Stacey Solomon says being a single mother 'pushed' her towards success
She is now a TV star with a thriving career – and Stacey Solomon believes being a single mother "pushed" her towards success.
In a new interview, the Loose Women panellist, 32, explained how her decision to not have a termination, leading to her giving birth at the age of 17 to a son, had changed her life.
Speaking to the Mail on Sunday's You magazine, she said: "When I had Zachary I was still a kid, I felt like I could do anything and I was invincible. All of that went away immediately when I gave birth.
"I felt vulnerable, like I could die at any point. That played a huge role in the anxieties I had from then up until now."
Solomon continued: "[Those anxieties] made me strive to want to be successful and provide for my children.
"If I hadn’t had Zachary, would I have pushed myself as hard as I’ve done over the past 13 years? I don’t know that I would. So, ultimately, that decision to have him has made my life."
Along with Zachary, now 13, she is mother to son Leighton, nine, from another relationship.
She also has son Rex, two, and newborn daughter Rose – who she gave birth to earlier this year – with fiancé, and fellow TV star, Joe Swash, who she has been with since 2015.
The mother-of-four – who rose to fame after appearing on The X Factor in 2009 – also revealed that for a while she felt like she was being "cruel" to her eldest child because she wasn't financially stable.
In October, she told her 4.8 million million followers on Instagram that she had given birth to daughter Rose at home on her birthday.
Earlier this year, the star admitted to The Irish Independent that she still struggles with imposter syndrome.
Solomon explained: "This goes back to The X Factor. I couldn't believe where I was."
She added: "When it was over, I thought, 'OK, this is enough for me,' and every year after that, every venture, every opportunity I've ever been given, I almost have like a slight imposter syndrome."
Watch: Celebrities reveal their mental health struggles
