Coronation Street’s Richard Fleeshman becomes a dad for first time as he reveals newborn’s adorable name

CORONATION Street star, Richard Fleeshman has become a father for the first time.

The actor has welcomed his first child with fiancée Celinde Schoenmaker, as the couple shared their happy news on social media this week.

Dutch actress Celinde, who most recently starred in the West End musical Guys and Dolls, revealed that the pair have welcomed a daughter.

Writing on Instagram she said: “At 8.08am On 30-11-2024 our world exploded into technicolor as we welcomed our daughter into the world. Coco Beau Fleeshman, we love you beyond words.”

She then shared a montage of three Christmas stockings, one with each of their names, including baby, Coco.

The couple who got engaged in 2022 after four years of dating, first revealed their impending parenthood to the world back in August.

Actress and singer Celinde shared a photo of her bump. with the heartfelt message, “We’ve not met you yet but never been more in love.”

A slew of their celebrity friends rushed to congratulate them, including Giovanna Fletcher who wrote: “Motherhood already suits you so well and Irish TV presenter Laura Whitmore who also offered her congratulations.

Actor Richard is best known for playing Craig Harris on the ITV soap, having first won the role back in 2002 when he just 12 years old.

But far from just being a soap screen pin-up, Richard is also a talented singer and songwriter, having won the talent show, Soapstar Superstar in 2006, where he earned £200,000 for his chosen charity.

But like his fiancé, he has also walked the boards in the bright lights of the West End, after he played the lead role in Ghost the Musical, after quitting the popular ITV soap.

He has also played lead roles in Legally Blonde in 2010 and the satirical musical Urinetown, directed by theatre impressario, Jamie Lloyd at the St James theatre in 2013.

A talented songwriter as a well as singer, Richard also co-wrote a song with Sir Elton John for a BBC drama, All the Small Things, in which he played the lead role back in 2009.

He is currently starring in the popular Sci Fi series The Ark .

Meanwhile new mum Celinde, 35, is one of the rising stars of the West End, having emigrated from her native Holland in her early 20s.

The actress has starred in lead roles in musicals including Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera and most recently as Sarah Brown in the award winning revival of Guys and Dolls at the London Bridge Theatre.

She also had a role in the 2019 Elton John biopic, Rocketman.

So if music be the food of love, Baby Fleeshman is going to be very well fed.