Jorgie Porter: ‘Losing quads was so painful, but I can’t wait to be a mum’

Her almost million-to-one pregnancy – naturally conceiving four babies – ended in tragedy last year when she miscarried.

But Jorgie Porter reveals how her heartbreak has helped shatter the stigma around pregnancy loss as she tells Closer of a “tidal wave” of women who have reached out to her with their own stories. And she’s determined they don’t suffer in silence.

The Hollyoaks star and her property developer fiancé Ollie Piotrowski conceived quadruplets last April, but at a scan at around 14 weeks, the couple learned that all four embryos had sadly passed away in what is known as a missed – or silent – miscarriage, where there are no physical symptoms, such as pain or bleeding.

Jorgie, 34 – who plays Theresa McQueen in the hit Channel 4 soap – spent weeks privately coming to terms with the miscarriage before speaking out at the end of last year, a decision that sparked an outpouring of emotion from women who had experienced similar suffering.

Jorgie says, “On my Instagram and in my DMs, I had hundreds of messages from women thanking me for sharing what I’d been through, and many also told me about their very personal stories.

“Reading all the messages, I could understand how they felt and the heartbreak they’d suffered. I also got how anxious they must have been during their pregnancy because as soon as I knew I was carrying four, I never allowed myself to get excited because I knew the risk of complications.”

More than one in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage – defined as the loss of a pregnancy during the first 23 weeks – and with multiple pregnancies there is an even greater risk of early-stage miscarriage.

Jorgie fell pregnant shortly after coming off her contraceptive pill and using an ovulation tracker to establish her most fertile time of the month.

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She recalls, “I was going through so many emotions. I had four babies inside me but didn’t know if they were surviving. We genuinely didn’t know what the future would hold. I wanted to believe everything was going to be OK, but I was scared because I knew the risks.

“I don’t think I ever truly relaxed during the pregnancy, which feels sad. I was also very tired, I had terrible mood swings and was constantly hungry.”

Remarkably, Jorgie was not fazed by the idea of having four babies. “I instantly geared myself up for an exciting, crazy ride,” she smiles. “I’ve always wanted a crazy, fun household with everybody talking constantly, just like the Christmas house in Home Alone.”

But the couple’s future transformed again when a scan at around three months confirmed there was no life in any of the embryo sacs. In the hours that followed, Jorgie recalls being “exhausted by stress” and emotionally numb.

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“I remember thinking, ‘This is the truth, this is happening so I have to accept reality’. I felt very matter-of-fact about it,” she says. Then the following night, she crumbled.

“I was told my body was still producing pregnancy hormones and the babies were still inside me, but although my body still felt like it was pregnant, my head knew the truth. It was a really confusing, sad time,” says Jorgie.

“Ollie was distraught too. People forget that men suffer too. That night, we were both so emotional. At one point we had an argument then fell into each other’s arms and hugged each other, saying, ‘I don’t ever want to be without you’.

And now the I’m A Celeb! star is planning a 2023 wedding to Ollie, 32, following a romantic pre-Christmas proposal in Scotland.

The couple, who began a relationship in October 2019 after briefly dating in 2014 – a time in their lives when Jorgie says they were “at different places”– are now using the ovulation tracker once again in the hope they will soon conceive.

“Losing the quads was so sad and painful but it absolutely cemented the feeling that I want to be a mum,” says Jorgie. “There’s no news to share as yet but let’s just say we’re trying – a lot!”

Jorgie is taking steps to prime her body for pregnancy. “I’m taking fertility supplements, including folic acid, cutting down on alcohol and I’m mindful about not getting too stressed. I keep thinking, ‘I’ve been pregnant before, so it’s possible I’ll fall pregnant again’.”

And what if that happens when she and Ollie are planning to walk down the aisle? “Whatever will be, will be,” says Jorgie.

“The pregnancy glow might really work on my wedding day!”

Go to Tommys for advice on pregnancy and baby loss

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My view on...

Being a bride

I can’t wait to organise the dress, the veil… When Kieron Richardson [her Hollyoaks co-star] got married he had 10 bridesmaids who wore wedding dresses, and I chose the biggest one! A dress changes everything so you can imagine the type of wedding dress I’ll be going for.

Getting engaged

Kieron organised my engagement party. I had a seven-piece band and a pizza van – I didn’t want balloons or glitter so I asked for loads of Pampas grass. The guy who owned the venue explained that Pampas grass has swinging connotations – I joked that everyone would be dropping their keys in a bowl! It was so nice for the rest of the cast to finally meet Ollie. Because of Covid he never came into work to meet everyone, so the party was my first opportunity to show him off.

Hollyoaks is on C4, E4 and All4 weeknights from 6.30pm.