Hollyoaks star Kristy-Leigh Porter and Loose Women panellist Mylene Klass left viewers in tears after they opened up about their shared experience of baby loss.
Soap actress Kristy-Leigh, 35, who has played Leela Lomax on Hollyoaks since 2013, appeared on Thursday’s episode of the daytime panel show to share the parallels between herself and her character.
Upcoming episodes will see Leela face the tragedy of baby loss – something Kristy-Leigh has direct lived experience of after losing a baby daughter at 29 weeks pregnant, five years ago.
Kristy-Leigh talked through the day she found out her unborn baby Penny-Leigh had passed away and explained moment doctors searched for a heartbeat, sparking a response from panellist Mylene – who has been vocal publicly about her own miscarriage.
The pair reached out to hold hands and shared an emotional glance as they bonded over the pain of the moment of realisation, before Mylene, 46, stood up and ran round to give Kristy-Leigh a hug.
Hollyoaks star Kristy-Leigh Porter and Mylene Klass left viewers in tears after they opened up about their shared experience of baby loss on Loose Women on Thursday
Soap actress Kristy-Leigh, 35, who has played Leela Lomax on Hollyoaks since 2013, appeared on Thursday’s episode of the daytime panel show to share the parallels between herself and her character
‘I went on my own because you don’t expect what to happen next,’ Kristy-Leigh said of the tragic day. ‘I went on my own I thought I would be in and out in 10 minutes.
‘So when I got to the hospital and they hook you up to the machine and try and monitor the baby’s heartbeat, they just couldn’t find a heartbeat, and then we were scanned and on the scan it showed that Penny-Leigh had passed away. I was on my own yeah.’
Mylene said: ‘I don’t think anyone can prepare you for the silence,’ sparking a long silence as the pair shared a knowing glance. ‘No,’ Kristy-Leigh said. ‘No.’
Kristy-Leigh continued: ‘It’s so important you say that as well because during the story process and creation of this story, Leila’s journey, one of the main things we try and show with the episodes, was the silence.’
‘It’s deafening,’ Mylene said, as Kristy-Leigh replied: ‘We wanted it to be so silent that you can’t look away, so you can hear it.’
Mylene added: ‘And then you hear those words “I’m sorry there’s no heartbeat”, but you already know.’
The actress went to hospital for a check-up after feeling reduced movements in December 2018. After a scan, she was told Penny-Leigh had died.
Two years after she welcomed another daughter – Nala Rai, now three, with her partner Paul Barber.
Kristy-Leigh talked through the day she found out her unborn baby Penny-Leigh had passed away and explained moment doctors searched for a heartbeat, sparking a response from panellist Mylene – who has been vocal publicly about her own miscarriage
The pair reached out to hold hands and shared an emotional glance as they bonded over the pain of the moment of realisation, before Mylene, 46, stood up and ran round to give Kristy-Leigh a hug
‘I went on my own because you don’t expect what to happen next,’ Kristy-Leigh said of the tragic day
The actress went to hospital for a check-up after feeling reduced movements in December 2018
Kristy-Leigh went on to say that in between the monitoring and the scan you hold on to a bit of hope that the horror is not happening. ‘You get pregnant, you have a healthy baby at the end of it,’ she said.
‘A lot of people ask what the feeling’s like,’ Mylene replied. ‘You know when you’re on a ride and your world literally just falls out of your body.
‘Nothing can prepare you. So I think the fact that you are doing this is so brave.’
Kristy-Leigh commended Mylene on her bravery in campaigning and raising awareness, at which point the singer and TV presenter got up from her seat and went round to give the soap star a hug.
‘You know what I’m coming round to you,’ Mylene said, before embracing Kristy-Leigh.
‘It’s so brave what you’re doing because no one wants to talk about, let’s say it, dead babies. It’s one of those things people brush under the carpet, that people feel uncomfortable with.’
Mylene and Kristy-Leigh then spoke of how many people experience baby loss every month, and how there is still stigma and shame associated with miscarriage.
Two years after she welcomed another daughter – Nala Rai, now three, with her partner Paul Barber (seen together)
The touching conversation left viewers in tears as they tuned in for the daily panel show, taking to X, formerly Twitter, to share their sadness
‘We blame ourselves,’ Mylene said. ‘What did I do, what did I eat, where did I walk to.’
‘What I do wrong,’ Kristy-Leigh said quietly. ‘You didn’t do anything,’ Mylene replied.
The pair shared another emotional glance as they welled up with tears, at which point Mylene said: ‘I’m so sorry you had to go through this.’
‘I’m sorry you did too,’ said Kristy-Leigh.
The touching conversation left viewers in tears as they tuned in for the daily panel show, taking to X, formerly Twitter, to share their sadness.
They wrote: ‘Didn’t expect to be in floods of [crying emoji] this lunchtime!’; ‘I’ve never lost a child, however this is really touching. Very emotional and it’s upsetting that so many women go through baby loss,’;
‘Kristy-Leigh and Mylene – so brave and strong. Hugs to you both,’; ‘In tears listening to Kirsty Leigh and Mylene, my heart breaks for anyone that’s had a baby loss.’
