 They married in May 2004, and Ayola gave birth to their daughter Tansy in July that year.Ayola has explained that they planned the wedding before discovering her pregnancy, and although they had been trying to conceive for around eighteen months, she failed to recognise the initial symptoms and instead believed herself to be diabetic.In the early years of their marriage, Smethurst and Ayola struggled financially, and she has spoken of her worry that she may have to cease acting, shortly before being offered the role of Kyla Tyson in the BBC medical drama "Holby City".