Gemma Arterton reveals first child was born late last year

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Gemma Arterton has revealed that she gave birth to her first child, a boy, shortly before Christmas.

The 37-year-old British actress, best known for films including St Trinian’s and Quantum Of Solace, announced the news on the Zoe Ball Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2 on Wednesday.

After host Ball prompted her by saying “Congratulations are in order”, Arterton admitted she and her husband, Irish actor Rory Keenan, are “very, very happy”.

She added: “He was born just before Christmas. A little Christmas elf.”

Praised by Ball for looking “utterly fabulous”, Arterton jokingly replied: “The power of the paintbrush, as I would say.”

The actress debuted her baby bump on the red carpet at the Raindance Film Festival in London in November 2022.

She and Keenan, who married in 2019, had not officially announced the pregnancy.

Arterton was previously married to fashion consultant Stefano Catelli for four years before the pair divorced in 2014.

She began her career on stage before making her feature film debut in 2007 in the highly popular reboot of St Trinian’s, in which she played Kelly Jones, the resourceful head girl at the infamous school.

The actress went on to portray Bond girl Strawberry Fields in the James Bond film Quantum Of Solace and was later nominated for Olivier Awards for her work in musicals Nell Gwynn and Made In Dagenham.

She is currently starring in Sky comedy series Funny Woman, based on Nick Hornby’s 2014 book of the same name, as a beauty queen turned comedy star during the Swinging Sixties.