Coronation Street star announces he's going to be a dad for the first time

Exciting news for Richard Fleeshman and Celinde Schoenmaker

Coronation Street heartthrob Richard Fleeshman is set to become a father for the first time as he and his actress fiancée Celinde Schoenmaker are expecting their first child. The soap star, best known for his role as Craig Harris on the ITV show, shared the joyous news with fans in a sweet pregnancy reveal video posted on Sunday.

Celebrity pals congratulate the couple

In the video, Celinde shows off her baby bump to the camera with a heartfelt caption saying, "We’ve not met you yet, but never been more in love," which was followed by a string of red love heart emojis from Richard. Their announcement was met with a flood of congratulations from their followers and celebrity friends, including TV presenter Laura Whitmore, I’m A Celeb star Giovanna Fletcher, Eastenders actor Bradley Jaden, and West End actress Lucie Jones.

From soap star to leading man

Richard, 35, has been in a relationship with Celinde since 2018, and the couple got engaged in 2022. Starting his career as a child actor on Coronation Street, Richard rose to fame playing Craig Harris at the age of 12 before branching out into music and later pursuing a successful acting and stage career. His credits include roles in West End and touring productions, as well as appearances in various TV shows such as Call the Midwife, The Sandman, Four Weddings and a Funeral, and Death in Paradise. Currently, he stars in the popular Sci-Fi series The Ark.