RELAXING on holiday with her family, Amy Childs had no idea of the horror unfolding at home.
This week The Only Way Is Essex star, 36, became the latest celebrity to be targeted by criminals. Here, insiders tell us how Amy plans to move on from the ordeal – plus the huge decision she’s been forced to make as experts warn she sadly won’t be the last to suffer.
Amy Childs has been left devastated after her lavish £1.7m home was broken into Credit: Instagram
Amy is incredibly proud of the life she has built and is heartbroken someone would spoil it Credit: Instagram
Amy is said to be incredibly grateful she was away with her family – husband Billy, Polly, nine, Ritchie, seven, and twins Billy and Milly, three, at the time.
But it’s raised questions for the devastated star – about not only the future of her £1.7m home but her prolific use of social media.
Our insider revealed: “Amy will never ever move, this is her dream forever home, but she will be ramping up security even more now.
“She always loved showing off her home online as she is proud of it and has worked hard for it, but now she feels like she can’t have anything nice. She will be taking a break from social media for a while as she is very upset.”
Amy was lucky to be away when the break-in took place, others haven’t been so fortunate.
Former Towie star Megan McKenna broke down in tears as she opened up about her own ordeal this week, which saw her violently attacked in her own home by three machete-wielding thugs who tore her jewellery off her hand in 2024.
The star, who shares son Landon, one, with footballer husband Oliver Burke, confessed the attack on her home has left her “nervous” when it comes to going to bed at night and in “trauma therapy”.
Discussing the situation, PR & Social Media Expert Estelle Keeber told us: “What happened to Amy Childs is a reminder of just how vulnerable public figures can be, although it’s important not to assume social media was the cause of this particular burglary.
“What social media does create is a digital trail. One post rarely gives someone everything they need, but months or even years of content can build a detailed picture of where someone lives, when they’re away, the layout of their home and their daily routines.
“People often don’t realise that background details can be just as revealing as a location tag. A street sign, a distinctive view from a window, nearby landmarks, house numbers or even regular school routes can help identify a property. Criminals can piece these clues together surprisingly easily.”
In that same year, Megan’s life changed forever, Charlotte Crosby underwent a similar ordeal. She was left terrified when four masked men in balaclavas—one reportedly carrying a machete—broke into her plush mansion.
She was at home with her fiancé Jake Ankers, and their two-year-old daughter Alba at the time. They instantly upped security but ultimately made the decision to move house.
In the past Molly Mae and Tommy Fury fled their apartment after it was broken into and Kim Kardashian was famously robbed at gunpoint after showing off her diamonds online.
She later said: “I learned first hand that if you share too much, it can be a little bit dangerous at times… I don’t post in real-time anymore.”
A source explained: “It’s often a real wake-up call for celebrities when their homes get broken into. It’s truly terryfying when it happens and people online can be quite unforgiving about it, especially after a star gloats about their home or expensives items.
“Unfortunately all these people have at some point showed off their fancy dressing room, designer goods and even documented their holidays in real-time.”
“Social media is all about showing off the best bits of your life, but people might want to take a step back and think about just how much they are giving away.”
Social media expert Estelle agrees, saying: “My advice is simple: avoid posting your location in real time, wait until you’re home before sharing holiday content, and always check what information or identifiable details are visible in the background before you hit publish.
Amy has been sharing pictures from her holiday when the burglary took place Credit: Instagram/ @amychilds1990
Megan McKenna was left in tears discussing the break in at her home Credit: Great Company with Jamie Laing/ Facebook
“Small changes like these can significantly reduce the amount of information available to the wrong people.”
It’s certainly not all to do with social media posts though. Footballers have another problem – ‘away day’ gangs , so named because they target homes when players are involved in high-profile games, are known to operate.
In January of this year Maya Jama and her then boyfriend – footballer Ruben Dias were left heartbroken after an “away day” gang ransacked their home.
Their £4million Omaze prize-draw mansion in Cheshire was targeted by raiders who took jewellery, electronics and clothes.
Charlotte Crosby’s mega mansion was targeted in the past – she has now moved Credit: NNP
The home Maya Jama and Ruben Dias lived in was raided at the start of the year Credit: Omaze
Previous victims include Ruben’s former Manchester City teammates Jack Grealish, Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez.
David Joyson, Chief Customer Officer at specialist home insurance provider, Homeprotect, explained why celebs are targetted so often.
He told us: “There are a number of reasons why celebrities’ homes may be targeted by burglars – one being the perceived high value of items within their properties, with the expectation that properties may house expensive, unique or culturally significant contents making them a particularly high-profile target.”
Celebrities might live their lives most of the time with the mantra ‘if you’ve got it, flaunt it’, but when it comes to their homes, perhaps it would be best if that was kept behind closed doors.
