How Laura Woods hid her pregnancy while being front-and-centre of ITV Euro coverage from outfits to social media silence
LAURA WOODS announced she was expecting a baby on social media on Sunday evening.
And the news came as a big shock to fans – just a week after the Euro 2024 final.
Woods and her Love Island boyfriend Adam Collard posted a shared Instagram photo of the scan and her pet pooch in the background – alongside the caption: “Hey, baby.”
And it means the TNT and ITV host was expecting throughout her time in Germany covering the Euros.
So how did the couple keep the pregnancy secret and hide it from the public so well?
Social media blackout
Woods, 37, is a regular on Instagram but went noticeably quiet during the Euros.
She posted a smiling selfie with pal Ally McCoist on June 14 – the opening day of the tournament – with her belly cropped out.
The next four posts on her timeline are ITV Football uploads shared by the Arsenal fan.
That includes a video from her birthday on July 2, where she was presented with a cake and blew out the candles in the ITV studio.
The following day, Woods shared the Discovery+ advert for their coverage of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
And although those photos were undoubtedly taken a while ago, she even has her arms crossed in her pink jumpsuit.
Outfit changes
Speaking of her pink jumpsuit, Woods appears to have shown plenty of tactical intelligence with her on-screen outfits.
She switched up her trousers-and-blazer combo from the opening game for more subtle, less-fitted pieces by the end of the tournament – possibly to disguise her growing baby bump.
They included a flowing white dress for England vs Slovenia, a dark dress for the semi-final and a double-breasted blazer as part of a stylish navy suit for the final.
Strategic poses
As well as the choice of wardrobe, Woods was also clever with her poses in front of the camera throughout the Euros.
She regularly thought up genius ways to hide her tummy.
That included cropping photos, using her hands to cover her belly, holding her phone in front of her, folding her arms and even using her accreditation lanyard.
On top of that, Woods spent much of her time presenting behind a table, desk or plinth – either in the ITV studio or live on location inside stadiums.
Adam’s birthday bamboozle
Lastly, Collard was clearly in on the act, too, as the couple waited to make their news public.
The former Celebs Go Dating star seemingly threw fans off the scent if there were any suspicions of a baby on the way with his gushing post for Woods’ birthday.
The series of black-and-white snaps included some older pics of them earlier in their relationship.
And it also included a couple of photos of the happy pair drinking on nights out – quite possibly containing alcohol before they conceived.
However, Collard may have dropped a hint at something big was to come with a snap last week of a post-it note reading: “Just remember 5 years ago, you dreamed about where you are now.”
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Personal trainer Adam Collard, 28, has been dating Euro 2024 presenter Laura Woods, 36, since 2023.
The former loverat has called her “The One,” spent Christmas with her – the first time he’s done so with a girlfriend since he was 21 – and kept their relationship relatively out of the limelight, seemingly on Laura’s wishes.
It’s a far cry from the man who admits himself he’s been “ruthless” in the past, claims to have had 25 girlfriends, and spent many years partying and juggling flings with girls including Zara McDermott and Lottie Moss.
Relationship expert Jo Hemmings says: “He’s now 28, he’s a professional with a job, and I think he just went off the whole idea of ever realistically meeting somebody on a TV show.
“He’s now met somebody who is also a professional, and is only on TV as a byproduct of what she does in sport.
“He’s got himself in a comfortable place. Financially, he’s older, he’s more mature, he’s more settled.
“He once played into this roguish character that people saw him as, and became a parody of himself. But look who’s laughing now.
“He’s got a fabulous girlfriend, they’re in a long term relationship, he’s well off, he’s still in the public eye, and he’s getting on with his life in the way that I think he always wanted.”