X Factor star Ray Quinn has revealed that his baby son Rio was stillborn after his wife Emily gave birth prematurely at six months pregnant.
The couple shared the news on Instagram and in a video on their YouTube channel, explaining that a scan at 20 weeks had shown their baby was developing normally.
But Emily later noticed that she was feeling less movement and believed her bump appeared smaller. She had an anterior placenta, which she had been told could mean feeling less movement, but the couple arranged a scan after she became concerned.
The scan showed that Rio no longer had a heartbeat.
“Our whole world just stopped in that moment,” Emily said through tears, recalling the devastating news.
Ray said the couple later learned that Rio’s umbilical cord had been tied in a tight knot. Emily said there had been nothing wrong with either her or the baby, while Ray described the complication as “very very very very rare”.
“It’s not something that would have been flagged up at all on any scans,” he said. “It’s not something that the professionals would look for.”
Ray announced Rio’s death by sharing a black-and-white photograph of himself, Emily and their son. He wrote: “Our beautiful boy, born Sleeping.. 20th August 2026.”
He added: “No words will ever be enough, just a lot of indescribable feelings. Heaven gained the most beautiful little Angel and we were overjoyed when Rio was born and we found out we had a little boy!!”
“The last few weeks have been a lot but our saving grace has been each other.”
Emily, who had a miscarriage last year, said she had initially felt reassured after the 20-week scan.
“I felt a little bit more relieved to just sort of let go and say, ‘Well, we’ve got our little baby now,’” she said, recalling the scan.
She said she had trusted her instincts when she began to feel that something was wrong and told Ray they should arrange another appointment.
“I think as a woman and obviously having pregnancies before, you do know and you’re connected to your body and you feel if something’s not quite right,” she said.
Ray described the moment they were told there was no heartbeat as “life changing” and “devastating”.
The couple, who also share four-year-old daughter Summer, said they had chosen to speak publicly about Rio in the hope of helping other families who experience stillbirth and pregnancy loss.
Emily said bereaved parents were now more encouraged to talk about their babies and their experiences.
“Why wouldn’t we celebrate our baby’s life because he was here just as if any other child being born is here,” she said. “So speak about it and tell people and that’s the way that you’ll heal.”
Ray thanked staff at Liverpool Women’s Hospital and the Honeysuckle team for their care during what he called “the most heartbreaking week of our lives”.
He said their support had helped the couple create “some of the most beautiful moments” and special memories with their son.
Friends, including Kym Marsh and Jess Wright, sent messages of condolence after the announcement.
Ray said the couple had dedicated an episode of their YouTube channel to the tragedy, acknowledging that it had been difficult to film but saying they hoped their decision to speak openly would help others in a similar situation.
He ended his message: “Forever our Angel ‘RIO QUINN’.”
