Carol Vorderman appears to have confirmed Joe Lycett's shock baby news after fans were convinced it was a prank.
The comedian, 36, stunned his followers on Friday when he posted a photo of himself cuddling a newborn in a park, announcing that he'd become a father. However, Joe has made something of a career out of spreading fake news - with many fans believing his latest post was just another ruse, as one replied to the post on Instagram, saying: "I'm just worried this will come out as him cuddling a bunch of rhubarb in a hat tbh."
However, Countdown queen, Carol Vorderman, 63, appears to have confirmed Joe's new dad status as she replied, saying: "Hooray, there he is. Both of you, all of you. Congratulations to both of you," intimating that she knew about the pregnancy beforehand.
Joe, who describes himself as "pansexual", announced the arrival of his child via an Instagram post after revealing he had a girlfriend called 'Denise', who he admitted was not her real name.
Sharing a snap of himself with a tiny baby snuggled inside his coat, he thanked hospital staff for managing the arrival of his bundle of joy, writing: "In appreciation post from me for the extraordinary @bham_womens hospital. My first encounter with them was years ago when they looked after a pal of mine through surgery, and then most recently when they masterfully welcomed a little boy into the world, who happens to be my son.
"The care and compassion his mum and he received was exceptional; from the antenatal classes, incredible midwives, consultants, doctors, nurses and the ongoing care in the community. We also loved their baked potatoes. Birmingham is so lucky to have them and I will be forever grateful for everything they’ve done." He added: "I am LOVING being a dad but sadly I think this now means I can’t get out of going on Rob and Josh’s f**king podcast. We will not be taking any press requests about this as we have already sold the rights to the first family picture to Autotrader."
His surprising news came after Joe revealed he has a secret girlfriend. Speaking on Bimini Bon-Boulash’s podcast The Pieces, the Travel Man star opened up about his partner, who he referred to under the pseudonym Denise in order to keep her identity secret. He explained: "So I’ve got Winston the cat, and my partner Denise. And, um, she’s not called Denise, but I don’t talk about her, because she has a job that she can’t be in the public eye. I call her Denise because she hates the name Denise, so, uh, I live with Denise."
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