Ellie Simmonds 'might be in jail' had she been adopted by another family

06 July 2023 , 20:31

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Ellie Simmonds 'might be in jail' had she been adopted by another family

Ellie Simmonds has considered how her life could have turned out had she been raised by another family.

Strictly Come Dancing star and Paralympian Ellie revealed last month for the first time that she was adopted when she was three months old.

Last year, the gold medal-winning swimmer embarked on a search for her blood family after finding out she had been put up for adoption when she was just 10 days old.

Ellie was devastated to discover her mum wished she had died at birth after medics told her she would be ridiculed and seen as "evil" and "stupid".

The Strictly star went on a journey to meet her birth mother during the ITV documentary (ITV)

But it didn’t stop Ellie, 28, who was born with achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism, from wanting to find her birth mother.

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In a moving documentary, Ellie Simmonds: Finding My Secret Family, the sports star pondered how her life could have turned out had she been adopted by another family.

In scenes aired on ITV this evening, Ellie said: "There wasn't that one time I knew I was adopted, it was just something I always knew. I've got such a great family. If I wasn't adopted to them, who would I be?

"My mum always says if I wasn't adopted to them, I'd probably be naughty because I channelled my determination and competitive through swimming and sport. If I was left to my own freee will, I could be in jail. My mum says that."

Elsewhere in the show, Ellie broke down in tears as she read a letter from her biological mother, which reads: "Your father and I separated before I realised I was expecting you. Unfortunately it was very sad and traumatic in my life and I struggled with my mental health.

"I’ve suffered with guilt and self-hatred for not being strong enough to cope. I cannot express the happiness I feel to know your parents and siblings have provided you with such a loving environment, that you’re so happy. You’ve achieved so much."

Ellie and her birth mother met in a hotel, when they spent five hours together and felt a special connection. Ellie has opted to keep her biological parent's identity private.

Viewers watching at home were moved watching Ellie's journey to reconnect with her birth mother, with one writing on Twitter: "I absolutely love #EllieSimmonds Always such a sunny disposition. As someone whose reunion with my birth mother didn't go well, I'm so pleased Ellie's did. We all deserve to know the truth about our start in life."

Another added: "Ellie Simmonds is a national treasure and has such a beautiful heart. I’m already fascinated by her story of being rejected as baby and finding her birth family on @ITV."

Zoe Delaney