BABY JOY 💛 NIKKI SANDERSON & ANTHONY QUINLAN WELCOME BEAUTIFUL BABY BOY. K1

ormer Coronation Street and Hollyoaks star Nikki Sanderson has welcomed her first child with fellow soap actor Anthony Quinlan.

The star shared the news on Instagram yesterday (Saturday, April 25), and her fans and followers were thrilled.

Nikki Sanderson and Anthony Quinlan welcome baby boy

Taking to Instagram last night (Saturday, April 25), Nikki and Anthony announced they’d welcomed their baby boy into the world.

The couple shared a black-and-white snap of their baby, with “Hello world” written next to him.

“Happy due date, little man,” the couple captioned the snap.

“You blessed our lives a few days earlier than expected and filled our world with so much joy,” they then wrote. “Daddy and Mummy love you so much, Son.”

Fans and followers flooded the comment section with love.

“Congratulations to all the family. I hope baby and mummy are doing well,” Doctor Who star Mandip Gill wrote.

“OMG BEST NEWS GUYS,” Strictly legend Gorka Marquez gushed. “Congratulations,” Waterloo Road actor Chelsee Healey said.

“Oh wow!!!!! That is amazing news!!! Huge congratulations to Mummy & Daddy and welcome to the world little man xxxx hugs hugs,” another follower added. “Oh, loves!!!!! Huge congratulations!! The hair tho,” another said.

Nikki’s pregnancy

The couple first announced they were expecting back in December 2025, sharing the news in a festive video posted to Instagram on Christmas Eve.

In the sweet clip, Nikki was seen decorating a Christmas tree in a red dress before Anthony approached and kissed her on the cheek.

He then handed her a small gift box tied with ribbon. Inside was their baby scan as a tree decoration.

The ornament read: “Baby Quinlan. Expecting 2026!”

The couple then turned towards the camera together. Nikki cradled her growing bump as the scan hung proudly on the tree.

They captioned the post, “Merry Christmas from the 3 of us. Baby Quinlan due Spring 2026.”

At the time, the couple confirmed they were preparing to welcome their first child together in spring.

Speaking about the exciting news, Nikki told OK!, “We’re happy to say it’s going to be a lovely little spring baby.”

A few months later, the actress revealed another milestone when she confirmed the couple were expecting a baby boy.

She explained that although they had never had a strong preference for the baby’s gender, she had always imagined herself raising a son.

“Anthony and I always said that we didn’t mind what we were having as long as our baby is healthy,” she told Closer.

Nikki’s fertility struggles

The happy news came after an emotional journey for the couple, who had previously been open about struggling to conceive.

Nikki and Anthony had spent more than two years trying for a baby. They even started the process towards IVF treatment before discovering they were expecting naturally.

The actress explained that they had undergone tests and were placed on a waiting list for fertility treatment before receiving the unexpected news.

She described the moment they found out as a “wonderful miracle and blessing.”

However, Nikki also acknowledged that the journey to that point had been emotionally difficult.

“Just because we’re in a magical position now, it doesn’t take away from the upset and grief that we’ve experienced along the way,: she said.

She admitted there were moments when she felt she might lose hope. However, the couple supported each other through the experience.

Nikki and Anthony first began dating in 2021 after the actor slid into her DMs. Their relationship quickly blossomed, and they openly discussed their hopes of starting a family early on.

Now, after years of hoping and waiting, the couple have officially begun their new chapter as parents.