TV Presenter Ellie Phillips has joyously announced she is pregnant with her first child just ahead of Christmas. The showbiz journalist and GB News Presenter, who is seen regularly contributing to ITV’s flagship show Good Morning Britain, released the news yesterday in a Hello! Magazine exclusive alongside her Husband, Rob Dee.
The 36-year-old TV Anchor, who hails from Liverpool but now lives in Tunbridge Wells in their marital home, has experienced a rocky first trimester and introduction to motherhood, suffering extreme pregnancy symptoms from the get-go. Whilst shining on screen in glamourous outfits with immaculate hair and make-up, Ellie was secretly battling behind the scenes with hyper-nausea, intense migraines and even suffered covid, all while trying to keep her pregnancy under wraps.
The onscreen beauty and her Husband had been struggling to conceive naturally due to Ellie suffering from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, a condition that many women have but that she feels isn’t well understood by the masses.
“We talk a lot about miscarriage now but not so much about the difficulty of actually getting pregnant in the first place – and then battling to endure the first trimester, especially in silence!
“I feel like a lot of people hear the word Polycystic Ovaries bounded around and think ‘ah yeah I know loads of women who have had that, that’s nothing’ when actually it has an absolutely enormous impact on fertility and cane make things very very complicated when trying to conceive.”
Ellie went on to open up about the endless questioning that she and Rob have endured about pregnancy in the year after their wedding at The Dorchester last Summer.
“It was like everyone was obsessed with knowing when we were going to have a baby. That comes from a good place I totally get that, but nobody stops to think ‘what if this couple are struggling to conceive’ – it felt like they were literally shining a light on the most painful feature of our lives in front of everyone, over and over again. I am someone known for speaking her mind, but in those moments, even I didn’t know what to say.”
‘Pregnancy snooping’ is something Ellie feels strongly shouldn’t be accepted by women in this day and age. Once they had become expectant parents, one of the things they found hardest to navigate has been explaining why Ellie isn’t drinking, without spilling the beans.
“There is also something about refusing alcohol which naturally erupts in pregnancy questioning – especially when you have openly loved a cocktail or two like me. The second you say ‘no’ the next line is ‘are you pregnant?’ – it’s horrible having to lie about it (when you know you are). Hiding it isn’t pleasant, especially from colleagues or friends – but there is such a huge stigma around talking about it too soon so there doesn’t feel like there is much of a choice. I’m not sure I would try to keep it quiet again. I’m too honest and it’s hard work covering it up!”
Ellie’s Husband Rob, a Business Owner from Kent, is excited about building a family with Ellie and knows how her mind works when it comes to babies “Ellie actually isn’t that into babies – she isn’t one to get broody at Christenings or anything like that. She knows that the early part is going to be really tough and isn’t convincing herself it will be all perfect like you see in the movies. But she is full of love and all about family, and wants to build a union between us that is unbreakable. I know she will be absolutely incredible! She is the strongest woman I know!”
Ellie went on to say “It’s not that I don’t love kids, I am super close with my Niece and Nephew and anyone will see that. I’m just not naive enough to think a baby stays a baby forever and am loving the thought of a long-term family unit over and above the early sleepless nights stage. I think that’s realistic!”
The pair are due to become parents in Summer 2024 and are currently working on the nursery at their marital home in Kent.
