife upset by anyone, least of all his own mum — he has told Carol she must stop, the source said.
The controversy also comes at a particularly unfortunate moment for the family, as Michelle and Mark have been celebrating their daughter Palma’s first birthday.
Friends say the row has overshadowed what should have been a joyful family milestone.
It’s all been terrible timing. They were trying to celebrate Palma’s first birthday, but this is all anyone is talking about, the insider added.
During the now-deleted podcast clip, Jess admitted she disliked thong bikinis, saying she could not stand how they had become acceptable on beaches.
Natalya agreed, suggesting women who wear them should cover up with a sarong when bending over.
Carol then joined the discussion, claiming she did not believe the style was attractive.
I really do think this is not sexy for men to look at, she said during the episode.
She also recalled a holiday walk with her husband Mark Wright Sr, claiming he had commented on three women walking ahead of them in thong bikinis.
Me and daddy were walking along the promenade and there were three girls in front of us, she explained. They were all different shapes and sizes but they had their whole arses out and daddy was looking and he said: ‘It doesn’t even look sexy.’
The backlash intensified when social media users resurfaced old photos of Jess wearing revealing bikinis during her time on The Only Way Is Essex.
Critics accused the family of hypocrisy, pointing out that Jess herself had previously worn similar swimwear.
Did no one see Jess on TOWIE? She was always in this sort of bikini when it was pool parties, one user wrote.
Another added: Literally pot kettle black — one rule for everyone else and another for themselves.
Carol has since apologised for the remarks, and the clip was quickly removed from the podcast’s social media pages.
However, by that point the controversy had already spread across TikTok — fuelling speculation about the alleged rift within the Wright family.
