Hollyoaks star Kirsty-Leigh Porter welcomes baby with partner Paul Barber almost two years after stillbirth loss

Hollyoaks actress Kirsty-Leigh Porter and partner Paul Barber have welcomed surprise baby.

Hollyoaks star Kirsty-Leigh Porter has given birth to a surprise baby with partner Paul Barner - almost two years after heartbreaking stillbirth (opens in new tab).

The actress, 31, who plays Leela Lomax, in the Channel 4 soap, broke the delightful news to fans when she shared a photograph from hospital of her partner Paul carrying their newborn in a car seat.

Kirsty-Leigh, who kept the pregnancy secret from fans, captioned the snap using emojis of a rainbow, a baby, and some prayer hands, to mark the rainbow baby birth - a term used to describe a child born to a family that has previously lost a baby due to miscarriage, stillbirth or death during infancy.

And friends and fans have send their congratulations to the couple.

One wrote, 'The BEST thing to happen this year!'  actress Nikki Sanderson said, 'So happy for you both xxxxxx' and Steph Waring added, 'So happy for you both!! Congratulations!"'

The new mum paid tribute to her stillborn (opens in new tab) baby daughter Penny-Leigh on her due date last year as she shared a snap with the heartbreaking words, 'Missing you comes in waves, Tonight I'm drowning. Today is your due date (opens in new tab), 5th of March 2019. I never would have imagined feeling how I feel about it today. For the last few weeks I have been dreading this day.

She continued, 'What a huge contrast to the months of excitement I felt from the moment we were told you would be due here today. After that very first scan, my life changed, and it became all about you, after the dating scan, everything was all leading up to this date. The date I could NOT wait for, is finally here and it’s nothing how I had thought it would be.

'I can’t help imagining, would you have been here by now?'

She most recently paid tribute to her late baby daughter Penny-Leigh with a special Wave of Light ceremony in which she described "losing" her stillborn baby all over again.

It is not yet known whether the couple have had a boy or girl this time and the name has not yet been revealed but we're sure fans will find out on Instagram in the coming weeks.

Sands stillbirth and neonatal death charity (opens in new tab) supports anyone affected by the death of a baby. If you need help, call 0808 164 3332, email helpline@sands.org.uk for help.