Ferne McCann has now started filming another season of First Time Mum (Picture: Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images)
Ferne McCann has resumed filming her ITV series First Time Mum after she was recorded calling an acid attack victim ‘ugly’.
The former The Only Way is Essex star apologised last month after audio was leaked online that allegedly captured her saying that Sophie Hall was an ‘ugly f***ing c***’.
In 2017 Ferne’s then-boyfriend Arthur Collins threw acid in a London nightclub injuring several people, including Sophie, who was scarred for life in the attack.
In the wake of the audio being released, there were calls for ITV to fire Ferne from her series, but it appears that the broadcaster is backing her after initially pausing filming.
A source has said that Ferne is flying out to India this week to film another season of her show, which follows her life with fiancé Lorri Haines, and Sunday, her daughter with Collins.
It also captures how she navigates a career in the public eye.
‘Ferne is resuming filming for First Time Mum and is heading to India,’ the source told The Sun.
Ferne was recorded calling an acid attack victim ‘ugly’ (Picture: Ferne McCann/ Instagram)
‘She is booked to fly out of the country today and is taking a film crew with her.
‘Initially plans for filming were paused as the voice note scandal unfolded. However Ferne has the backing of her ITV bosses and filming will start in the coming days.’
While she released a statement online apologising for her comments, Ferne also claimed the audio had been ‘manipulated and edited’.
Collins is currently serving 20 years in prison (Picture: PA)
She wrote on her Instagram story: ‘I am aware that people will have a number of questions about the voice messages being put into the public domain and purportedly sent by me’.
‘I feel I have no choice but to address these (to the extent that I can as there are restrictions on me which I explain below),’ she posted on Instagram.
‘Most importantly I want to apologise to all the victims of Arthur Collins abhorrent actions in 2017 that they have to relive that night and the pain that followed because this matter is again in the public domain.
‘In particular I want to apologise to Sophie Hall. I do not believe her to be ugly or stupid. She has been brave beyond belief.
‘Arthur Collins’ crimes created genuine victims so I am not trying to portray myself as one. I am unable to say much because there are important and significant legal proceedings that prevent me from setting the record straight at this stage.
‘What I can say is that the voice messages that are being released are manipulated; edited and taken entirely out of context.’
Lorri and Ferne got engaged earlier this year (Picture: Ferne McCann)
She went on to write that she said things that were ‘untrue’ and which she ‘did not believe’, but had done so to ‘protect my family and myself from serious harm and in the face of significant threats’.
Her reps told the Sun that the messages were ‘part of a wider harassment campaign designed to intimidate and discredit Ferne’ and were subject to an ongoing investigation by Essex Police.
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The voice notes were leaked by an anonymous source and appeared to show McCann speaking about Hall taking part in a beauty pageant wearing a dress made of newspaper cuttings about the attack.
Collins is currently serving a 20-year sentence.
Metro.co.uk has contacted ITV for comment.
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The filming of the series was initially paused when the scandal broke.
