Having talked openly about her struggle with endometriosis, TV presenter Julia Bradbury has told HELLO! that having her first child at 40 is a "dream come true.""We’ve both waited so long for this," she said, referring to her partner, property developer Gerard Cunningham, who is a first-time dad at 52.Countryfile host Julia gave birth to their son Zephyrus Bradbury Cunningham after a challenging 33-hour labour and after developing early onset pre-eclampsia.
Speaking exclusively to HELLO!, Julia revealed that she chose her son’s unusual moniker. "I always knew that I wanted a Greek name and Zehryrus is the Greek god of the west wind. It’s also the name of quite a cool surfboard. And Edmund Spenser mentions Zephryus in his poem Prothalamion. "I definitely wanted something unusual and the name abbreviates well – we also call him little Z."Little Z has already had more than 100 visitors, including Julia’s Countryfile co-host Matt Baker.And just two days after giving birth, energetic Julia invited 25 people round for lunch to celebrate her 41st birthday.Julia had feared that endometriosis would leave her infertile. "Because I didn’t think it was possible to have children, I feel incredibly blessed," she said.Irishman Gerard is also counting his blessings, having always wanted to be a dad. "He’s a very emotional, loving and incredible dad," says Julia. "He’s very hands on."
Julia tells HELLO! that she has friends of a similar age who are new mums. "We’re vintage mums," she laughs.The presenter, who has worked on shows including Watchdog, Top Gear and Rough Guide, also plans to return to work. "I’m loving getting used to being a mum," she said. "But I’m also really looking forward to returning to work. "Full the full interview and adorable pictures of little Zehryrus, pick up HELLO! Magazine, issue 1194, on sale now.