Glowing Nikki Sanderson issues pregnancy update as she shows off baby bump

Hollyoaks’ Nikki Sanderson has shared an absolutely adorable update in the middle of her pregnancy.

Nikki, who is 41, announced her pregnancy in December. She is expecting her first child with fellow soap star Anthony Quinlan. 

The couple shared their happy news over the festive period, announcing the pregnancy with a touching Instagram video that quickly captured fans’ hearts. In the clip, Nikki and Anthony are seen decorating their Christmas tree together before opening a box to reveal a special bauble featuring their baby scan. The ornament reads: ‘Baby Quinlan: Arriving 2026.’

Alongside the video, Nikki wrote: ‘Merry Christmas from the 3 of us,’ confirming that she is due to give birth this spring.

The actress, best known for her role as Maxine Minniver in Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks, recently posted a video on her Instagram showing off the progress of her baby bump.

The clip features Nikki cradling her stomach at 16 weeks pregnant, and then another of her just over 28 weeks into the journey.

The video is accompanied by the song Quarter Life Crisis by Taylor Bickett, which features lyrics that reflect on how quickly time passes.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DU3mxtJCgIQ/

Nikki’s friends from the industry rushed to the comments section to share some heartfelt messages on the video. TV presenter Helen Skelton wrote: ‘that is one lucky baby’, while Jessica Fox called her friend ‘Beautiful’.

Emmerdale’s Laura Norton expressed her excitement at the arrival of the little tot and simply said: ‘Eeeek’.

At the start of January, Nikki spoke honestly about the journey she’s been on with Anthony as they’ve tried for a baby.

Opening up about the experience, Nikki admitted that after repeated disappointment, she and Anthony had begun preparing themselves for IVF treatment before conceiving naturally.

‘Because we’d had a few times where it wasn’t the result we wanted, it was like, “Is this for real?” she explained to OK! Magazine. ‘Even when we found out, it took a while for it to sink in.’

The actress said the journey had taken an emotional toll on both of them, describing it as one of the most challenging periods of her life.

‘We’ve had a lot of ups and downs in our journey to becoming parents, and it’s been really hard on us,’ Nikki shared. ‘You try to stay positive, but there are moments where it feels overwhelming.’

Anthony, who previously starred in Hollyoaks and Emmerdale, admitted that at times he had almost lost hope that they would conceive without medical assistance.

‘We were kind of resigned to the fact that we may need assistance via IVF,’ he said. ‘We wanted this so much and we were just hoping, hoping, hoping.’

Nikki has been a familiar face on British television screens for more than two decades. She first rose to fame on Coronation Street in the late 1990s, playing feisty hairdresser Candice Stowe. The role made her a household name and remains a memorable character from that era of the soap.

After leaving Weatherfield, Nikki went on to appear in a number of television dramas before joining Hollyoaks in 2012 as Maxine Minniver. Over more than a decade in the role, she became one of the show’s most popular cast members.

Nikki and Anthony first got together in 2022 and went public with their romance in April of that year. Anthony previously revealed that their relationship began when he messaged Nikki on social media.

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