'I've sacrificed love for my daughter'

Reality star and entrepreneur Lydia Bright on putting her daughter first and why being in business is empowering

-  AYLA SOGUKSU

Lydia Bright has come a long way since first finding fame on The Only Way Is Essex in 2010. As well as taking part in several high-profile TV shows, including The Jump and Celebrity Island With Bear Grylls, she's founded multiple businesses and taken on the hardest job of all - motherhood.

The 31-year-old gave birth to her first child, Loretta, in February 2020. Perhaps surprisingly, she feels she was fortunate it was just before the nation went into lockdown, as it allowed her time to bond with her daughter in a more intimate way.

"I did enjoy that isolation with her. I feel that we grew this very intense relationship and bond," says Lydia, who's working on a female entrepreneurship campaign with Avon. "The last two years have been very, very powerful, significant years in my life. I think I have changed as a person, but in a good way. She's the best thing that's ever happened to me." Not that becoming a mum has been without its challenges.

"Don't get me wrong, there are times where I'm knackered and she's being a pain," Lydia admits.

"But overall, I wouldn't have it any other way. She has changed my world completely."

She's also experienced "mum guilt" due to juggling work with looking after her two-year-old.

She started her first business, fashion boutique Bella Sorella in Loughton, Essex, when she was just 20, after noticing how many compliments she received for her fashion sense. She then transformed the company into a lucrative online business.