Beloved TV host Michaela Strachan has reminded us all that time is truly flying after announcing the birth of her first grandchild.
The reality star, 59, known for her wildlife and nature shows, rose to fame with her 80s series The Really Wild Show as well as presenting BBC’s Springwatch, Autumnwatch and Winterwatch and a decade-long tenure on Countryfile.
Now, just weeks after competing in Dancing on Ice, Michaela is sharing the special moment she became a grandmother for the first time after her stepson Thomas Chevallier had a baby with his wife Mikayla Humphries.
In a caption on Instagram, she wrote: ‘Today I became a Granny!!
‘After an extremely stressful and exhausting labour, 55hrs, baby Huxley finally arrived!! So proud of my future daughter-in-law [Mikayla] & my stepson [Thomas]. Proud new parents.
‘Me and granny Jacky Humphries were a wee bit emotional. Welcome to the world baby Huxley. So, so precious.’
The heartfelt message was paired with a series of pictures capturing the happy family at the hospital including a snap of all four of them together, one of Michaela cuddling the baby and one with Huxley and her stepson
Fans, family and friends flocked to the comments to offer their congratulations to the first-time grandparent, calling the role the ‘best thing ever’.
Of course, in the 80s The Hitman and Her star was the muse for many childhood crushes – and she still is for many today.
‘My celeb crush in the early 90’s, still my celeb crush today,’ fallenangel152 wrote on a Reddit thread about Michaela becoming a childhood TV crush.
‘Michaela was and is lovely,’ druid bloke agreed.
One user, the amyichasedwasme, joked: ‘For real. I know more about animals that I’ll ever need to.
Michaela reached the final of the latest Dancing On Ice season (which will also be its last after ITV rested the show) with many rooting for her to take home the trophy.
Although she just missed out on victory, she was filled with gratitude for the experience.
‘This whole experience has been so incredible. From being terrified on the ice back in October, to getting to be the runner up in the final, I completely exceeded my own expectations and am so proud of what [pro partner] Mark Hanretty & I have achieved.
‘So many unbelievable memories. So many incredible people involved,’ she penned to her followers after the grand finale.
The media personality – who has lived with her partner Nick Chavallier in South Africa since 2002 – has previously spoken about her experience with breast cancer after she was diagnosed in 2014 and underwent a double mastectomy.
Last year, she shared her reflections a decade on to her followers on social media.
‘It’s been 10 years since my breast cancer diagnosis. I had a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. A decade later I’ve learnt to love my scars. But that acceptance has taken time. It can be really tough for people to accept the way they look after surgery,’ she wrote at the time.
She has three stepchildren – Jade, and twins Tom and Sam – and a son Ollie born in 2006.
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