Mark Wright says his 'mistress steps in' when wife Michelle Keegan is away filming

Mark Wright has given fans an insight into what occurs when his glamorous wife Michelle Keegan is away, playfully mentioning how his mistress steps in to keep him company.

The former TOWIE star, 37, and Michelle, also 37, got hitched back in 2015. Their romance has thrived despite the challenges of long-distance separation due to Michelle's blossoming acting career requiring her to travel extensively for filming.

On Thursday, Mark took to Instagram, sharing an endearing snapshot from a snug evening at home. Cosied up in bed with the television on, he revealed the "other woman" in his life, Pip, his beloved pet chihuahua, reports OK!

"Wife being away for the night, means the mistress steps in," Mark joked, as he posted a sweet picture of Pip nestled on the bed. He continued entertaining his followers with additional peeks into his day spent with Pip, ranging from a pub lunch to relaxation time on the sofa.

Michelle previously addressed any sceptics casting doubt on their relationship earlier this year with a subtly pointed message. Despite the ocean between them while she filmed 'Ten Pound Poms' for the BBC in Australia, Mark made the trip down to visit, demonstrating that distance cannot shake their strong bond.

Mark Wright was every inch the doting husband as he stuck by Michelle Keegan's side during her shoot for a BBC series, even sharing enviable snaps from Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach. The couple wasted no time getting into holiday mode, teeing off at a golf course shortly after touching down in Oz.

Michelle has always been candid about the demands of their busy schedules, previously labelling the time spent apart as "tough". Before Mark flew back to the UK and Michelle stayed on set, she made an Instagram post that seemed like a discreet dig.

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Channeling Reese Witherspoon, Michelle posted: "The sooner you figure out that other people's opinions of you are none of your business, and it literally doesn't matter what they think of you, you become free. Totally free."

As they near a decade together, the pair has frequently spoken about the struggle to juggle their jam-packed timetables. Talking about their prolonged separations on The Jonathan Ross Show, Michelle revealed: "People said how did you deal with it and stuff. Thank God for FaceTime and things like that."

She added: "You're on a countdown the whole time to just get home. I had six months off when I went home, so I went to America."

Michelle Keegan opened up about keeping her relationship with Mark Wright alive. During a conversation on Fearne Cotton's Happy Place podcast, she said, "That's the thing - we're not the first to it. And it is a job thing."

The actress shared insights into managing their long-distance romance, as she continued: "I had like two months alone but then he'd come out and stay with me for six weeks. And it's just having and finding that time for each other. I think that's the main key, but also letting us have our freedom to do what we wanna do career-wise."

Michelle, known for her role in Our Girl, has been creating a buzz in the US following a captivating performance in Netflix's 'Fool Me Once'. With Hollywood now on her horizon, she's balancing a growing stack of scripts from across the pond.

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