Ex In The Style founder Adam Frisby and fiancé Jamie Corbett reveal it will take eight months to legally become the parents of their surrogate baby

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Oh my gosh, I’m so worried about Adam Frisby and Jamie! I’ve been following their journey for ages, and it’s just heartbreaking to hear they’re having trouble legally becoming parents to their little one born through surrogacy. It’s just not fair after everything they’ve been through to build their family! I really hope they get it sorted soon; they deserve all the happiness in the world.

On Tuesday’s episode of This Morning, the couple shared the story of how they became parents to three-month-old Leven Rose, explaining they used a surrogate and egg donor in America to build their family.

The couple joined Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard to share that, despite being legally recognized as parents to their son, Leven, through surrogacy in the United States, they are now fighting a legal case in the UK to establish their parental rights.

Adam and Jamie have returned to Britain, but because of differences in surrogacy laws, they are no longer legally considered Leven’s parents. Instead, Leven’s surrogate mother is now legally recognized as her mother.

The couple shared that they started a government petition to update surrogacy laws. They explained it could take eight to ten months for them to be legally recognized as their daughter’s parents.

Adam explained that they chose to travel to the USA for their surrogacy because it was crucial for them to be involved throughout the entire process. They wanted to be present for the birth, share in every moment, and support Leven’s journey from beginning to end.

Honestly, it was a dream come true. My partner and I had been hoping to welcome Leven into our lives for six years, and there were times we weren’t sure it would actually happen. When it finally did, it was just… amazing. It felt incredible to finally see that long-held dream realized.

Growing up, we were led to believe that a family needed a mother and a father. So, having our son, Leven, and experiencing this life together is incredible. That moment will always be special to us.

Jamie explained that they spent a full day in tears after their daughter was born. They joked that the baby probably thought her parents were unhappy, but they were actually tears of joy – they just couldn’t stop crying from happiness.

Jamie explained that due to UK surrogacy laws, they decided to pursue the process in the United States, which allows them to be legally recognized as her parents immediately after birth.

Surrogacy laws in the US protect both the surrogate mother and the intended parents. Once the baby is born, neither party can legally change their minds about the arrangement.

In the UK, a surrogate mother has legal rights regarding the baby for a period of time after birth. She can care for the child until a parental order is established, and she has the right to change her mind about relinquishing the baby at any point during that time.

Jamie explained that while it’s rare in the UK, there have been instances where a surrogate mother changes her mind and decides to keep the child, leaving the intended parents without a baby. In the US, the law prioritizes protecting the surrogate’s right to make that decision.

Adam explained that they used an egg donor and created the embryos through IVF, meaning the baby has no biological connection to him or his partner. He praised the surrogate, calling her amazing for helping them build their family.

Adam explained that under current UK law, the woman who gives birth through surrogacy is automatically considered the legal parent, even if she isn’t biologically related to the child. Surprisingly, if she’s married, her husband is also legally recognized as a parent, regardless of any genetic link to the baby.

So, basically, it comes down to Jamie and me, and you, Cat, and Ben all having pretty much the same say over Leven as we do – which is really surprising.

Jamie explained that, legally in the UK, she’s currently considered ‘parentless’ because her birth wasn’t registered in the proper way.

Adam clarified that while the couple are legally recognized as Leven’s parents in the United States, that recognition isn’t valid in the UK after they moved back.

He explained that the adoption process takes eight to ten months. It involves a lot of paperwork and an assessment by a social worker to confirm we’re capable parents – despite already being parents. Finally, we need to get a parental order from the High Court.

Becoming a new parent already involves a lot of changes, and we shouldn’t have to jump through extra hoops to be recognized as parents, especially now in 2026. We deserve the same recognition as any other parent.

Jamie added that having their names legally recognized on Leven’s birth certificate is worth the effort, and they’d happily go through the process again. However, it takes about eight months, and as Adam mentioned, it involves a lot of personal questions and scrutiny.

We need to have social workers visit our home and review our background and family history. The whole process takes about eight months, and sometimes even longer.

At this point, it doesn’t seem worthwhile to proceed, as we’re already legally recognized as her parents in the United States, and one of us is her biological father.

Adam explained that without legal parental rights, they would need permission from the surrogate to take Leven to the hospital. While they have a good relationship with their surrogate now, that isn’t always the case for everyone.

This is a complicated issue, and we still need legal permission for things like medical care, childcare arrangements, and passports.

The couple stated their daughter has an American passport and needs a visa to enter the UK, with each visit limited to 90 days.

Adam and Jamie started a petition to change a UK law, and it quickly gained over 90,000 signatures in just 36 hours.

Adam explained that while surrogacy has many challenges and areas for improvement, their main goal is to ensure intended parents, like themselves, are legally recognized as parents from the moment their child is born.

Our goal is to ensure everyone involved – the surrogate and the future parents – is treated fairly and protected. We believe in working together as a team to achieve this, and that’s what we’re advocating for.

We’ve already collected over 90,000 signatures on the petition, which demonstrates a huge amount of public support for families like mine. If we reach 100,000 signatures, Parliament will be required to debate the issue.

Adam and Jamie became parents to a baby daughter in January, welcoming her through a surrogate mother in Connecticut.

Adam and Jamie are thrilled to share the wonderful news of their baby daughter’s arrival.

They’re thrilled to be new dads and are loving this precious time with their baby and family. Everyone – the baby, the surrogate, and the dads – is doing well.

Last August, the Daily Mail exclusively announced that the couple was expecting their first children.

After leaving In The Style, Adam has been developing a new brand and creating a documentary-style video series about the process.

After the store went into administration and accrued £21 million in debt, Adam publicly spoke out about staff members being laid off without receiving any final wages.

Adam started the fashion company in 2013. In March 2023, Baaj Capital, a private equity firm based in the UK, bought the company for £1.2 million.

Ben Armstrong took over as managing director in December 2023 after Adam’s departure, but he has since also left the company.

He recently shared with the Daily Mail that he’s starting a new career, which he’s really excited about and expects to launch in the coming weeks. He also emphasized how much Jamie has supported him over the past decade, working alongside him in his businesses, and said he couldn’t have done it without him.

It was good to have a short break beforehand, allowing me to relax and recharge after a very hectic period.

Jamie explained how they manage work and childcare: ‘When we return to the UK, both Adam and I are self-employed, which gives us flexibility. If we both need to work from the office, we can bring the baby with us – we’ve always structured our work this way.’

This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV1 and ITVX. 

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2026-04-28 14:20