Lisa Faulkner has opened up about her heartbreaking journey to motherhood, which saw her spend £35,000 on four rounds of failed IVF treatment, as well as suffering miscarriages and an ectopic pregnancy. Describing herself as a "walking mess" during the dark period, the EastEnders actress told The Mirror: "All my friends at the time were getting pregnant around me and it was heartbreaking. You want to be happy for everybody and you feel like such a failure." Lisa, 46, later adopted her beloved daughter Billie, now 12, in 2006. The actress added that she realised that there were other ways that she could become a mum. "It took me a long time for me to go, 'I don’t have to carry a baby to be a mum'. One day you have to let that go," she said.
There is no denying that Lisa is a doting mum to Billie, who she lives with along with MasterChef judge boyfriend John Torode. "I have my little girl and I'm completely over the moon with my little angel," she said. "She's my number one, she is my everything." Lisa also said that she has no plans to go through the adoption process again. "I am very happy with my lot," she added. Although protective of Billie's privacy, Lisa occasionally opens up about her loving relationship with her daughter, and had the sweetest words to say about her little girl during an appearance on Loose Women earlier in the year. While discussing adoption with panellist Saira Khan – who too has an adopted child – Lisa gushed: "I say she is like my little snowflake, she found me."
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Lisa lives with Billie and boyfriend John Torode
Lisa adopted Billie with ex-husband Chris Coghil, and she is often lost for words when it comes to her daughter. During an interview with HELLO!, she said: "I never realised how very much my daughter would surprise me. Every day is something different, it's a challenge every day in a new way. I don't mean that in a bad way. You never know if you're getting it wrong or right. You just have to get in there and hope it comes out alright in the wash! And the other thing is… I said to Billie this morning, I never knew I could love somebody the way I love you."