Nicola Thorp reveals she has given birth to a baby girl with her actor fiance Nikesh Patel as she shares emotional message

Former Coronation Street star Nicola Thorp has welcomed her first child, a girl.

The actress, 34, who played Nicola Rubinstein in the Manchester soap, and her fiancé Nikesh Patel, announced the news on Instagram on Thursday.

While they shared that they were “delighted” to welcome their daughter, Nicola also emotionally shared that using social media was a “difficult place” due to the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel.

Nicola shared a heartfelt photo of her daughter and wrote: “We are thrilled to say that we have recently welcomed our beautiful baby girl into the world,” she began on social media.

‘Everything they say about birth being a rollercoaster of emotions is true. We are shattered and defeated and everything in between.

The actress, who played Nicola Rubinstein in the Manchester soap, and her fiancé Nikesh Patel announced the news on Instagram on Thursday.

“Social media is a tough place right now. If your timeline is anything like ours, it is full of images of babies and children dying in conflict or living in fear and unimaginable danger.

“It doesn’t feel right to share our news about her without acknowledging how lucky we are that our baby is safe.

“If you feel like we are helpless, please consider donating to the United Nations Sexual and Reproductive Health Agency, which is responding to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and supporting pregnant women, new mothers and their babies.

‘Every child deserves to be born in safety.’

Nicola confirmed she was expecting her first child with fiancé Nikesh in a sweet post shared to Instagram in September.

The couple announced their happy news on social media, sharing photos of Nicola cradling her baby bump, alongside the words: ‘Some news.’

Their announcement received endless support from other celebrities as Catherine Tyldesley commented: ‘Congratulations! X’ and former Corrie cast member Katie McGlynn wrote: ‘Congratulations lovely’.

Nicola starred in the long-running ITV soap Coronation Street from 2017 to 2019, playing social worker Nicola, the estranged daughter of serial killer Pat Phelan and also starred in Celebrity Hunted.

While they shared that they were “delighted” to welcome their daughter, Nicola also emotionally shared that using social media was a “difficult place” due to the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel.

Their baby joy comes a year after the couple announced their engagement.

In January 2023, the equal rights activist took to Instagram to share a photo of herself showing off her green emerald ring while cozying up to Nikesh.

The couple began their romance in October 2021, with Nicola making their relationship public by uploading a loved-up photo of them at the time.

Nikesh is known for appearing in several television shows including Indian Summers, Starstruck and the miniseries Four Weddings and a Funeral.

Nicola’s pregnancy was not without problems.

She bravely faced the man she had feared for ‘years’ after he threatened to rape and kill her.

She was confronted by schizophrenic Ravinderjit Dhillon, 30, at Snaresbrook Crown Court in east London on December 5, with Nikesh by her side – before he was sentenced to 30 months in prison and a restraining order.

It comes just a year after the couple announced their engagement. In January 2023, the equal rights activist shared a photo on Instagram showing off her ring

The actress played Nicola Rubinstein in the Manchester soap (pictured in character)

Nicola announced she was dating Hollywood actor Nikesh in October 2021 with a loved-up photo to mark her birthday (pictured at the time)

Nicola is now an advisor to the PvdA on stalking and intimidation.

The actress also recently revealed that mothering a girl has made her even more determined to campaign for gender equality.

Nicola has been a prominent equal rights campaigner since she hit the headlines in 2016 after being fired from her job as a receptionist for refusing to wear high heels.

She revealed that pregnancy has made her “softer” because she has become “more of a lioness about things.”

The presenter of TalkTV’s breakfast show told the newspaper Independent: ‘It’s no longer about me fighting for myself, it’s about me fighting for my daughter – and not just on issues of misogyny, but also on issues of race.’

The TalkToday star also revealed that she has also started to feel more strongly about racism since becoming pregnant, as she revealed that some people believe they shouldn’t have a child because they ‘come from different ethnic backgrounds’.

Nicola stepped down from hosting the morning show, alongside Jeremy Kyle, in December 2023 to prepare for the birth.

While the early start can be a struggle for some, Nicola revealed that sitting in the make-up chair at 4am ‘feels perfect to get her ready for motherhood’.