Mollie King admits that losing her dad Stephen 10 days after giving birth to her daughter was 'the hardest she's ever been pushed' as she reveals the moment she knew her fiancé Stuart Broad was 'it'

Mollie King has revealed that the death of her beloved dad Stephen just days after giving birth to her daughter was 'the hardest she's ever been pushed.'

The Saturdays star, 35, welcomed her daughter Annabella in November 2022, and just 10 days later her father passed away following a battle with a brain tumour.

Speaking in Women's Health June Issue, Mollie admitted it was 'such a shock' when Stephen was diagnosed with a brain tumour when she was halfway through her pregnancy, but it made her realise how 'strong' she could be.

She also detailed the moment she knew that her fiancé Stuart Broad was 'it', explaining how his calming nature has been a huge support when she's struggling with an 'anxiety spin'.

Reflecting on her dad's passing, Mollie said: 'When I found out I was pregnant, my dad was the healthiest person I knew. He was really athletic; he'd run three marathons in his time and he was still super strong.

Mollie King has revealed that the death of her beloved dad Stephen just days after giving birth to her daughter was 'the hardest she's ever been pushed'

The Saturdays star, 35, welcomed her daughter Annabella in November 2022, and just 10 days later her father passed away following a battle with a brain tumour

'And so, to then find out halfway through my pregnancy that he had a brain tumour and that we didn't have long with him was such a shock – a shock feels like an understatement…I think [the lesson] is just be kind to yourself; to know that you never know what's around the corner.

'Also, that when you're really, really pushed – that's the hardest I've ever been pushed, learning to be a mum and then my dad passed away 10 days after the birth of Annabella – I actually think the big thing that I have learned is that we are stronger than we think we are. And I think that we've all got it in us to be strong.'

Earlier this year, Mollie undertook a gruelling 500k cycle from London to Hull in her dad's memory, in a bid to raise money for Comic Relief.

Speaking about the gruelling feat, she said: 'The main factor for me doing it was because I lost my dad just over a year ago.

'And that was the worst time of my life…And at the time, I didn't really have much time to process it.

'And I just thought an endurance challenge would give me that time to take it in and to absorb it. And it did. It was amazing.

'In those five days I could actually think about what had gone on and I felt like my dad was really close when I was doing it.'

Mollie welcomed her daughter Annabella with her fiancé Stuart last year, and the presenter detailed the moment she knew it was 'it' after they met.

Speaking in Women's Health June Issue, Mollie admitted it was 'such a shock' when Stephen was diagnosed with a brain tumour when she was halfway through her pregnancy

She also detailed the moment she knew that her fiancé Stuart Broad was 'it'. The former England star retired from professional cricket last summer

She said: 'I had always thought I would love to be a mum if I'm lucky enough…And when Stuart and I started dating a few years down the line, I was like, 'I know this is it'…

'We're very similar, but in the ways where we are very different it feels like it's a really good balance, which I noticed immediately…

'I'm a big overthinker and I can be a little bit of a worrier, whereas Stuart is not an overthinker. Stuart's like, ''Right, this is what I'm going to do and this is how I'm going to do it.'''

Stuart retired from professional cricket last summer, but Mollie said that his level-headed nature was a huge support for her during her gruelling cycle challenge.

'Before the [cycling] challenge, I was on air and I was like, ''My brain just feels so foggy. I can't think straight,''' Mollie said.

'And he was like, ''Oh, it's fine. It's just pre-match nerves.'' He's like, ''You get this, babe, before any big game. You're fine; totally normal''…

'He's always telling me that I need to do mind maps when my mind goes into a bit of an anxiety spin.

'[He tells me to] write everything down, then you can clearly see everything. He's very protective and he's really good at looking after me.'

Mollie and Stuart first dated in 2012, then split up, eventually rekindling in 2018 and welcomed their first child in December 2022.

The full Mollie King interview and shoot is available to Women’s Health members on the WH app now, and in the magazine from 28th May

Stuart called time on his storied career at the conclusion of the Ashes last year, signing off with a wicket with his final ball to seal victory over Australia at The Oval.

Mollie previously revealed she raised £1,312,558 during her gruelling Comic Relief challenge.

She captioned the images: 'Today was the day we rounded off my Pedal Power for @comic relief challenge and the day we got our final total.

'I was absolutely blown away by how much we raised by the end of my cycle but I had been told people had kindly continued to donate last week, too.

'I can’t quite believe what I’m about to say but your donations meant that we raised an absolutely mind blowing £1,312,558.

'No words will ever do justice to how grateful I am to every single one of you who donated. I’ve seen first hand what a difference this money is going to make and how it’s going to change lives.

She finished: 'Thank you thank you thank you [photo] credit Dominic Lipinski/Getty Images.'

The full Mollie King interview and shoot is available to Women’s Health members on the WH app now, and in the magazine from 28th May.