Soap star Hayley Tammadon opens up to this week’s Closer magazine about her difficult journey to motherhood and expecting her little boy against the odds.
Gently cradling her baby bump on Closer's exclusive photoshoot, Hayley Tammadon is positively glowing. The actress recently announced she is expecting her first child aged 42 with fiancé Adrian and, after years of believing she couldn’t conceive, she admits to pinching herself every day over her 'miracle' pregnancy.
Hayley – who's due in October – says, "The fact I’m 42 and having a baby is absolutely incredible. For so long I thought I couldn’t have children, it just never happened. Now that it has, everything feels natural and so right. We’re expecting a boy which is amazing and I’ve never been happier."
The former Emmerdale and Coronation Street star has been open about her desire to become a mum, but before falling pregnant she convinced herself she’d never experience motherhood.
She explains, “I’m so maternal it’s ridiculous, I have a natural mothering and bossy instinct. I always thought I’d be married by 30 and have my first child at 33, but life didn’t work out that way. I’ve been in long-term relationships in the past and I expected kids would follow naturally but they never did."
Check out: celebrities expecting a baby in 2019
Pregnant Celebs 2019 Closer - SLIDER & STACKED USE THIS ONE
1 of 16Marnie Simpson and Casey Johnson
Marnie Simpson announced she was pregnant with her first child with boyfriend Casey Johnson in April, after fearing she was infertile.
2 of 16Gemma Atkinson and Gorka Marquez
Strictly Come Dancing love birds Gorka Marquez and Gemma Atkinson announced their pregnancy with an adorable instagram snap of their two pups Norman and Ollie with signs around their necks saying "Guess what... Mum's pregnant! We're going to be big brothers!"Aww!
3 of 16Jess Hayes and Dan Lawry
Love Island winner Jess Hayes announced she's pregnant with her first child with Dan Lawry, and the happy couple are expecting in July.
4 of 16Myleene Klass and Simon Motson
Former Hear'Say singer and TV presenter Myleene Klass has announced that she is pregnant with her third child.Myleene, 40, revealed the happy news on Instagram on Valentines Day with an adorable photo of her baby bump with the simple caption '❤ufe0f'.This will be Myleene's third child but her first with her partner Simon Motson. Myleene already has daughters, Ava, 11 and Hero, 7.
5 of 16Hayley Tamaddon
Actress Hayley Tamaddon, who's starred in Emmerdale and Corrie, announced she's expecting her first child - age 42!"I'm so pleased to tell you all... I'm expecting my first child with my wonderful boyfriend Adrian!!" she said. "I've always wanted to be a mum and didn't think I could have children. And now, at the ripe old age of 42 - I'M PREGNANT! And We couldn't be happier. "
6 of 16Chloe Lewis
Chloe Lewis announced her pregnancy with boyfriend Danny Flasher in May, with a v. cute Instagram post.
7 of 16Rachel Riley and Pasha Kovalev
Strictly Come Dancing lovers Rachel Riley and Pasha Kovalev announced they'd be having their first child in May.
8 of 16Julia Goudling and Ben Silver
Congrats are in order for Coronation Street actor Julia Goulding and her husband Ben Silver who are expecting their first child – just three months after getting married.
9 of 16Hannah Elizabeth
Original Love Islander Hannah Elizabeth has been celebrating her pregnancy with some very racy lingerie snaps. She made her announcement in May.
10 of 16Malia Arkian
Most famous for getting ejected from the Love Island villa just HOURS after arriving in 2016, Malia Arkian announced in June that she was expecting her first child with, and was engaged to, her footballer boyfriend Hope Akpan.
11 of 16Helen Briggs and Chet Johnson
One of the only successful couples to have come from Ex on the Beach, Helen Briggs and Chet Johnson, have announced their first pregnancy with a really gorgeous snap on Instagram. "Half me, half you," wrote Helen, alongside the post.
12 of 16Anna Willamson and Alex Di Pasquale
Anna Williamson announced her second pregnancy with husband Alex Di Pasquale with a gorgeous cover shoot with OK! magazine. "I'm not getting any younger, so when we discovered I was pregnant, we were so pleased," she said.
13 of 16Jeremy McConnell and Katie McCreath
Jeremy McConnell's girlfriend Katie McCreath confirmed she's expecting their first child together (and Jeremy's second) a week after Jeremy made his own announcement on Instagramwhich he then claimed was "a prank".
14 of 16Joe Wicks and Rosie Jones
Joe Wicks announced he was expecting his second child with wife Rosie Jones with a lovely family snap on Instagram which showed off Rosie's 19-week bump. "We are very happy and excited to grow our family," he said.
15 of 16Jeremy Kyle and Vicky Burton
Jeremy Kyle announced he was going to be a dad again in August, to his first child with girlfriend Vicky Burton, following the axing of his daytime TV show.
16 of 16Aaron announced he was expecting his first child with girlfriend Talia Oatway, with some beautiful family portraits of them together along with Talia's daughter, who Aaron's played step-dad to since they got together two years ago. The shock announcement came just days after reports the couple had split as they unfollowed each other on social media.
Aaron announced he was expecting his first child with girlfriend Talia Oatway, with some beautiful family portraits of them together along with Talia's daughter, who Aaron's played step-dad to since they got together two years ago.The shock announcement came just days after reports the couple had split as they unfollowed each other on social media.
"You get to a point where you accept it. Years ago, I started having tests with a doctor to see if there was anything wrong but then my relationship ended so I didn't look into it further. When I reached 40, I was single and thought well it's never going to happen now. I threw myself into my career, turned my focus to work and I was happy."
Hayley, who won Dancing on Ice in 2010, never considered IVF or adoption because she wanted to conceive naturally – so when she realised she had, she was 'stunned'. In fact, she was in such disbelief, she took a pregnancy test every day for a week before visiting her GP. She says, "I must have taken 18 tests - 10 after my first one and then one each day throughout the week. I spent a fortune as we couldn't believe it."
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She adds, "When I met Adrian [an estate agent], and I started dating, I’d warned him I might not be able to have children. Now I truly believe the reason it never happened in the past is because I was meant to be with him all along. I'm a huge believer in fate, and everything has just clicked."
Although she admits being well aware of the 'risks' associated with having children in later life, Hayley laughs at being labelled a 'geriatric mother' – a term given to pregnant women over 35.
"I’m so far removed from a geriatric mother, I’m like a Duracell bunny because I don’t stop," she laughs. "There are a lot of risks and precautions which I’m aware of but women have been giving birth at all ages for years. I’m not too scared, just excited."
And as she looks forward to motherhood, Hayley admits she's already thinking about adding to her brood.
She adds, "I’ve always said I only wanted one and I'm so over the moon, but I might try for a second in a couple of years. It’s not on my agenda, but at least I know I can do it and that feels amazing!"
The full interview appears in this week’s Closer magazine, on sale now.