Former EastEnders star Kellie Shirley has announced that she is pregnant with her third child.
The actress, who played Carly Wicks in the BBC soap, revealed she was shocked to discover she was expecting another baby.
EastEnders: Kellie Shirley announces pregnancy
Kellie, 41, was filming CBeebies show Biff & Chip in Manchester when she began to experience pregnancy symptoms.
For a couple of weeks Kellie was sick and her husband, writer Phil Davies, told her to take a pregnancy test.
Kellie revealed it was a ‘lovely surprise’ when the test came back positive.
Speaking to OK! Magazine, Kellie said: “We found out we’re having another boy. As the pregnancy is 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.”
Kellie and Phil are already parents to seven year old twins Pearl and Louie. She shared the news with her son and daughter when she was 18 weeks pregnant and began to show.
However Kellie has also revealed that she has found her current pregnancy more tiring saying ‘last time was a breeze in comparison.’
She added: “Being older this time around, I feel absolutely floored.”
Kellie also said she didn’t tell people at work as she wondered if people would view her differently.
But after researching actresses who had children in their 40s she discovered she wasn’t alone.
Who did Kellie Shirley play in EastEnders?
Kellie played Carly Wicks in EastEnders from 2006 until 2008. She reprised her role in 2012.
Carly is the daughter of Shirley Carter and the adoptive daughter of Kevin Wicks.
After Kevin died, Carly rejected Shirley and moved to Australia.
In 2012 Kevin’s wife Denise told Shirley that Carly had given birth to a son and gave her a number to contact her.
However when she called Carly rejected her and told her never to call again.
Later in the year, Phil called Carly as Shirley had began heavily drinking following the death of her best friend Heather. However he didn’t tell Carly about Heather’s death.
When Carly returned she was told by Denise that Heather had been killed by Ben Mitchell.
Carly and Shirley made amends and Carly introduced her to her son Jimmy.
Carly left again for Australia in 2012 and hasn’t been back to the square since.
Read more: EastEnders in 2022 – who’s leaving and who’s coming to Walford?
EastEnders usually airs weeknights at 7.30pm on BBC One.
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