Kara Tointon has confirmed she is engaged and expecting her first child.
The former ‘EastEnders’ actress has revealed she and her significant other Marius Jensen are to marry, and the 35-year-old star believes she is at the "perfect age" to have a child.
She said: "It is an incredible time. It is the biggest life-changing moment when you have this little human being coming into your life that you are yet to meet. I can’t wait for motherhood and all the challenges it will bring.
"For me it was always about meeting the person that you know is the one you want to share this experience with. Marius and I said, ‘If it happens, we are ready, but we won’t plan,’ and then it happened quite quickly.
"For me, this is the perfect age."
The ‘Mr Selfridge’ star hinted earlier this year that she and chiropractor Marius had got engaged – and the pair have confirmed he popped the question while they were at home in March, a week before they went on holiday to India.
He said: "I had planned for a big proposal on the beach in India on holiday but I am not very good at keeping secrets. I’m someone who gives people their Christmas presents a week early… and so instead it just happened here at home, one Sunday morning, the week before we went away."
Kara admitted it was a "very relaxed" and "perfect" proposal.
Speaking in a joint interview with HELLO! magazine, she added: "We were having a lie-in and I had no idea he was planning to propose.
"It was so perfect as I am not someone who likes big moments, and it was just very Marius – he says it as he feels it. It was very lovely, very relaxed."
Kara – who has previously been in relationships with TV stars Matt Johnson and Joe Swash – was spotted with a huge diamond ring on her left hand in March, but remained tight-lipped when quizzed about the pair potentially marrying.
She said at the time: "I’m not saying anything – I cringe when I read about my love life."