Soap stars Nikki Sanderson and Anthony Quinlan have spoken about their pregnancy journey, with the pair saying they are “thrilled”. After making an announcement on Christmas Eve, the couple are preparing for a life-changing event.
The respective pair played Maxine Minniver and Gilly Roach on Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks, though their paths never crossed in the series as Quinlan had already departed by the time Sanderson joined in 2012.
After Sanderson announced that they were expecting last month, the couple spoke with The Mirror about their journey, with the pair admitting that it was a mixture of excitement and anxiety.
“I felt absolutely elated that we got this confirmation and that the baby was fine – the first time seeing the heartbeat on the scans was the most amazing, incredible feeling,” said Sanderson, who has also starred in Coronation Street.
“But I also felt a lot of anxiety – just worrying that the baby was okay and if the journey for us was going to be okay. I was really excited and over the moon, but I also had a lot of worries.”
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“We were thrilled but kind of held back from getting too excited because we’re aware of the troubles that can happen,” added Quinlan, who also portrayed Pete Barton on ITV soap Emmerdale. “You’re in that protective mode where you want everything to be okay.”
The couple further explained that they had taken initial steps to have IVF treatment after a two-year struggle to conceive, with the pair saying they had each other’s backs during the tougher times.
“We’ve had a lot of ups and downs in our journey to becoming parents and it’s been really hard on us. But now, waiting for our beautiful baby to arrive, it’s just incredible,” said Sanderson, who said they were “blessed” to be a “team”.
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“We knew this process wasn’t going to be easy and I can totally understand why it can take a huge toll on people. It’s not just the physical element, it’s the mental and emotional sides to it as well. But we really had each other’s backs through the highs and lows.”
“We wanted this so much and we were just hoping,” shared Quinlan. “It’s a team effort. If you’re going to bring a little person into the world, it’s not a flippant thing, it’s life-changing and one of the most amazing things you can ever experience as a human being.”
Hollyoaks airs on Mondays-Wednesdays with its Channel 4 streaming premiere at 7am, then an E4 broadcast the same night at 7pm. Full episodes are also released on YouTube a week after their Channel 4 release.
Selected omnibus episodes are available via Prime Video.
Read more Hollyoaks spoilers on our dedicated homepage
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