Alex Fletcher reveals she's expecting second child with husband Neil Davies

Alex Fletcher has announced she'll be welcoming her second child with husband Neil Davies this year.

Alex, who's played Diane O'Connor in Hollyoaks since 2010, has revealed she's going to become a mum for the second time.

The lovely announcement comes at the sixth month of her pregnancy, and she also revealed the gender - it's a baby boy!

'It's so thrilling and slightly surreal. I'm still on a bit of a high about it all', Alex told Hello! magazine. 'It's a big deal, isn't it? I'm 40 in July.'

The former Brookside star also said she decided to put her career first after dedicating time to motherhood when her first child was born, but she started wanting kids again when she hit 38.

'After I had Yas, whom I loved to bits, it took me a while to get back into work again because I lost a lot of confidence. So I put my career first for a while. When I reached 38 I thought, "If I want another baby I need to get serious" and fingers crossed I haven't left it too late', the actress said.

The actress already has a 10-year-old daughter, Yasmin

However, her wish didn't come true at the first try, and Alex revealed she had a miscarriage last year as a result of an ectopic pregnancy.

'It felt dangerous and frightening. Luckily I didn't need surgery and didn't lose my Fallopian tubes. I had to take Methotrexate, which wasn't pleasant and meant we couldn't try for a baby for another six months', Alex said.

The sad experience made her want a baby even more, and a few months later she finally got the result she wanted.

'Having gone through all that, it made me realise how much I wanted a baby. I was on a mission. We were so lucky it only took four months', she said. 'When the pregnancy test line turned blue, I called Neil to come home. We were in shock.'

The 39-year-old actress already has a 10-year-old daughter, Yasmin, with her husband of nearly 13 years, Neil Davies.

Alex and her family

The couple first met when they were both part of Channel 4's Brookside, and have been together for 14 years in total. Her husband played bad boy Robbie Moffat on the soap, but left his acting career to be a physiotherapist.

Alex will be leaving the Channel 4 show later this year, and she's warning fans to get ready for even more drama.

'I can't reveal what it is, but I have a brilliant exit', Alex said, adding she'll be filming until May.

Congratulations to the happy couple!