Hiding my IVF struggles from Countryfile bosses was horribly stressful but I had no choice reveals Julia Bradbury
COUNTRYFILE star Julia Bradbury has revealed that it was ‘horribly stressful’ to keep her fertility struggles private while working on the BBC show.
The 53-year-old, who was a presenter on the show for five years, shared that she was in an ‘emotional rollercoaster’ during the challenging process.
Former Countryfile host Julia recently sat down with Sophie Ellis-Bextor on the Spinning Plates podcast.
She opened up about why she didn’t tell BBC bosses about her IVF struggles ahead of welcoming her twin daughters.
The TV star detailed that she also had to conceal her health struggles from the public while juggling her presenting.
She reflected on a “horribly stressful” time while working in Scotland and believed that it contributed to an unsuccessful IVF process.
Julia revisited the moment when she took a step back from her workload and indulged in a relaxing five-week break and not long after, she discovered she was pregnant with her twins Xanthe and Zena, who are now eight-years-old.
She recalled: “I remember the day so vividly, and obviously I cried. I was really holding onto this as something that had to be.”
When quizzed about why she didn’t go public about the “emotional rollercoaster” she was experiencing at that moment, she responded: “I couldn’t be public about the IVF when I was going through it because of my work. It would’ve influenced the people, the broadcasters, and the production companies that I work with.”
She added: “So, it had to be private for that reason, but when I could, I was open about the fact that the girls were IVF babies.”
Three years after having her son Zephyr, 12, Julia gave birth to her twins through IVF.
Speaking of wanting more children, she said: “After Zeth, we were desperate for him to have a sibling, we didn’t want him to be on his own, especially with being older parents and all the rest. So, that urge was almost stronger than to have a child in the first place.”
At the age of 33, Julia was faced with fertility issues after being diagnosed with Endometriosis.
After her “miracle” son’s birth seven years following her diagnosis, in an interview with Hello! Magazine, Julia told them: “Because I didn’t think it was possible to have children, I feel incredibly blessed.”
She added that when her husband Gerard Cunningham became a first-time dad, he became a ‘very emotional, loving and incredible dad’ who was very much ‘hands-on.’
According to the NHS, Endometriosis is a long-term health condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes.
Symptoms of the condition include severe pain in the pelvis, which can make it harder to get pregnant.