‘I was terrified’: Jamie Laing says wife Sophie Habboo’s emergency C-section was ‘the scariest thing I’ve ever been through’ – as couple reveal the story behind their son’s name

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Jamie Laing shared that he was extremely frightened and helpless when his wife, Sophie Habboo, needed an emergency C-section because their son’s arm became stuck during delivery.

The 37-year-old former Strictly Come Dancing contestant shared with the Daily Mail that Sophie’s labor unexpectedly became very difficult, and he called it the most frightening experience of his life.

Sophie, 31, recently gave birth at the same hospital wing – the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s – where Kate Middleton had her children. While the birth wasn’t what she expected and she was quite frightened, she’s thankful that her son, Ziggy, arrived safely.

Jamie shared that it was the most frightening experience of his life watching his wife and baby go through a difficult time, feeling completely helpless. He said nothing could have prepared him for how terrifying it was.

It was a really frightening experience,” Sophie explained. “It wasn’t the delivery I’d hoped for, and it was scary, but every birth is unique, and honestly, however it happens is amazing. The important thing is he’s here and healthy, and the medical staff were fantastic.

Jamie and Sophie, who found love on the reality show Made In Chelsea in 2017, documented the birth of their son, Ziggy, for their new Disney+ series, Raising Chelsea. The show follows them as they navigate the experience of becoming parents for the first time.

Sophie and her partner hadn’t initially planned to share the most special moment of their lives on TV. She said she’d actually hoped to keep it private, but the heartfelt footage captured by their anesthesiologist made her reconsider.

Sophie admitted she wasn’t comfortable with filming the birth, explaining she needed that moment to be private and personal.

There were some unexpected problems during the delivery, and I ended up needing an emergency C-section. To our shock, the anesthesiologist took our phone and filmed the whole procedure without us knowing. We were completely unaware it was happening.

The following day, I reviewed the photos from the birth and discovered an eleven-minute video. Watching it was incredibly moving.

Jamie, who is comfortable with being filmed and feels that all his work is about telling a story, said he was still surprised by how much chemistry he and Sophie seemed to have when he watched the unedited footage.

He described the moment as incredibly romantic and amazing. What made it special was that Sophie and he didn’t realize they were being filmed – they thought it was just for themselves. But when he watched it back, he was struck by how much love they shared, and how different it looked seeing it from an outside perspective.

After giving it a lot of thought, Soph said she thought we should definitely include it, as she believed it would be incredible to watch. She described that moment as frightening, and added that the experience gave her a newfound respect for all mothers. She now feels immense admiration whenever she sees a woman with a baby, thinking of them as true heroes.

The couple’s new three-part series will give viewers an honest and detailed look into their lives, including Sophie’s pregnancy and their recent move from their London flat to a renovated house where they’ll raise their family.

Being pregnant made Sophie feel especially vulnerable, and she found it very difficult to have cameras following her constantly. She said she craved privacy more than ever before.

It was a completely new experience for me. We moved from being on Made In Chelsea to creating a podcast, which involved recording for two and a half hours each week before the episodes were released. But this new project felt very different.

These photos show them in our bedroom and at our scan appointments, even watching the birth. It’s all so new and different, and I was really nervous.

I struggled at first. Being pregnant made me value my privacy more than ever, which was strange because I was also working on a TV show at the time.

It felt a little scary at first, being my first time and worrying about everything. But now that it’s over, I’m really happy we went through with it. It’s wonderful to have those memories to look back on and feel good about.

Jamie and Sophie are following through on their commitment to show real life, and that includes filming their arguments – which happen more than once.

Sophie was upset with Jamie because he wasn’t giving her enough undivided attention, often prioritizing work – including his candy company, Candy Kittens – over being there for her. She worried his businesses were taking precedence over their relationship.

Jamie attempted to win Sophie back with a grand, elaborate gesture, but it completely failed and actually made things worse. His mother, Penny, often playfully compares him to the whimsical characters Peter Pan and Willy Wonka.

Oh my gosh, it was so intense! Sophie was a total mess, completely overwhelmed with feelings, and then she got these stomach cramps and just lost it. She was convinced something terrible was happening, and honestly, I was panicking right along with her! They had to rush to the emergency room, it was so scary! I was glued to updates, just hoping everything would be okay.

Sophie was surprised the arguments weren’t removed. She thought for sure they would ask to have them edited out.

It was a difficult experience, and I was understandably anxious when the baby moved. I tried to stay calm, but that’s just what happened – it was a natural reaction.

Being filmed felt really exposing at first, but the crew quickly became like family. They were so supportive and professional that by the end of the experience, I barely noticed the cameras were even there.

Jamie and Sophie celebrated the premiere of their show, Raising Chelsea, last Thursday at the luxury cinema in Battersea Power Station. They were joined by their friends and family, and the show begins streaming on April 2nd.

Several of their former Made In Chelsea castmates were there, including Oliver Proudlock and Sam Thompson – both of whom had previously dated Sophie before she got together with Jamie.

Notably missing from the festivities were Jamie’s old friend Spencer Matthews and his wife, Vogue Williams.

Okay, so here’s the deal – things were a little rocky between Spencer and Jamie. He wasn’t included in their intimate London legal wedding ceremony before their bigger celebration in 2023, and that caused a rift. They did talk things through publicly on their podcast, ‘The Great Company,’ which led everyone to believe they’d patched things up, but it seems there was still some lingering tension.

Even so, people noticed Jamie and Sophie weren’t talking about Spencer and Vogue. Interestingly, when asked about celebrities who’ve given them parenting tips, they left out Spencer, even though he has three young children of his own.

Oh my gosh, meeting Jamie Oliver was incredible, and he and his wife were just the sweetest people ever! Seriously, all the celebrity parents involved – Davina McCall, Fearne Cotton, Jessie J, even Tom Davis – they were all SO kind and lovely to me. It’s amazing how many people have actually gotten in touch, it means the world!

Alex Jones reached out with a kind message, simply saying she was happy for me. Many others have been equally supportive and wonderful.

Jamie has gained a significant following over the years, largely due to his time on Strictly Come Dancing in 2020 and his work hosting the Radio 1 show, Going Home.

He became even more popular in March 2025 after completing a very difficult 150-mile run for Comic Relief, going from London to Salford over five days. He ran over 30 miles each day and raised more than £2 million for charities that help people with mental health issues, loneliness, and anxiety – causes he supports because he’s often spoken about his own personal challenges.

Shortly after Sophie’s support, the couple enjoyed a relaxing vacation where they discovered they were expecting a child. This happened at the luxurious Six Senses Zighy Bay resort in Oman.

Jamie explained that they decided on the name Ziggy because that’s where their son was conceived – at Zighy Bay. Jamie was exhausted at the time, and Sophie saw it as the perfect opportunity. They had jokingly considered naming him Watford if it didn’t happen there, but ultimately chose Ziggy.

Sophie playfully recounted how she met Jamie, saying she ‘snagged’ him right after his grueling ultramarathon in Zighy Bay, when he was exhausted and at his most receptive.

  • Raising Chelsea streaming on Disney+ from 2nd April 

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2026-03-30 02:37