Ferne McCann had Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield cooing on today’s This Morning as her baby daughter Sunday made her TV debut.
The former TOWIE star was joined by her newborn daughter on the sofa as she chatted about life as a first-time mum.
Holly, 36, a mum of three, was clearly besotted and immediately went in for a cuddle, while Phillip, 55, was equally smitten.
Aww!
Ferne, 27, gave birth to her first child this month; the tot’s father is Ferne’s ex Arthur Collins, who is currently behind bars awaiting sentencing after being found guilty of carrying out an acid attack.
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The Essex star spoke about being a mum – and revealed the unusual inspiration for her baby girl’s name.
What was it, you ask? The answer is a facial cleanser. Yes, really!
Ferne said: “Obviously whatever I called her people would have their opinions, but I wasn’t going to go with a traditional name and from the beginning, I loved the name Sunday.
“There is a facial cleanser with that name and I just loved the sound. I loved the tone it.
“Then I got obsessed with Big Little Lies over the summer, with Nicole Kidman, and I began Googling her and saw she had a daughter called Sunday.”
Ferne then revealed an exclusive: her daughter’s middle name is Skye.
She gave birth one week early; her hind waters broke and doctors wanted to induce Sunday because of an infection risk, but Ferne was adamant she wanted a natural birth.
“I put my foot down,” she said. “My hind waters went, they were leaking a week leading up [to the due date]. The hospital were really keen to induce after 24 hours but that wasn’t part of the plan and I didn’t want it. I went home and did everything in my power to bring on labour. I went on a massive hike, bounced on a ball, and it happened naturally.”
Ferne admitted she was stunned to have a daughter, after becoming convinced during her pregnancy it would be a boy.
She also revealed she’s moved back in with her mum, just four months after leaving home.
The former I’m A Celebrity campmate was clearly besotted with her daughter as she cradled her on air, but admitted to Holly and Phil she’d been worried about whether she’d bond with the child.
“I felt like, imagine if my baby arrives and I don’t feel that connection. Everyone speaks about this unconditional gush of love, but what if I didn’t have it? Then as soon as she arrived, every minute I spend with her, the love just grows so much.
“Having a baby wasn’t in the plan for this year but you can’t plan life, you know? It just happened. I wasn’t the most maternal person but now I feel so maternal and so in love with her.”
Ferne also explained why she dislikes the term “single mum”.
“I don’t feel I should be labelled,” she said. “I’m a new mum, a first-time mum, like any other mum in any other situation, whether they’re in a relationship, same sex, whatever situation. I feel like single mum can have a negative connotation and I’m not keen.”
Holly and Phil pointed out it had been a stressful year for Ferne, with ex Arthur’s arrest, trial and conviction.
Arthur will be sentenced on December 19 after being found guilty of throwing acid over clubbers at a London nightclub in April.
“It has [been a tough year],” said Ferne.
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“For me, there was always light at the end of the tunnel. I can’t lie. It’s been a turbulent seven months for me, but I had something to look forward to. My focus was the pregnancy and welcoming Sunday into my life.”
This Morning airs weekdays at 10.30am on ITV.