Lisa Riley recalls 'horrendous pain' caused by fake AI pregnancy posts as she reflects on her years of fertility struggles and IVF battle

Lisa Riley has opened up about the 'horrendous pain' caused by fake AI-generated images that claimed she was pregnant.The Emmerdale star, who has been with her partner Al Benkovic since 2014, has been incredibly open about her years of fertility struggles and her IVF battles. So, when she saw a fake image of herself holding a baby scan and an infant circulating online, all the pain of her past came flooding back.In a new interview with the Daily Mail, Lisa, who has teamed up with GenesisCare to raise awareness of lung cancer, recalled the emotional toll the deepfakes took on her.She first discovered the AI-generated posts when her cousin sent her a WhatsApp message congratulating her on what they believed was a genuine pregnancy announcement.Reflecting on the impact the images had on her, particularly given her own fertility struggles, Lisa said: 'I can hand on my heart say that week when it came out, I did not want to play Mandy Dingle. Lisa Riley has opened up about the 'horrendous pain' caused by fake AI-generated images that suggest she was pregnant after her years long fertility struggle and IVF battle Earlier this year, the actress was the victim of a sick pregnancy hoax'I did not want to put the wig on and the lashes and the lipstick, and be funny, because of the pain that I was going through. It was all over my body.'I'm the reason we can't have children, and the way that we had four failed attempts... The agony I felt.'And we got over that; we got over that, yet this picture was,' Lisa sighed before continuing: 'I wouldn't want to feel how I felt that week.'I wouldn't wish that feeling on my worst enemy. I truly, really wouldn't.'While Lisa has spoken candidly about the heartbreak of not having children, she emphasised that she feels truly 'fulfilled' in her relationship with her partner.She said: 'We have a wonderful life. It just didn't happen. And truth is, it's because I didn't want children until later.'Lisa also explained why she has always been so honest about her experiences with her fans.She said: 'Sisters need to look after sisters. We're not baby-making machines, you know, and if you have an absolute right to go and grab a career and be everything you want to be, you should.'We now live in a world where you can freeze your eggs. You know, if I had my time again, would I have done that? Maybe so.'So I don't want people to miss out. Like, people look at me and go, "Oh my God, I wish I had your career." And it's like, "Well, you know, yes, I don't get bank-holiday Mondays, and I don't have a child as such," but I'm okay. Like, I've got over it now. 'I'm gonna look after all my sisters here. Like, and you can go and conquer anything you want to do. Do it as much as you want. You don't have to get in a relationship and, do you, embrace it. I love that about the next generation.'It makes me so naturally high that. I come from a generation where it was, you know, very Catholic; you grow up, you get married.'No. Go knock some friggin dominoes over. I wish I was in this generation, because they are allowed to knock dominoes over.'Whereas I was seen as the kooky one because I was living in London. I was going off, I was making films, I was on stage and doing everything. I wanted to do. And always had that ambition, that drive, you know?'Whereas that was seen as odd, whereas now I'm allowed to live my life and so I'm there, I'm allowed to have that juvenile side in me, and I'm reliving it again because I'm now allowed to.' The Emmerdale star has been with her partner Al Benkovic since 2014Lisa is also raising awareness of lung cancer after losing several loved ones to the disease.In 2002, her grandmother initially dismissed her cough as 'just a smoker's cough', and delayed seeking help until it was too late. Lisa also lost her Emmerdale co-star Leah Bracknell to the disease in 2019, aged just 55 – she was diagnosed with lung cancer despite having never smoked.Lung cancer remains the UK's biggest cancer killer, with nearly 40,000 people diagnosed in England each year. Almost one in 10 people diagnosed have never smoked, and lung cancer is also the biggest cancer killer of women in the UK.Speaking about why she wants to raise awareness for the campaign, she said: 'I lost my beautiful grandma to lung cancer many years ago, and I've openly said that, unfortunately, my grandma, she was a bit of an ostrich at the end, and she ignored all the warning signs. 'I also lost my mum very young to breast cancer; I worked with a lot of breast cancer campaigns. 'I always thought that the dominant killer was breast cancer, and it's not; it's lung cancer.'Opening up about how she wants to challenge the stigma around lung cancer, she said: 'Gorgeous Leah, she never smoked; she did yoga every day. She taught it. She went to retreats all over the world.'She was the epitome of wellbeing. You don't get healthier, and yet, look how young she was when she passed.' Recalling the hardest thing about seeing someone go through cancer, Lisa said: 'The daily toll of their treatment, the chemo, it is very difficult.'It becomes like a roller coaster; they become like a child again.'It's like the kind of, their day-to-day is very, very hard. And I have to be; I've always had to be the leader.'And that was hard for me sometimes. Like my dad, even just before my mum died, like the week, he truly believed she was going to get better, whereas I had to be like, "Dad, she's not going to get back to that."' Lisa is raising awareness of lung cancer after losing several loved ones to the diseaseLisa lost her Emmerdale co-star Leah Bracknell to the disease in 2019, aged just 55 – she was diagnosed with lung cancer despite having never smoked (Leah pictured in 2017)Lisa is supporting the campaign alongside the launch of a new Lung Cancer Rapid Response Pathway, which will be available at GenesisCare's new specialist cancer centre launching in Leeds, set to revolutionise lung cancer care in the UK.This unique, gold standard service will transform the speed of access and co-ordination of care and help patients reach a diagnosis and treatment plan as quickly as possible. The aim is to confirm whether a patient is likely to have lung cancer or not within just seven days. Dr Kevin Franks, Consultant Clinical Oncologist at GenesisCare, said: 'The new GenesisCare centre in Leeds will give people with lung cancer greater certainty, faster decisions and earlier access to the treatment that is right for them.'We're building a pathway designed around the patient, bringing these different elements together and giving our clinical team real-time visibility of what is happening.' Our new Lung Rapid Response Pathway will ensure patients are provided with a diagnosis and treatment plan in the most efficient time frame possible.'To find out more about GenesisCare's new Lung Cancer Rapid Response Pathway which provides patients with a diagnosis in the fastest time frame possible, please visit Genesiscare.com/uk/lung-cancer