Michelle Keegan pregnant as actress and husband Mark Wright ...

Actress Michelle Keegan and her husband Mark Wright have joyfully announced they are expecting their first child together. The former Coronation Street star, 37, married the TOWIE favourite back in May 2015 and nearly a decade later, they're embarking on the journey of parenthood while both their careers continue to flourish.

On Sunday evening, the couple took to Instagram to share the news with their followers. "2025 is going to be a special one for us... [baby emoji. love heart emoji]," read the caption of a post that featured a picture of Michelle lovingly holding her baby bump on a beach, with Mark adoringly looking on.

James Argent, Mark's best mate, was quick to comment, expressing his happiness for the couple and his excitement about becoming an uncle. Former Corrie actress Georgia May also chimed in with her congratulations.

This joyful announcement comes after years of relentless speculation from fans and family about when the couple would start a family. In 2020, Michelle revealed that her loved ones had finally stopped asking her about plans for a baby.

"I get asked about children whereas Mark wouldn't for example," she told Women's Health. Michelle went on to express her frustration: "Why haven't I had a child? When am I going to have a child? ' I don't know what they want me to say. I don't know what the right or wrong answer is.", reports the Mirror.

When asked if her family still posed the grating question, she laughed and said: "Not any more! ... People don't mean any harm by it, but they know what the answer's going to be."

The 'Fool Me Once' star has previously spoken out about the negative impact of being persistently questioned on when she plans to start a family, describing such unsolicited queries as 'horrible'. In a candid chat with The Mirror, discussing baby-related interrogations, she commented: "It's horrible. People don't know if we're trying. They don't know the background of what's happening. It's not appropriate to ask those sorts of questions anymore. You would think people would realise that. I'm asked purely because I'm a woman. But it doesn't affect me like it used to – these days, it just triggers an automatic response where I push it aside because it's nobody's business."

Back in 2018, Michelle shared with Women's Health her aspirations, saying: "I've always been broody. I love kids, and I want four, so hopefully in the near future."

Her spouse Mark, also aged 37, had mentioned to The Sun: "We say we're going to try [for a baby] every year but something comes up with work."

"So it'll be Michelle filming in South Africa and then I got the job in Los Angeles – so we think, right, we'll try next year. With kids, I used to want three or four. But now, I'm 31, we're not having kids any time before 32. I think we could have two or three. Twins would be great because you're getting two out of the way at once."

Michelle and Mark were both inundated with unsolicited comments about when they would start a family in April 2023, after the former TOWIE star posted an endearing photo of the couple holding their tiny premature nephew on social media. The image, which showed Dustin Wright, who arrived 12 weeks early, peacefully sleeping in Michelle's embrace while she and Mark smiled for the camera, prompted a barrage of questions from Instagram users curious about when the pair would have children of their own.

The celebrity duo, Mark and Michelle, first crossed paths during separate vacations in Dubai at the close of 2012. They made their romance public at the National Television Awards in January 2013, quickly becoming a glamorous item in the entertainment world.

Merely nine months into their confirmed relationship, the love-struck pair returned to Dubai where Mark proposed, leading to Michelle's affirmative response.

Mark Wright opened up to The Mirror following his engagement, saying: "I've got now, for the first time in my life, what I've always wanted and what every boy dreams of – affection in a relationship, love, best friend, a girl I fancy... everything rolled into one."

The couple then exchanged vows at St Mary's Church in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, before celebrating with a grand reception at Hengrave Hall, a Tudor mansion. A year on from their beautiful wedding, Michelle Keegan's role on Our Girl took her to locations such as South East Asia and South Africa for filming, resulting in a long-distance relationship.

Meanwhile, former TOWIE star Mark landed his 'dream' job in America as a presenter for E!, splitting his time between Essex and Los Angeles. Discussing the challenges of being apart on the Jonathan Ross show, Michelle said: "We were apart for about four months. It was really tough. People said how did you deal with it and stuff. Thank god for FaceTime and things like that. You're on a countdown the whole time just to get home. I had six months off when I went home, so I went to America."

After leaving Our Girl in 2019 and Mark ending his American gig, the couple returned to Essex, where they spent considerable time renovating their dream home before moving into their luxurious mansion.