'Daddy's girl': Coronation Street star Shayne Ward offers fans first glimpse of baby Willow... after welcoming first child with Hollyoaks actress Sophie Austin two months ago
They are the soap stars who shocked fans when they announced on Twitter that they were expecting a baby.
Now Coronation star Shayne Ward, 32, and former Hollyoaks actress Sophie Austin, 33, have offered fans a glimpse of their adorable baby girl Willow in an intimate snap.
Sophie shared a picture on Instagram on Thursday of proud dad Shayne cradling his daughter who is just two-and-a-half months old.
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Proud dad: Shayne Ward tenderly cradled his two-and-a-half-month-old daughter, Willow, in the intimate snap that Sophie Austin shared on Instagram
She captioned the image: 'Daddy's girl'.
In the picture, Shayne wears a white terry cloth dressing gown as he tenderly holds his baby girl in the crook of his arm, planting a gentle kiss on her head.
The singer turned actor, who won the X Factor in 2005, announced the birth of Willow on Twitter in December.
He wrote: 'Proud to share our incredible news. Me and Sophie had a beautiful baby girl. We are completely besotted and in love with the deepest of hearts. Our world Willow May Ward.' [sic]
Proud parent: The singer turned actor, who won the X Factor in 2005, announced the birth of Willow on Twitter in December
Just a week after becoming a father for the first time, the singer turned actor chatted about 'daddy duty' in an interview on The Xtra Factor.
He said: 'I'm really good. This is my little girl, this is Willow May. I just came back from a dinner and I have to be on daddy duty.
'She's great, she's very content so I'm very happy.'
Happy parents: Shayne, 32, and Sophie, 33, were pictured together in Manchester on their first night out since the birth last week
'We are completely besotted': The That's My Goal hitmaker announced the birth of Willow on Twitter, telling fans that he and Sophie were 'in love with the deepest of hearts'
Sophie, who played serial killer Lindsey Butterfield in Hollyoaks for three years, and Shayne started dating last March, several months after the actress split from her husband Graeme Rooney.
The couple was pictured together for the first time on a night out in June, appearing hand-in-hand as they attended Shayne's Corrie co-star Paula Lane's leaving party.
Shayne's representative had confirmed their blossoming relationship with an official statement a few weeks earlier.
'Yes, the friendship between the pair has progressed after Sophie split with her partner, however it’s all still early days to comment further', his representative said.
Less than a year later the couple became a family with the birth of Willow in December.
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