Mollie King has opened up about the devastating reason she chose to have a planned caesarean section for her first child. The Saturdays singer, 38, welcomed daughter Annabella in 2022 with her fiancé, cricketer Stuart Broad. Tragically, just before Annabella's birth, Mollie's father was diagnosed with a brain tumour and given only two weeks to live.
A Race Against Time
Determined that her father would meet his granddaughter, Mollie decided to schedule a C-section. Speaking on the Happy Mums podcast, she explained: 'I was really worried that he wasn't going to meet Annabella. I was like, I can't have him not meet my kids.' She added that her father had always been a devoted grandfather to her sisters' children, and she couldn't bear for him to miss out on seeing her little girl.
Hospital's Immediate Support
Mollie admitted it was difficult to explain her reasons to the hospital staff. 'I didn't want to talk about it,' she said. 'But eventually I said, look, my dad is dying and we've only got a few weeks. I just need her out now.' The hospital understood immediately and booked her in for a C-section. Her father met Annabella once, passing away just 10 days later.
Wedding Plans on Hold
Mollie and Stuart, who also share daughter Liliana (born in 2025), are not yet married. She told The Times that while they do plan to wed, the loss of her father makes it difficult. 'I can't bear to think about my wedding without Dad being there,' she said. 'Walking down the aisle without him... I still struggle with that.'
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