What Kate Did...

Kate Silverton, 48, talks to Hayley Minn about Strictly Come Dancing and falling pregnant to two children naturally in her forties, despite she and her husband being told they’d never be able to have a family

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There’s no doubt Kate Silverton has been inspiring women across the country for the past few months, learning to dance on Strictly Come Dancing with her gorgeous dance partner Aljaz Škorjanec. A complete dance novice beforehand, Kate’s enthusiasm to learn and grow undoubtedly spurred her on in the competition.

And it’s Kate’s optimistic nature that helped her through the traumatic time of being told she and husband Mike Heron were never going to be able to conceive – but they defied the odds and are now proud parents of two children.

Kate’s career began when she trained at BBC Look North and became a presenter on Tyne Tees Television, before becoming part of the esteemed BBC News team. It seems Kate has since appeared on every news show in the organisation, from BBC News 24 to BBC News at One and, perhaps most famously, BBC One Breakfast alongside presenter Bill Turnbull.

Now, living in London with husband Mike, a security consultant, daughter Clemency, seven, and four-year-old son Wilbur, she couldn’t be any happier or more grateful, and here she tells us why she wants to use her experience of trying to conceive to help other families.

Falling pregnant naturally was nothing short of a miracle.

We’d effectively been told we couldn’t ever have children, and then to conceive naturally – actually four times – in my forties is testament to the human body. I’m so beyond grateful, and there isn’t a day that goes by where my husband and I don’t look at each other and say, “How did that happen?” We went through heartbreak and were extraordinarily lucky to be able to conceive and have two beautiful children.

My struggle to have children is the reason why I’ve been more of a stay at-home mum for the past few years.