Lisa Riley addresses reports she's pregnant as Emmerdale statement shared
Lisa said the fake rumours are upsettingEmmerdale star Lisa Riley has hit out at fake AI-generated social media posts that falsely suggested she was pregnant.
The material included an edited pregnancy announcement and a separate image altered to place a newborn baby in her arms.
The upsetting posts follow earlier false pregnancy rumours about Lisa Riley, which the Emmerdale actress had already rejected publicly.
Emmerdale warns viewers about AI-generated fake news
The official Emmerdale Instagram account responded by warning viewers about a wider pattern of AI-generated material involving actors from Emmerdale and Coronation Street.
Its statement said: “It has been brought to our attention that a lot of AI-generated Facebook pages are posting fake news about Emmerdale and Coronation Street actors and the programmes in general. Some of these posts are extremely hurtful and damaging to reputations.”
The soap asked viewers to follow genuine news outlets and use the available reporting methods when they believe a page is spreading fake content.
Lisa Riley responds to fake pregnancy posts
After finding the posts online, Lisa addressed the material directly on Instagram. She wrote: “THIS HAS TO STOP!!!!! It’s absolutely horrendous!!! Saying that I’m pregnant again!!”
She continued: “How is this allowed it makes me so upset… what world do we live in that these lies, and more lies are allowed to be put in the public domain. I’m sick to death of it now!!!”
The subject carries particular sensitivity for Lisa, who plays Mandy Dingle in Emmerdale. She has spoken openly about experiencing infertility and undergoing IVF treatment, which she eventually stopped because of the effect on her wellbeing.
Several fellow celebrities offered Lisa support beneath her post. Rhian Sugden wrote: “What on earth!?? Have people lost their minds!?? This is so upsetting. Sending you lots of love.”
Meanwhile, fellow Emmerdale star Michelle Hardwick said: “So many lies Lisa. Hope you’re ok.”
Coronation Street actor Kym Marsh also responded: “This is awful!!! Hope you’re ok darling.”
Soap stars challenge false online claims
Lisa is not the only ITV soap actor to challenge misinformation on social media. Coronation Street’s Jane Danson previously responded to claims that Leanne Battersby had been axed.
Jane claimed that a Facebook group had made up stories and attributed comments to cast members who had not said them. She added that nobody had told her Coronation Street planned to axe her.
Addressing the potential harm, Jane wrote: “And please stop believing the 99 per cent nonsense these sites keep spinning. It can be so damaging and it’s really unkind. Think before you type.”
Read more: What time is Emmerdale on tonight? Get all schedule details plus ITVX changes here
Lisa’s response and the official Emmerdale warning show the personal impact that manipulated celebrity posts can have. In this case, the false pregnancy material focused on a deeply sensitive subject that Lisa has discussed candidly in public.
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 8pm, with an early release on ITVX at 7am.
This article was produced with the assistance of AI technology to synthesise source reporting and structured data. It has been reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by our human editorial team before publication.
