Laura, the daughter of Lisa Hayden-Johnson, has spoken out about her mother's lies. Lisa earned the title of 'Britain's Most Evil Mum' while facing trial for fabricating her son Matthew's illnesses.
Lisa claimed her son suffered from severe health conditions including diabetes, cerebral palsy and cystic fibrosis. Matthew was put through unnecessary medical interventions before doctors grew suspicious about his alleged health problems.
In 2010, Lisa was jailed for three years and three months after admitting cruelty and perverting the course of justice.
TV interview revelations
Now, Lisa and her two children are sharing their sides of the story in new Channel 4 three-part series, Love You to Death. In episode one, Laura recalls the moment she watched her mum lie to the nation.
Laura remembers when her family were invited for a TV interview ahead of the 2005 Children of Courage awards, where Matthew was set to receive an award from the Duchess of Cornwall, now Queen Camilla.
"I remember all these cameras and Matthew sat next to me," Laura says. "I remember the presenters being really kind and really sweet, and obviously Matthew was adorable so they were all like 'Oh, he's so cute!'"
Confusion over food claims
The little girl was soon left "confused" when her mum claimed Matthew couldn't eat foods that they all ate at home.
Laura explains: "The presenters said to her 'What health problems does he have?' and she started talking about what he could and couldn't eat, and that he just couldn't really eat anything."
In a clip from the original TV appearance, Lisa explained that Matthew knew to stay away from foods like chocolate and crisps because they made him "poorly". She also claimed that her and Laura "hide in the bedroom" whenever they want to indulge in chocolate.
"That wasn't true," Laura has now revealed. "Because at home we would have ice cream, we would have chocolate, just normal things. So then I was like, keeping my mouth shut, because I was so confused."
Lisa's current stance
Lisa maintains that she did nothing wrong. She reveals her current stance in the Channel 4 show, admitting that she doesn't regret her actions.
In the first episode, Lisa says: "I've never had the opportunity to [tell her story]. The newspaper articles are so incorrect. How can I be 'Britain's Most Evil Mother?'"
She goes on to add: "The only thing I was guilty of was putting my son first and fighting his battle, which is what I did. And I don't regret that."
Love You to Death is streaming now on Channel 4.
