The Passengers(84)
‘I wish Ben could have met his son.’
Passenger Claire Arden invites Yes! Magazine into her newly renovated home to meet Baby Tate.
It’s been a whirlwind six months for Claire Arden since she found international recognition as one of the final five Passengers.
In front of an estimated audience of three-billion people, the former teaching assistant from Peterborough went into labour in her hijacked car, giving birth to her son Tate two months prematurely and moments after being rescued.
And during her ordeal she kept hidden the dead body of her husband Ben in the boot of her car.
In the second part of our exclusive interview, Claire, 27, tells Yes! how she has adjusted to life as a single mum and her plans for the future.
Tate became the world’s most famous baby even before he was born. How will you explain to him the trauma of that day?
Obviously I’ll wait until he is old enough to understand, but I won’t keep anything from him. We went through something unique together and I’ll never let him forget that he’s my little miracle.
How have you coped in the aftermath?
It’s something I have to deal with on a daily basis. After Tate and Ben, the hijacking is the first thing I think about in the morning and the last thing I think about before I go to sleep. I started counselling recently to help me try to process and come to terms with everything, and slowly, I think I’m moving in the right direction.
By admitting to putting Ben’s body in your car, you broke the law. How did the police respond?
They were very understanding. A few days after I gave birth in the back of the ambulance, they questioned me and I admitted to what I did and why, which I’ll talk more about in my book. Later, when the inquest confirmed it was a ruptured aneurysm that killed Ben, the police accepted I wasn’t thinking straight and I ended up with a caution.
On reflection, do you think Ben’s plan could have worked?
I don’t know what I was thinking. All I know was that I was grieving and trying to put the best interests of our son first. Looking back, once we’d reached Ben’s car park, it was unlikely that I’d have been able to move him from the boot and into the front of the car. He was a big, strong man. It was a plan that came out of grief and desperation.
It’s been widely reported that you were forced to leave your job. What happened?
Unfortunately, yes. I loved working as a teaching assistant but when the attention became too much, it wasn’t a position that was tenable any longer. But I’ve just finished writing my autobiography and I’ve been shooting my ‘Lose the Baby Weight’ TV series, which starts streaming next month. Also, on Monday, Tate and I are flying to Los Angeles to spend the rest of the year working on my fly-on-the-wall reality series.
What do you think Ben would have made of what’s happened to you since becoming a Passenger?
I think he’d be really proud of how I’ve handled it. All he ever wanted is to provide for our son, even after his death. And while that didn’t happen in the way he hoped, that’s exactly what I’m doing.
How do you react to criticism that you have exploited your position as a Passenger to make money?
I’ve made no bones about the fact that I now have a media career because of my ordeal. But I’d give it all away in a heartbeat if I could have Ben back with me. Tate and I deserve every single penny of what we’ve earned. Unless you lost your partner suddenly, were trapped in a hijacked car, driving to your death while going into labour, then you have no idea what kind of hell that was! I’ve not been able to travel in anything higher than a Level Two car since, and even then it’s with the doors unlocked and windows open. I sleep two, maybe three hours a night before waking up in a cold sweat and I’m constantly worried how the trauma might affect Tate in later life. If I’m offered money because of that, then yes, I’m going to take it. Any decent mother would.
Have you met any of your fellow Passengers?
I’ve met Heidi Cole several times now and we email and text frequently. We’ve become really good friends and I’ve asked her to be Tate’s godmother when I get him christened on my reality show. I’ve not met her husband though, and don’t have any desire to after what he put her through.
Finally, what do you think happened to Jude Harrison?
That’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it? I honestly don’t know. I mean, I know he wasn’t really a Passenger and likely played a big part in the hacking. All I can say from my interaction with him was that he was very kind and genuinely seemed to care about my safety. But you never really know anyone, do you?
Chapter 58
The corridor was bustling with people of all ages, either huddled in groups, disappearing into side rooms or queuing for vending machines. Heidi Cole was sitting on a solid wooden bench in the corner, the back of her head resting against the wall. Behind her sunglasses, her eyes were closed but she remained alert for tell-tale signs that she’d been recognised as a Passenger.
Conversation between friends often stopped when they passed her or she’d hear the rustling of a hand inside a pocket to grab a phone that would begin recording her. If her eyes were open, she would have seen today’s onlookers clocking her, glancing away, then taking a sneaky second peek. She would not have tried to stop them; she’d grown used to the attention over the last six months. Besides, there were worse things that could happen than having her image appear on social media. She and two other Passengers knew that better than most. Even if she had wanted privacy, she would not get it today. It was her fourth court appearance and the day of her sentencing.