BBC presenter Michelle Ackerley has announced live on air that she is pregnant following an “emotional” struggle with infertility and endometriosis.
The 40-year-old, who has presented Crimewatch, The One Show and Watchdog, married Ben Ryan, a performance director at Premier League football team Brentford, last year.
Ackerley can currently be seen on BBC One’s Morning Live and was introduced on Tuesday’s episode (6 May) by co-host Gethin Jones, who told viewers that she has “some news”.
“I have actually, yes,” she responded.
“I know I still can’t quite believe it myself, really, very, very happy… it’s just come out slowly but surely,” Ackerley added. “I am four months pregnant.”
The guests smiled and clapped at the surprise news, with Ackerley “thanking” them for their congratulations.
She also said that she had been “waking up in the middle of the night at 3am”, at which time she would nudge her husband and say that “[this is] what we’ve got to get used to, no sleep, so let’s have a conversation in the middle of the night”.
Jones said “congratulations”, and added that the team is “so, so happy” for her.
Ackerley also wrote on Instagram on Tuesday that she “can’t believe it’s nearly been a year since getting married”, and said their next chapter in October will begin “albeit with nervous and cautious excitement”.
She wrote: “I wanted to share though as my journey with endometriosis and infertility is something I finally felt confident to start speaking about more openly last year – realising how many other women were going through similar experiences.
“Feeling part of a community – especially when it comes to women’s health – can really make a difference.
“Even at the very start of this year I was gearing up for yet another endo(metriosis) procedure and trying to come to terms with the mental and physical impact they can have. It has been quite the emotional rollercoaster. The news of falling pregnant really came as a massive surprise to both of us. We still can’t quite believe it.”
Endometriosis UK, a registered charity, says the debilitating chronic condition causes painful or heavy periods.
In most cases, this growth happens on and around organs in the pelvic cavity, and the tissue in endometriosis acts just like it would inside the uterus: it grows, thickens and tries to shed with every menstrual cycle.
With endometriosis, the tissue has no way of leaving the body and it can cause a lot of pain and lead to other complications, including infertility.
Symptoms of endometriosis generally develop before the age of 30 and can include any of the following: heavy periods, painful menstrual cramps, pain during or after sex, painful bowel movements and urination, pain in the abdomen or lower back that can last throughout the cycle, and difficulty getting pregnant.
It is still unclear exactly why endometriosis occurs, but oestrogen production, genes, and the immune system are all thought to play a role in the development of this condition.
There is evidence that endometriosis can be passed down through the genes, meaning a person may be more likely to have it if someone in their biological family does.
Additionally, someone may also be more likely to develop endometriosis if they reproduce later in life, or not at all.
Many people with endometriosis are informally diagnosed and treated based on their symptoms, but in more severe cases, an official diagnosis of endometriosis can be confirmed with a simple laparoscopic surgery.
Additional reporting by PA.
