Former Big Brother housemate Rebecca Jane Sutton announced the birth of her granddaughter, Arabella, who arrived weighing 5 pounds and 4 ounces and was rushed into surgery hours after birth to treat gastroschisis. Sutton shared the news on Instagram on September 25, 2026, detailing that her 20-year-old daughter, Paris, went through a traumatic pregnancy involving the congenital defect where a baby's intestines grow outside of the body.
A High-Risk Pregnancy and Emergency Surgery
Sutton detailed the severe complications surrounding her daughter Paris’s pregnancy on social media, noting that doctors had previously warned the baby might not survive past 26 weeks or reach 3 pounds. Despite those medical warnings, newborn Arabella arrived at a higher weight and was immediately transferred for her first surgical procedure to place her bowels back into her abdomen.
“Our fighting little princess — who threw our world into chaos with Gastroschisis — at one point we got told she may not make it past 26 weeks, and she CERTAINLY wouldn’t make it past 3lbs… but here she is,” Sutton wrote on Instagram. She added that medical staff hoped to correct the condition in a single operation, calling the newborn a feisty little dynamite destined to be a fighting princess.
Family Response and Public Support
Sutton praised her daughter Paris and partner Alfie for handling the high-stress medical situation with humor, patience, and love. Celebrity peers, including former Celebrity Big Brother housemate Nicola McLean, posted public congratulations, while social media followers flooded the family’s accounts with supportive messages praising the newborn’s strength.
Background on Rebecca Jane Sutton
Rebecca Jane Sutton gained public prominence during the 18th series of Big Brother in 2017 when the reality show aired on Channel 5. Outside of television, she established The Lady Detective Agency in 2009 and authored books, maintaining a frequent presence in British tabloid media through various public appearances and high-profile commentary.