Comedian Mo Gilligan has opened up about his ‘secret child’ Rudi on stage, who he welcomed in January 2024 following a brief relationship with model Selina Christoforou.
At the same time news of Rudi broke in July this year, Mo, 37, was looking forward to welcoming a baby with his wellness influencer fiancée Taia Tulher, 28, who gave birth in September.
The couple are keeping the baby’s gender and name private.
The Masked Singer judge has remained tight-lipped on Rudi, save a cryptic social media post in August, and now he’s reportedly opened up about the child on stage.
Speaking at a London comedy club, according to The Sun Mo said: ‘He’s a very lovely boy. A very, very lovely boy and despite whatever you see on social media, his mum is a good mum.
‘I’m not here to disrespect. That’s the mother of my child. And I would never disrespect her publicly because she’s raising my son. He’s very polite.
‘He’s very kind, he’s very loving.’
He also reportedly made a joke about paying child maintenance for Rudi, saying if you see him on Antiques Roadshow ‘you’ll be like, “The rent is due”.’
Selina previously blasted Mo on social media, claiming he showed little interest in their child, which he appeared to respond to on social media by posting a video of them spending quality time together.
‘Selina found out she was pregnant in May last year,’ a source told The Sun when news broke. ‘It was a surprise for them both… but she chose to have the baby, and she absolutely adores him.’
The source reported that the comedian, who first gained attention through viral online comedy clips before landing primetime TV gigs, sees Rudi ‘semi-regularly’.
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Meanwhile, Taia revealed she was pregnant in March, but she did not specifically name Gilligan as the father.
Alongside a picture of her with her pregnancy bump, she wrote: ‘Today, I carry the love that made me… and the love I’ve only just begun to understand.’
A source previously revealed their engagement, telling The Sun: ‘Mo went the full nine yards in proposing to Taia but kept quiet about it publicly. They have been telling friends that they are engaged, and everyone is really happy for them.
‘He and Taia are so in love and really excited to be starting a family together. They already live together in London, so it felt like the natural next step to get engaged.
‘There aren’t immediate plans for a wedding yet, though. The baby will keep their hands full for a while.’
Despite a few career setbacks in 2023 – including the end of The Lateish Show after four series and the cancellation of his BBC programme That’s My Jam – Gilligan remains a familiar face on UK screens.
Alongside his role as a judge on The Masked Singer, he became a regular on Celebrity Gogglebox and has co-hosted The Big Narstie Show.
Metro has contacted Mo Milligan’s representatives for comment.
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