Lisa Faulkner has opened up about her journey towards adopting her daughter Billie, describing the ‘dark times’ she experienced while trying to become pregnant.
The former Holby City actress, 48, adopted her daughter Billie, now 14, with her first husband Chris Coghill back in 2008.
The TV personality spoke candidly about her struggle to conceive, explaining she became pregnant with her former spouse after around six to eight months of trying, only to discover it was an ectopic pregnancy when she collapsed one day on set.
Motherhood: Lisa Faulkner has described the ‘dark times’ she experienced trying to become pregnant before adopting her daughter Billie in 2008
The diagnosis resulted in surgery and meant Lisa had to have one of her fallopian tubes removed.
Writing for motherhood publication Pause, she said: ‘When I did decide I wanted to be a mother, I wanted it to happen immediately. I thought that I would come off the pill and have a few months of trying and then I would be pregnant.
‘I did get pregnant after about six to eight months of trying but sadly it turned out to be an ectopic pregnancy, I collapsed on set and had to have a tube removed.’
Lisa, who has since penned a book about infertility and adoption, had three failed rounds of IVF with her now ex-husband Chris, 44, before they decided to adopt.
She described having an epiphany when she realised she ‘did not have to grow a baby to love one’, which led to her adopting her daughter Billie.
Adoption: After three failed rounds of IVF, the Holby City actress, 48, decided to adopt her daughter Billie, now 14, (both pictured in 2011) with her first husband Chris Coghill, 44
Lisa said she ‘wanted to be a mother even more than ever’ and proudly called Billie ‘the best thing in the entire world’.
She explained: ‘I knew I still wanted to be a mother even more than ever. We looked at every option under the sun including surrogacy and adoption abroad before we decided to adopt from the UK.
Lisa said there were only six weeks in between being ‘matched’ with Billie and her moving into her and Chris’s home, leading to the couple frantically readying the house for their new arrival.
She described being an adopter as the ‘most incredible feeling’, matching the emotions she had felt when she was pregnant, saying she was both ‘excited and scared.’
The TV star married her husband John Torode last year and described parenthood as both a ‘challenging and rewarding’ experience.
When Billie was younger, she said that she spent time getting overjoyed at small things, including fitting a car seat, as she had lost faith that would happen.
Marriage: Lisa married her husband John Torode, 55, (pictured on John’s birthday in July) in a romantic autumnal ceremony at Aynhoe Park in Northamptonshire, in October 2019
But reflecting back on her adoption journey, Lisa said she wishes she had taken more time to pause and ‘be kinder’ to herself.
Lisa has previously candidly spoken out about the struggles of IVF, detailing it as a ‘lonely experience’ which encouraged her to write her book Meant to Be: My Journey to Motherhood.
The mother-of-one has appeared on Lorraine talking about how fertility issues and the desire for a child left her feeling anxious.
She said: ‘I struggled with lots and lots of IVF which failed and going through the adoption process, which meant I was always stressed and in this angst.’
Lisa married her current husband John, 55, in a romantic autumnal ceremony at Aynhoe Park in Northamptonshire, in October 2019.
Lisa won Celebrity Masterchef in 2010, which was where she met her husband, and Masterchef judge, John.
The couple now run an ITV series together called John and Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen, which is set to air on Saturday mornings in November.
Chefs: The married couple (pictured on Lorraine in May 2019) run an ITV series together called John and Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen, which is set to air on Saturday mornings in November