Film “Joy” tells the story of IVF

The film “Joy” - based on events that led to my birth – gets its World Premiere i,n London on October 15 and will be released on Netflix from November 22.

I am excited and delighted that the story of Robert Edwards, Patrick Steptoe and Jean Purdy has at last been made into a film. Without those three people I would not be here - and nor would more than 12 million other people across the world.

The trailer gives everyone a flavour of what to expect and I have had a sneak preview and absolutely loved it.

I’m looking forward to the Cunard Gala Premiere at the London Film Festival and seeing the audience’s reaction. During the making of the movie  I spent a day watching a scene being shot, meeting the main actors and was impressed by how much they cared about the people they were playing.

The film is told through the perspective of Jean Purdy, who is played by Thomasin McKenzie. Jean’s contribution has been increasingly recognised by the IVF community and I have been proud to champion her. She worked with Edwards and Steptoe in setting up Bourn Hall Clinic after I was born.

Bill Nighy, who has been in so many fantastic films, plays Patrick Steptoe and James Norton plays Robert Edwards as they, alongside Jean, battle against the odds to find a way to create a baby In Vitro in Oldham and Cambridge.

When I visited the set during filming last summer it was fantastic to meet Jack Thorne , who wrote the screenplay and his wife Rachel Mason, who co-created the film with him. They have a personal interest in IVF as they went through seven rounds of treatment to have their son Elliott.

Director Ben Taylor also has a personal reason for getting the story of the creation of IVF out there. It is a story that is now relevant to so many families around the world.

It was amazing to see how many people are involved in making a film like this. Producers Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey have been instrumental in bringing the story to our screens along with Pathé and Netflix.

The film touches on the opposition there was to the work of the three pioneers so it is wonderful to see they are getting the recognition they deserve for all they did to help people with fertility issues worldwide.