Rebecca Adlington says she’s “truly heartbroken” as she reveals the miscarriage and stillbirth of her baby daughter at 20 weeks.
The former Olympic swimmer took to social media to share the devastating news yesterday.
The Mansfield-born 34-year-old – who competed for Team GB in both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games, and has two Olympic gold medals to her name – is already a mother of two, sharing a daughter born in 2015 named Summer with her former husband Harry Needs, and a son born in 2021 with her current husband Andy Parsons.
Adlington and Parsons announced they were expecting their second child together in 2022, however she sadly suffered a miscarriage at 12 weeks, which required her to have to undergo emergency surgery that left her fighting sepsis.
But last night, “truly heartbroken” Adlington took to social media to share the awful news that she had suffered another miscarriage, and had given birth to their stillborn daughter – who they chose to name Harper – at 20 weeks.
She wrote on Instagram in a statement: “I don’t really have the words right now but unfortunately we went for our 20 week scan this week and they found no heartbeat. I gave birth to our angel, Harper, on Friday at 7pm.
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“We held her, and had time with her. We will forever love her and remember her always.”
Adlington took the time to thank everyone at Wythenshawe Hospital here in Manchester, particularly name-checking staff members Olivia, Rachel, Emma, and Keeley, who she said showed kindness and care throughout that was “simply incredible”.
She also thanked husband Andy for his “selfless support, love, and help”.
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“I don’t have the strength or words right now,” Adlington continued in her statement on Instagram, “And don’t feel ready to share this news, however, I can’t pretend to be ok or fake a smile. I can’t have people ask me how pregnancy is or when I am due as I still look pregnant. I don’t have the strength to tell this news individually.”
Rebecca Adlington and husband Andy announced they were expecting their second child together last month / Credit: Rebecca Adlington (via Instagram)
The statement closed out with Adlington saying the family have been left “so truly heartbroken” by the news.
“Our beautiful girl. Rest in peace,” she concluded.
Since Adlington shared the news last night, the comments section of her Instagram post has been flooded with thousands of well-wishes and messages of support from both peers and famous names, as well as fans and members of the public.
Two teens arrested after stabbing of 14-year-old boy in Manchester city centre
Emily Sergeant
Two teenagers have been arrested following the stabbing of a 14-year-old boy in Manchester city centre over the weekend.
In case you need bringing up to speed first, at around 3:15pm this past Saturday afternoon (17 October 2026), officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) were called out to reports of a stabbing on the ninth floor of the Arndale carpark in Manchester city centre.
Emergency services attended the scene, and a 14-year-old boy was taken to hospital with injuries consistent with a stab wound.
Thankfully, the victim’s injuries are not believed to be life-threatening or life changing, but an investigation and enquiries are ongoing.
Police conceded that this will ‘understandably’ cause concern in the community, but has assured the public that they believe this to be an ‘isolated incident.
And now, it has been confirmed that two teenage boys, also aged 14, were arrested on Sunday night (18 October) on suspicion of grievous bodily harm, and tat this time, they are currently in custody for questioning.
“We’d like to thank the local community for their support during our investigation as well as the passersby who helped the victim following this incident,” commented Detective Inspector Sean McFadden, of GMP’s City of Manchester district.
“Your quick-thinking undoubtedly saved the victim from potentially life-threatening injuries.
“We appreciate that incidents of this nature can cause concern and we’d like to reassure the public that we understand this was an isolated incident and there is no wider threat to the community.
“Officers worked quickly and arrested two juveniles on Sunday, and they currently remain in custody for questioning.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, quoting log 2050 of 17/10/2026, or via the LiveChat function. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image – GMP
News
UK Government announces £100 fines for ‘antisocial behaviour’ on public transport
Emily Sergeant
The Government has today announced plans to tackle antisocial behaviour on public transport.
In a bid to crackdown on loud music, littering, vaping, and other threatening behaviour on buses and trains, guidance was issued by the Government today for local authorities to prosecute and even issue fines of up to £100.
For many, playing audio out loud on public transport – also known as ‘loudcasting’ – has become one of modern life’s most irritating parts of the daily commute, but now, a new national campaign is aiming to encourage rail passengers, in particular, to ‘share the carriage, not the noise’ to improve the journey experience for all.
This will include reminders of the rules in place on the rail network and, if a passenger refuses to stop when asked by authorised rail staff, they can be removed from the train at the next station or face fines up to £1,000.
On buses, however, the powers for authorities were already made possible by the Bus Services Act 2025, meaning all local transport authorities in England are able to set and enforce their own rules.
Authorised officers – including transport safety officers and the police – will be responsible for enforcement, rather than bus drivers themselves, and they will be tasked with a three-step approach to deal with incidents. They will need to:
Engage with the person
Explain the rules and their impact on other passengers
Take enforcement action if they refuse to comply
“We’ve all been on the train when someone starts blasting music or videos from their phone,” commented Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
“It gets on your nerves and can quickly spoil the journey, so we’re launching a nationwide campaign reminding passengers to use headphones on trains. On top of that, we’re giving local leaders new powers to tackle loud music, vaping and littering on buses.
“It’s a simple thing, but one that will make journeys that little bit better for all of us.”
Ben Plowden, Chief Executive at the Campaign for Better Transport, added: “Antisocial behaviour is not just irritating, it can be a real deterrent to people using public transport – especially people with different accessibility requirements.
“If these new powers are properly and visibly enforced, they should help everyone feel safe and comfortable on public transport and enjoy the ride.”
Emily Sergeant -
23rd October 2023 
