‘I will live with the pain forever,’ says Channel 4 star as he reveals the ‘unbearable’ agony of 3 miscarriages
WHEN Matthew Burton thinks back to Christmas 2012, it’s not to recall the joyful festive cheer most of us would wish for.
For instead, the inspiring Educating Yorkshire star and his wife Laura Hadfield were processing the devastating news that Laura had just had a miscarriage.
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Sadly, it was to be the first of three heartbreaking losses.
Matthew, 42, tells Sun Health: “It's quite a long time ago now but that feeling, of almost having your legs taken out from underneath you in the hospital, isn’t something you forget because it was really, really difficult.
“Then there’s that sense of being in free-fall - almost wondering where to go from there, what to think, what’s going to come next and all the rest of it. It’s a lot.
“To go from expecting to welcome a tiny human being to knowing that wasn’t going to happen in a matter of seconds was just unbearable.”
Each devastating loss has packed a punch - but talking through their pain is what carried teachers Matthew and Laura forward, and it’s what drives Matthew to speak so openly about their experience today.
Back then Matthew, then 29, and Laura, then 24, had been married a year and were keen to start a family.
So when Laura fell pregnant for the first time, in November 2012, they were both overjoyed.
Matthew says: “It was just really exciting - wonderful.
“I remember Laura waking me up super early and showing me a positive pregnancy test.”
The line was faint so Laura took another test to be sure. She also visited her GP.
The pair, from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, began imagining what life could look like as a family.
Matthew says: “We were so proud of this news that we were the gatekeepers because only we knew at this point, so it very quickly became the centre of our universe.
“I remember going to my brother’s house for a Friday curry night and I was tasked with getting Laura some cider that was non-alcoholic, but that looked alcoholic.
“I replaced the label with a real cider one and it looked diabolical but we convinced ourselves nobody would know.
“It was just daydreaming but I’d always been a Huddersfield Town football fan.
“I had it in my head that our girl, or boy, would have a number 9 shirt.”
Five and a half weeks in, Laura called Matthew at work to say she was having a bleed.
“I think we almost reassured each other it was going to be fine,” says Matthew.
“But it wasn’t long before we knew we needed to get Laura to the hospital.”
The sonographer asked if we wanted to hear the baby’s heartbeat and I just sat there with Laura, both of us crying
Matthew Burton
It was early in the morning on Christmas Eve when they arrived at the Early Pregnancy Unit at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield.
He says: “Everyone has stuff going on behind-the-scenes in any workplace but the head at the time, Jonny, couldn’t have been more supportive.
“Obviously what Laura went through was so much more.”
The following year, in 2013, Matthew also shot to fame in the award-winning fly-on-the wall Channel 4 series.
After touchingly helping pupil Musharaf overcome a stammer, the footage went viral across the world.
That December, Matthew and Laura also went on to have their first daughter Olivia - who they affectionately call Liv.
Their miscarriage experience naturally made them more nervous during pregnancy.
Matthew says: “There was a lot of worry. It was Easter holidays this time when Laura fell pregnant.
“We were immediately both Googling and checking things.”
For peace of mind, the pair had an early, private scan in May 2013 - just weeks into Laura’s pregnancy.
“It was probably one of the happiest moments of my life - just seeing this tiny life,” he says, smiling.
“I just sat there with Laura, both of us crying.
“The sonographer asked if we wanted to hear the baby’s heartbeat and of course that didn’t help with the tears!”
Despite being overjoyed to have Liv, now 11, in their lives, it wasn’t the last of their losses.
Three weeks into Laura’s next pregnancy, in October 2014, she had a second miscarriage.
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Matthew says: “It was very similar circumstances.
“Laura had a bleed and we went in again. This time there was no follow-up procedure needed.
“The fact that we had a wonderful happy baby who was keeping us incredibly busy and had gone through the miscarriage before meant it didn’t hit quite as hard but it was still a loss.”
The couple went on to have a full term pregnancy again. Their son Theo, now nine, was born in 2015 and another cause for celebration.
Laura’s third miscarriage came early on again, in February 2020.
Matthew says: “Laura was only four weeks and had to go through surgery and have a procedure again.”
Within a year of that their daughter Margot, now three, was born.
MISCARRIAGE is when you lose your baby any time before 24 weeks of pregnancy. After this point, it is called stillbirth.
The Miscarriage Association estimates that around one in four pregnancies will end in loss, one in five of those to miscarriage. That’s around 200,000 miscarriages each year.
It's important to know that miscarriage is rarely the result of something you did or didn’t do. Most pregnancy losses happen due to factors beyond anyone’s control.
Usually the embryo has a random genetic effect that means it cannot develop properly.
Most women who experience a miscarriage go on to have a successful pregnancy in the future.
If you notice symptoms such as vaginal bleeding, cramping, or a sudden loss of pregnancy symptoms, you should contact your GP, midwife, or local Early Pregnancy Unit (EPU).
While some bleeding or discomfort can occur in early pregnancy, these signs may also indicate a miscarriage or other complications. Healthcare professionals can perform assessments, including ultrasound scans, to determine the status of your pregnancy and discuss appropriate care options.
The Miscarriage Association provides free support and information to anyone affected by miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy or molar pregnancy.
Matthew, now an ambassador for The Miscarriage Association, hopes their story will encourage others to speak out if they need to.
Last month he also raised £1,000 for the charity running the Adidas Manchester Marathon.
He says: “Laura and I had to deal with what was in front of us and we had to be there for each other and look after each other and that’s something I’ve learnt from all of this.
“She has been through so much more but it’s really important to talk - for men as well as women.
“It’s an issue that can profoundly affect the conversation about men’s mental health.
“If people don’t talk they can’t get the help that’s needed.
“Not everyone wants to pick the phone up but there’s support available.
“Having networks around and trained professionals to get you the right information can help.”
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Now headteacher at Thornhill Community Academy, he adds: “At school we always say ‘be nice’ and ‘work hard’.
“Sometimes being nice is just listening and that’s all it takes. Other times it’s pointing people in the right direction to get support.”
Despite the heartache, Matthew never takes family life for granted.
He says: “Every single day we thank our lucky stars our kids came along.
“The best sound is them laughing - often at my expense - or because they’re plotting something mischievous.
“Our journey has meant difficulties along the way.
“Losing a baby is not a feeling that will ever go away but I know how fortunate we are now.”
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- Last month marked the largest day of marathon running in recent UK history, with 90,000 people taking part in adidas Manchester Marathon and TCS London Marathon.
- A record-breaking 36,000 participants crossed the finish line in Manchester.
- Over £4million was raised for official charities and hundreds of worthy causes - a figure expected to increase.
- Entries are now open for next year’s Adidas Manchester Marathon, which takes place April 19, 2026.
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