Dancing With The Stars judge Arthur Gourounlian opened up about his difficult surrogacy journey with husband Brian Dowling because of his sexuality.
The Armenian-born choreographer and the Big Brother star are set to welcome their first baby later this year via surrogacy. Brian’s sister, Aoife, is carrying the couple’s child.
But a tearful Arthur broke down as he opened up about the “difficult” journey they have had to get to where they are today.
Speaking to Ryan Tubridy on his RTE Radio 1 show Friday morning, Arthur said: “Since finishing Dancing With The Stars, it has been an amazing roller coaster.”
When they found out Aoife was pregnant, Arthur said: “We were crying, we were laughing, we were howling. So many mixed emotions. It is the best news ever.”
But the 42-year-old revealed they initially wanted to adopt – but being gay played a part in hampering their chances with adoption agencies.
“As a refugee, I always refuse to pay all that money for kids. I always want to save kids. I wanted to adopt. Like always. That was my goal to adopt. Never wanted surrogacy.
“And obviously adoption didn’t work. It was very hard and also being in Ireland, there are not enough children to adopt, which is an amazing thing and also, we’re getting old and – I know I’m going to say this – being gay, there were doors shut in our faces.”
He recalled how he was told couples would adopt children at around 35 years old and other agencies didn’t want to work with them as they were a same sex couple.
I think one of the agencies when we said, ‘same sex’, they say ‘yeah yeah’.
“We cried. We did cry. It was so hard,” he said.
But earlier this year Arthur and Brian announced they would become parents after Brian’s sister Aoife offered to be a surrogate for the couple.
Arthur described his sister-in-law Aoife as “one of the most amazing humans on the planet.”
He added: “It’s been a lot of ups and downs, so many things. But when we got the news, it was incredible.”
He said he was most excited about being able to share his legacy with his child.
“I want to share and carry out the Armenian-Gourounlian legacy. I want to share my life with my child.”
But he joked he was nervous about the impending sleepless nights.
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