Cilla Black has revealed she lost a baby girl born prematurely 34 years ago. The former Blind Date host and her late husband Bobby Willis were devastated when little Ellen died two hours after she arrived in the world.
Despite the passing decades, she still feels the loss, the 66-year-old told Piers Morgan in a tearful interview on his chat show, Life Stories.
She described the experience in 1975 as 'awful'.
Cilla and her manager husband Bobby were already parents to eldest sons Robert, five, and Ben, one, when the singer fell pregnant with their much longed-for-girl.
The Liverpudlian star was 27 weeks pregnant when she went into early labour with Ellen, who suffered from lung complications.
Cilla admitted she was wracked with guilt in the immediate aftermath of her daughter's death, thinking she may have worked too hard during her pregnancy.
She explained: 'A child as well, and you blame yourself. "Maybe if I didn't work, maybe if I rested."
'But you know, I worked through all my other pregnancies, so why should this one be different? I don't know, maybe it's nature's way.'
When Piers suggested that a grieving parent 'never gets over something like that', Cilla agreed.
She said: 'No, you don't.'
Cilla said her husband Bobby, who died 10 years ago, refused to allow her to wallow in self-pity and reminded her other women have experienced the same loss.
She said: 'I actually said to Bobby, "Why me?" And he was very tough with me, he said, "Well, why not you?"'
The You're My World singer said she was watching Blazing Saddles in a Coventry cinema with Bobby when she started to experience stomach pains.
Assuming she was suffering from indigestion, Cilla went on to perform that night and it was only at 3am she realised she was going into early labour.
Cilla told Bobby she wanted to go to London, but he refused and rushed her to the nearest hospital.
She recalled: 'That's when I just went into full labour, and it was awful.
'All I can really remember is I could hear in the next room two women talking about their babies and I had none. It was awful, awful.'
Five years later, Cilla went on to have her third son Jack, who is now 28.
While Cilla never had a daughter, she was overjoyed when her eldest son Robert, 39, gave her a granddaughter Larna, now two. He also has a son Max, five.
She said: 'I often think what Ellen would have been like, obviously, all the time.
'Especially as I think she would have been married now.
'But now I have two great grandchildren. I have my Larna, and it was the greatest joy to me, my grandchildren.'
Despite the passing decades, she still feels the loss, the 66-year-old told Piers Morgan in a tearful interview on his chat show, Life Stories.
She described the experience in 1975 as 'awful'.
Cilla and her manager husband Bobby were already parents to eldest sons Robert, five, and Ben, one, when the singer fell pregnant with their much longed-for-girl.
The Liverpudlian star was 27 weeks pregnant when she went into early labour with Ellen, who suffered from lung complications.
Cilla admitted she was wracked with guilt in the immediate aftermath of her daughter's death, thinking she may have worked too hard during her pregnancy.
She explained: 'A child as well, and you blame yourself. "Maybe if I didn't work, maybe if I rested."
'But you know, I worked through all my other pregnancies, so why should this one be different? I don't know, maybe it's nature's way.'
When Piers suggested that a grieving parent 'never gets over something like that', Cilla agreed.
She said: 'No, you don't.'
Cilla said her husband Bobby, who died 10 years ago, refused to allow her to wallow in self-pity and reminded her other women have experienced the same loss.
She said: 'I actually said to Bobby, "Why me?" And he was very tough with me, he said, "Well, why not you?"'
The You're My World singer said she was watching Blazing Saddles in a Coventry cinema with Bobby when she started to experience stomach pains.
Assuming she was suffering from indigestion, Cilla went on to perform that night and it was only at 3am she realised she was going into early labour.
Cilla told Bobby she wanted to go to London, but he refused and rushed her to the nearest hospital.
She recalled: 'That's when I just went into full labour, and it was awful.
'All I can really remember is I could hear in the next room two women talking about their babies and I had none. It was awful, awful.'
Five years later, Cilla went on to have her third son Jack, who is now 28.
While Cilla never had a daughter, she was overjoyed when her eldest son Robert, 39, gave her a granddaughter Larna, now two. He also has a son Max, five.
She said: 'I often think what Ellen would have been like, obviously, all the time.
'Especially as I think she would have been married now.
'But now I have two great grandchildren. I have my Larna, and it was the greatest joy to me, my grandchildren.'
Cilla Black has revealed she lost a baby girl born prematurely 34 years ago. The former Blind Date host and her late husband Bobby Willis were devastated when little Ellen died two hours after she arrived in the world.
Despite the passing decades, she still feels the loss, the 66-year-old told Piers Morgan in a tearful interview on his chat show, Life Stories.
She described the experience in 1975 as 'awful'.
Cilla and her manager husband Bobby were already parents to eldest sons Robert, five, and Ben, one, when the singer fell pregnant with their much longed-for-girl.
The Liverpudlian star was 27 weeks pregnant when she went into early labour with Ellen, who suffered from lung complications.
Cilla admitted she was wracked with guilt in the immediate aftermath of her daughter's death, thinking she may have worked too hard during her pregnancy.
She explained: 'A child as well, and you blame yourself. "Maybe if I didn't work, maybe if I rested."
'But you know, I worked through all my other pregnancies, so why should this one be different? I don't know, maybe it's nature's way.'
When Piers suggested that a grieving parent 'never gets over something like that', Cilla agreed.
She said: 'No, you don't.'
Cilla said her husband Bobby, who died 10 years ago, refused to allow her to wallow in self-pity and reminded her other women have experienced the same loss.
She said: 'I actually said to Bobby, "Why me?" And he was very tough with me, he said, "Well, why not you?"'
The You're My World singer said she was watching Blazing Saddles in a Coventry cinema with Bobby when she started to experience stomach pains.
Assuming she was suffering from indigestion, Cilla went on to perform that night and it was only at 3am she realised she was going into early labour.
Cilla told Bobby she wanted to go to London, but he refused and rushed her to the nearest hospital.
She recalled: 'That's when I just went into full labour, and it was awful.
'All I can really remember is I could hear in the next room two women talking about their babies and I had none. It was awful, awful.'
Five years later, Cilla went on to have her third son Jack, who is now 28.
While Cilla never had a daughter, she was overjoyed when her eldest son Robert, 39, gave her a granddaughter Larna, now two. He also has a son Max, five.
She said: 'I often think what Ellen would have been like, obviously, all the time.
'Especially as I think she would have been married now.
'But now I have two great grandchildren. I have my Larna, and it was the greatest joy to me, my grandchildren.'
Despite the passing decades, she still feels the loss, the 66-year-old told Piers Morgan in a tearful interview on his chat show, Life Stories.
She described the experience in 1975 as 'awful'.
Cilla and her manager husband Bobby were already parents to eldest sons Robert, five, and Ben, one, when the singer fell pregnant with their much longed-for-girl.
The Liverpudlian star was 27 weeks pregnant when she went into early labour with Ellen, who suffered from lung complications.
Cilla admitted she was wracked with guilt in the immediate aftermath of her daughter's death, thinking she may have worked too hard during her pregnancy.
She explained: 'A child as well, and you blame yourself. "Maybe if I didn't work, maybe if I rested."
'But you know, I worked through all my other pregnancies, so why should this one be different? I don't know, maybe it's nature's way.'
When Piers suggested that a grieving parent 'never gets over something like that', Cilla agreed.
She said: 'No, you don't.'
Cilla said her husband Bobby, who died 10 years ago, refused to allow her to wallow in self-pity and reminded her other women have experienced the same loss.
She said: 'I actually said to Bobby, "Why me?" And he was very tough with me, he said, "Well, why not you?"'
The You're My World singer said she was watching Blazing Saddles in a Coventry cinema with Bobby when she started to experience stomach pains.
Assuming she was suffering from indigestion, Cilla went on to perform that night and it was only at 3am she realised she was going into early labour.
Cilla told Bobby she wanted to go to London, but he refused and rushed her to the nearest hospital.
She recalled: 'That's when I just went into full labour, and it was awful.
'All I can really remember is I could hear in the next room two women talking about their babies and I had none. It was awful, awful.'
Five years later, Cilla went on to have her third son Jack, who is now 28.
While Cilla never had a daughter, she was overjoyed when her eldest son Robert, 39, gave her a granddaughter Larna, now two. He also has a son Max, five.
She said: 'I often think what Ellen would have been like, obviously, all the time.
'Especially as I think she would have been married now.
'But now I have two great grandchildren. I have my Larna, and it was the greatest joy to me, my grandchildren.'
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