Ophelia Lovibond has started 2026 on a high, as she revealed she has welcomed her first child with husband Henry Pettigrew on New Year’s Eve.
The actress, 39, known for her roles in Minx and Elementary, took to her Instagram on Wednesday to share the joyful news with heartwarming snaps with her little one.
Looking radiant in the selfies, she smiled up at the camera with her newborn curled up asleep on her chest.
Captioning the post, Ophelia revealed she had ended the year by becoming a mother, while choosing not yet to disclose her baby’s sex or name.
The Guardians of the Galaxy star wrote: ‘A very special year ✨✨ #thankyou2025 #sweettthing #happynewyears #nye2025’.
Fans and friends rushed to share their congratulations, with Dermot O’Leary’s producer wife Dee O’Leary commenting with a string of love heart emojis.
Ophelia Lovibond has started 2026 on a high, as she revealed she has welcomed her first child with husband Henry Pettigrew on New Year’s Eve
The actress, 39, known for her roles in Minx and Elementary, took to her Instagram on Wednesday to share the joyful news with heartwarming snaps with her little one
Looking radiant in the selfies, she smiled up at the camera with her newborn curled up asleep on her chest
Captioning the post, Ophelia revealed she had ended the year by becoming a mother, while choosing not yet to disclose her baby’s sex or name
Ophelia revealed she was expecting back in June, with a black and white snap of her on the beach in a bikini, displaying her blossoming baby bump with the caption: ‘Baby on the way!’
Ophelia revealed she was expecting back in June, with a black and white snap of her on the beach in a bikini, displaying her blossoming baby bump with the caption: ‘Baby on the way!’
The announcement was met with a wave of love from her famous friends, led by singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor, who commented: ‘Woo! Congratulations! Happy news xxxx’.
Fellow pop star Pixie Lott also gushed: ‘congratulations!’ while TV presenter Laura Whitmore added: ‘Congrats lovely. The best x’.
The arrival of their first child comes just three years after Ophelia and Henry tied the knot, following seven years of dating.
The couple fell for each other while starring together as on-stage lovers in Lucy Prebble’s play The Effect in 2015.
Recalling the start of their love story, Ophelia previously admitted: ‘It was quite intense – the characters in the play fall in love. We just knew.
At the time, the W1A star was in a relationship with actor Tom Hughes, who later struck up a romance with Jenna Coleman after they played husband and wife in ITV’s Victoria.
But Ophelia and Henry’s connection proved impossible to ignore, and the pair eventually got together, Ophelia was left ‘over the moon’ after Henry proposed in 2021.
It comes three years after Ophelia and Henry tied the knot, after the couple fell for each other while starring together as on-stage lovers in Lucy Prebble’s play The Effect in 2015
They married the following year at London’s historic Wilton’s Music Hall, in what Ophelia described as her ‘dream wedding’
They married the following year at London’s historic Wilton’s Music Hall, in what Ophelia described as her ‘dream wedding’.
‘Dream wedding, dream man, dream dress, dream flowers, dream food, dream music, dream guests, dream day. Still not sunk in how spectacularly special it all was…’ she wrote on Instagram.
Her new husband echoed the sentiment, posting: ‘I married my best friend.’
The couple were serenaded by a gospel choir performing Stevie Wonder’s Signed, Sealed, Delivered, and exchanged vows surrounded by wildflowers and twinkling fairy lights.
Ophelia’s career has flourished in recent years, with the actress taking on a diverse range of high-profile roles.
She starred as the lead in feminist comedy Minx, and portrayed Carrie Johnson – wife of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson – in This England, which chronicled the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
She also appeared as Carina in Marvel blockbusters Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor: The Dark World.
Meanwhile, Henry, is most known for playing astronaut and first man to walk on the moon, Neil Armstrong, in Netflix’s The Crown.
