Carol Wright congratulated Michelle Keegan on Instagram amid reports there is 'tension' in their relationship and she is a 'mother-in-law from hell'. 

Michelle, 38, took to her social media to share a selection of snaps from a talk she did with SkyTV for International Women's Day as well as a trip to London to the recording studio.

Posing in a denim look, the actress wrote: 'It was an honour to be asked to talk to today at @skytv headquarters to celebrate the importance of International Women’s day 2026 alongside @sophyridge.'  

Carol, 65, who is the mother of former TOWIE star Mark Wright, took to the comment section to say 'well done'. 

But fans were dubious and wrote: 'how ironic' as the interaction came after Carol and her daughters Jessica and Natalya had to issue a grovelling apology over comments they made on their podcast Wright At Home. 

Carol suffered furious social media backlash for claiming thong bikinis and those who wear them are 'gross and unattractive'. 

Friends claim the comments were a thinly veiled dig at Michelle, who manages her own Orfila Bee swimwear range and typically fills her Instagram platform with bikini content. 

A source told The Sun: 'To put it bluntly, Carol is the textbook mother-in-law from hell. She is completely obsessed with her sons and is your stereotypical possessive boy mum.

'The tension between Carol and Michelle is very subtle. Carol thinks she’s having a subtle dig, but Michelle sees straight through her, and everything is noted.' 

It's understood that Carol's exasperated son has previously urged her to be mindful of her comments around his wife. 

'Mark is completely obsessed with Michelle and her happiness is his priority, he won’t have his wife upset by anyone, least of all his own mum – he has told Carol she must stop,' the source added.  

Despite being removed, the clip has found its way onto TikTok - where listeners have reacted furiously to the discussion, during which Jess claimed her husband Will 'hates' thong bikinis, while Carol said husband Mark Sr finds them 'unsexy'.

And separate sources say the comments were aired at the worst possible time, with Michelle and Mark celebrating their daughter's first birthday in March.  

'It’s all been terrible timing. They were trying to celebrate Palma’s first birthday, but this is all anyone is talking about.  

'Normally, Carol would post it all over her social media, but she’s lying low amid the backlash.' 

Jess, Natalya and Carol launched Wright At Home in November last year, and while the show has gained mild traction since its launch, the bikini discussion has stormed TikTok - despite the minds behind the Instagram page removing the clip.

The discussion began with Jess, who claimed: 'I can't stand how it's acceptable to walk around on the beach in a thong.'

Natalya added: 'Do you know what's worse, these girls who do wear them, fair enough if you're gonna wear them, at least if you're gonna bend over and put your towel over your bed, put a sarong on!'

Joining the conversation, Carol said: 'I really do think this is not sexy for men to look at.'

The family matriarch then recounted a story from a holiday with her husband, who she revealed weighed in on the look of three women with varied figures.

She said: 'Me and daddy was walking along the promenade and there were three girls in front of us and they were all different shapes and sizes but they had their whole arses out and daddy was looking and he said: "It doesn't even look sexy".'

Many social media users shared throwback images of Jess in barely-there bikinis - many of which showed much of her bottom due to the size of the swimwear.

Those raising the hypocrite line wrote: Did no one see Jess on Towie? She was always in this sort of bikini when it was pool parties etc xxx...

'Literally. pot kettle black and all that xx... one rule for everyone else and their own rules for them, double standards at its finest lol.'

One image in particular arose, showing Jess at her 2021 hen do walking through an airport in a fringed skirt with miniscule bottoms worn underneath.

Upset arose at the prospect of women failing to support other women, with one TikTok user declaring they are not concerned with Will's opinion.

They wrote: 'It's disgusting women still have to deal with other women tearing them down for their clothing choices...

'Jess hunny, I do NOT dress for your husband and I certainly don't want him imagining me naked. That is not why the baddies wear thong bikinis.'