Strictly Come Dancing Shayne Ward's 'I love you' admission after partner's heartbreaking update

Strictly Come Dancing's Shayne Ward has supported his partner after she shared an emotional statement. To mark National Fertility awareness week, Sophie Austin took to social media with an insight into her own journey over the years.

The actress, who has appeared in Hollyoaks, posted to her Instagram account: "This week is National fertility awareness week, and it always makes me reflect on our journey throughout the years and how lonely, isolating and truly heartbreaking it can be.

"So to all those amazing men and women going through this or have been through this, wherever you are on your journey, I see you and sending all my love always." The photos shared show Sophie and Shayne holding hands alongside other photos that have documented the journey including medication and hospital photos.

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Sophie has opened up previously about her IVF struggles with fiancé Shayne Ward. The couple revealed that the actress had conceived naturally after trying IVF. In 2022, Sophie posted: "I’ve been going over in my head for a while how much of our journey I wanted to share as it brings up a lot of heartbreak and sadness and for a while I thought it would taint how I feel right now."

Discussing IVF, she continued: "I just wasn’t prepared for what it would do to us mentally, physically, tests, operations, health issues, hormones galore, and then the loss after loss after loss and for most people going through this, these things are suffered in silence engulfed in sadness."

The couple have been together since 2016 and have a daughter named Willow together, born in December 2016. In 2022 they welcomed their second child, a baby boy named Reign.

In response to Sophie's emotional and honest statement, Shayne responded "I love you". The couple have been inundated with support from fans. One fan said: "The picture of the meds brought it all back.. physically and emotionally. Women are actual warriors."

Another added: "How lucky we get to have our miracle babies. Sending love to everyone on this horrible journey". Further comments include: "Sending love and strength to anyone who needs it" and "Seeing those meds brings it all back for me, it's gruelling. And not just physically either. Glad it worked for you, sadly we haven't been as lucky."

Shayne Ward has been dealt a "devastating" blow to his chances of winning Strictly Come Dancing, as he's been made the favourite to be axed this week, just days after his despair turned to delight when he and pro partner Nancy Xu defied odds to avoid the dance-off.

Shayne and Nancy ended up in the dance-off despite scoring well, giving a big indication that they weren't proving very popular with the public. They are now the overwhelming favourites to get the boot from the ballroom last week.

The remaining nine Strictly couples will battle it out on the dancefloor once again this weekend. They’ll be hoping to make it through to the halfway point of the series, which sees the line-up perform in the iconic Blackpool Tower Ballroom for one week only. Shayne Ward and Nancy Xu will Rumba to Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper.