Content warning: This article discusses the topic of miscarriage which may be triggering for some readers. If you or anyone you know needs support, call PANDA on 1300 726 306 or visit their website here.
Ellie Dix and Jono McCullough are excitedly preparing to welcome their first child, but it hasn’t been an easy road to get here.
The lovebirds, who met on series 11 of MAFS three years ago and found love shortly after filming, announced their pregnancy on October 19 in a heartwarming video.
Now, speaking exclusively to New Idea, Ellie has opened up about their year-long fertility journey, revealing she suffered a heartbreaking miscarriage earlier this year.
“That’s when we realised, ‘Oh my God, we really do want children’. It was just devastating,” she shares.
Ellie explains that she has a low egg count, so they sought help from fertility specialists to conceive. Sadly, she lost the baby at around eight to 10 weeks.
“It’s a really lonely time,” she tells us.
“I actually didn’t even tell my family because we were quite early in the pregnancy, so I didn’t even really tell them that I was pregnant.
“I just had to let them know in one go, ‘Hey, I’m pregnant, and I’ve lost it’.”
Ellie says she didn’t publicly share her experience at the time because she feared being trolled, having faced negative reactions from MAFS fans over her and Jono’s romance. The couple famously revealed their romance at the MAFS reunion after failed romances with their original matches.
“I just didn’t want any unsolicited opinions with being trolled a lot,” she admits.
“I just thought, oh my God, I’m so fragile. I don’t feel like I can share this news. It’s not really spoken of too much.
“It’s really triggering for a lot of people. I didn’t want to add to that.”
While her close friends and family knew, Ellie navigated her loss “in silence” and only felt comfortable opening up after hearing about others’ experiences.
“I realised that it’s actually really common,” Ellie says.
“I just felt a little bit more comfortable sharing it because I realised I’m definitely not the only one.”
With her public platform, Ellie is now sharing her experience to raise awareness of infertility and miscarriage.
“I remember feeling very alone at the time,” she adds. “People just think things come so easily to them, but it’s been a struggle.”
After a difficult few months, Ellie is pregnant again and couldn’t be happier, though she admits feeling nervous throughout her first trimester.
“It was really nice when we saw the positive pregnancy test and then got to the heartbeat for the first time, we realised, okay, this might be it,” she shares.
“But there’s always an element of nervousness going into each scan and every little symptom you think, oh my God, is it going to happen to us again?
“But we’re just so grateful that this one has stuck around.”
Ellie and Jono already know their baby’s gender, but they’re keeping the news quiet for a few more weeks.
They’ve also already picked out a baby name, with Ellie dropping one big hint.
“We’re definitely going to incorporate Jono’s family in the chosen name,” Ellie teases.
“I won’t say anything more because I’ll probably blow it, but we’re definitely going to have more of the traditional type name.”
The overjoyed couple are due to welcome their baby on April 4, 2027, but Ellie’s career as a nurse has left her with some nerves about giving birth.
“I used to work in theatres as a nurse, and I’ve worked in the obstetrics theatre, so I kind of know what to expect,” Ellie admits.
“Sometimes the more you know isn’t always the best.”
But for now, she’s just enjoying every single moment of her pregnancy, food cravings and all!
