“The Emmerdale star spoke honestly about the challenges she has experienced.”
Emmerdale star Lisa Riley has opened up about her emotional fertility journey during a heartfelt interview on Loose Women.
The actress, best known for playing Mandy Dingle, has previously shared her experiences with IVF and her reasons for not pursuing adoption. Now, she has spoken about finding peace within herself even without having a child.
During the show on Tuesday, Lisa said:
“I’ve talked a lot about the fact that, as a Catholic, I was raised to believe you don’t use contraception and shouldn’t have sex before marriage, and that really stayed with me. Later, I focused on my career, and back then, fertility tracking apps weren’t available. I waited and waited, found the right person in Al, and when the time came to try, I couldn’t get pregnant. I would have given everything in my life to have had a child.”
Turning to her co-star Oti Mabuse, Lisa said:
*”When I see your happiness with your husband and baby, and the amazing career you have, I realise I wasn’t that lucky. I tried everything until Al turned to me and said, ‘You have to stop the IVF treatment because it’s draining you and taking away your personality—you’re trying too hard.’
“Sometimes in life, things just aren’t meant to be. And I have to sit here with you girls today, knowing that, despite everything, I’m very fortunate because of my family.”*
She added that her nephews and niece have become “part of my jigsaw,” explaining:
“When I couldn’t get pregnant, I felt awful and, as I’ve said before, like a jigsaw with a missing piece.”
*”I’m absolutely thrilled for them, but there will always be that little voice at the back of my mind reminding me it didn’t happen for me.
“I’ve had to come to terms with that, and I have. Thank goodness for Al, because we face it together.”*
Lisa has also discussed her choice not to pursue adoption. Speaking on Aimee Fuller’s Monday Mile podcast, she said:
*”Are you going to adopt? Wow… so I must have children.
“I don’t think I’m emotionally strong enough for adoption. My mind would constantly worry that they’d want their birth mother every day, and I don’t think I could handle that.”*
She added:
“This is the path I’m on, and I’m genuinely at peace with it.”
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