Jamie Laing has opened up about the “scariest” moment of his life after wife Sophie Habboo was rushed for an emergency C-section during the birth of their son.
The former Strictly Come Dancing star, 37, said he felt terrified and powerless as complications arose during labour, admitting the experience was far more intense than he had anticipated.
Their son Ziggy was delivered safely at the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital in London, but both parents said the birth did not go to plan.
Laing said: “From my point of view, it was the scariest thing I have ever been through in my entire life. Watching your wife go through that, the person you love, and this baby, and you have no control. It was the most terrifying thing ever. Nothing can prepare you for that.
Habboo, 31, said she had been “really scared” when the situation changed unexpectedly and admitted the experience was far from what she had planned.
“Obviously, it wasn’t the birth I planned or necessarily wanted, it was scary, but birth is different for every woman and however you do it is incredible and he’s here and he’s healthy and they were incredible,” she added to the Daily Mail.
The couple, who met on Made In Chelsea in 2017, have documented their journey to parenthood in a new three-part Disney+ series, Raising Chelsea.
Filming the birth was not originally planned. Habboo had initially wanted to keep the moment private, but later chose to include footage after discovering an emotional video captured on their phone by an anaesthetist during the emergency.
She said: “The next day, I was looking at all the photos of the birth, and I was like, oh my God, there’s an 11-minute-long video. I pressed play, and it was so emotional.”
Laing added that watching the footage back gave him a new perspective on the moment.
“It was the most amazing, romantic… we didn’t even know it was being filmed, but watching it back I was like, oh my God, look how in love we are,” he said.
The series offers a candid look at their lives as first-time parents, including their move from a Portobello Road flat to a family home and the pressures of balancing work and pregnancy.
Habboo admitted she found being filmed during such a vulnerable time challenging, saying she craved privacy more than ever while expecting her first child. However, she said she now values having the experience documented.
The show also captures moments of tension between the couple, including frustrations over work commitments during the pregnancy.
Laing, who raised more than £2 million for Comic Relief with a 150-mile ultra-marathon last year, said becoming a father has given him a new perspective and a deeper appreciation for mothers.
