Life of the Housewife
Cheshire’s glamorous businesswoman and mum-of-five Rachel Lugo on new beginnings, reality TV, and the most wonderful time of the year
There’s something special about a pocket of Cheshire that has kept Rachel Lugo firmly attached to the county – and it’s not just her part in ITVBe’s reality series, The Real Housewives of Cheshire.
Born in a small village near Alderley Edge, the reality star still resides in the same community where she went to school and on the road her grandmother once lived. While her three sisters are dotted around the world – twin sister Katie lives in Gibraltar and the other two in America and Brighton – Rachel hasn’t strayed far, remaining where her family has lived for more than 100 years. “We’re within walking distance of Alderley Edge – I live in a tiny village with no pub or shop. There’s a small church, it’s just beautiful as we’re surrounded by countryside,” she smiles.
With four horses, dogs, and five children – Francesca, 26; William, 24; Sophia, 21; Oliver, 18; Sienna, 12 and her 11-month-old granddaughter Saskia – life in her listed Cheshire farmhouse is busy and it’s been a joyous home for more than 20 years. Sadly, she tells me, it’s time to move on as she describes the challenging process of “decluttering” following her split from her husband, John Lugo.
“My youngest daughter is at one of the local private schools, so I don’t want to move her. I’m on a show that means you’ve got to live in Cheshire,” she points out. “There’s no reason for me to look at moving away from Cheshire. I’ll never say never to move away at some point.
“I’m very loyal,” continues the vivacious TV star, “obviously people in the public eye get offered all sorts of things, but I’ve had the same hairdresser for 19 years who lives in the village.”
Rachel’s strong sense of grounding is evident, and as she experiences great change – the end of a marriage and exploring new relationships and business ventures – clearing her head is imperative.
“We have a forest called The Edge, which is stunning. It’s great to walk the dogs, and it’s so big that you can find bits where you don’t even see anyone. I remember being there as a child, wearing my wellies, getting leaves caught in them, and playing on the tree branches.
“As for going out in the evening,” she adds, “we’ve got great restaurants in the village, and I also love meeting friends in Knutsford. Now that we have Saskia, we visit spots like Chester Zoo and Tatton Park.”
Rachel is no stranger to adversity and has garnered a loyal following of fans for her authenticity. Since joining the cast of Housewives, she has been active in raising awareness about the effects of breast cancer after losing her mum, who moved to America when Rachel was nine.
“I brought Mum back home on the Queen Mary 2 because she didn’t want to die in America,” Rachel says quietly. “She wanted to be back in the village, and she survived three weeks at home with all her grandchildren and children around her – it was lovely for her to be home.”
As we chat, Rachel’s genuine warmth and authenticity are apparent. She admits that joining the cast of The Real Housewives of Cheshire was not an obvious career choice. But the 48-year-old has become a firm and popular fixture on the show, which follows the lives of affluent women living in Cheshire. She was previously approached for season two, but “it wasn’t the right time”, and finally joined in 2017.
Known for its glitzy dinner parties and high drama, the show has featured Dawn Ward, wife of ex-footballer Ashley Ward, and Leanne Brown – both friends of Rachel since she was in her 20s.
Rachel tells me that she has developed a new strength and resilience since joining the programme. “You grow a thick skin; in my first season, I really struggled with the fact that people had an opinion of the way I looked and the way I behaved. I took everything to heart. Now it’s water off a duck’s back. Not everyone can like you and you learn that as you get older.”
Image plays an integral part of the show, and Rachel openly talks about the types of aesthetic work she has experienced, from fillers to Botox. She has recently gone into business with Beyond Beautiful Wellness Clinic.
“I’m all for beauty and making yourself feel and look as good as you can – and why not?” she shrugs. “The aesthetics lady who owns the clinic has done my face for the last three and a half years. She’s meticulous, and I wouldn’t go anywhere else. I champion her and she said, ‘would you like to go into business?’ And I thought, well, I would because I like you and what you do.”
Despite the glamorous depiction of Cheshire life, the accomplished businesswoman is keen to show that she’s not just a rich housewife but, in fact, a self-confessed “country bumpkin” who often gets more excited by a pair of Wellington boots than Jimmy Choos. She has been the co-owner of a construction and property management firm – renting luxury homes to high-net-worth individuals. She left the business after a public split with her ex-husband, John, in early 2019.
“Hopefully, in the next season, you’ll see more of my business side, which has never really been shown on screen,” she says. Alongside her beauty venture, Rachel has launched an interiors business, Lugo Loves, with ex-boyfriend Nick who she split from this year.
Finding love again, Rachel reveals, is something she’d like. “I think living on your own for over four years, you do become very independent. I wouldn’t say I particularly like being single. I’m a relationship person. It’s just tricky, isn’t it, especially when you’ve got children and work commitments.”
With Christmas on the horizon, Rachel, a lifelong fan of the festive season, is gearing up for a ‘movie style’ celebration with glitzy table decorations, a large turkey in the Aga, and she’ll be toasting her granddaughter’s first Christmas.
“We’ll have a drinks party to get everyone in the Christmas spirit. I try to attend midnight mass on Christmas Eve. My mum and dad are both buried at the nearby church, so I feel close to them, and that’s something I love to do.”
Follow Rachel’s adventures @rachellugo1
