Coronation Street star Kym Marsh has opened up about becoming a grandmother at the age of 42 – and why she won't be called 'Grandma'.
Last year, the Michelle Connor actress and 21-year-old daughter Emilie revealed that the latter was expecting a baby, and she has now spoken in a new interview of her excitement, as well as what she wants to be referred to as instead of 'grandma'.
"I'm so excited," Kym told This Morning today (January 4). "Obviously it was a shock, initially. It obviously wasn't something I was expecting quite so soon, but I'm ecstatic."
Presenter Eamonn Holmes noted how it was not an unusual tradition in her family to have children young, the actress explaining: "My mum was 18 when she had my eldest brother, my sister was 18 when she had her first child, I was 18 when I had David. So actually, [Emilie's] done quite well."
"I can't wait," her daughter added, revealing that she and her boyfriend weren't planning to have a baby now.
"I'm so excited. But obviously there's the whole shock of being pregnant. Especially being young. But then I thought I'm not actually that young. I am young, but I'm not like 16."
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Kym added: "I said to Emilie when she celebrated her 21st birthday not long ago, and obviously being pregnant couldn't drink and couldn't have the party that she'd planned. It was exactly the same for me because I was pregnant on my 21st.
"It's hard work, obviously, and there are certain things that you can't just do. You can't go off on girls' holidays at the drop of a hat.
"Emilie's a very mature 21-year-old, she's very aware of what it's going to mean and what it's going to involve. It is difficult and it is hard work, but I wouldn't change what I have with my children."
Noting generational changes, the actress mused: "I think that's what it is, a generational thing. So years ago when my mum was young, 18, 19, it wasn't much of a big deal. I think nowadays women are making career choices a little bit more and people are leaving it a bit later."
Emilie admitted that she "thought [she] would have [her] career sorted beforehand", but added that her partner was "so excited" when he learned the news.
Recalling how she herself found out, Kym revealed: "She just casually dropped it into the conversation – she was doing my nails casually one day. She was like, 'I have a bit of a tummy ache but I'm late'.
"I was like, 'How late?' She was like, 'Well, so many weeks', then I went, 'Emilie, do you not think we should do a test?' She was like, 'But I'm scared'. So I kind of forced her."
The Corrie actress also explained that she wants to be referred to as "Lolly" rather than Grandma, as Eamonn jokingly called her "luscious Lolly".
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