Nikki Sanderson and Anthony Quinlan Welcome First Child April 26, 2026 Hollyoaks and Coronation Street actress Nikki Sanderson has given birth to her first child, a baby boy, with her partner, former Emmerdale star Anthony Quinlan. The couple shared the joyful news via Instagram on April 25, 2026, posting a black-and-white photo of their newborn alongside the caption: “Happy due day little man. You blessed our lives a few days earlier than expected and filled our world with so much joy. Daddy and mummy love you so much Son.” Sanderson, 41, and Quinlan, also 41, announced their pregnancy in January 2026 after a two-year journey to conceive. Speaking exclusively to the Mirror at that time, Sanderson described the emotional milestone: “I felt absolutely elated that we got this confirmation and that the baby was fine – the first time seeing the heartbeat on the scans was the most amazing, incredible feeling.” She added, “We’ve had a lot of ups and downs in our journey to becoming parents and it’s been really hard on us,” but emphasized that the arrival of their son made every challenge worthwhile. Quinlan, best known for his roles as Gilly Roach in Hollyoaks and Pete Barton in Emmerdale, has been in a relationship with Sanderson since January 2022. Prior to that, he was in a relationship with Strictly Come Dancing professional Dianne Buswell from 2017 to 2018. Sanderson, who rose to fame as Candice Stowe in Coronation Street before joining Hollyoaks as Sienna Blake, has been open about her fertility struggles in past interviews. The couple has not yet revealed their son’s name. Their announcement comes shortly after Quinlan publicly defended Sanderson against online criticism regarding her decision to have a child at 41, calling such comments “selfish” and unwarranted. Both actors remain active in the British television landscape, with Sanderson continuing her work in Hollyoaks and Quinlan pursuing theatre and television projects following his exit from Emmerdale in 2020. This marks the first child for both Sanderson and Quinlan, celebrating a deeply personal milestone after years of hope and perseverance. Sources: [1] Mirror.co.uk – Coronation Street’s Nikki Sanderson and soap star boyfriend welcome first baby boy [2] The Sun – Hollyoaks’ Nikki Sanderson gives birth to first child [3] The Sun – Anthony Quinlan hits out at trolls who called pregnant Nikki Sanderson “selfish” for having a baby at 41 [4] Wikipedia – Anthony Quinlan [5] Wikipedia – Nikki Sanderson (implied via career context in search results)
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