Coronation Street's James Burrows opens up about becoming a first-time dad

He plays Dr Ali Neeson on the soap

Author: Emma DoddsPublished 18th Mar 2019
Last updated 18th Mar 2019

Coronation Street actor James Burrows has revealed that he's expecting his first child with girlfriend Sophie Coates! The soap star, who has played Dr. Ali Neeson since February 2018, has announced that he's going to become a first-time dad this year with Sophie after three years of dating.

The 27-year-old, who has previously had small parts in This Is England, Emmerdale and Mount Pleasant, opened up about his excitement in an interview with OK! magazine, adding that he and Sophie are expecting a baby girl.

Sophie told the magazine, "We’d only recently said we’d properly start trying. And a month later we fell pregnant," with James adding that he'd been "over the moon" on hearing the news and that Sophie had called him at 7.30am to tell him.

James revealed that he's become close to his on-screen mum, Kym Marsh - who plays Michelle Connor - and admitted that she'd been the first person he told.

"She got really excited and gave me a massive hug and said I’d be a great dad," he said, adding, "I’m so excited to be having a daughter; I can’t wait to meet her now."

James did confess that he'd have liked to be engaged before they fell pregnant, but revealed that he'd been about to do it on their holiday in Australia last November whilst visiting his family, but that was when they'd found out they were having a baby.

James first announced the news on Instagram back in October, sharing a snap of the baby scan with the sweet caption, 'Me and my beautiful girlfriend @sophie_coates are over the moon to announce that we’re having a baby. We can not contain our excitement we are so so happy.'

This comes after James hinted that he could leave the soap in the not-too-distant future, admitting, "I won't stay for years; there are other roles I'd like to do."

Congratulations!

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