Ray Quinn and wife Emily share how they told children about son's stillbirth
The couple detailed their approach to explaining the loss of their baby Rio to their three older children, emphasizing honesty and connection.
Ray Quinn, known for his role on "The X Factor," and his wife Emily have shared the emotional process of informing their children about the stillbirth of their son, Rio. The couple discovered during a six-month scan that their baby had no heartbeat, later learning that the umbilical cord was tied in a tight knot, a condition they were told was rare and could not have been predicted or prevented.
Quinn, 38, and Emily, who have a blended family, explained their approach on their podcast, "The Quinns." They have daughter Summer Reign, 4, while Ray has a son Harry, 14, with his ex-wife Emma Stephens, and Emily has Lucian, 13, from a previous relationship.
Emily stated on the podcast that she believes in telling children the truth about significant events. "Children are so intelligent and they can feel things," she explained. "If you don't tell them the truth and what is actually happening, I feel like it is more harm than good. So we told them."
The couple showed their children pictures of Rio and explained that he was their "little brother" who would not be coming home but would be with them in spirit, like the sun and the brightest star at night. They received guidance from the Honeysuckle Bereavement Service in Liverpool, which provided books to help their children understand the situation.
To foster a sense of connection, Ray and Emily gave each of their older children a small wool love heart, placing one with Rio and giving the others to their children. Emily noted that their daughter Summer's open way of discussing Rio has aided in their own grieving process. "Summer took the approach of 'I love my baby Rio and when we go to sleep at night, she says 'mommy he is going to be around us' and she talks about him,'" Emily said. Summer has also pointed out other babies to help them acknowledge Rio's existence, a behavior that has been helpful for the parents.
Ray agreed, observing that Summer often expresses what they are thinking. He described the discovery of Rio's stillbirth as "life changing, you know absolutely life-changing, devastating really." He added that in that moment, their world stopped, and other worries became insignificant.
Emily recounted experiencing a miscarriage the previous year and feeling concerned when she noticed less movement and a smaller bump at six months into her pregnancy. Despite being told she might feel less movement due to an anterior placenta, the couple pursued a scan that revealed the devastating news. "Our whole world just stopped in that moment," Emily shared.
On August 20, 2026, their son Rio was born sleeping. Ray posted on Instagram, stating, "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 highlighted the increased support available for families experiencing stillbirth compared to previous decades. "It's now amazing that the support out there for women, couples going through this situation," she said. "Because 35 years ago, this type of support for women and men and families was not there. People didn't quite know how to approach it. Everything was sort of hush, like don't speak about that. But now we're encouraged to speak about it. And why wouldn't we celebrate our baby's life because he was here just as if any other child being born is here. So speak about it and tell people and that's the way that you'll heal."
The couple expressed gratitude to the staff at Liverpool Women's Hospital, specifically mentioning Becky, Rebecca, Ali, Marie, Sarah, and Lorraine, and the HoneySuckle team for their exceptional care during the "most heartbreaking week of our lives." They stated that the professionals created "some of the most beautiful moments" and provided them with "special memories with our boy to keep forever."
To raise awareness, Ray and Emily decided to dedicate an episode on their YouTube channel, "THE QUINNS," to their experience. Ray explained, "This episode was hard to film and was not a decision we took lightly and honestly something we never thought we would be talking about, but it’s real life and by us opening up and talking about this, we hope it helps those out there who find themselves in a similar situation to us. Forever our Angel 'RIO QUINN'."