IT’S every mum’s worst nightmare to be torn apart from her children, but for Charlotte Dawson that fear has almost become a reality.
Cruel trolls have taken aim at the TV personality, falsely accusing her of neglecting her two kids to social services in a vicious bid to destroy her life.
Now Charlotte, who is six months pregnant with her third child, has hit back, branding the malicious, unsubstantiated phone calls “pathetic”.
The mystery callers have contacted the council-based service, intended to protect children and safeguard their wellbeing, as well as the NSPCC, countless times over the past year for unfounded reasons.
“It’s crazy,” Charlotte, 32, says. “It’s just standard now.
“They ring social services all the time, whenever there is anything on my Instagram. It’s pathetic.”
The most recent visit was in October, around the time when pregnant Charlotte, mum to Noah, three, and Jude, one, posted a photo of herself with a bottle of Nozeco — an alcohol-free version of prosecco.
She says: “I have no idea who it is but they just won’t give up.
“I’ve not heard anything for a few weeks but I’m sure I will do soon.
“I don’t know who it is and I don’t really care any more because it’s just pathetic.
“There are people that actually need social services’ help, you know, not me.”
According to Reeds Solicitors, who deal in family law, false allegations such as this are on the rise in the UK and Charlotte is not the only high-profile celebrity mum to be on the receiving end.
In August, TV presenter Kirstie Allsopp found herself in hot water with social services after she publicly said she’d let her 15-year-old son travel around Europe.
After an anonymous tip-off, she was contacted by the authorities, who insisted every complaint needed to be looked into.
Kirstie, 53, later said: “It was a malicious call, made by someone who was obviously trying to upset me.
“I just felt sick — absolutely sick. Then I was very, very cross.”
Last month DJ and reality star Ashley James, who has two children, also revealed she’d been targeted by trolls who reported her for “neglect”.
Ashley, 37, said: “At the time it really upset me, but quickly that sadness or fear was replaced by anger.
“I know how loved my children are and I know that I’m such a good mum.”
They said me and Matthew aren’t capable of looking after Noah and he needs to be taken off of us.
Charlotte on the hurtful trolling
For Charlotte, who is engaged to her kids’ dad, Matt Sarsfield, the nightmare has been going on since last year, when she received a call from the authorities based on an anonymous tip off.
“Basically it was saying that Noah is always injured in my care, I’m always drunk around him, he’s always in hospital and all this crap,” Charlotte explained previously. “They said me and Matthew aren’t capable of looking after Noah and he needs to be taken off of us.”
Another vile complaint was also made, falsely claiming she’d given Noah alcohol and had been sharing nude photos of him on social media.
Charlotte said the attempts by strangers to get her kids taken away left her “heartbroken” and “depressed”.
While some fans leapt to her defence over the most recent allegations, others added fuel to the fire.
“Take responsibility and stop putting your children online.
“Social services could be the least of your worries,” one ranted, while another insisted: “Safeguarding children is everybody’s business.”
It’s the latest in a string of personal setbacks which has blighted Charlotte’s most recent pregnancy.
It’s been a hellish ride for the Ex On The Beach star, daughter of the late legendary comedian Les Dawson, the only bright spot being that she recently discovered she was expecting a longed-for little girl.
“I’ll be really excited to see the back of this year, if I’m honest,” she says. “It’s been a lot. It’s been a tough few months.”
Charlotte’s life was turned upside down in August when she discovered rugby league player Matt had sent secret “dirty texts” and X-rated snaps of himself while drunk to another woman.
She said the lady in question, Emily Louise Hodgkinson, 34, was “an ex of one of his rugby pals”, who had commented “best dad” on posts and stories featuring Matt, as she “obviously had a thing for him”.
I don’t know who it is and I don’t really care any more because it’s just pathetic.
Charlotte on the anonymous trolls
Charlotte, who had discovered she was pregnant that same month, said she was “blindsided and humiliated”. Soon after Swinton Lions player Matt moved out of the family home.
Initially, sources said she “refused to forgive” her cheating partner but she later took him back — despite loved ones, and even strangers online, begging her to ditch him.
“Everything all came out after I found out I was pregnant, obviously I was very, very early on and I didn’t want to announce it because I’ve lost babies before,” Charlotte explains.
“It’s been a really difficult time, especially with everyone having an opinion on what was going on. I was in my first trimester, which is one of the most risky and you’ve got to be really calm and collected. I, obviously, certainly wasn’t.”
Speaking about what had happened shortly after the news went public, Charlotte said, “(Emily) tried her luck one night over text when Matthew was drunk and, like an idiot getting a bit of attention, he went for it and sent her pics of his bits.
“It just doesn’t make any sense why he’d risk so much for that.”
When news of the scandal emerged, sources said Charlotte was having to “put her tears on hold” to take care of the kids and Emily in turn said she was “mortified” by Matt’s actions.
Now Charlotte insists she’s followed her instincts when it comes to moving on from the devastating ordeal.
“Everyone had their opinion but you’ve got to turn off the outside noise and focus on what you want and what’s right for you and that’s exactly what I’ve done,” she says.
Matt, who proposed in September 2020, returned to the family home in Lancashire around a month after his indiscretion was uncovered and has since been allowed back into the bedroom by his forgiving partner.
“He’s been home for a few months now, that’s obviously what’s right for us as a family and the boys and us,” Charlotte says.
“We’re all happy at the moment, everything’s going well and we’re excited to become a family of five, which is quite daunting. We’re just getting through it as a family and a couple.”
She adds: “Obviously, I wish this was all done privately.
“If this girl hadn’t said anything then I would have dealt with it privately but things were obviously a lot different.
“We’re getting some couples counselling and stuff like that, working through it and doing what’s best for the boys and best for us.”
It’s no wonder Charlotte has relished a chance to escape it all and tread the boards.
Last weekend she performed for the first time as Abanazar’s side-kick Fortulicious, in Aladdin at Blackpool’s Pleasure Beach Globe Theatre.
She says: “I’m bloody rushed off my bunions already, it’s chaos.
“It’s been crazy, crazy, crazy at the moment but the show must go on. I’m obviously the baddie so I get booed a lot but I get off on that.
“I love being a baddie, I just couldn’t be a princess, I’m not that type of character.
“People always thought I’d be Cinderella, but I’m like, ‘Nah, Cinderella’s too wet for me. I’m a baddie with a bump’.”
Charlotte says she’s much like her famous father Les, who loved theatre performances and appeared as a panto dame many times. That’s because she too “doesn’t like rehearsals”, believing the “energy from the audience brings me to life”.
Charlotte says: “I feel a lot closer to my dad when I’m doing pantomime, especially being on stage.
“I feel he would be proud of me and is looking down on me. I have him all around my dressing room right now, too.
“My mum’s made my dressing room all festive, sparkly and Christmassy, and has put pictures of my dad around to really give me that good luck that I need.
“I actually have his panto dame costume in my dressing room, it’s a bit of a good luck charm.”
Now Charlotte is looking forward to finally becoming a “girl mum”, something she’s always dreamed of.
“This baby was completely unplanned and it happened obviously at the most chaotic time but I can’t wait for our little princess,” she says.
“I’m so excited to finally have my little girl. I always thought I’d be a boy mum.
“At least there is a positive outcome from what’s happened — a rainbow that’s come out of the storm.”
