Exclusive: Ashley James opens up about babies, birth and body image

It has certainly been a busy yet blissful few months for mum of two Ashley James. Last time the 36-year-old DJ and podcaster welcomed HELLO! into her home in an exclusive interview it was to meet her new baby daughter and reveal her name: Ada Isabella Blue, a nod to 19th-century mathematician Ada Lovelace, to Ashley’s grandmother and to the star’s love of water.

Now she’s cuddling the four-month-old tot in her arms and tells us: “It’s been amazing. I’m loving life. She’s the missing piece of the puzzle we didn’t know we needed.” Ashley and her long-term partner Tommy Andrews, who are also parents to two-year-old son Alfie, welcomed Ada in March and, four months in, the star can’t believe how quickly her baby girl is growing. 

“She’s 18 weeks now, which just seems crazy. It doesn’t seem long ago that HELLO! were in the house for our newborn shoot. “Enjoying Ada at this age is paramount as the couple don’t have plans for more children. Because she’ll probably be my last, I’ve wanted time to really slow down. But it just seems to be going so quickly!” 

Being so honest with her fans has always been important to Ashley, including sharing her challenging birth experience with Alfie during lockdown in 2021 and how it affected her body confidence. “Tommy wasn’t even allowed to step inside the hospital until I was in active labour,” she says. “There was a lot of fear doing it alone and not having that person there for support. Until I had a baby, I didn’t understand how much clothing can impact your sense of self. I had bad body image for days and really felt like I lost my sense of style and identity. I didn’t know what to wear – my body felt like an alien body.”

Ashley’s summer edit is available at selected Sainsbury’s stores or visit tu.co.uk.

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