Sam Aston – who has played Chesney Brown on ITV's Coronation Street since 2003 – and his wife Briony have some special news to share – they've welcomed their third child together.
The couple, who have been married since 2019, already share a three-year-old son Sonny and 18-month-old daughter Daisy, and have now expanded their beautiful family.
They announced the news on Instagram and wrote: "Welcome to the world...Hazel Marie Aston. 07.05.24 8lbs 15oz."
Sam and Briony also shared some intimate photos from Hazel's arrival, including Briony's water birth in a large pool with fairy lights in the background. Another snap included Daisy and Sonny appearing to hold a candle towards the umbilical cord and placenta, welcoming their newest sibling into the world.
Lastly, the couple included an adorable family picture of all five of them beaming at the camera.
Sam and Briony exclusively announced their pregnancy with OK! in November last year, and revealed that they'd found out the baby's gender ahead of the birth.
"It’s a girl!” Sam said. “Briony had a blood test so we found out then. I know it’s not for everybody finding out the gender before the birth, but we’re too impatient. We like to know!”
For Briony, the news came as a shock. “I had a strong feeling that it was a boy, right from the very beginning – I was so convinced,” she says.
They also explained they didn't yet have a name picked out, but Briony was hoping for a home birth.
However, the couple, also said their pregnancy came as "bitter sweet". They explained they were in fact expecting twins before they lost one of the babies to ' Vanishing Twin Syndrome.'
Having also previously endured two tragic miscarriages within four months of each other, Briony, at the time, said: “We were excited and thankful, because we always wanted a baby that was healthy.
"Then we started thinking, ‘We could have had two… Will the living twin always wonder, “What if?” and will they feel lonely?’ We found ourselves questioning what could have been, while feeling grateful for what we’ve got.”
For Briony, conceiving their third child was a difficult journey. It was in July last year that she shared a very brave and candid post on Instagram about her two miscarriages, which followed the arrival of Daisy.
She wrote: “It’s heartbreaking and it’s unfair, but I’m not seeking sympathy. I feel well supported and want others to feel supported too.”
Briony also spoke in August 2023 about her loss on ITV’s Loose Women and it’s evident that for Briony, sharing her story has helped her through these tough times.
“Ever since I shared that post, I’ve had a hell of a lot of lovely messages and have supported quite a few people through their own losses,” she says.
“I’m pleased that I did speak up about it, because having other people discussing it really helped me. However, it did make me feel more anxious about announcing my current pregnancy – I didn’t want to upset other people in the community who I’d supported through their losses. But at the same time, a pregnancy is something to be celebrated.”
