I'm world's most prolific surrogate and want my 16th baby aged 58 – docs fear I could die this time but I'm not worried
Carole reveals why she wants to carry another child one last time
ONE MORE TIME I'm world's most prolific surrogate and want my 16th baby aged 58 – docs fear I could die this time but I'm not worried
CAROLE HORLOCK has contacted doctors to try to have a 14th surrogate baby at the age of 58, admitting 'I'm broody'.
Carole, who also has two daughters of her own, is ready to risk her life after getting in touch with fertility experts in Greece and Cyprus.
Advertisement
15
Carole Horlock hopes to carry one more child
Credit: © Press People
15
In March 2008, triplets, one boy and two girls, were born after having IVF treatment
Credit: © JK Press / Press People
15
Carole with her own kids, daughters Stephanie and Megan when they were younger
Credit: © JK Press / Press People
Doctors have previously warned that giving birth again could kill her, but she claims her body has never let her down.
In an exclusive interview she revealed: 'I'm broody. Despite my age and giving birth to 15 babies — two of my own and 13 surrogate children — I still would love the feeling of growing one more baby inside of me and bringing life to this world.
'I have contacted fertility specialists in Europe including Greece and Cyprus as a lot of British couples fly there for IVF and they have good results.
'Right from the first child I gave away I didn't feel any regrets.'
Advertisement
Carole, who is the Guinness World Record holder for having the most babies for other people, gave birth to her first surrogate baby — a boy — at home in 1995.
She went on to have twin girls for the same couple in February 1997 and they continue to have a close relationship to this day.
'Confident I'm fit enough'
Carole, from Colchester, Essex, said: 'While some embryos were implanted in me, meaning the baby wasn't biologically mine, for many I used my own eggs.
'I don't reveal which children are biologically connected to me or not as it's the right of the parents to share that information with their child.
Advertisement
'It doesn't worry me that my genetic offspring are being brought up by someone else as they were very wanted and are loved by them.
'I have always felt there's one more baby left in me.'
Surrogate mum Carole Horlock, 52, reveals she wants to carry her sixteenth child before the age of 53 on Good Morning Britain
Being the world's most prolific surrogate, Carole revealed: 'I get contacted by couples several times a year asking if I will carry their baby.
'I've not chosen one yet, as I want to get all the health checks first. But I'm confident I'm fit and well enough.
Advertisement
'If there's a chance of getting pregnant and having a healthy baby to help someone who can't have a family of their own, why wouldn't I?'
However, this time, she will definitely use a donor egg.
She explained: 'Because I'm older now, I'll need some help with IVF and whatever I can as my eggs are too old to be viable so I'll need to use donor eggs.'
But she admits she has been warned by doctors of the risk of haemorrhage due to her age and the extraordinary number of babies she has already given birth to.
Advertisement
She said: 'The surgeons that did my last caesarean were surprised at how quickly my uterus shrunk back. It's only when that doesn't happen that you can get complications.
15
Carole pregnant with her 13th surrogacy child in 2012
Credit: © JK Press / Press People
15
Dawn Brooke conceived naturally at the age of 59
Credit: Louis Wood
'It's normally around the fourth or fifth delivery that postpartum haemorrhage becomes a bigger risk. I'm way beyond those figures frankly. It's never happened yet, and I don't think it will.'
Advertisement
The only time her life as a surrogate didn't go to plan was when Carole had her ninth baby in 2004.
Controversially, she unknowingly gave away her and her husband's son.
Carole said: 'Most of the babies were my eggs but the difference was, that while my husband Paul and I always used protection, something unexpected happened — I'll never call it a mistake.
'As when the couple did a DNA test following his birth it turned out he was Paul's.
Advertisement
SUBSTANTIAL RISKS
IT is possible for a woman to give birth at 58 but natural conception is extremely rare and most women of this age need IVF, often using donor eggs due to diminished ovarian reserve.
Multiple previous pregnancies, especially with multiple births and multiple caesareans, significantly increase risks such as uterine rupture, placenta previa, and haemorrhage.
Using donor eggs from a younger woman can reduce the risk of chromosomal abnormalities, such as Down's syndrome.
But the risks of pregnancy complications – including gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, hypertension, and preterm birth – are significantly higher due to the mother's age.
There are substantial risks. Older mothers also face a higher likelihood of requiring intensive care during or after delivery. The risks increase with each successive caesarean.
NHS fertility treatment is only offered to women aged under 43. Many UK specialists may be reluctant due to the high medical risks involved but age limits may be more flexible abroad.
Dr Sami Almusawa is a Fertility Consultant at planyourbaby.co.uk
'There was a lot of soul searching. In the end, we agreed they could keep him.
'But there was a huge public backlash. I think about him all the time. He's 20 now. He's free to contact me if he ever wants to. I hope he will one day.'
After that Paul, who is now 73, had a vasectomy so lightning couldn't strike twice.
She went on to give birth to triplets, two girls and one boy, in 2008 using a new couple's embryos, followed by a 13th baby in April 2013.
Advertisement
Carole said: 'With that one, I had an emergency caesarean section and I was advised not to get pregnant again as there was a chance I might haemorrhage which could kill me.'
But she has kept going. Carole was last pregnant in her early fifties but the pregnancy failed as the embryo wasn't viable.
But she was spurred back into action after being sent a video of one of Britain's oldest mums Sandra Henderson, who gave birth at 59 in 2005.
The scars of being a mother are something to be proud of, not something to avoid.
Carole Horlock
Two others were older: Elizabeth Adeney of Cambridgeshire who gave birth aged 66 in 2009 and Dr Patricia Rashbrook of Lewes, East Sussex, who gave birth aged 62 in 2006.
Advertisement
She said: 'If a British mum gave birth at 66, there's still hope for me.'
Explaining why she would love to have another baby Carole said: 'I love being pregnant, I love the feeling of a baby moving inside me.
'But, also, I love being involved in somebody's dream coming true.
'With my last surrogacy I didn't bond with the mum. I felt like a paid employee.
Advertisement
'That's why I have wanted to do it again. It was devastating to have had three miscarriages since.' Carole has also slammed the celebrity culture of surrogate babies for convenience sake.
She said: 'I would never name names, as for all we know they may have a secret medical condition, but I do feel motherhood is the greatest gift.
'Why would you pay someone to do something as important as having a child if you didn't have to?
'The scars of being a mother are something to be proud of, not something to avoid.
Advertisement
'My daughter is furious'
'So I do think surrogacy for convenience sake is wrong.'
When she told her daughters Megan, 31, and Stephanie, 34, they asked her not to do it.
She said: 'Megan, my youngest, is furious. She is against it. But ultimately, she has grown up with me being a surrogate and she knows how much it means to me.'
And Carole said people's perception has changed for the worse since she first did it.
Advertisement
She said: 'Before people would say, 'What an amazing thing to do'. Now it's more a view of 'Oh, you are selling your baby'. That is not what it is.
'Most men go, 'S**t, I wish I had a womb' when they hear there is up to £15,000 in expenses.
'But when you tell them about all of the hospital visits, scans, and checks — it's a 24 hour job — as well as the inevitable toll on your body . . . you are not doing this for the money.
'My reply is, 'Would you have a baby for £15,000?'
Advertisement
'All say an unequivocal 'no'.'
BABY No1
15
December 1995 – Carole's first surrogate baby, a boy via UK surrogacy organisation Cots, was born
Credit: © JK Press / Press People
BABY No2 & 3
15
February 1997 – twin girls arrive to complete the first couple's family, who Carole still visits
Credit: © JK Press / Press People
BABY No4
15
March 1998 – Carole has a baby girl for a couple who had suffered the agony of multiple miscarriages
Credit: © JK Press / Press People
Advertisement
BABY No5
15
July 1999 – a baby girl for a couple who had one child with a different surrogate. They remain in touch
Credit: © JK Press / Press People
BABY No6
15
October 2000 – baby girl completes the family for the parents of baby No4
BABY No7
15
January 2002 – a boy for a mum who had tried to have a baby for 23 years
Credit: © JK Press / Press People
BABY No8
15
April 2003 – a girl was born for a couple whose previous surrogate kept the baby
Credit: © JK Press / Press People
Advertisement
BABY No9
15
June 2004 – a boy who turned out to be my partner's. I still think of him
Credit: © JK Press / Press People
BABY No10, 11 & 12
15
March 2008 – triplets, one boy and two girls, were born after having IVF treatment
Credit: © JK Press / Press People
BABY No13
15
April 2012 – a boy was my biggest baby ever, weighing 9lb 14oz
Credit: ©JK PRESS PIC JOHN ALEVROYIANNIS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
David Attenborough's great-nephew gets explosive role in brand new drama
A new addictive series is coming to U&Drama and one name in the line-up might have a familiar ring to it. Sir David Attenborough's great-nephew Will takes on a surprising role. David Attenborough has retired from public life but another member of his family is keeping his legacy in the spotlight. David, 99, has most recently starred in a powerful documentary to raise the alarm bells for our oceans. Now, Sir David Attenborough 's great-nephew Will Attenborough stars in a new show on U&Drama, titled Outrageous, alongside Bessie Carter, James Purefoy, Anna Chancellor and Joshua Sasse. In the six-part series, Will, 33, plays a fictional character named Joss, crafted from several real figures. 'It was originally going to be Evelyn Waugh, then writer Sarah Williams thought it'd be interesting to make him Jewish, but not very openly,' Will says. 'He's also gay, but that's never really talked about in the show.' Joss forms a bond with main character Nancy, played by Bessie Carter, particularly in scenes that reflect the wider political chaos of the time. One scene in Buckinghamshire stands out to Will in particular. 'They're talking about the far-right,' he remembers, 'And we were filming while riots were actually happening around the country last summer. It was a reminder: 'These things don't happen in isolation. There's a culture behind it. History is being repeated.'' READ MORE: NARS' new summer collection includes cream eyeshadow that 'doesn't budge' on oily eyelids Actress Bessie Carter made her name as the scheming Prudence Featherington in Bridgerton. Now, she's taking centre stage in Outrageous, a drama with bite, built on truth, and unafraid to rattle the bones of British history. Adapted from Mary S. Lovell's novel The Mitford Girls, the six-part series set in the 1930s sees Bessie play Nancy Mitford - the eldest of six aristocratic siblings who each challenged, defied or catastrophically clashed with the values of their time. 'I knew a weird amount about them already,' Bessie says, 'I've been strangely connected to Nancy for ages.' That connection turns out to be more than just artistic. Bessie, who is the daughter of actors Jim Carter and Imedla Staunton, voiced the audiobook of Nancy's The Pursuit of Love and later discovered they shared some eerie life overlaps. 'I found out I went to the same school as her for the same amount of time, only three years. During the war she worked at St Mary's Hospital, which is where I was born,' Bessie says. 'She lived in Maida Vale, 10 minutes from where I used to live. It's a series of really odd coincidences.' That synchronicity only deepened Bessie's instinct for Nancy. In Outrageous, Nancy is the anchor - a writer determined to make sense of the crumbling world around her, and to carve a new one through sharp prose and even sharper choices. Her sisters, however, take wildly different paths. 'They want to find their own rules because there's so much to fight against in that house. They grew up with a bit of a dictator as a father,' says Bessie, 'Nancy is fearless as a writer, but the others veer off into other directions perhaps because they lack real purpose in life.' Enter Joanna Vanderham as Diana, Nancy's closest sister - and political opposite. At first, Diana is the glamorous wife of London's richest man. But after a bitter divorce, she finds solace in Oswald Mosley, founder of the British Union of Fascists. The series traces her transformation and the painful wedge it drives between her and Nancy. 'Diana and Nancy are best friends to begin with, but the story follows the breakdown of their relationship,' Joanna says, 'You realise how problematic fascism is through Nancy's eyes because you see what it does to Diana. Politics cause the fracture between them. Neither can see it from the other's perspective.' To make matters worse, Diana's relationship with Oswald is nothing short of hectic. 'He's had numerous affairs, but she stood by him,' Joanna says. 'When she says, 'He's the one I'm going to spend the rest of my life with,' she makes that happen.' Joanna adds: 'The Mitfords are known for their sense of humour but Diana starts losing that. She can't poke fun at herself anymore. She becomes a bit uptight and keeps her emotions very private.' Yet she remains outspoken about her views - which became increasingly difficult for Joanna to portray on-screen. 'I had a line the other day and was like, 'This is just horrible to say and to think,'' Joanna recalls. 'The biggest acting demand is to say that with conviction and to not feel physically revolted by it.' To ground her own performance, Bessie leaned on the sisters' extensive real-life correspondence. 'One book I found really useful was The Mitford: Letters Between Six Sisters. They wrote over 17,000 letters between them,' Bessie says, 'This book obviously doesn't contain nearly as many as that, but it's already as thick as a brick.' Outrageous doesn't shy away from the more uncomfortable chapters. Shannon Watson plays Unity Mitford, infamous for her obsession with Adolf Hitler and her open antisemitism. Zoe Brough also joins the cast as Jessica Mitford, who became a staunch communist. The ideological gulf between the sisters mirrors the chaos of the era. 'We see the pressure these political divides put on Nancy,' says Bessie. 'Do you stay true to your family because they are blood…or do you stay true to yourself and your beliefs? I found all that so interesting.' Outrageous airs on U and U&Drama from Thursday, June 19th.
Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Noel Edmonds devastated over horror disease as he makes TV comeback
After leaving the UK, Noel Edmonds has delved into his passion for farming. But despite his experience on his own farm, he's haunted by the foot and mouth disease outbreak in 2001. Noel Edmonds was personally affected by the deadly outbreak of foot and mouth disease back in 2001. He's been the face of Channel 4 's Deal Or No Deal, a fixture on Top Of The Pops and one of the most recognisable names in British television. Now, at the age of 76, Noel Edmonds is embarking on a new adventure – and he's filmed it all for ITV. The presenter first settled in Auckland, New Zealand 's busiest city, but it wasn't quite the serene escape he had hoped for. Craving stillness, he and his wife Liz eventually bought land in Ngatimoti, at the top of South Island. 'The Tasman region is stunning,' Noel says. 'Nelson is our nearest city, though it feels more like a large town. We're very happy here.' Essex-born Noel's love of the land stems from childhood and his memories of summers spent in Carlisle with his Aunt Muriel. His enthusiasm later developed into a passion for ethical farming. 'When my career took off and I could afford a nice house, I bought one with 10 acres. I later bought more land, and by the late 70s or early 80s, I'd started farming,' he says. After the devastation of the 2001 foot and mouth disease outbreak in Devon, which paralysed the farming industry, Noel became an advocate for animal welfare. 'It means treating livestock with respect,' Noel says. "One of the core principles of ethical farming is respect for livestock. My passion and determination partly comes from my experience in Devon in 2001, during the foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak. That year taught me a lot - especially relevant to recent years with flu outbreaks and government responses to major health issues." Luxury hotel offering Elemis spa treatment with a free £101 beauty gift In Noel Edmonds' Kiwi Adventure, Noel lifts the lid on his life down under in New Zealand. Noel and his wife Liz made the move in 2019, and it was as instinctive as it was life-changing. 'Our first holiday was to New Zealand, and it was a fantastic trip,' he remembers. 'We stayed in a couple of luxury lodges, but also in B&Bs and farm stays. We began to understand the Kiwi way of life. We returned to the UK thinking this could be our future.' Things rapidly unfolded. The end of Deal Or No Deal – after an extraordinary 3,000 episodes – marked the end of one chapter and the beginning of another for Noel. Looking back, he says, 'It was a punishing schedule but a fabulous period of my life. Without Deal, I wouldn't have met Liz.' Noel and Liz have also launched a hospitality business with a vineyard, pub, restaurant and a supermarket. But for his new show, the focus shifts towards something even more ambitious. The couple want to create New Zealand's first energy garden – a pioneering project that blends biodiversity, community and sustainability into one regenerative living space. In the series, Noel will tackle hands-on challenges, meet inspirational locals and try to navigate day-to-day life in some seriously wild weather. 'The weather here has an attitude,' Noel says. 'Oh, and earthquakes. We've had three.' But he's made friends for life. 'We've been lucky. We've met some incredible people and they've welcomed us. They're glad we came. We're grateful to be here.'
Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Return of the Mack star Mark Morrison's team hit out as battery charge dropped
Mark Morrison, whose song Return of the Mack topped the UK charts in 1996, was taken into custody on Saturday but denied that any battery occurred at Le Bar à Vin in Palm Beach, Florida A battery charge against British singer Mark Morrison - best known for his 1996 hit Return of the Mack - has been dropped. The musician, 51, was taken into custody on Saturday after an alleged altercation at Le Bar à Vin in Palm Beach, Florida. However, the star's lawyers have today confirmed he was at the restaurant to talk to the manager and attempt to collect payment on behalf of a local singer who had performed at the venue. Although the "conversation escalated", Mr Morrison's lawyers said no physical altercation happened and now police have been able to dismiss the battery charge. In a statement, King Legal Group said: "The decision to nolle prosse (formally decline prosecution) ends what should never have been a criminal matter in the first place. "Mr Morrison has consistently and unequivocally denied that any battery occurred. There was no physical altercation—only a demand for fairness and accountability. The evidence never supported criminal intent or conduct." The legal team explained how Mr Morrison, whose track Return of the Mack spent two weeks as UK number one in April 1996, values standing up for what he believes in. However, they suggested race may have played a role in how the singer was treated. "While we are relieved the State has dismissed the charge, the underlying context cannot be ignored. The refusal to pay — coupled with how quickly the situation was criminalised — raises legitimate concerns about whether race played a role in how Mr Morrison was treated. It's not lost on us that advocating for fair pay, especially as a Black man in a position of leadership, can be met with suspicion instead of dialogue," the statement added. "Mr Morrison has spent years supporting local artists and standing up for what's right. That won't change. He is grateful for those who stood by him, and he remains committed to uplifting the artistic community in Palm Beach County and beyond. Towards that end, and in furtherance of Mr Morrison's commitment to his community, he is donating the $1000.00 (£730) bond used to secure his appearance, to Little Smiles, a local children's charity." Mr Morrison posed for a mugshot in a blue jumpsuit before he was released on Sunday morning. The musician has had a long history of both musical success and legal troubles. He burst onto the music scene in the mid-90s, enjoyed significant success with Return of the Mack. The song became an anthem of its time, widely regarded as one of the defining tracks of the 1990s R&B movement. Its success propelled Mr Morrison into the spotlight, and he quickly became one of the genre's most promising stars.
