‘No other family should go through what we did’: Adam Frisby’s fight against UK surrogacy
Adam Frisby’s fight for surrogacy law to change has been approved to be debated in Parliament, the Daily Mail can reveal.
The former In The Style founder, who welcomed six-month-old daughter Leven Rose with fiancé Jamie Corbett via surrogacy in America, has been campaigning for months for changes to Britain’s surrogacy laws, which Adam describes as ‘outdated’ and ‘unbelievable’ in 2026.
Now, his petition is expected to be debated in Parliament in early September.
Adam told the Daily Mail: ‘The fact our petition has now secured a debate in Parliament is something Jamie and I never imagined when we first shared our story. We simply wanted to make sure no other family had to go through what we did, so to see so many people get behind this campaign means more than we can put into words.
‘No parent should have to spend months waiting to become their own child’s legal parent simply because of the way their child was born. We’re incredibly grateful to every single person who signed the petition, shared it or supported us along the way. You’ve helped get us to this moment.
‘Jamie and I are hoping to have the opportunity to meet with the MP leading the debate to share first-hand why this change is so important and we’re really looking forward to attending the debate ourselves.
Adam Frisby’s fight for surrogacy law to change, has been approved to be debated in Parliament, the Daily Mail can reveal
The former In The Style Founder, who welcomed seven-month-old daughter Leven Rose with fiancé Jamie Corbett via Surrogacy in America, have been campaigning for months
Adam told the Daily Mail: ‘We simply wanted to make sure no other family had to go through what we did. No parent should have to spend months waiting to become their own child’s legal parent simply because of the way their child was born.’
‘We know a debate is no guarantee of change, but we hope it’s the start of real progress. If it means future families are legally recognised and protected from day one, then every difficult conversation we’ve had will have been worth it.
‘Every child deserves legal security from birth, and every family created through surrogacy deserves to be treated equally and respectfully’
Although Adam and Jamie’s daughter Leven is biologically their child, Adam and Jamie are not currently recognised as her legal parents under UK law.
‘When we came back to the UK, we discovered that the law doesn’t really see intended parents as the child’s legal parents,’ Adam said.
‘When our daughter was born through surrogacy, we became dads the moment we held her. But under current law, the surrogate is automatically recognised as the legal mother, and if she is married, her spouse is recorded as the legal father, even with no biological connection or intention to parent the child.
‘The law must change so intended parents in surrogacy arrangements are recognised as their child’s legal parents from birth.’
The pair chose to pursue surrogacy in the United States because both parents are legally recognised from birth there, unlike in Britain.
Determined to raise awareness, Adam launched a petition in April calling for reform and was stunned by the public response.
Although Adam and Jamie’s daughter Leven is biologically their child, Adam and Jamie are not currently recognised as her legal parents under UK law
”No parent should have to spend months waiting to become their own child’s legal parent simply because of the way their child was born.’
As of writing, it has 112,259 signatures.
‘We reached 100,000 signatures within 48 hours, which was incredible. I never expected that,’ he said.
‘I thought we might reach 10,000 over the course of a year, but to hit 100,000 so quickly was amazing.’
Currently, Adam and Jamie are navigating the lengthy parental order process required to become Leven’s legal parents.
‘In Manchester, it can take up to a year,’ he explained. ‘We started when Leven was six weeks old and it involves completing around 180 pages of paperwork.’
The process includes social worker assessments and court appearances before a parental order can be granted.
‘I’d go through every hurdle imaginable to be a dad, but having to undergo assessments, social worker visits and then spend a day in court to be declared fit to be a parent feels completely unnecessary.’
For Adam, the emotional impact has been just as difficult as the legal complications.
‘Before Leven was born, our lawyer explained that we wouldn’t be able to make certain decisions for her, apply for documents in the usual way or automatically provide consent for medical treatment,’ he recalled.
‘We came off that call devastated because this is our daughter. We’d wanted her for years.’
Despite the frustrations, becoming parents has transformed both Adam and Jamie’s lives.
‘Being dads has honestly been incredible,’ he said.
‘Growing up, one of the biggest fears I had was believing I couldn’t have a family because I was gay.
‘To now have the family we always dreamed of is more than we ever hoped for. We’ve loved every minute of it, even the sleepless nights.’
Last month when talking to the Mail Adam said he would love to give daughter Leven a sibling one day, but admits the realities of surrogacy mean the journey to a second child is far from straightforward.
‘We’re already having that conversation,’ Adam told the Mail. ‘Jamie is very much saying, “Let’s do it,” whereas I’m saying, “Let’s give it a little more time.”
‘There’s a balance between the love we have for Leven and wondering how we’d divide our time with another child, versus how wonderful it would be for her to have a sibling.
‘The reality is that our journey isn’t straightforward. We can’t simply decide to have another baby. We’d have to go through surrogacy again, which involves significant costs, finding the right surrogate and potentially going through a process that can take years.
‘So yes, we’d love another child, but the reality is complicated. Deep down, though, I think I would love to have a second.’