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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Lifestyle
Kate Ng

‘Our little grape’: Alexandra Burke gives birth to first child with Darren Rudolph

Getty/Alexandra Burke/Instagram

Alexandra Burke has announced the arrival of her first child with Darren Rudolph.

The 33-year-old singer posted a photograph of the newborn baby’s feet on Instagram, surrounded by a white woolly blanket.

She wrote in the caption: “Welcome to the world, our little grape. We already love you more than words can say.”

Burke did not share further details about the baby’s name or gender.

Fans and famous friends were quick to congratulate the couple and send their well wishes.

Strictly Come Dancing judge Motsi Mabuse wrote: “Congratulations mama all the best”, while model Ella Baig, who is pregnant with her and former professional boxer Nicola Adams’s first baby, added: “Congratulations.”

TV presenter Gaby Roslin, luxury designer Melissa Odabash, and South African singer Toya Delazy were among other celebrities sending red heart emojis and congratulations to the couple.

Burke announced that she and Rudolph were expecting in February with a sweet home video posted on Instagram.

The video showed the couple holding hands and walking with their dogs by the edge of a lake, before Rudolph knelt down and kissed Burke’s bare stomach.

She captioned the video: “Due June 2022.”

In a subsequent post, where Burke and Rudolph are standing together cradling her growing baby bump, the 2008 X Factor winner wrote: “We have received so many beautiful messages and well wishes! We are truly overwhelmed. Such an exciting time ahead.”

Since the announcement, Burke has shared frequent updates on her pregnancy journey with her more than 260,000 fans on Instagram.

She has also spoken candidly about how she struggled to come to terms with pregnancy changing her body.

In a post on 23 June, she wrote: “The first three or four months of pregnancy I really struggled accepting all the changes to my body because it was totally out of my control.

“I’ll be honest and admit I’ve been through quite a few ups and downs privately, but I now find myself in a totally different head space and I finally feel good about my body.”

Burke added that the pregnancy was a “blessing” and taught her to “try and never be unkind to myself or my body moving forward”.

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