Poh Ling Yeow has opened up about her heartbreaking miscarriage and admitted she is still “grateful” for her pregnancy despite the devastating loss.
The MasterChef Australia judge, 50, told how she became pregnant during her marriage to her now ex-husband Jono Bennett, from whom she separated in 2021.
Talking about the Share my mood On the podcast, Poh said she was “elated” when she got pregnant by accident, but then tragically lost the baby at 12 weeks.
“I got pregnant by accident and it was interesting because even though I was very worried when it happened, I don’t know, whatever hormones kicked in, I was elated. It was great,” she told The KIIS Network’s Will & Woody.
“And then at week 12, it was literally the day I was able to tell people I lost the baby.”
Poh Ling Yeow has opened up about her heartbreaking miscarriage and admitted she is still “grateful” for her pregnancy despite the devastating loss.
Poh explained that she heartbreakingly went through a ten-hour labor at home in the midst of the miscarriage as she bravely spoke about her loss.
“It’s so intense that in my head it’s quite surreal, it’s a bit of a dream state because, I mean, I was in a lot of pain and I was losing a lot of blood,” she continued.
‘Yes, it was quite full. It was ten hours… I actually saw the baby. I was born.’
Despite the devastating experience, Poh admitted that she is still “grateful” to have gone through her pregnancy and shared that she kept her baby’s ultrasound.
‘I’m still very grateful. I still have the ultrasound picture on my fridge, which scares people,” he shared.
The MasterChef Australia judge, 50, told how she became pregnant during her marriage to her now ex-husband Jono Bennett (pictured), from whom she separated in 2021
‘I went through a pregnancy. I actually went through the process of giving birth. I know what it feels like and I know what it feels like to have something growing inside of me, which is a very special thing, you know? So, yeah, that’s how I went through this.’
Poh also addressed the stigma surrounding talking about miscarriages, saying she finds it “really strange” that people are encouraged to remain silent about their experiences.
“I actually think it’s a really weird thing that we’re encouraged not to tell people ‘we’re pregnant’ when I think it’s the complete opposite, but it might just be my kind of brain,” she shared.
“I think if you tell everyone, then when or if it (miscarriage) happens, which is like a third of the pregnancy, so the way I processed it was with those numbers.” I was like, I’m not special.
‘I always come back to you, you are a point, you are not special and I always come back to instead of why me?, why not me? and that gets me out of everything.’
Speaking on the Share My Mood podcast, Poh said she was “elated” when she fell pregnant by accident, but then tragically lost the baby at 12 weeks.
Poh and Jono went their separate ways in early 2021 after seven years of marriage, and now he has found love again with a new partner, with whom he shares a baby.
The finalist of the first season of MasterChef said that she couldn’t be happier for Jono and his new partner, and said that she is very happy that he has gotten the family he always wanted.
She continued, “Jono and I finally ended up breaking up, so I was so grateful… and now he has a baby with a new partner, which I’m so happy for them because that’s what he wanted.” all the time.’
Poh said Jono had always wanted to have a child during their relationship, while she felt insecure because she didn’t know how it would work out financially since they depended on his income.
“My ex really wanted to have a child (and) he said, I definitely want to, that’s always been part of my plan,” she said.
Poh explained that she heartbreakingly went through a ten-hour labor at home in the midst of the miscarriage and bravely spoke about her loss.
‘And I thought I always had, but I was in a position where my earning capacity was greater than his and we had built a lifestyle around my income.
“I was starting to get older and that was starting to make me feel a little frigid at the idea (of having children). It was like we had a lot of time and suddenly you’re like 40 years old.
Poh also touched on the “unique issues” women face when deciding whether to start a family while talking about how she felt about having children.
“I was like, oh man, I actually don’t know how this would work now… financially and also practically and just talking about being an individual,” he said.
Poh began dating Jono (pictured in 2016) in 2009, when they met on the set of MasterChef, and they married in 2014, before separating in 2021.
“I started thinking about how a lot of what I do is about being free and I think if I had started earlier, I would have had more courage and recovered quicker considering it.
‘But as I got older, my habits became more fixed and I became more scared of how it could encroach on my independence.
‘As I grow, as a creative, there are so many ideas that I want to express with my art and all these other projects that I have and I started to think: do I have a child or do I continue to create?
‘As if I have to choose, of course, and you have to do it as a woman. That is something exclusive to a woman and for time and eternity it will be the only issue.”
She was married to her first husband Matt Phipps in 1989 for nine years. Matt is now married to her best friend Sarah Rich and they all maintain a close friendship (all pictured with Jono)
Poh began dating Jono in 2009, when they met on the set of MasterChef, and married in 2014, before separating in 2021.
She previously married her first husband Matt Phipps in 1989, but they later separated after nine years together. Matt is now married to her best friend of 20 years, Sarah Rich.
Poh maintains close friendships with both of her ex-husbands and even runs the Jamface cafe in Adelaide with Matt and his new wife Sarah.
If you have been affected by this story, please call SANDS’ 24-hour support hotline on 1300 308 307.