Lottie Tomlinson opens up about her grief following the tragic deaths of both her mother and sister within three years.
The 25-year-old influencer lost her mother Johannah in 2016, after she lost her battle with leukemia at the age of 43. Lottie was only 18 at the time.
The makeup artist joined Lorraine on Thursday and explained how she went into “survival and instinct mode” and took on the role of mother to her younger siblings.
But just three years later, she suffered another devastating loss when her sister Félicité died of an accidental drug overdose in 2019 at the age of 18. She admitted she “never expected” things to get worse after losing her mother.
Lottie, the younger sister of One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson, reflects on the incredibly difficult chapters of her life in her new memoir Lucky Girl.
Lottie Tomlinson has opened up about her dealing with grief following the tragic deaths of both her mother and baby sister within three years
The 25-year-old influencer lost her mother Johannah in 2016 after losing her battle with leukemia at the age of 43, when Lottie herself was just 18 (pictured together)
Just three years later, she suffered another devastating loss when her little sister Félicité passed away in 2019 at the age of 18 from an accidental drug overdose. She admitted she ‘never expected’ things to get worse after losing her mother (pictured with Félicité)
She recently announced that she was expecting her second child with fiancé Lewis Burton last month, after welcoming their son Lucky in August 2022.
She explained to Christine Lampard the meaning of the name Lucky and why she chose it as the title of her book. She said that the name was derived from her mother Johannah.
Lottie said: ‘I think it’s always been her way of being grateful for what she had when she was really ill. And I think that’s always stuck with me and it’s such a powerful thing to carry through life.
‘It’s been a great way for me to deal with a lot of my grief, to try to turn the negative, sad things that have happened to me into something positive, in whatever way I can.
“Even if it’s just a small positive, it helps you cope and get through it.”
She explained that after her mother’s death, she took on the role of mother in her family, as she had to be there for her younger siblings Félicité, Phoebe, Daisy, Ernest and Doris, adding that the responsibility at such a young age “set the tone” for the rest of her life.
Lottie said: ‘I think it was a natural instinct for me and I’m grateful to my mother for that because she instilled that maternal instinct in all of us.
“I think when something like that happens, you go into survival and instinct mode. I knew right away that the little ones needed me and I wanted to do whatever I could to make it as easy as possible for them.
Lottie – the younger sister of One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson – has reflected on the incredibly difficult chapters of her life in her new memoir Lucky Girl
She recently announced that she was expecting her second child with fiancé Lewis Burton last month, after they welcomed son Lucky in August 2022 (pictured together)
She explained that she took on the role of mother in her family after her mother’s death, as she needed to be there for her younger siblings Félicité, Phoebe, Daisy, Ernest and Doris (pictured). She added that this responsibility “set the tone” for the rest of her life.
“It kind of came naturally, but it was a life-changing experience for me to have that responsibility. I think it really set the tone for everything that happened in my life.”
However, she recalls how the loss of Félicité shortly afterwards compounded her grief and she admitted that she found it difficult to go ‘back to square one’.
She said: ‘I think it was just really hard knowing we had to start all over again and do everything again.
“When something as serious as this happens, like losing a parent, you don’t expect it to get any worse, and yet it did.”
Lottie continues: ‘It was a really tough time for the whole family, but I think we stayed really close and got through it well.
“That’s why I wrote the book. I wanted to show people that you can get through dark times of grief and be happy again.”
She spoke enthusiastically about her pregnancy and shared how happy she and Lewis, 32, were to be giving Lucky a little brother or sister.
She said: ‘We are expecting our second child and we are so happy to be expanding our family and having a little brother or sister for my son Lucky.
However, she recalled how the loss of Félicité shortly afterward compounded her grief, admitting that she struggled with “going back to square one” (pictured together as children)
Speaking about her pregnancy, she enthusiastically shared how happy she and Lewis, 32, were to be giving Lucky a little brother or sister
Christine asked her about the comparisons fans have made between Lucky and his famous uncle, Louis
Lottie admitted the pair bear a strong resemblance and raved about how good the singer was as an uncle (pictured with Louis, Daisy and Phoebe)
“I think it’s very different when you give your child a sibling… He’s almost two, so he knows there’s a baby inside and he says ‘baby,’ but I don’t think he quite understands it.”
Christine asked her about the comparisons fans make between Lucky and his famous uncle, Louis.
Lottie admitted the two looked very much alike and raved about how good the singer was as an uncle.
She said: [Lucky] has a real mop haircut and he has a rock star style, so people do compare him sometimes and I definitely see that. [Louis] is a great uncle, he spoils everyone and Lucky loves him.’
Lottie has previously admitted that she regrets that Félicité did not have access to the help she desperately needed in the years following her mother’s death, and has been a strong advocate for further support for families after the loss of their mother.
She works with bereavement charity Sue Ryder to help people through the early stages of grief.
She explains: ‘It was also great working with Sue Ryder. Once I got better at dealing with my grief, I wanted to help people in that early stage, because I thought I would never get over it.
“They have so many great support systems for people, free counseling, grief cafes where people can go and talk. I wish I had known more about that.”
She concluded with satisfaction: ‘I am in the best place I have ever been and I am so grateful to have reached this point.’