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Lisa Faulkner was 'over the moon and very scared' after being approved to adopt daughter

Lisa Faulkner and daughter Billie at the VIP launch of Disney On Ice presents Princess Wishes', at the O2 arena in East London.   (Photo by Matt Crossick/PA Images via Getty Images)
Lisa Faulkner and daughter Billie at the O2 arena in east London. (Matt Crossick/PA Images via Getty Images)

Lisa Faulkner has described the difficult fertility struggles she went through before adopting daughter Billie.

Faulkner and ex-husband Chris Coghill adopted Billie, now 14, in 2008 when she was 15 months old after they had difficulties with conceiving.

In a new interview with Pause, the former EastEnders star said she had wanted to become pregnant "immediately" after deciding to become a mother.

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"I did get pregnant after about six to eight months of trying but sadly it turned out to be an ectopic pregnancy, I collapsed on set and had to have a tube removed," the 48-year-old told the publication.

Lisa Faulkner attends the Samsung Home Innovation space, designed by Kelly Hoppen at Harrods on September 3, 2013 in London, England.  (Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images for Samsung)
Lisa Faulkner in 2013. (Stuart C Wilson/Getty Images for Samsung)

Following three failed rounds of IVF, Faulkner said she was "emotionally and financially drained" and considered a number of options before deciding to adopt in the UK.

"It was a difficult time and wasn’t an easy decision but once I realised that I didn’t have to grow a baby in order to love it, that was it,” she said.

“We (my ex husband and i) adopted our daughter in 2008 and she is the best thing in the entire world.”

Faulkner added: "The excitement of being approved as an adopter and knowing we had been matched with a child was the most incredible feeling.

“I had all the same feelings as when I found out I was pregnant. I was over the moon and so very scared all at the same time."

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Billie came to live with Faulkner and Coghill just six weeks after they were matched with her.

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Faulkner and Coghill divorced in 2011 and she went on to wed celebrity chef John Torode last year, with the pair set to celebrate their first anniversary at the weekend.

They met when Faulkner won Celebrity MasterChef in 2010 and went on to date in 2012.

Their wedding on 24 October 2019 was attended by numerous famous faces including Gregg Wallace, Amanda Holden and Tamzin Outhwaite.

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