Former Made In Chelsea star Louise Thompson, 36, has jetted to Greece with her family for a sunny getaway, sharing photographs on Wednesday of a swanky seafood lunch after deciding to pause her podcast.
Thompson was joined on the Mediterranean vacation by her fiancé Ryan Libbey and their four-year-old son Leo. The couple announced they are taking a break from their joint podcast, He Said, She Said, to focus on their family and their ongoing surrogacy journey.
During the trip to Greece, a southern European country known for its islands, Thompson enjoyed a plate of fish for lunch at the Mikro Nisi Restaurant. She wore a pink shirt and matching trousers from high-street retailer Zara, paired with a striped vest.
Captioning her gallery of holiday photographs on Instagram, Thompson wrote: "A delicious lunch at @mikronisi_restaurant courtesy of the lovely owners @peligoni who sure know how to host a good time* *understatement of the century". She added: "I'm hoping we will be back next year x."
Thompson also shared a video of Libbey swimming in the sea with their son Leo.
Thompson and Libbey launched their podcast, He Said, She Said, back in October 2024. Across its episodes, the couple candidly discussed their relationship, mental health, fertility journey, and experience with parenthood.
In a recent update on the show, the couple revealed they are pressing pause on their joint project to focus on their son, who starts school in September, alongside other work commitments.
Speaking on the podcast, Thompson explained: "For a long time we've really been focusing heavily on work and I think now it's time for us to take some time for ourselves."
"Our son starts school in September and also you know we've spoken very honestly about our fertility journey and the run up to that on here," she added.
Updating listeners on their surrogacy plans, Thompson continued: "We're really in an exciting spot with it now, moving quite quickly."
"So we're actually going to be pressing pause on the podcast for a little while as we step into what feels like maybe a new chapter in our lives," she said.
Thompson added: "We're so grateful for your continued support and I just wanted to say how much we've loved building this community."
Podcast hiatus and fan reactions
Libbey reflected on the show's run, remarking: "There's been sort of a mixed bag of some pretty tricky episodes but then some fun moments and overall it's a good opportunity to grow as a couple."
"Those days that felt particularly difficult, it's reassuring and super refreshing as well to know that the level of honesty and vulnerability does touch and connect people," Libbey added.
Following the announcement, fans shared supportive comments on social media. One listener wrote: "Loved this pod from the beginning, glad you're both looking after yourselves and your lovely family and all positive and loving thoughts for what might be your next chapter;"
Another commenter posted: "I will miss your lovely voice, Louise, and Ryan's tender spirit. Love and prayers for the next step of your journey;"
A third follower added: "Love listening to this honesty and communication is key and you've both been so generous with your thoughts wishing you a very happy and fruitful break……;"
A fourth fan commented: "Raw and honest, thank you for sharing your lives. Sending love as you journey into the next chapter".
Controversy over potty training comments
The holiday and podcast pause follow recent backlash against the couple over comments made on an episode regarding school-age children in nappies.
During the podcast discussion, Thompson and Libbey addressed a statistic indicating that one in four children are sent to primary school before being potty trained.
Thompson admitted she was "shocked" by the figure and laughed when Libbey described the situation as "a raw deal" for teachers.
"I think a basic human right is to teach your child before the age of four how to use the loo and how to wipe their bum," Thompson insisted during the show.
The pair laughed again as Thompson cited further figures, noting that "28% of kids are going to reception unable to eat and drink on their own. That's like almost a third of children. So, you've got a large number of kids in reception who have got nappies on and they can't feed or drink themselves."
Public criticism and SEN community reaction
The podcast comments prompted widespread backlash from parents and advocates for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN), who felt the couple mocked children with developmental delays without considering neurodivergent conditions.
One upset viewer wrote on social media: "I just can't believe you were laughing while talking about it without a single thought for parents and children who are struggling. I was very sad to see the video;"
Another parent commented: "Laughing while talking about children who are struggling is disappointing, whether it was aimed at the children themselves or just immature humour about 'poo,' it came across poorly. Overall, very disappointing;"
A third user expressed outrage: "Just genuinely gobsmacked, kids who aren't toilet trained or unable to feed themselves is definitely not something to laugh about. I am also a parent whose child struggled through no fault of his own. Please read parents stories and hopefully use this to educate your audience in future."
Dedicated SEN advocacy accounts also criticized the clip. The Instagram account autismandourworld posted that "children with special needs deserve dignity, understanding, and compassion - not public ridicule."
The account added: "Platforms that should be used to promote kindness, compassion, and understanding are instead being used to mock and ridicule children with special needs, and to blame parents for developmental delays that are often far more complex than people realise."
Highlighting Thompson's family, autismandourworld tagged her directly, pointing out that her brother, television personality Sam Thompson, has been diagnosed with ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder. The account wrote: "I really expected more from a person who has a brother who is neurodivergent".
Further reactions and stoma advocate response
Other listeners highlighted Thompson's own health background, arguing it should have made her more empathetic. One former listener commented: "How incredibly ignorant. As someone who has listened to your podcast for a while, this will be my last; Please educate yourselves before commenting on subjects like this. All I take from this is 2 very privileged GROWN ADULTS laughing at children because they wear nappies."
A mother who lives with a stoma bag, a medical pouch used to collect bodily waste, added: "As a woman who's a mum and has a stoma bag, I really did think better of you. No 2 children are the same. No 2 families are the same. Let's not judge and tear down others."
Reality television star Lateysha Grace joined the criticism on Instagram, writing: "The lack of compassion and empathy shown towards families and children facing real struggles has honestly been heartbreaking to watch."
Grace continued: "So many parents are already carrying so much behind closed doors, questioning themselves daily while doing everything they possibly can for their children."
"There are also children growing up without the support, understanding, care, or love they deserve, which makes laughing at situations like this even more upsetting. Words matter. The way we speak about people matters," Grace wrote, concluding: "I'll always stand for kindness, empathy, and understanding because you never truly know what someone is going through behind closed doors."
Parenting theories and survey statistics
The statistics cited by the couple originated from an annual survey of primary school staff in England conducted by Kindred Squared, an early years education charity.
According to the Kindred Squared survey, primary school teachers estimated that 26% of children in reception classes had frequent toilet mishaps, rising to more than one in three (36%) in the north-east of England.
The survey also reported that 28% of reception pupils were unable to eat and drink independently, while 25% struggled with other basic life skills. The charity noted that these statistics did not separate children whose developmental delays related to disabilities or special educational needs.
Following the backlash, a clip of the discussion was removed from the podcast's Instagram account without explanation.
One follower criticized the removal, commenting: "Simply removing the video without addressing the impact comes across as dismissive rather than accountable. A genuine apology and some understanding of why people are upset would have gone a long way."
Discussion on parenting approaches and milestone feedback
During the episode, Thompson and Libbey explored their own theories regarding the survey figures. Thompson suggested: "maybe parents are just doing too much for their kids. Maybe it's like a bit of a copout."
"They're like, 'Oh, my child's crying and they're being a bit difficult. I can't be bothered with the hassle, so I'm just going to take the easy route,'" she claimed, adding: "I think that people are so distracted these days with screens that they can't be bothered to dedicate the time."
Addressing their own parenting, Libbey revealed that his parents handled toilet training for Leo, stating: "pretty much broke the back on the potty training for us with Leo because we went away for a week and he went to his grandparents and they got him out of nappies in a week. It was quite convenient to be honest."
Libbey also presented a theory about modern parenting, acknowledging: "this could get me in hot water... I think there's maybe fewer parents than there used to be who were comfortable in the acceptance of I'm a parent. Full stop. As in like my job is to look after my child or my children."
He added: "I think what happens now is that you've got very career-hungry, ambitious parents who are maybe younger and something's got to give in that scenario maybe. And it's these little moments of potty training and correct development with eating and drinking."
Thompson also suggested that parents who do not enrol their children in nursery settings lack feedback on milestones. "I think that at nursery they would have flagged to us if Leo was still in nappies at three or four or even like two plus," she said. "It's part of the narrative that you have when your child is being looked after... Surely it's for someone to pick up on that that is not the behavioral norm."
She concluded: "If I hang out with any of my friends, like we're all trying to hit those developmental milestones. It's one of the things we actually talk about and we talk about our kids a lot."
