Claire Cooper and Emmett J Scanlan welcome baby boy

Former Hollyoaks star Claire Cooper has welcomed a baby boy with her husband Emmett J Scanlan.

The Irish actor, 41, confirmed the news on Instagram, sharing a black-and-white close-up photo of the new arrival’s hand holding his.

He captioned the picture: “It’s a boy.”

Cooper, 39, who played Jacqui McQueen on the Channel 4 soap, announced she was pregnant on May 8.

The actress posted a picture of her baby bump and captioned it: “Feeling it all & so happy to share.

“I’ve been growing into a mama oh so quietly & discreetly, tip toeing a tightrope with the ebs & flows of pregnancy… finding the seclusion exactly what I/we needed to captain the last seven months together, so much joy, so many belly laughs, so much belly, so much morning sickness & moments of fear.

“Experiencing this journey without too much noise around us … allowing ourselves to be fully immersed into this reality we hold, giving us the time to adjust & feel but really feel feel – to stop & listen, cutting out the hot noise shaped by other experiences whether they be good or bad, it’s allowed our journey to be deeply intimate & intuitive…

“We now feel our little person kicking & limbering up! and now we sit looking at each other wide eyed smiling nervously at the wonder, beauty & weirdness of what we are right now & what’s to come … holding this beautiful space & feeling so grateful.”

Scanlan, who previously played Brendan Brady on Hollyoaks, shared the same photo, writing: “Inside this angel another Scanlan stretches its horns…”