Baring her baby bump for our gorgeous shoot, Laura Anderson is excited and slightly nervous about welcoming her first child in August.
The bubbly Scot, who is 27 weeks pregnant, is optimistic about the road ahead as a single mum, but aims to keep things “civil” with ex Gary Lucy. The former Love Island star will invite him to the birth, she admits when we interview her at our studio.
“Gary is welcome at the birth. He’s currently in two minds so I’ve asked my mum as well, as you are allowed two birthing partners,” she tells us.
Back in February, Laura posted an adorable video montage on Instagram to share with the world she’s carrying her first child with ex-Footballers’ Wives star Gary. However, news of their split was confirmed by Gary that very evening and quickly spread far and wide. And following the huge media circus around her break-up and pregnancy, we want to give her the opportunity
to tell her story.
“It’s been a bit of a roller-coaster so far,” she says, contemplating our question about how she’s found her pregnancy.
“Going through a public break-up while pregnant and reading mistruths in the media has been a challenge. I just want to be positive and move forward and I’m really excited about her coming along. I think if I can get through this, I can get through anything.”
This maternity photo shoot is a welcome distraction for the 34-year-old, who, unbelievably, has received some backlash following her split from Gary. The former couple met during filming for Celebs Go Dating last summer and it got serious quickly as Gary made it clear he would have children with the star.
With a baby on the way shortly after, they got their wish of having a family together – but a shock separation followed just weeks into the pregnancy. To make life harder for Laura, who had to contemplate her future as a single mother, whispers of their break-up gathered pace online and Gary, 41, told a publication he and Laura had gone their separate ways because he wouldn’t move to Scotland, where she lives, because he has four kids with his ex-wife Natasha Gray.
“That’s not true,” Laura tells us. “I was always moving to Essex.”
So, why did things end?
“How long have you got?” she says. “It’s really hard to explain. I wanted us to reconcile and I wanted things to work out, but because of things I found out since then… and the fact nothing has been discussed or resolved… I think for now I’m trying to just be positive and think about the baby and the next few months and be strong, because everything became chaotic.”
Understandably, Laura wants to keep certain things private for the sake of their child and her “main goal” is to make sure everything is “civil” with Gary, although she admits this is a work in progress.
“We have had times of it being civil and then it’s not…” she says candidly. “There are a lot of emotions going around for everyone, so it’s difficult. Being able to be civil from now until the birth and then after is the goal.”
She continues, “For me, a lot has come to light since we parted ways, which has been quite upsetting, so I feel I had to do what was right for me and the baby and that’s it really.”
Despite the obvious challenges she’s facing, Laura is also relishing the positives and tells us that while she felt “like death” in her first few weeks, she is now enjoying the second trimester and embracing her changing shape.
Laura’s also had an overwhelming number of other single mums reach out to her offering words of support and sharing their own stories. And while some mums-to-be can feel overwhelmed with an influx of unsolicited advice, Laura tells us she is here for it.
“All the information you can give me, great,” she says. “Not that I’ll listen to all of it, but I enjoy learning and I think that’s all you can do to prepare for labour and having a baby – educate yourself as much as you can. I hope my community of single mums will grow, because I’ve definitely seen a difference in my followers. And it’s really nice how supportive women have been.
“Some people don’t realise how difficult it is to be an expecting mum in the public eye. Going through a break-up is hard and then I’m thinking, ‘Oh, I don’t want to stress the baby.’ But it
does give you strength as well, because it put things into perspective.”
The former Emirates air stewardess, who found fame when she appeared on the 2018 series of Love Island, discovered she was expecting at the end of last year when she was just two weeks pregnant. And while it wasn’t a complete surprise because she and Gary had planned to start a family, she didn’t think she would conceive so quickly.
“I was still very shocked, because I didn’t expect it to happen,” she says. “It was planned and it was both of our decisions. I always imagined having that traditional family set-up in my thirties.
“It was our first time trying. I called Gary and told him. His reaction was, ‘I told you!’ It was a shock. It took a while to really sink in, but we were happy. It was definitely a positive thing.”
Laura proceeded to have an early scan at eight weeks and also found out she’s having
a girl via DNA blood test.
“I always thought I’d love a boy and a girl in my lifetime, but when we were waiting to find out, I somehow knew it was a girl. I don’t know why, I had an instinct,” she says.
She also reveals Gary has been to most of the scan appointments in Scotland with her, too.
“I think it’s really important for us to be there at every point. Even if I’ve had a blood test, I’ll message him and tell him the results,” she adds.
While Laura kept the sex of her child under wraps, Gary told his followers the gender news with an Instagram Story saying “Daddy’s Little Girl” – a move she was reportedly “shocked and upset” about.
“I was upset that he revealed it on a whim on his socials – that wasn’t planned,” she confirms to us. “But I’ve learned that life doesn’t always go as you hoped. It’s done now and it is what it is. I just feel lucky that I’ve got a healthy baby growing inside of me.”
As Laura discusses her daughter, she almost lets slip the name, something she and Gary decided early on. While she won’t be following the trend of naming her baby after a Disney character, she does hint the chosen moniker is “traditional”.
And the expectant mum is “excited” but “scared” for motherhood, dubbing it “the biggest challenge” of her life. She’s prepared for the potential sleep deprivation, with her experience of being cabin crew for 10 years, but says she’s “realistic about how difficult it’s going to be” when her daughter arrives.
“You’ve just got to be positive, realistic and kind to yourself – you don’t know what’s around the corner,” she says. “Luckily, having the responsibility of another person gives you so much strength. Mothers are superhuman in my opinion.”
Reflecting on her co-parenting situation, she adds, “I think sometimes people stay in relationships, maybe when they shouldn’t, which doesn’t help the child in the long run.
“It’s a shame how single mothers can be portrayed in the media. Their strength should be celebrated, not criticised. I’ve received backlash, which I never would have expected being pregnant – everything I do is for my baby and nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors.
“It’s such a big responsibility to take on single parenthood. It’s f*****g scary! And it wasn’t an easy decision at all. I worry about it every day.”
We point out that we think she’s incredibly strong for putting her baby first.
“You can’t always speak fully about it,” she tells us. “There’s a time and a place for stuff like that. Everyone knows how complicated relationships and personal things can be and when there’s a baby involved, I don’t think it’s the right time. It’s definitely hard to swallow stuff when things are being said that aren’t true.”
To end our interview on a positive note, it’s lovely to hear Laura has a strong support network around her to guide her through the journey ahead. As well as her sister having a baby recently, some of Laura’s friends have experienced single motherhood.
“I’m going to rise to the challenge and impress you all,” she says. “A lot of people have messaged me and said, ‘You’re going to be an amazing mum!’ This makes me feel empowered and I think, ‘I really hope so, wish me luck,’” she laughs.
