Skip to main contentSkip to footer

Countdown's Rachel Riley reveals fears for baby after stress caused by vicious trolling

Rachel Riley and Pasha Kovalev's baby is due in December

rachel riley baby stress
Andrea Caamano
Website Editor
Share this:

Rachel Riley is pregnant with her and Pasha Kovalev's first child, and while it should be an incredibly happy time for her, the Countdown star has revealed that at one point her baby stopped moving due to the stress caused by social media trolling.

The 33-year-old has confessed that her baby had been "wiggling" and "kicking" as expected but ahead of the release of a BBC Panorama documentary that was damning of the Labour party, and that she had publicly endorsed, things took an "ugly" turn.

rachel riley baby bump© Photo: Instagram

The Countdown star is expecting her first child with Strictly's Pasha Kovalev

She told The Mirror: "I was very stressed and upset and my baby stopped wriggling for a couple of days. At that point you think, 'Nah'.

MORE: Rachel Riley and Pasha Kovalev MARRY in secret Las Vegas wedding

"I realised that however mentally strong I am, there's adrenalin, there's hormones that go through your body and now I'm sharing them, I absolutely don't need to give that to my baby."

Earlier this year, the star, who is due to welcome her child in December, admitted she had been given extra security at work due to the online abuse she had received in response to her comments about anti-Semitism.

rachel riley wedding pasha© Photo: Instagram

The couple tied the knot earlier this year

"The more I speak, the more abuse I get, and the more abuse I get, the more I speak," she told The Times.

GALLERY: See how much Rachel Riley's baby bump has grown since May

"It's got to the point where I can't look at my Twitter feed any more... it's just a constant stream." "We are getting more security for Countdown," she added. The TV personality has previously appeared on Pasha Kovalev for helping her through it. "He's gorgeous," she admitted. "He's just amazing. When you need a bit of support, that's when you know you're with the right person. He's a very good egg, Pash."

More Parenting

See more