Laura Woods has detailed her experience returning to work after giving birth to her first child.
Known for her coverage of football and darts among other sports for Sky, TNT Sport and ITV – Woods stepped away from her on-screen responsibilities last year while pregnant.
After giving birth to her son Leo in January with fiance and ex-Love Island contestant Adam Collard by her side, Woods subsequently returned to TV and was part of the coverage of the 2025 Champions League final.
Well aware of the way women can be perceived in television based on how they look, the 38-year-old explained that she was living with anxiety surrounding her return to the screen.
‘I was nervous about how I looked,’ Woods told The Telegraph. ‘You put on a lot of weight in pregnancy and you feel a little bit different.
‘Of the things I used to worry about, my appearance probably would have been top of that list. But funnily enough that’s sort of taken a bit of a back step. I don’t care about that as much as I thought I would.
Laura Woods has detailed her anxiety surrounding returning to TV after giving birth to her son
Woods welcomed a son with her fiance, former Love Island contest Adam Collard, in January
The 38-year-old revealed she was nervous surrounding how her appearance would be perceived post-pregnancy
‘When I came back I felt quite a level of acceptance of myself I don’t think I had before I had a baby.
‘My body has been through quite a lot and that is just a reality. However you have your baby, however tricky or easy your pregnancy is, your body will change and you just accept it because you think there’s something much bigger going on. My body has done an amazing thing.’
‘Now the important thing is that my whole kind of existence is making sure that Leo’s existence is great and that I’m looking after him in the best way I can. So things that you think matter do take a back step.’
Woods is set to be part of ITV’s coverage of this summer’s Women’s European Championships as England travel to Switzerland intent on retaining their title.
Asked about England’s chances at the tournament, Woods insisted that the experience of head coach Sarina Wiegman will prove invaluable for the Lionesses.
‘I think we always say it, in Sarina we trust,’ she added.
‘She is a different beast when it comes to tournament football, she is a tournament animal.
‘She’s made the last four finals of majors and won two of them, you can’t knock her experience.’
