Jessica Simpson Confirms Second Pregnancy

US singer Jessica Simpson has confirmed she is pregnant with her second child with fiance Eric Johnson.

Simpson, 32, tweeted a Christmas message that confirmed recent rumours, showing a photograph of daughter Maxwell with the words "Big Sis" spelled out in sand.

The picture was captioned: "Merry Christmas from my family to yours."

Maxwell Drew Johnson, Simpson's first child with former professional footballer Johnson, was born in May.

Following a 70lb weight gain during her first pregnancy, Simpson became a spokeswoman for Weight Watchers and had recently appeared in adverts.

The weight loss company quickly congratulated Simpson with its own Twitter message on Tuesday, saying "Congrats to @JessicaSimpson, Eric and big-sister-to-be Maxwell! Your WW family is so thrilled for you. What an amazing year you've had!"

Simpson, also an actress and fashion designer, became famous as a teen pop star.

She became a household name after starring in the TV reality show Newlyweds with then-husband and boy band singer Nick Lachey.

The pair divorced after three years of marriage.

Simpson currently designs clothing, accessories and other fashion products for her eponymous label, and is a mentor on the reality show Fashion Star.

Johnson's football career spanned seven seasons for the San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints.