Hollyoaks star Stephanie Davis on new career, pregnancy and motherhood with autism
The seasoned actress has announced her new business amid what has been a very busy year for her, as she prepares to welcome a new arrival with long-term partner Joe McKalroy
Former Coronation Street and Hollyoaks star Stephanie Davis is branching out of acting with a brand new business venture.
The mum, who is also expecting a new arrival soon, having announced her pregnancy earlier this year, is well known for her dramatic storylines on the soaps she has appeared on.
She also became very well known after an appearance on Celebrity Big Brother in 2016, when she was the runner-up in the seventeenth series.
Here’s everything we know about Steph’s exciting new beauty business, and what she has been up to since she wrapped up her CBB stint.
New beauty business
The actress has announced the release of a new beauty range called Sincere, which launched on December 19th.
Posting a video, she said “I’m absolutely delighted to announce that I am launching my own beauty range – Sincere.”
“After being in the industry for many, many years and damaging my eyelashes with products, I wanted to make it my mission to create something that enhances your natural beauty, but also protects your lashes,” she said.
“I hope you love the products as much as I do, and this is a present from me to you.”
The brand includes a range of mink eyelashes, lash tools and eyelash growth serum.
Fans were quick to share their support in the comments section. “How exciting! Congrats Steph! Looking absolutely glowing” one said.
Another added: “Congratulations well done on your launch. Absolutely smashing it! And whilst pregnant too, I didn’t like being pregnant at all, it’s not all sunshine and sparkles that people presume it is! It can be tough! So being a mum already, carrying another little bubba and still working your butt off you should be super proud of yourself!”
You can find her brand HERE.
Steph is also a talented singer, and has been sharing her original songs on social media.
Family Life and Pregnancy
Stephanie, who played Courtney Vance on Corrie and Sinead O’Connor on Hollyoaks, is currently pregnant and expecting her second little boy.
She is expecting with her long-term partner Joe McKalroy. She is already mum to son Caben, seven, from a previous relationship with Jeremy McConnell.
Steph announced her pregnancy in August, and while the couple are over the moon the be expecting, Steph previously shared that things have not always been easy, as she dealt with a miscarriage two years ago.
Steph said: “Joe never cries, so when he started that set me off. We were just sobbing on each other. Then the nurse in the room started crying, too!”
She told Ok!: “After my previous miscarriage, I thought, ‘God’s going to be good to us, it’ll be plain sailing.’ But that’s not how life works.
“It’s been… a roller coaster.”
Her currently pregnancy has faced issues too, after dealing with a haematoma – a collection of blood located outside the blood vessels.
“The doctor said he believed I was having another miscarriage – or an ectopic pregnancy. But I wasn’t having it, I had this strong gut feeling that it was all going to be OK.”
She was put on bed rest to recover, but later dealt with another issue, when she contracted C-diff while abroad, which causes diarrhea and colitis.
“I was terrified. I’m still on medication to treat it, but I’m slowly recovering,” she said earlier this year.
Fans have long speculated that Steph and Joe are secretly engaged, as the couple showcase their love for one another via social media and Steph describes their strong family unit.
In a beautiful pregnancy announcement, Steph shared a video of her with her family on the beach, as she told Caben he will be a big brother soon.
She handed him gift bag that contained a blue T-shirt as she showed him a photo of her scan. She told him: “Mummy is having a baby,” and Joe said: “You are going to be a big brother.”
Autism diagnosis
Steph has been open about receiving a high functioning autism diagnosis in 2019. She discovered her diagnosis while in rehab where she was recovering from alcohol addiction.
“Before I was diagnosed with high-functioning autism, drinking was the only thing I knew,” she said.
“I needed to drink a bottle of wine before a night out because of my severe anxiety in social settings. I also needed to know the layouts of places. So when I’d walk into somewhere new I’d go: “Right, the toilets are there, the bar is there,”‘ she told OK!.
“My mental health was so bad, it wasn’t just addiction,” she added. “That’s when a consultant psychiatrist recognised my traits and told me I had high-functioning autism, as well as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.”
“When I got the diagnosis, I didn’t really understand what it meant, but as soon as I did my research I was like: ‘Whoa, that is me.'”
“Everything jumped out and it made me feel more at ease because I felt: ‘It’s not just me.’ It made me accept myself for the first time and start to look forward. It was the biggest relief.”
Parenting has presented a frontier of challenges for the busy mum. “It was a big adjustment to make. It’s taken a long time. Even now, I’m still adjusting day by day. He’s changing as he gets older and that’s just something we work on together,” she told the BBC in a previous chat about parenting and autism.
“I’ve learnt coping mechanisms and things I can do to try and help myself now. I allow myself to feel these feelings and know that it’s okay.”
