Great British Bake Off star Laura Adlington has revealed she is pregnant with her first baby after nearly a decade of infertility.
The 36-year-old reached the final of the Channel 4 cooking competition series in 2020, with Peter Sawkins becoming the youngest ever winner, aged 20.
Laura previously spoke about her difficulties conceiving with her husband Matt in 2022 when she was told by doctors to lose 14 stone to qualify for IVF.
On Instagram today, the body positivity and confidence campaigner announced she was ‘a little bit in shock’ to be having their first ‘miracle’ child.
She shared a picture of herself and Matt holding ultrasound scans alongside their pet dog and revealed she was expecting their baby in October after ‘nine years of infertility.’
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A compassionate Laura began her social media post with a trigger warning to people currently struggling to have children and told them to ‘mute and unfollow’ her if her update was ‘painful.’
She then detailed her ‘really long and lonely road’ to starting a family, revealing she had ‘made peace’ with the idea she and Matt may not be able to have children.
Over the past 18 months, Laura said she and Matt began the process of IVF, which they did not share with the public or family members to alleviate pressure.
She added: ‘We had an unsuccessful round and a cancelled round, and then found out a couple of months ago that I was finally pregnant.
‘I’ll be sharing a bit more over the coming weeks about our journey to get here but for now we’re just really excited to share our news with you all. We honestly can’t believe our luck.’
Laura received a deluge of congratulatory messages, including from fellow Bake Off star John Whaite, who wrote: ‘Wahhhh this is amazing. Huge congrats lovely xx.’
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Strictly Come Dancing star and comedian Ellie Taylor wrote: ‘Oh SISTER!!! THRILLLLLLLED!!!!!’
Metro columnist Em Clarkson added: ‘So delighted for you.’
Body positivity influencer Alex Light also wrote: ‘I am BEYOND happy for you 🥹🥹🥹 the best news!!!!!!!!’
In 2022, Laura said she was instructed by doctors to lose 14st to qualify for IVF after struggling with infertility.
She added that she tried to lose weight and even considered weight loss surgery, but realised that it was not the right decision for her.
‘It was difficult — people say we obviously didn’t want it enough because I would have lost the weight to have the IVF.
‘But it was such a lot to lose — about 14st and I just struggled to do that,’ Laura added to The Sun’s Fabulous Magazine.
The TV star said that the ‘heartache of really wanting and it not happening’ was the ‘hardest thing I’ve ever gone through.
‘I felt like if I couldn’t be a mum, what’s the point? I’d always wanted to be a mother and it wasn’t happening.’
After Bake Off, Laura pivoted into a career as a body positivity advocate, winning the wellness category at The British Podcast Awards in 2023 for her podcast Go Love Yourself with Lauren Smith.
‘The way you look is the least interesting thing about you,’ Laura previously told Metro.
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