Lucy Pargeter is pregnant with twins.
The ‘Emmerdale’ star – who is known for portraying pub owner Chastity Dingle – and her partner Rudi Coleano are "delighted" to be expecting two little siblings for their 11-year-old daughter Lola and can’t wait to meet their babies in the early part of next year.
A spokesperson for the ITV long-running show told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "Lucy Pargeter and her partner Rudi Coleano are delighted to announce they are expecting twins spring 2017. They will be long-awaited siblings for their daughter, Lola."
And, although her alter ego is currently wrapped up in a big storyline involving her gay son Aaron Livesy (Danny Miller), it’s highly unlikely her pregnancy will wreak havoc for show bosses as she only took three months off work when she gave birth to Lola almost 12 years ago because she’s too much of a "workaholic" to sit at home.
She said: "As soon as I told the bosses at ‘Emmerdale’ I was pregnant they asked me how long I would want on maternity leave. But I just wanted three months and then straight back. I couldn’t afford to have too long off work – I have got two mortgages and a car. Working is a big part of me and my life and I wasn’t happy to stay at home."
The 39-year-old actress – who has appeared on ‘Emmerdale’ since 2002 and also competed in ‘I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!’ in 2013 – was forced to re-juggle her life when she found out she was pregnant with Lola as she and Rudi were initially planning to get married but had no choice but to put their nuptials on hold.