PREGNANCY complications nearly forced singing mum Helen Booth, who won more than £110,000 on a national TV talent show, to miss her son Jack's birthday.
Helen wowed TV viewers of Mel C's This is My Moment when, at seven-and-a-half months pregnant, she sang Tina Arena's I'm In Chains and 221,005 people rang in to vote for her.
Helen, 26, of Acre Avenue, Stacksteads, is expecting her second child on November 6. At the weekend, together with her husband Steve who also sings, the couple entertained at Rosemount Working Men's Club in Stacksteads.
Helen's mum Jean, of Branch Road, Stacksteads, said: "Steve did half an hour and then Helen went on and sang Chains and a few others and then did some duets with Steve.
"She was taken back into hospital on Monday and she has had to go on a drip and unfortunately was still in Burnley General Hospital yesterday morning when it was Jack's fourth birthday. But she did manage to ring him from hospital and wish him happy birthday and she was able to come home at lunchtime and so could attend the nursery where he goes at Holy Trinity where they held a party for him. The doctors are hoping to get her through to 37 weeks and then they will probably induce her."
Helen set her mother a challenge when she won the money on the show -- to quit smoking. So far Jean has cut down from 30 cigarettes a day to ten and with the help of nicotine patches she is hoping to finally kick the habit.
She said: "I feel a lot better for it already although it has been tense with everything that has been going on. I always said if Helen can go on TV and do it and she wants me to quit I will make the effort."
Jean also said the family was hoping to exchange contracts on a new home later this week.
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