ladbible homepage
ladbible homepage
  • iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK
    • US
    • World
    • Ireland
    • Australia
    • Science
    • Crime
    • Weather
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV
    • Film
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • Netflix
    • Disney
  • Sport
  • Technology
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • Money
  • Originals
    • FFS PRODUCTIONS
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Archive
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content Here
  • SPORTbible
  • Tyla
  • GAMINGbible
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • FOODbible
  • UNILAD Tech
TV presenter emotionally explains how brother is biological father of her son

Home> Entertainment> TV

Updated 21:00 12 Dec 2025 GMTPublished 20:57 12 Dec 2025 GMT

TV presenter emotionally explains how brother is biological father of her son

Mary Portas explained why she chose her brother to be the biological father of her son

Joe Harker

Joe Harker

google discoverFollow us on Google Discover

TV presenter Mary Portas explained why she chose her brother Lawrence to be the biological father of her child with her now ex-wife Melanie Rickey.

The couple were one of the first civil partnerships to tie the knot after same-sex marriage was made legal in the UK in 2014, and they'd already had a son together, Horatio, whose biological father was Portas' brother.

Portas, 65, had presented the Mary, Queen of Shops series and worked on various other productions which were focused on the world of retail.

Speaking to Jamie Laing on the Great Company podcast, Portas explained that when she sat down with her wife to figure out who the biological father of their child was going to be, she wanted a 'bloodline'.

Advert

She also wanted their child to be related to her other children, Mylo and Verity, from her first marriage to Graham Portas.

She wanted her son to be related to her other children (YouTube/GreatCompanyPodcast)
She wanted her son to be related to her other children (YouTube/GreatCompanyPodcast)

"Did he come round and s**g my ex-wife? No," the TV presenter explained.

"So, Mel decided she wanted a child, and I was very clear that I wanted to have a bloodline. If I was going to have another child, I wanted to make sure that it was related in some way and biologically related to my other kids."

She also said she had a 'particular bond' with her brother Lawrence and knew he 'didn’t particularly want to have children', so she asked him to be their sperm donor for a child Rickey would carry.

Explaining that her brother 'looked after me', she said that he told her he'd 'done it sis' after donating sperm and that as a result her son Horatio looks very much like her side of the family.

Mary Portas presented a number of TV shows (Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Mary Portas presented a number of TV shows (Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

Horatio was born in 2012, so he's grown up a bit and talks to his uncle about football, which his mum finds 'boring', but she emotionally recounted how she felt when she saw her brother hold him for the first time.

"The most beautiful time is when he came into the world, and I rang Lawrence, and Lawrence turned up and picked him up," she told Laing's podcast.

"And it was like, it was his gift to me. God, I get emotional. It was his gift, and it was the greatest gift."

She said that it was such a gift 'because of the years that we helped each other' and that after all of it, 'I was always his big sis, and then he was able to give me this gift'.

Featured Image Credit: TikTok/@greatcompanypodcast

Topics: Parenting, Celebrity

Joe Harker
Joe Harker

Joe graduated from the University of Salford with a degree in Journalism and worked for Reach before joining the LADbible Group. When not writing he enjoys the nerdier things in life like painting wargaming miniatures and chatting with other nerds on the internet. He's also spent a few years coaching fencing. Contact him via [email protected]

X

@MrJoeHarker

Recommended reads

New Ted Bundy victim identified after Halloween cold case crackedBettmann / ContributorArtemis II mission could still be all over tonight despite historic blast offMauricio Paiz/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesWorry for Trump's health after viewers spot new sign during address to nationAlex Brandon-Pool/Getty Images'Intimate' texts Prince Harry sent to journalist released in courtShannon Finney/Getty Images

Advert

  • The addictive British spy thriller you need to watch before series two drops
  • Doctor explains how baby girl 'grew micropenis' after cuddling with her father in bizarre reaction
  • Kim Kardashian reveals she 'changed her name' before reality TV fame
  • Shocking live TV moment dad is told missing son has been found in his basement

Choose your content:

16 hours ago
17 hours ago
18 hours ago
  • Dave J Hogan/Getty Images
    16 hours ago

    Former BBC presenter Scott Mills speaks out after being sacked ‘over personal conduct’

    The former Radio 2 DJ said he 'greatly misses' his 'beloved listeners'

    Entertainment
  • Instagram/Rebel Wilson
    17 hours ago

    Rebel Wilson makes candid weight loss admission about body after Ozempic journey

    The 46-year-old has admitted taking the drugs to combat her love of sweets

    Entertainment
  • Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Sony Pictures
    17 hours ago

    Zendaya makes rare comment on Tom Holland relationship after secret marriage rumours

    Zendaya's stylist Law Roach claimed that her and Holland had secretly got married earlier this year

    Entertainment
  • HBO
    18 hours ago

    Snape actor Paapa Essiedu responds to racist backlash over Harry Potter reboot casting

    HBO's CEO said the show had a security team brought in due to death threats

    Entertainment