Angela Peters, a 56-year-old mother of five and grandmother of 12 from Australia, has shared how she gave birth to twin girls with her 17-year-younger Nigerian husband, Bright.
In an interview with The Sun UK on Monday, Peters said she first came across Bright in 2020 through a dating app where she was initially chatting with his older brother, Emeka, who lived in Senegal.
Although nothing developed with Emeka, she became interested after he sent a photo of his family, and she spotted Bright.
“It was like a thunderbolt – I knew this was the man I was meant to be with,” she said.
At the time, Bright was working as a cook in South Africa, while Peters was based in Australia.
After nine months of communication, she travelled to Nigeria in February 2021 to meet him in person. The couple got married just nine days later in a small civil ceremony in Lagos.
“The kids were horrified when I called to tell them, but I knew that once they met Bright, they’d understand,” she said.
Peters stated, “Raising my kids was the joy of my life, but over the years, I realised I wasn’t happy in my marriage.
“We divorced in April 2019, when I was 51, and being single after so long was both liberating and scary.
“I longed to be a wife again, but the last thing on my mind was having more babies.”
While already a mother of five with 12 grandchildren, Peters said she felt the desire to have children with her new husband after seeing how much he longed to be a father.
“When I told Bright that I was going through perimenopause and wouldn’t be able to have more children, he told me not to worry and that one day we’d have twin girls together.
“I laughed, knowing that was impossible,” she said.
Peters became concerned that Bright might never experience fatherhood. After facing legal age restrictions on IVF in Australia, she explored options in Nigeria, where doctors were willing to proceed despite her age.
She said, “So, at 54, I began looking into IVF, and was devastated to discover the cut-off age in Australia is 52. I asked my daughters if they’d be willing to be our surrogate, but they weren’t keen on the idea, and I even considered advising Bright to have a baby with another woman.
“Luckily, fate had other plans. In January 2023, during a visit to Nigeria, a friend of Bright’s suggested having IVF there. I was sceptical, but the clinics seemed great and the doctors weren’t worried about my age.
“They said they could arrange an egg donor and create embryos with Bright’s sperm, and I would be able to carry our baby. It felt like the answer to our prayers, but not everyone saw it that way.”
In December 2023, she discovered she was pregnant with twins, just as her husband had once predicted.
The couple welcomed two girls, Khorus and Knowyn, in August 2024.
Despite online backlash and health concerns raised by her doctor, Peters said the pregnancy was her easiest yet.
Peters documented her pregnancy journey on TikTok, with support from her children, some of whom were initially sceptical of the marriage but later accepted Bright.
“It was my daughters’ idea to film my pregnancy journey and put it on TikTok – we wanted to inspire other women who dreamed of becoming mums against the odds.
“Suddenly, I had people recognising me in public, which was strange,” she said.
Her 28-year-old daughter, Deina, in an interview with The Sun, said, “I had initial fears that Bright was a scammer, then I got the shocking news that they’d got married and wanted me to be their surrogate.
“So, hearing Mum was having IVF in Nigeria instead was a relief!
“I was worried about her being pregnant at 56, but she flew through it and put my mind at rest.
“She’s so incredible with the girls, it’s a wonder to see.
“Mum has proved that age isn’t a barrier to following your dreams.”
Peters said the twins have brought the family closer and encouraged other older women not to give up on motherhood if it’s what they want.
“To those who dream of motherhood later in life, don’t lose hope,” Peters stated.
