Louis Tomlinson's sister Lottie on how she became the 'stepmother' to her siblings after tragic deaths in the family

At just 12 years old, when Lottie's half-brother Louis Tomlinson became an international sensation with One Direction, it looked like she was destined for a life of glamour. After leaving school, she even joined the band's entourage as a make-up artist, touring the world in first-class luxury until 2015.

However, her world was turned upside down before she turned 20 when she experienced the devastating loss of her mother and sister in quick succession and struggled with immense grief.

Lottie had to cope with the heartbreaking death of her mother, Johannah Deakin, who died of leukaemia in 2016, just seven months after her diagnosis. Her parents had separated when she was 13 and, with no ties to her biological father, Lottie decided to return home to Doncaster.

In her grief, she decided to put her career on hold to care for her five younger siblings – Felicite, then 16, 12-year-old twins Phoebe and Daisy, and two-year-old twins Doris and Ernie – and to support her grandmother and Dan, the twins' father.

Reflecting on her decision, Lottie said she had no doubts: “I had to be there for the little ones. It was just an instinct. And we all have that in us because that's how my mum brought us up. We're all very maternal and we all care so much about each other. My work was important to me but nothing is more important than the family and they needed me,” reported the Mirror.

Lottie also bravely spoke about her personal struggles following the loss of her mother and sister, revealing: “I thought my life would never be happy again… I thought I would always have to live with this pain.”

The grief was compounded when her sister Felicité tragically died of an accidental overdose in March 2019 at the age of 18. Lottie recalled the devastating moment: “Over and over I screamed, 'No, my little sister. No!'”

Lottie has found hope again through therapy and is now using her platform for good causes. The influencer is calling for healthcare professionals to automatically offer all grieving families a way of support – and has become an activist for the bereavement support organization Sue Ryder.

Today she has a lot ahead of her, having become engaged to former tennis star Lewis Burton and becoming a loving mother to her almost two-year-old son Lucky. Pregnant Lottie is also excitedly expecting another baby in January.