Former Hollyoaks actor Jonny Clarke and his wife, Stephanie, have welcomed their first child, Clarke confirmed in an Instagram post on Friday.
Clarke, 31, posted two photographs showing himself playing with his young son and captioned the images, "My rainbow, my sunshine, my son." He has not disclosed the child's name and did not show the baby's face in the pictures. Clarke and his wife kept the pregnancy private for the past 10 months, according to the post and prior social media activity.
Clarke, who first rose to prominence playing Bart McQueen on Channel 4's Hollyoaks, shared an earlier social media post in the summer confirming he had recently become a father and marking his first Father's Day. The couple were married in 2023; Clarke previously posted a wedding-day photograph that he said was taken on Aug. 7, 2023.
Clarke made his debut on Hollyoaks in 2010 and had a three-year run on the soap before leaving in 2013. He briefly reprised the role in 2017; his character Bart McQueen was killed off after being beaten by the character Warren Fox. While on the soap he was nominated for Best Serial Drama Performance at the National Television Awards in 2012.
Since his last on-screen appearance in 2017 Clarke has largely stepped away from acting and has pursued a career outside the entertainment industry, reportedly working in marketing. Former Hollyoaks colleagues responded to earlier public posts about his marriage and personal milestones with congratulations.
Clarke has maintained a relatively low public profile in recent years, sharing occasional updates on his private life. He has so far chosen to keep details about his son and the family's life private, releasing only the limited images and brief caption posted this week.