Jodie Marsh shares her bed with a meercat.
Jodie Marsh loves animals
The 44-year-old former model fulfilled a lifelong dream by buying a farm in Essex last year and, upon moving in in March, she turned it into a rescue centre and now looks after 400 creatures with her partner Mark and two staff, and she’s developed strong bonds with some of the different animals she cares for.
She told Prima magazine: “Of all the animals, I probably have the closest bond with a meerkat [named] Mabel.
“I hand-reared her.
“She likes to sleep in my bed and puts out her paws for me to pick her up.
“I even cooked a meal the other night with Mabel curled up in my hoodie!”
Jodie also loves spending time with one of the youngest animals at the farm, a 12-week-old shonkey named Ernie.
She said: “It was a huge surprise when Ernie the shonkey was born.
“His mum is a Shetland pony and his dad’s a donkey.
“Shonkeys are very rare – only a few exist worldwide.
“Ernie’s 12 weeks old now and everyone loves him.
“He’s so cuddly and spends his days playing with the other Shetlands and his best friend, an emu.”
The former ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ star also gets a lot of cuddles from an owl.
She said: “There’s nothing Eleanor the spectacled owl likes more than sitting on my lap for a cuddle and a head massage.
“She was bred in captivity so will be with us for life.”
Jodie adores her simpler life.
She said: “I never used to be seen without perfect hair and make-up but now I can go two weeks without washing my hair and barely bother with make-up.
“I don’t care if I’ve put on a few pounds either because I’m so content and fulfilled.”
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