Lily Collins previously revealed how her desire to have children helped her overcome her eating disorder. 

The Emily In Paris star, 35, welcomed her daughter, Tove Jane, via a surrogate with her filmmaker husband, Charlie McDowell, 41.

Lily has long been open about wanting to have kids and revealed in a poignant 2017 interview that her desire to start a family encouraged her to get ‘help’ for her eating disorder. 

When asked by Us Weekly if there was a ‘moment when she realized she needed help’, the actress said: ‘Everyone has a different form of recovery.’

She went on: ‘I never had an “aha” moment. My reason to finally start talking about [my eating disorder] was the moment I realized I wanted a family. 

‘I wanted kids. I didn’t want this to be something I bring into that.’

Lily Collins previously revealed how her desire to have children helped her overcome her eating disorder

The Emily In Paris star, 35, welcomed her daughter, Tove Jane, via a surrogate with her husband, Charlie McDowell, 41

Lily struggled with an eating disorder as a teenager, revealing in another interview that it was about feeling ‘in control’ while dealing with ‘high school and relationships’.  

‘When I was younger, I wanted to reach this image of what I thought perfection was and I equated that with – well, with what you see in the media; you think body shape has to a lot do with being perfect,’ she told Harper’s Bazaar in 2017.

‘Then, as I grew older, I realised that perfection doesn’t exist and my priorities have shifted because I want a family one day. 

‘I don’t want these self-imposed issues to affect whether or not I can have kids – because the reality is you can’t have children when you’re ill like that.’

Lily, who played a person suffering from anorexia in the Netflix drama, To The Bone, that year, also opened up about her recovery from the eating disorder. 

The Love, Rosie star said she is ‘still in recovery’ and ‘exists’ with her past eating disorder but doesn’t let it ‘control’ her anymore. 

The actress announced on Friday that she has become a first time mother.

Sharing a sweet pH๏τo of Tove in a flowered bonnet on Instagram, she wrote: ‘Welcome to the center of our world Tove Jane McDowell.’

Lily revealed in a poignant 2017 interview that her desire to start a family encouraged her to get ‘help’ for her eating disorder  

The actress struggled with an eating disorder as a teenager (pictured with her father, Phil Collins)

Lily went on: ‘Words will never express our endless graтιтude for our incredible surrogate and everyone who helped us along the way. We love you to the moon and back again.’

The Mirror, Mirror star tied the knot with Charlie in September 2021 in a private ceremony in Colorado in front of their famous parents.

Lily is the daughter of Genesis frontman and pop-rock icon Phil Collins and his ex-wife Jill Tavelman.

Charlie is the son of actors Malcolm McDowell and Mary Steenburgen, who divorced in 1990, and stepson of Mary’s current husband, Ted Danson.

According to TMZ, Lily and Charlie’s surrogate gave birth to Tove earlier this week in Northern California.

Charlie’s mother and stepfather, Mary and Ted, were reportedly seen visiting the baby in the hospital shortly after her birth.

Lily and Charlie got married in September 2021 

Lily and Charlie’s surrogate reportedly gave birth to Tove earlier this week in Northern California

Sources added that Lily and Charlie were full of love and graтιтude after welcoming their first child.

The lovebirds managed to keep their surrogacy plans completely under the radar until after Tove was born.

Read MoreBREAKING NEWS Emily in vitro! Lily Collins welcomes her first child via surrogate – and shares adorable name

However, they haven’t held back about their desire to expand their family.

In October, Charlie told E! News that he and Lily wanted to have a child.

‘We would like to move into that next stage, so we’ll see when it happens!’ he gushed at the time.

He made the comments at the AFI Fest premiere of his most recent directorial effort, the The Summer Book, while Lily served as an executive producer on.

The film – which stars Glenn Close and The Worst Person In The World actor Anders Danielsen Lie – may provide a clue as to how Lily and Charlie settled on their baby girl’s first name.

The film is based on the 1972 novel of the same name by Finnish writer and illustrator Tove Jansson, who died in 2001 at 86.

If you’re struggling with an eating disorder or caring for someone who is, visit beateatingdisorders.co.uk for advice and support.