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Things keep getting better for EastEnders star Danny Hatchard, who has announced he’s set to become a father.
The actor, who arrived on Albert Square as Lee Carter in 2014, recently confirmed that he and his girlfriend, Kerry Scouler, were engaged.
Danny, 35, popped the question on a dreamy Amsterdam getaway last month after six years of dating, and the model debuted her sparkling ring with a series of Instagram snaps.
‘You & me, forever? Don’t mind if “I do”💍🤍’, her caption read as congratulatory messages flooded in.
Now, the couple have shared that they are also expecting their first child together.
The parents-to-be posted a filmstrip of themselves cosied up in a photobooth, holding their scan.
A second pic showed a buttercream-covered cake, before a third slide revealed a pink sponge inside in a sweet gender reveal.
In the caption, Kerry revealed her due date, suggesting the pregnancy was already well known privately when they confirmed their engagement.
‘And somewhere along the way, our love became someone’s whole life. Baby girl coming January ‘27 🎀’, it said.
The lovebirds were quickly inundated with messages from co-stars and fans, with Emma Barton leaving three pink hearts, while Shona McGarty commented: ‘YAAAAASSS!!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️ Massive congratulations to you both xx I’m so happy for you!! 🥲 😍👏 Cuddles pending… 😊’
Louisa Lytton commented, ‘Congratulations ❤❤❤’, and Jonny Labey joked: ‘A YEAR MADE ALREADY ❤️❤️❤️🙌 Apparently January babies are elite… so I’ve heard xx’
Danny and Kerry received congratulatory messages from the likes of Danny Dyer, Rita Simons, and Ricky Norwood when they shared their engagement joy on October 4.
The couple met after the fashion graduate slid into the soap star’s DMs, admitting that she had a crush on him.
In August, she revealed her method of shooting her shot by posting a TikTok of herself approaching Danny for a cuddle, adding the text, ‘me when I messaged Lee Carter from EastEnders cos I fancied him & we’re still together 6 years later’, spread across.
‘And that’s on manifestation ladies’, she added cheekily in the caption.
Danny and Kerry made their romance public in December 2020 by sharing content from their Cyprus holiday.
‘Truly blessed by you’, Kerry captioned her pictures.
While much of their relationship has remained private, they began offering a glimpse into their personal lives when they started a joint account for comedy sketches with the bio, ‘Two plonkers plonking’.
EastEnders viewers recently saw Danny’s character return to Walford, reprising the role of Mick and Linda Carter’s son for a dramatic storyline.
In summer, when his return – alongside Maddy Hill as on-screen sister Nancy Carter – was announced, Danny said he was ‘absolutely over the moon’, calling the soap ‘like a home away from home’.
Fans then tuned in to find a heavily pregnant Nancy carrying a baby for her brother and his former partner, Jess (Emma Lau), after they struggled to conceive.
Despite splitting from the baby’s mum, Lee said he was determined to raise the little one as a single dad, although his version of events and being walked out on weren’t all they seemed, with bombshells from Jess following.
In a shock appearance from the woman herself, it transpired that it was actually Lee who cut ties due to developing a drinking problem.
His latest stint marks Danny’s first time back on the Square since bowing out in 2017.
On-screen mother Linda, played by Kellie Bright, will also soon be departing after 13 years in the iconic role, with Danny telling Metro that working with her again has ‘reminded me just how much I love what I do’.
‘Sometimes I have to remind myself we’re not actually a real-life family,’ he admitted.
‘It’s easy to forget because of how close we’ve all become over the years.
‘The people I work with on EastEnders, and the cast in particular, genuinely feel like part of my inner circle.
‘I love them to bits. For me, the Carters are my Albert Square.’
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