Former Hollyoaks star Rachel Shenton has welcomed her first child with husband Chris Overton.
The actress, 37, played Mitzeee Minniver on the Channel 4 soap for three years between 2010 and 2013.
Since then she’s appeared in the Channel 5 adaption of All Creatures Great and Small, and picked up an Oscar for her short film The Silent Child, which she wrote, produced and appeared in.
The Academy Award winning movie follows a six-year-old deaf girl whose life is transformed when she meets a social worker.
On Sunday, she took to Instagram to share the exciting news that she had given birth to a baby boy, uploading a picture of the little one’s feet.
‘On the 09.04.2025 my dream came true….Welcome to the world Orson Wilde Overton….Our hearts are yours’ she wrote.
‘The biggest thank you to the brilliant midwives and doctors at Royal Stoke maternity Unit.
‘Orson came along earlier than expected…so we needed to stay in hospital for a while and we couldn’t have wished for better care and support.’
Rachel married The Silent Child director Chris in 2018, after dating for eight years. Also an actor, he’s appeared in Doctors, DCI Banks and Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps.
A number of their showbiz pals rushed to the comments section to write congratulations messages.
‘Absolutely bloody brilliant news xxx’ said actress and comedian Emily Atack.
Rachel’s former co-star Jamie Lomas added: ‘Congratulations’, while Jessica Fox penned: ‘Congratulations to you all.’
Nikki Sanderson, who played her half-sister Maxine wrote: ‘Aww congratulations.’
Emmerdale’s Gemma Oaten said: ‘Aw amazing! Congratulations mummy!! You’ll be such a beautiful role model and mamma. Much love.’
