Georgia Moffett: Our patron
Georgia in her own words
The hardest challenge I face is the taboo and stigma that is still attached to being a young parent. The attitude from certain areas of society towards young, single mothers is: ‘You made your bed, now lie in it’.
Download article: 'Georgia in her own words'
In 2008, Georgia shot to national fame when she starred as the Doctor's daughter, Jenny, in the Doctor Who episode The Doctor's Daughter. She has since had roles in spy spin-off Spooks: Code 9 and the BBC drama Merlin.
Georgia is the daughter of actors Peter Davison (real name Peter Moffett) and Sandra Dickinson and she has starred alongside her father on several occasions, even playing his daughter in the BBC sitcom Fear Stress and Anger.
Peter Davison, 59, is best known for his roles as Tristan Farnon in the television drama All Creatures Great and Small and as the fifth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who, which he played from 1982 to 1984.I was brought up in a middle class environment and attended a private school. I discovered I was pregnant just after my GCSEs. I was 16. I thought I had been careful. I spent a couple of months in denial and tried everything to block out the signs. Eventually, I decided I would make the decision about whether or not to have my baby on my own. I couldn’t think of enough reasons not to. I had always known what career I wanted and I had already completed some acting jobs, so I knew I could support him. I had parents who I knew would be supportive and I felt that I was mature enough to take the responsibility.
Brave or stupid? Who knows, but if it wasn’t for the blissful naivety of youth, the whole experience would have been harder. Telling my parents was amazing. My mother was unquestioningly respectful and accepted my decision while my father really talked it through with me. Friends who were close to me were supportive while those who backed away, I understood. My son’s father, only a couple of years older than me, found it hard to deal with. He was young and had his future mapped out. After several attempts at being involved, it became clear that it was too much, too soon. You can’t force someone to be a dad just because biology tells you something. My experience of becoming a mum has been brilliant, but tiring. From the support of friends and family, to my beautiful son, whose perfect temperament has made it so easy. However this is not always the case.
The hardest challenge I face is the taboo and stigma that is still attached to being a young parent. The attitude from certain areas of society towards young, single mothers is: ‘You made your bed, now lie in it’. I decided to challenge this after watching an MP speak about efforts to reduce the rate of teenage pregnancy in this country. He seemed genuinely befuddled as to why it wasn’t having any effect. This made me cross.
The hardest challenge I continue to face is the taboo and stigma that is still attached to being a young parent.
Brave or stupid? Who knows, but if it wasn’t
for the blissful naivety of youth, the whole experience would have been harder.
You cannot lump us together and put it down to a lack of education. It’s so much more than that. Everyone has their story and, whatever you think; it’s our responsibility to make sure people receive help with their decision. I don’t recommend becoming a young parent, but once that decision has been made there is nothing to be gained by not supporting young people. I support Straight Talking’s work because they want to make a difference and they are non-judgmental. They know every young parent has their story and should be listened to.