![Emma Atkins [Photo: REX]](https://images.bauerhosting.com/affiliates/sites/12/motherandbaby/legacy/images/rexfeatures-4587133es.jpg?ar=16%3A9&fit=crop&crop=top&auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
Actress has given birth to a healthy baby boy
The 40-year-old star, who plays Charity Dingle on the ITV soap, has revealed she and her businessman boyfriend Tom welcomed their first child just before her recent birthday.
She told The Sun newspaper: “We’ve had a lovely, healthy baby boy.
“He arrived just before my 40th birthday, which was the best present.”
It was revealed earlier this year that Emma’s character had been sent to jail because she was already eight months pregnant and had managed to continue filming without any of the viewers at home noticing.
A source said at the time: “She’s been hiding her baby news from everyone outside of the show.”
Charity has escaped punishment for insurance fraud several times before but soap bosses decided it would be a good idea to write in a two-year jail sentence so that Emma could go on maternity leave.
The insider added: “No one has guessed she was pregnant so didn’t see Charity’s prison sentence coming. Everyone assumed she would get away with it like she has so many times in the past.
“But the fact that Emma is pregnant gave the writers a perfect opportunity to finally punish Charity. She’s going to be rotting in jail for at least a year.”
Story: ©BANG Showbiz. Photo: REX