Hollyoaks star Jeremy Edwards and his wife Lydia have announced they are expecting their second child following a ‘stressful’ two and a half year journey.
The couple told OK! they had longed to give their daughter Scarlett, three, a sibling, who was also conceived through IVF.
Jeremy, 49, said: ‘We’re incredibly excited but the main feeling has been relief. Scarlett was conceived through IVF and so was this baby. We feel very blessed, as the process is actually really tough on Lyds.’
Happy news: Hollyoaks star Jeremy Edwards and his wife Lydia have announced they are expecting their second child following a ‘stressful’ two year IVF journey (pictured in 2017)
Lydia, 36, who is six months pregnant, added: ‘It’s been very stressful, but we feel so lucky that it worked both times for us on the first attempt.’
The couple have been married since 2009 and Jeremy said their IVF was delayed due to coronavirus.
They had a window of opportunity in June, when lockdown ended, when the clinic called and offered them a free spot.
Throwback: Lydia, pictured in 2017, when she was pregnant with their daughter, Scarlett
Lydia said the process is very tough and she has worked out she has had around 340 injections.
Jeremy, who admitted they both cried when they got the happy news, said: ‘There are no guarantees with IVF.’
‘Poor Lyds injects all these hormones into her body and goes on this invasive journey. But there are no guarantees – and that is a hard thing to go through. Dare I say it, the pregnancy is almost easier, as there is so much leading up to it. Everything with Covid did make things harder, too.’
The couple have said this is probably the last child for them, with Jeremy joking that he is not paying for another round of IVF – but they might try naturally.’
The news comes after Jeremy returned to Hollyoaks as Kurt Benson.
The actor, 49, made a dramatic return in September on his signature motorbike to the village after leaving the soap 21 years ago in 1999.
Comeback: Hollyoaks star Jeremy Edward, 49, recently returned to the soap as Kurt Benson
Kurt starred in the 25th anniversary trailer, leaving his friend Tony Hutchinson, Nick Pickard, reeling in shock after believing he had died in a jet ski accident.
Kurt appeared in the first episode of the Channel 4 show in 1995 where he arrived on a motorbike and went onto play an iconic role in the soap.
The X Factor: Celebrity star featured in many storylines in the soap including a turbulent love life as well as a toxic rivalry with notorious villain Rob Hawthorne, Warren Derosa.
The character was accused of attempted murder for pushing Spike, Tom Vaughan, from scaffolding, but went on to marry his teenage love Ruth Osborne, played by Terri Dwyer.
Young star: Kurt appeared in the first episode of the Channel 4 show in 1995 where he arrived on a motorbike and went onto play an iconic role in the soap
Return: The actor, 49, will make a dramatic return on his signature motorbike to the village after leaving the soap 21 years ago in 1999
Shock: Kurt will star in the 25th anniversary trailer, set to air on Tuesday, leaving his friend Tony Hutchinson, Nick Pickard (pictured), gobsmacked after he was believed to have died in a jet ski accident
However he went on to have an affair with Katie Patrick, Natasha Symms, which forced Kurt and Ruth to separate and he left the soap on a motorbike in 1999.
Yet tragedy struck when the rockstar-hopeful was said to have died in a jet ski accident leaving his best friend Tony distraught.
Jeremy last appeared in the soap in Hollyoaks Later in 2013 where he was a vision in Tony’s mind seen protecting his son Harry Thompson, Parry Glasspool, from danger.
Really? Best friend Tony is left startled as Kurt makes his return in the village after years away
Please! Kurt is seen to reach out to his best friend Tony as he makes his return
In October 2019, Jeremy competed on the ITV series The X Factor: Celebrity as part of a duo with Brendan Cole but was eliminated in the auditions stage.
He is also known for finishing fourth in the third series of Celebrity Big Brother and his role as Danny Shaughessy, a student nurse in Holby City.
Jeremy was engaged to Rachel Stevens of S Club 7 in 2002 before breaking up the year after and eventually meeting his now wife Lydia Metz, who he married in 2009.
Icon: The character was accused of attempted murder for pushing Spike, Tom Vaughan, from scaffolding, but went on to marry his teenage heartthrob Ruth Osborne, played by Terri Dwyer