Michelle Keegan is happily married to husband Mark Wright, with the pair enjoying life in their sprawling Essex mansion.
Despite appearing to have it all, it seems that Michelle, 35, reportedly can't help but miss her old life in Manchester – where most of her family and friends still reside.
The former Coronation Street actress moved her life to Essex after falling head over heels for Mark, 36, but she has previously admitted to struggling to adapt to the southern lifestyle.
Her ongoing apparent struggle to adapt to the change in lifestyle is said to have driven a 'rift' between her and Mark, according to sources.
"Michelle adores her house and what they have built together, but there's a huge part of her that is still pining to be close to her friends and family, which is understandably causing a divide between her and Mark," the insider told Closer Magazine.
"Essex has been her permanent base for over a decade now, but as much as she has tried to settle into life there, she feels like a piece of her is missing and part of her wishes they could move up north where she feels content and comfortable," they added.
The insider continued: "Mark understands her wanting to spend time with her loved ones, but it also upsets him to think she is constantly torn over being back up north. Building a family home in Essex was very much a joint decision and now they have their dream house, Mark is longing for Michelle to embrace it and spend as much time there together as possible."
Michelle tied the knot with Mark in 2015 and since then, has shared insights into their lives together down south but she still visits her friends and family in Manchester on a regular basis.
The former Our Girl star recently confessed that there's nothing she loves more than chips and gravy – a classic northern delicacy.
Despite revealing when she's in Essex she gets 'itchy feet' and heads up north, Michelle explained: "I don't understand why you can't get chips and gravy down south.
"I go for pie and mash but I don't like the liquor, so I get gravy and I'm like 'Why has gravy not taken off here?! It's so much nicer!," she told Radio Times.
While Michelle and Mark opt to keep a low profile, they share updates with fans on the transformation of their Essex mansion, with Mark explaining they were blown away by fan interest.
The Mirror has reached out to Michelle's representatives for comment on this story.
