Emmerdale actress Lisa Riley has issued a powerful response to fabricated reports claiming she is expecting a child, just days after opening up about her deeply personal struggle with infertility and IVF treatment.
Heartfelt Revelation on National Television
The 49-year-old star, renowned for her role as Mandy Dingle in the long-running ITV soap, appeared on Tuesday's episode of Loose Women to discuss her journey. Riley spoke candidly about prioritising her acting career during her younger years and how, when she and partner Al decided to try for a family, they discovered she could not conceive naturally.
The Emotional Toll of IVF Treatment
During the emotional interview, Riley detailed her experiences with multiple rounds of IVF, explaining how the process eventually became overwhelming. 'I tried everything until the point where Al turned to me and he literally said "You have to stop all the IVF treatment because it's diminishing you, it's taking your personality away, you're trying too hard"', she revealed to the panel.
The actress, who has been with her partner since 2014, acknowledged that sometimes in life, things are not meant to be. She expressed gratitude for her close family unit, particularly her nephew and niece, who she described as 'a big part of me'.
Fake News Sparks Outrage
Just days after this vulnerable television appearance, Riley took to her Instagram account to address what she called 'sick' and 'deeply upsetting' rumours circulating online. The fabricated reports claimed she was pregnant, leading to a flood of congratulatory messages from well-wishers.
In a video message, the actress directly confronted the sources of these false claims: 'This is no one's fault apart from fake news, clickbait and oh my God what world do we live in? I am 100% not pregnant. I have been inundated with congratulations today. And do you know what makes that even more sick? The fact that only this week on Loose Women I was talking about the fact that me and Al, my other half, we couldn't get pregnant.'
A Message About Media Literacy
Riley concluded her Instagram statement with advice for social media users encountering questionable content: 'Just food for thought, when you read something, go to the person's social media, have a look if they've said anything. If they haven't, it's probably fake news.'
The actress emphasised that if she were genuinely expecting, she would have announced it herself through proper channels rather than having the news broken through unreliable sources.
Finding Peace With Her Journey
During her Loose Women appearance, Riley spoke about the ongoing process of coming to terms with her situation. While she expressed happiness for her Emmerdale colleagues who become parents, she acknowledged there will always be 'that little, little scuff in the back of my head going "It didn't quite work out for me"'.
The star stressed the importance of finding peace with her circumstances and expressed gratitude for her supportive relationship with Al, noting 'you do that together' when navigating such personal challenges.
Riley's character Mandy Dingle is currently absent from Emmerdale screens, with the storyline written to accommodate the actress's participation in last year's series of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in Australia.
