Congratulations are in order for Emmerdale star Roxy Shahidi, who has revealed she’s pregnant with her first child.
The actress, who plays unlucky in love Leyla Harding has revealed she’s pregnant with a baby girl and said her loved-ones are delighted as her daughter will be the first girl to be welcomed to the extended family in 20 years.
Roxy, 34, a qualified yoga teacher, told OK magazine that she and husband Arsher Ali, were over the moon with the news. She said, “We had only been trying for a few weeks and I was sure it was going to take us much longer. It took a few weeks before I got my head round it, but once I did I was filled with joy.”
The actress, who Emmerdale fans recently saw call off her screen wedding to Pete Barton, explained she initially had no idea she was pregnant but it was her co star and mum-of- two, Charley Webb, (aka Debbie Dingle), who noticed the signs thanks to the increased size of her boobs!
Roxy explained: "It's weird as Charley actually told me she thought I was pregnant before I did the test. We had been working together and she called me when I got home and said my boobs gave it away.”
CHECK OUT: child soap stars - where are they now?
Child soap stars - where are they now? SLIDER with cover pic
1 of 19child soap stars
2 of 19Molly Conlin (Dotty Cotton)
Molly played Nasty Nick's daughter Dotty Cotton in EastEnders between 2008-10 and caused endless mischief with Tiffany Butcher. But where is she now...
3 of 19Molly Conlin (Dotty Cotton)
... 16-year-old Molly is now at college concentrating on her studies. After leaving the soap, the actress starred in Annabel's Kitchen, Horrible Histories and Blandings as well as adverts for Ragu Pasta Sauce and Bold 2 In 1.
4 of 19Helen Flanagan (Rosie Webster)
Corrie's bad girl had some meaty storylines including being kidnapped (twice!) and dealing with her mother's breast cancer diagnosis. Helen left the soap in 2011, but what has she been up to since?
5 of 19Helen Flanagan (Rosie Webster)
Six years since leaving the soap, the actress has appeared in I'm a Celeb, Celebrity Super Spa, Celebrity Wedding Planner and Holby City. She has had her first child Matilda with Scott Sinclair. So adorbs!
6 of 19Melissa Suffield (Lucy Beale)
Before Hetti Bywater, The Square's tearaway Lucy Beale was played by Melissa Suffield. But where is Mel now...
7 of 19Melissa Suffield (Lucy Beale)
...since leaving Walford, Melissa has evolved as an actress and has since starred in Casualty and played the role of Norma Jean in a musical about Marilyn Monroe.
8 of 19Ellis Hollins (Tom Cunningham)
Ellis Hollins has played Hollyoak's Tom Cunningham since he was just four-years-old and his storylines have gripped us all, from dealing with his mother's shock death to dealings with Sienna Blake... But where is Tom now?
9 of 19Ellis Hollins (Tom Cunningham)
Fourteen years later, Ellis is still in Hollyoaks (as lovable as ever) and was even spotted in Ibiza partying! Oh and he won a British Soap Award, no biggie!
10 of 19Sam Aston (Chesney Brown)
Sam Aston played the adorable Corrie's Chesney Brown since 2003. Speaking about life growing up on a popular soap, he said 'At 16, all my mates were getting fake IDs and going to pubs I always knew I couldn't do that.' But where is Sam Aston now?
11 of 19Sam Aston (Chesney Brown)
Sam is engaged to his girlfriend of five years Briony Gardner! The star had previously said: 'I do think I'm romantic. I like to treat my girlfriend, buy her flowers and make a fuss of her.'
12 of 19Eden Taylor-Draper (Belle Dingle)
Eden Taylor-Draper has played Belle Dingle since 2005, when she fell down a mineshaft on Christmas day. Speaking about being a child actor she said at the time, 'there is no time to go off the rails like Belle, I go home and learn my lines and I am in bed by 9pm!' Where is Eden now?
13 of 19Eden Taylor-Draper (Belle Dingle)
Eden is still in Emmerdale and recently was involved in a storyline where Belle pretended to be pregnant to keep her boyfriend. Uh oh.
14 of 19Charlie Jones (Ben Mitchell)
'Enders troublemaker Ben Mitchell has been played by a handful of actors, but we'll never forget the sweet Charlie Jones who was tormented by the evil Stella. Where is Charlie now?
15 of 19Charlie Jones (Ben Mitchell)
Charlie is now studying acting at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts – he looks COMPLETELY different to his Walford days.
16 of 19Charlie Clements (Bradley Branning)
Albert Square's favourite ginge (apart from his onscreen dad Max, obv) Bradley, was a knitted jumper-wearing sweetheart and made us want to pinch his cheeks through the television between 2006 - 2010. We are still getting over his tragic fall, where he saw his grizzly end. Where is Charlie now?
17 of 19Charlie Clements (Bradley Branning)
We hardly recognise Charlie Clements with a beard! The actor uploaded the snap to Twitter with the caption. "A year ago everyone was up in arms because I looked SO different at 28 to 18.. bet they didn't expect this at 29! #actor 'chameleon', He has since starred as Charlie Brackenreid in Murdoch Mystereries.
18 of 19Sonny Flood (Josh Ashworth)
Of course you remember Hollyoak's rather swishy-haired Josh Ashworth! His character was best known for dating Amy Barnes and an array of outlandish storylines including attempted murder, underage sex, drugs, drinking and joy riding. Where is Sonny now?
19 of 19Sonny Flood (Josh Ashworth
Sonny has since completed a law degree at the University of Manchester, working as a paralegal. Miles away from underage drinking a pint at The Dog, eh!
She goes on to say her hubby also had his suspicions thanks to her unusual cravings."Arsher also guessed too because one day I had a sudden craving for Hula Hoops, which isn't something I'd usually eat!" she adds.
Roxy and Arsher first met while working on a play together and tied the knot in 2010. She has previously revealed how her hubby was so smitten, he proposed before they had even shared their first kiss.
She told the Mirror, “He just looked me in the eye at a cast party and said, ‘Will you marry me?'. I didn’t answer and he said, ‘You will be my wife’ and that was it. I didn’t quite know what to make of it because I didn’t know him that well. I half wanted to laugh and say, ‘That’s absolutely ridiculous!’ and the other half thought, ‘Oooh, kiss me passionately!’”
Viewers will have to wait and see what Roxy’s real-life pregnancy will mean for her alter-ego, Leyla. The wedding planner has been through hell recently with her own wedding to Emma’s son Pete being dramatically called off following the revelation that he was carrying on with her best mate Priya!
With another maternity leave to weave into storylines we’re sure the writers can come up with something suitably juicy. Maybe it’s time Leyla gave Pete The Cheat a taste of his own medicine and found herself a handsome new love interest?
In the meantime we’ll be looking forward to seeing what ingenious ways the camera crew can come up with to hide Roxy’s growing baby bump.
What would you like to see happen to Leyla? What exciting storylines can the writers come up with to cover Roxy's maternity leave? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter