Singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor has spoken out about being left profoundly shocked after a medical professional bluntly offered to sterilise her immediately following the birth of her fifth child in 2019. The 46-year-old music star, who shares five sons with her musician husband Richard Jones, 46, recounted the distressing encounter during a recent podcast appearance.
A Startling Medical Suggestion
Sophie Ellis-Bextor, mother to Sonny, 19, Kit, 14, Ray, 11, Jesse, seven, and four-year-old Mickey, was pregnant with her youngest son when the incident occurred. She described how a doctor she had never met before first alarmed her by emphasising the potential risks of pregnancy at age 39, including significant blood loss and possible organ damage.
The chart-topping artist explained that the conversation took an even more unsettling turn when the medic directly suggested sterilisation as an option. Sophie, who ultimately declined the offer, reflected on the troubling implications behind the suggestion.
Questioning the Motivation
"Yeah that was suggested, quite shocking," Sophie stated. "I think for me it was all about nuance. I'm so big on this and how things are communicated because there's so many ways of saying the exact same thing."
The singer revealed she couldn't help but wonder about the doctor's underlying assumptions: "Was that because of my age? Is that because of how many children I've had? Is that because she thinks I've been irresponsible?"
Speaking on the No Parental Guidance podcast, she continued: "I suppose [the doctor] already introduced the idea that she thought it was not a brilliant idea that I was having a baby in the first place because of all these risks I had subjected myself to. But my usual, very nice consultant had never said any of that."
Another Painful Medical Experience
Sophie also shared another upsetting medical encounter that occurred after she suffered a heartbreaking miscarriage. Following a scan, she approached the reception desk where an administrative staff member innocently asked if she wanted any printed photos from the procedure.
"So she had no idea what happened in the room," Sophie recalled. "You have these little daggers and you have to go okay, thanks, and just walk out."
Family History of Pregnancy Loss
This revelation comes shortly after Sophie's mother, former Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis, bravely opened up about her own devastating experience with pregnancy loss. Between ages 35 and 40, Janet, now 70, heartbreakingly suffered ten miscarriages within just five years without receiving any medical explanation.
Janet, who shares Sophie with ex-husband Robin Bextor as well as daughter Martha-Rose, 35, and son Jackson, 38, with late husband John Leach, explained she kept her struggles private for years.
"After three, you become a patient at the recurrent miscarriage clinic," Janet revealed. "But they never discovered why it happened. I already had three children, and I didn't want to lose their childhoods. They didn't know anything about what was happening."
She added: "I didn't want to burden her [Sophie]. And I didn't want to put her off having more children." Janet told The Mirror that while she never discovered the cause of her ten miscarriages, she believes the medical explanation for many women remains "completely unexplained" to this day.
Family Dynamics and Living Arrangements
In related family news, Sophie's eldest son Sonny recently explained his decision to move in with his grandmother Janet, providing a sweet insight into their close relationship. Sonny moved out of the family's west London home to live with the former television presenter.
Speaking to The Times, Sonny explained: "I think it got to the point, back home, where I needed more space. Three of my brothers shared a room. The only time the house got quiet was when everyone was in bed."
He continued: "So when I was coming to the end of school, my grandmother asked if I wanted to move in. I've been coming here all my life, so it's always felt like a second home anyway." Sonny added that they are now "closer than ever" and described their living arrangement as relaxed, with no strict house rules but mutual help with household chores.
