Miranda Rae Mayo has earned a special place in the hearts of “Chicago Fire” fans ever since she joined the cast in 2016. Her portrayal of Stella Kidd,
one-half of the fan-favorite ‘Stellaride’ couple, has made her a central figure in the series. However, while Stella is often involved in high-stakes situations
at Firehouse 51, Miranda’s real life is much more grounded and serene, revolving around her family, friends, and community.
The Spark of Passion for Acting
Miranda’s journey into acting began in her school days. In an interview with Tell Tale TV, she recalled how a school production of The Wizard of Oz sparked her love for the craft: “I got cast as the Wicked Witch of the West in my sixth-grade play, and it was pretty much a wrap after that.” That early experience set the stage for her career, and after high school, Miranda moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting. She dabbled in modeling before making her television debut in 2011. Her career took off, and before landing her iconic role on Chicago Fire, Miranda appeared in shows such as Days of Our Lives (2013-2015), Pretty Little Liars (2015), and Blood & Oil (2015).
A Life in Chicago
Living in Chicago for her role on Chicago Fire, Miranda has come to love the city. She enjoys staying fit and frequently visits local spots like On Your Mark Fitness, where she trains with owner Emily Hutchins. Another favorite of hers is Infiniteus, a juice and crystal shop on North Avenue. Miranda also values self-care and works with The Holistic Life Foundation, an organization dedicated to teaching mindfulness and yoga in underserved communities.
When it comes to her personal time, Miranda prioritizes wellness, often indulging in yoga, music, and spending time with her extensive family, which includes her biological relatives, friends, and her Chicago Fire castmates. “I have a ton of family. My blood family, my chosen family, my LA family, my Chicago Fire family, my spiritual family,” she said in an interview.
Mental Health and Stella Kidd’s Influence
Miranda is open about her mental health journey, and she credits her portrayal of Stella for helping her explore different facets of herself. She shared that playing Stella has allowed her to take on roles that challenge her mentally and emotionally. “Stella has been an incredible vehicle for me to explore many different sides of myself,” she explained. “Being able to do that in a community with the cast I work with has affected my mental health tremendously.” She also mentioned how she enjoys seeing Stella’s courageous actions, not only in her career but also in her relationships, as an inspiring element of her character.
A Private Love Life
While Miranda’s chemistry with co-star Taylor Kinney, who plays Kelly Severide, is undeniable on-screen, their relationship remains professional. Miranda keeps her personal life out of the public eye. She was once romantically linked to actor Luke Baines after their collaboration on the film The Girl in the Photographs and their appearance together at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2015. However, it appears that Miranda is currently single, focusing on her career and personal growth.
Fearne Cotton has broken her silence on split from husband Jesse Wood in her first TV interview since the breakup.
Joining Lorraine Kelly on Monday’s episode of the ITV show, the TV presenter, 43, also gave an health update after having two tumours removed from jaw.
Fearne announced her split from Jesse, the son of Rolling Stones bass guitarist Ronnie Wood, in December after 10 years of marriage.
She has since made swipes at Jesse and moved on with TV director Elliot Hegarty, with the pair having been seen kissing during a recent night out.
Fearne has had a difficult few months after undergoing surgery to remove two benign tumours from her jawline, just days before her split with Jesse emerged.
She told host Lorraine: ‘It’s all very amicable and kids are doing great. I am in a very good place.’place.’
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Fearne Cotton has broken her silence on split from husband Jesse Wood in her first TV interview since the breakup
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Fearne announced her split from Jesse, the son of Rolling Stones bass guitarist Ronnie Wood , in December after 10 years of marriage (both pictured in February 2024)
Discussing her recent surgery, she added: ‘I feel very grateful to have completely recovered.
‘I feel really good. I have a lot of people reaching out who have had the same thing.’
Davina McCall, 56, announced in November she’d been diagnosed with a colloid cyst, a rare type of benign brain tumour, and has supported Fearne.
She continued: ‘Everyone needs a Davina. She’s been amazing, weird that we had the same health thing going on at the same time. She’s so calming and we speak every day. She is just the best
It comes after Fearne has seemingly made another thinly-veiled dig at her ex-husband as she gushed that she is the happiest she’s ever been in a positive update.
Speaking to Scott Mills on his BBC Radio 2 breakfast show, Fearne gushed that she is ‘really happy’ and is ‘springing out of bed in the morning ready for life’.
Scott, who has known Fearne for 25 years, said he has never seen her ‘more positive or happier’, prompting Fearne to agree and reply: ‘Yeah I feel great!’
She told how her health scare has changed her outlook and said she has been seeking comfort from Davina.
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Joining Lorraine Kelly on Monday’s episode of the ITV show, the TV presenter, 43, also gave an health update after having two tumours removed from jaw
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It comes after Fearne has seemingly made another thinly-veiled dig at her ex-husband as she gushed that she is the happiest she’s ever been in a positive update
‘I’m really happy and I think when you’ve had a health thing like that it does just give you this baseline gratitude where you just feel, you know I have talked to Davina a hell of a lot as our operations were within a month of each other which so weird,’ she continued.
‘We’ve had so many brilliant chats about yeah just feeling very grateful for the basics and sort of springing out of bed in the morning ready for life so yeah I’m feeling good I’ve got lots of exciting stuff happening this year so I’m ready for it!’
Reflecting on her health scare, Fearne said she is ‘massively grateful’ because she didn’t think the lump was anything to worry about, before learning it was a tumour.
‘I went for an ultrasound and it ended up being a tumour, which was obviously a big surprise,’ she explained.
‘Now I feel absolutely great I’m really grateful and you know go and get those lumps and bumps checked out if you’ve got them it’s really really important.
‘I really thought this is going to be a non-event and it ended up being you know major surgery, but I’m healthy and feeling great and just massively grateful.’
Fearne had the benign tumour removed just days before her split from her husband Jesse – who she shares her son Rex and daughter Honey with – emerged.
‘It is with a heavy heart that I let you all know that Jesse and I are ending our marriage,’ the radio host said in an online post at the time, saying their priority would ‘always be’ their children.
Fearne is also stepmother to Jesse’s children Arthur, 21, and Lola, 18, from his first marriage to Tilly Wood.
Jesse, 48, has since moved on his former actress and model, Gemma Gregory, 39, who now works in the wellness business and hosts the Happy Place podcast.
Meanwhile, Fearne is said to have been secretly dating TV director Elliot Hegarty since January.
Their romance emerged when they were seen passionately kissing on a night out in Soho before they walked hand-in-hand while accompanied by friends.
The single mother, 51, was said to be ‘totally shocked and devastated because she only knew that Elliot and Fearne were friends’ and a friend told the Mail: ‘It was an awful way for her to find out and it has been quite ghastly for her.’
Fearne recently spoke about wanting to have a ‘burst of fun’ and ‘go and get p***ed’ following the end of her marriage.
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Fearne has since moved on with TV director Elliot Hegarty (pictured in September), with the pair having been seen kissing during a recent night out
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Fearne has also had a difficult few months after undergoing surgery to remove two benign tumours from her jawline, just days before her split with Jesse emerged
Speaking to Women’s Health UK, Fearne made a swipe at her ex-husband as she told how she has ‘missed out on having fun’.
She shared: ‘I’ve dedicated the past 12 years to being a mum and building Happy Place [the award-winning podcast and wellness festival Fearne launched in 2018] I still want to do all of that, but I’ve been missing out on just having fun.
‘Now I’m in my forties, I want more fun; to see mates, have lunches at my house and cook for everyone, go on little nights out and dinners and not care so much about getting back late.’
The couple had reportedly faced challenges for several years, with Fearne previously admitting that their marriage had been ‘suffering’ as far back as 2019.
Speaking at the time, Fearne said Jesse’s demanding schedule with his band Reef had put a strain on their relationship which left them desperately ‘clinging onto their marriage’ in an unearthed interview.
Fearne and Jesse tied the knot in July 2014 three years after they started dating. They met while partying in Ibiza the year after his split from his first wife Tilly.
