Turn back the clock 12 months and life couldn't have been any better for Jamie Lomas and his fiancée Jess Bell - or so they thought.
The couple got engaged in July 2023, during a holiday to Mexico; they had a stunning home in Manchester; they enjoyed the delightful company of Jamie's 13-year-old daughter Polly (with ex-wife Kym Marsh), who stays over regularly; and they shared their beloved miniature dachshund Jeffrey. But then their first child together, baby Bella, came along and made their dream set-up even more magical.
In an exclusive photoshoot with OK!, the couple - who met in 2021 through mutual friends - confessed that a new addition to the family wasn't exactly on the cards, but was the best surprise they could ever have hoped for.
"I just didn't see how a baby would fit in around our lives," Jess, 36, who is a cosmetic dentist, explains.
"But you learn to make things work, and I'm so glad we did. She's completed us." Jamie - who is also dad to son Billy, 18, from a previous relationship and Jess welcomed their beautiful baby girl Bella Nevaeh Lomas on 29 July, weighing 6lb 8oz.
"We wanted a name that was meaningful to us," Jamie, 49, smiles. "Bella is a nod to Jess's surname and Nevaeh is 'heaven' backwards. Bella also means beautiful so it's 'beautiful heaven'." And when OK! meets Bella, just 15 days after her birth, at our photoshoot at the couple's home, she's protectively guarded by Jeffrey who "follows her everywhere she goes" Her arrival, the couple tell us, was one filled with happiness, love and joy, and the newborn has settled contentedly into their lives.
Here, Jamie and Jess talk us through their beautiful new addition, wedding bells and Jess's close relationship with Jamie's ex Kym...
Hi, Jamie and Jess. Congratulations! You must be over the moon...
This story is from the August 26, 2024 edition of OK! UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 26, 2024 edition of OK! UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
BABY JOY: I honestly think Tom must have brought Will to me'
Kelsey Parker and her partner Will Lindsay reveal their pregnancy
REST IN PEACE: 'Linda was just a force of nature and I've been in awe of her'
TV star Coleen Nolan pays tribute to her brave and beloved sister Linda who recently passed away
THE ROYAL WEEK
There were trips to Scotland and South Africa for the royal family, along with visits to charities, plus a cuddle with a puppy
DIFFERENT STROKES: After miscarriage, I fell out of love with my body'
Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington tells OK! about accepting her losses, her two beautiful children and getting to a better place
BROOK HERE! 'I'm not trying to be anything other than I am'
Model and presenter Kelly Brook and her husband Jeremy have moved back to London to start a new chapter. Here, she tells us about staying trim, not having kids and her bucket-list TV project
LIFE LESSONS: I'm learning to like my own company'
Strictly's Shirley Ballas on family, friendship and finding inner strength during her latest TV challenge
IN MOTHER MODE: Felicity's amused and amusing - with a little bit of cattiness'
Actress Dame Joanna Lumley returns to our screens as snobbish grandmother Felicity alongside Lucy Punch as acerbic Amanda in Motherland spin-off Amandaland
BEST OF THE ALGARVE
Can't decide between the luxe resorts west of Faro and the pretty towns and sandy islands to the east? Here's an itinerary that combines both
JUNGLE QUEEN: 'I prefer a natural look'
I'm A Celebrity runner-up Coleen Rooney reveals the health and beauty must-haves that keep her looking and feeling her best as a busy mum-of-four
TAKING THE LEAD: 'My animalistic instinct is more golden retriever'
Actress Amy Adams on motherhood and connecting to her wild side for a movie that should give us all paws for thought
