UK stars Lisa Shentall-Lee, formerly of Steps, and Johnny Shentall, 29, formerly of Hear'Say, welcomed their first child on February 23rd at 2:29 pm. Jaden Anthony Shentall-Lee weighed in at 6 lbs, 10 oz. The couple introduce their son, 5 weeks on Saturday, in the latest issue of Hello! UK.
In the article Lisa, 32 -- who now prefers to be known by her married name rather than Scott-Lee -- discusses their son's early arrival, her waterbirth, having a delivery surprise and more.
Click below for the photo and interview highlights.
L: [We made a decision] last year. Johnny and I had always wanted children, but decided to enjoy time together for a few years before trying.
We'd both done a lot in our careers and felt the time was right after I'd competed on 'Dancing On Ice.' I was the fittest I'd ever been thanks to the show, which I believe made me more fertile.
On cravings:
L: Only cake. We had lots of birthdays in September -- Johnny's, my mum's, and my dad's and Johnny's mum's -- so there was loads of cake for me. For the first three months, though, I went off food in general because I felt nauseous.
J: It was hard for me because it reached a stage where I told her: 'Lisa, you've got to eat.'
On enjoying the pregnancy:
L: After the nausea subsided, I had a lovely pregnancy. Sometimes I felt strange about my body changing and had to adjust. Having trained as a dancer, I felt self-conscious about my bump. I'd ask Johnny: 'Does my bump look big in this?'
J: It suited Lisa being pregnant. I thought she looked sexy and gorgeous.
On preparing for baby:
L: [We didn't shop] for a while as we were still working and I performed during a promotional tour to China. Then Johnny and I performed in a pantomime together.
We waited until we'd reached seven months before we actually bought anything, which was also partly because we were superstitious.
On music:
L: We always have music playing at home. But I when I was on stage performing during a show I could feel Jaden kicking like crazy. I wouldn't be surprised if he's musical when he grows up.
On the labor:
L: I woke up at 7 am with contractions. I let them continue for about an hour before I knew instinctively that I was actually in labor.
When I first found out I was pregnant, I'd woken up Johnny with the words: 'Wake up, sweetheart. It's going to be a special day. We're having a baby.' So at 8 am when I went into labor, I woke up Johnny and said: 'Sweetheart, I think it's going to be another special day!'
J: I leapt out of bed, ran Lisa a warm bath and put candles all around it. I thought the warm water would ease the pain. Then I tidied the house in a mad rampage.
L: Johnny was 'nesting.' By 11 am, my contractions were irregular but very strong. 'This is it,' I told him. 'But you've got days to go yet,' he replied. 'Oh no I haven't,' I said. 'I'm having the baby today.' (CBB note: Jaden was two weeks early.)
J: By this stage Lisa was out of the bath and was wearing a TENS machine to relieve the pain. During her contractions, Lisa could hardly speak. She had to communicate with me by putting her thumbs up for a mild contraction and down for a really bad one.
When I phoned the birthing centre, at Wexham Park Hospital in Slough, the midwife told me that if Lisa had reached the stage where she couldn't speak, it was time to bring her in.
On the journey to the birth centre:
L: The longest 15 minutes of my life. We kept getting stuck behind slow vehicles and then came up against a police check of cars being randomly stopped. To top it all, my waters broke in Johnny's brand new car.
J: I'm just relieved we picked a hospital that was close to home. If we'd opted for a hospital in the centre of London, as we'd considered in the beginning, Lisa would have been giving birth in the car on the hard shoulder of the M4.
L: It was a beautiful experience. The lovely big white birthing pool was in a relaxing room with a mirror ball on the ceiling. I wanted a water birth because I've always been drawn to water. I grew up by the sea and feel relaxed whenever I'm near it.
Once I was in labor, a feeling of calm came over me. I think the water acted as a form of pain relief, too, I couldn't have had an epidural anyway as there is a low platelet level in my blood.
I must have been in labor for only seven hours and it was the most extraordinary experience. Although it was painful, I felt as if I was on a natural high. I held on to Johnny quite a bit, and dug my nails into his arm.My mum, who had four children, lives locally so she was able to be there with me, too. She'd advised me to file my nails before I gave birth as she knew this would happen, but Jaden came so unexpectedly that I didn't have time.
We were the only couple in the hospital, so the entire place was quiet and peaceful. The two midwives looked after us brilliantly. To the sound of a James Morrison album playing on my iPod, little Jaden was born.
J: I hardly noticed Lisa digging her nails into me. I just wanted to do everything I could to help. I mopped her brow and whispered to her reassuringly to help keep her calm.
When it was happening, I recalled Myleene Klass' fiancé, Graham Quinn, telling me how he felt when he watched Myleene give birth to their baby girl Ava last August. 'You'll do anything in your power to make sure your partner and the baby are okay,' he said.
Lisa was incredible. I've never seen so much strength in my life. It opened my eyes to a whole new world. I've got a new wave of respect for her. I don't think any bloke could go through with what she did. Then when Jaden was born, I felt an overwhelming feeling of love for them both. He's brought a new dimension into our lives.
On having a delivery surprise:
L: I felt sure it was a boy because a psychic had predicted it. I was performing in the show 'Dancing On Ice' when she told me I would fall pregnant in six weeks time and that I would have a son. She was almost spot on -- I discovered I was pregnant eight weeks later.
J: When Jaden arrived, Lisa and I were so overcome with emotion that we didn't even ask if it was a girl or boy. It was only when Lisa's mum asked. 'What is it?' that we even looked. We didn't mind as long as our baby was healthy.
On the moments after Jaden's arrival:
L: When he popped out, the midwife placed him straight on my chest. He latched on to feed straight away. Johnny and I both had tears in our eyes.
It was such a wonderful moment and I'll never forget it. Putting a face to the little person I'd been carrying for nine months was amazing. He had dark brown hair and the most beautiful lips.
J: I cut Jaden's umbilical cord. It was an amazing feeling, to see our baby come out and be put on my wife's chest. A powerful sense of love swept through me and took everything to the next level for us in terms of our love for each other and our baby.
On her time in the hospital:
L: [It was] only one night. Johnny had bought me a special card in case I wanted to watch TV, but instead I stared at Jaden for hours.
[Now,] every time I stroke his cheek, he looks at me and smiles. When he gazes into my eyes, he makes my heart melt.
On bringing Jaden home:
L: It was fantastic. Our families were waiting for us at home to meet him, which was an emotional time for us all. Although we didn't get much sleep that night, Jaden settled into a routine straight away.
The day we brought him home, Johnny was so romantic. He presented me with 24 red roses and a diamond eternity ring placed in the middle of one of them.
On choosing the name:
L: My nickname for Johnny is 'J' and my grandfather Jason, who I was very close to, was also called 'J' for short. So Johnny and I had planned to name him Jay, until we watched the Will Smith film 'The Pursuit of Happyness' the night before I went into labor. The film had a little boy called Jaden in it, which really appealed to us.
It seemed particularly appropriate because I gave birth the next day.
Who the baby looks like:
L: Jaden has the same expressions as his dad. When he yawns he looks exactly like him.
On their daily routine:
L: Jaden slipped into one as soon as he came home. I feed him every three hours throughout the day, then every four hours at night. He turns into a gremlin at night, making all these strange noises. He only wakes up for his feeds, so he's a dream baby.
Johnny and I are very much a team. He does all the cooking and cleaning, then brings me breakfast in bed in the morning while he looks after Jaden to give me a rest. I crave [soft] boiled eggs as I couldn't have them for nine months.
On Jaden's christening:
L: [It will be] this summer. We plan to organize it the week of our fourth wedding anniversary [in August], and have a big garden party here.
On Jaden's godparents:
L: We have lots of celebrity friends, but have chosen seven of our closest non-celebrity friends for this special job.
Celebrity friends who have visited:
L: [My brother] Andy [Scott-Lee] was the first person to visit at the hospital. He and [Liberty X star wife] Michelle [Heaton] bought Jaden a beautiful soft play mat and some lovely clothes. Claire [Richards] and Faye [Tozer] from Steps also came to see Jaden at home.
How parenthood has changed them:
L: I used to get bogged down by all the knocks in the music industry. Now none of it bothers me. Taking time out to be with Jaden and Johnny is all that matters.
J: It's made the world of difference to me. I went for a game of snooker recently but couldn't wait to get back to Jaden and Lisa.
More kids?
L: Definitely. We moved to this house to start a family and now we'd like to fill up these empty rooms.
Source: Hello! Magazine, Issue: 1014 1st April 2008
Thanks to CBB reader Carlie.
Your Comments
congratulations and what a lovely photo shoot!
awww i love hearing celebs' birthing stories and why they chose the names they did. why no eggs? did they just make her sick, or are they known to be bad for everyone during pregnancy?
she looks great and her family is beautiful
I've heard of a couple UK stars having waterbirths recently...I'm wondering if anyone else has done the same to bring their child into this world and if it was as relaxing/pain relieving as these women claim. I'm due to have a waterbirth in 2 weeks with my daughter, so I'm very curious!
That's great, sounds like her labour was pretty quick! Good thing the hospital was close by! Had to chuckle when they mentioned watching Will Smith's movie "The Pursuit of Happiness" and noting that "The film had a little boy called Jaden in it, which really appealed to us." -lol, that's Will and Jada's son Jaden Smith but it sounds like they don't know this fact. Well all the best to them :)
re MB's coment about eggs.......
in england its not recommended for pregnant ladies to eat soft boiled eggs, ie.. runny yolks , along with eating pate,liver or any alcoholic drink.......etc
ps jaden is soooo tiny and cute!!!!!
Do you have any idea if it's common or unusual for the baby to have his mother's last name after his father's last name in England?
At least in the U.S. any time I have seen a hyphenated last name, it is the mother's followed by the father's.
Beverley,
I believe that normally the wife's name goes first in the double-barrelled names in Britain too.
However Lisa, before she was married was actually double-barrelled already, Lisa Scott-Lee, so it appears what she has done is just replace the first bit of that name with her married name. She probably just likes the "Lee" as the last part of the name.
With regard to the double barrelled names, here in UK far as I know there is no hard and fast rule about whose name goes before I know people with it both ways. It's different I guess. I would never be able to double barrell my name with my husbands, it would never go but he did offer to change his last name to mine to continue my family name as I am the last one.
BTW 7 godparents??!!! I was under the impression that here in UK, at least when I was baptises and was a godmother myself that if the baby was a girl then it was to be 2 godmothers and one godfather and if a boy, 2 godfathers and 1 godmother, all of which must have been christened themselves (that bit I know is for sure!)









