TVNZ's Hayley Holt opens up about the loss of her baby with special message for Kiwis

TVNZ sports presenter Hayley Holt has opened up for the first time about losing her baby last year during lockdown.

She was seven months pregnant when she lost her baby son Frankie on April 25, 2020.

In an exclusive interview with Woman magazine, Holt, 40, said she wanted to acknowledge the support from the public after her loss.

"Every day there were letters, cards, emails, messages... It was a huge source of support and really showed us the power of love and the way it can transform an experience from tragic to beautiful in some way."

When news of her pregnancy first broke, Holt didn't say who the father was - but she later spoke on Breakfast and revealed that she was now in a relationship with him.

"Josh [Tito] and I have fallen in love," Holt told viewers at the time.

"I can actually promise you out there that there is truth in the saying that love conquers all. It really does.

"So I'm here, I'm in a really good place, I'm full of gratitude for all that I have."

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Opening up to Woman magazine, Holt revealed that Tito's support helped her through the most difficult times.

"He was incredible. He's a very special human being."

As well as therapy, it was finding love and focusing on a new relationship that helped her get through the tragedy, she said.

Holt was also immensely grateful to her bosses at TVNZ, who noticed she was struggling when she returned to Breakfast in June 2020 and suggested a swap to a 1 News sports presenting role.

She admitted leaving the morning segment was hard but she was "forever grateful for the fact they noticed I wasn't OK".

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission.