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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Lucy Needham

EastEnders star, 41, gives birth and shares first pics of baby after 'surprise' pregnancy

EastEnders star Kellie Shirley has given birth to a baby boy- just months after announcing her shock pregnancy.

Kellie, 41, who is best known for playing Carly Wicks on the BBC One soap, shared her happy news on Instagram as she gave the first look at her baby boy

Sharing a photo of the adorable boy looking cosy in a white cardigan, Kelly joked: "So there’s a new fella in my life… and wow! #babyboy.”

Kellie and her husband Phil Davies are also parents to seven-year-old twins Pearl and Louis.

As she shared her latest pregnancy last year, Kellie admitted her third child had been a huge surprise.

The actress, who played Carly Wicks on the hit BBC soap from 2006 to 2008, and briefly returned in 2012, was filming CBeebies show Biff & Chip in Manchester when she began to experience pregnancy symptoms.

The star says she was nearly 20 weeks gone when she realised she was expecting.

Kellie shared the first look at her adorable newborn (INSTAGRA M)

Describing how she found out the happy news, Kellie said: "Last time was such a breeze in comparison. Being older this time around, I feel absolutely floored. When I found out, I didn’t tell people at work – I kept really quiet about it."

But after sharing her happy news to Instagram, the actress' former soap co-stars and celeb pals were among the first to share their congratulations.

Emma Barton, who plays Honey Mitchell on the soap, penned:“Beautiful darling.. can’t wait to meet him.”

While Coronation Street actress Catherine Tyldsley gushed: “Congratulations love! What a beautiful babba.”

Kellie Shirley picture with the late Barbara Windsor (kellieshirley/Instagram)

After leaving EastEnders, Kellie has had roles on a string other hit TV shows including Death in Paradise and Ridley.

Sharing her pregnancy with OK! magazine last year, Kellie said: "She said: "I was literally on my hands and knees feeling horrendous and the on set medic called John said, ‘Are you sure you’re not pregnant?’

"I was like, ‘Oh no, I’m hardly seeing my husband! It’s just this heat'."

Kellie has gone on to appear in a string of shows including Death in Paradise and Ridley. (Getty Images)
EastEnders fans will know her best as Carly Wicks (BBC/Kieron McCarron)

But Kellie added to OK! Magazine: "Then I was being sick for a couple of weeks and he said, ‘Go and get a pregnancy test’, so I did.

"It came back positive straight away. I was like, ‘Oh my God, John was right!’ It was a really lovely surprise. I feel very lucky."

Announcing she was expecting another boy, Kellie added: "As the pregnancy was a shock, I felt like I wanted to be able to connect with the baby more. I didn’t have a preference – I just want the baby to be healthy."

Kelli's EastEnders character Carly Wicks, is the older sister of Deano Wicks and younger sister of Mick Carter and Jimbo Wicks.

Carly was written out in 2008 after a row with mum Shirley over the death of her adoptive dad Kevin Wicks.

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