Chris Bisson has just become a dad. The Emmerdale actor and his partner Rowena Finn are now the proud parents of a baby boy called Harry, who was welcomed into the world on Wednesday, January 9. Chris, best known to TV fans as Emmerdale businessman Jai Sharma, took to Twitter to share his news, saying: "Our little bundle of joy Harry weighed in at 6lb 7oz, and mum is doing great." With his small screen career well established, Chris' growing family is the perfect start to 2013.
The 37-year-old became a firm favourite during his long-standing role as Vikram Desai in British soap Coronation Street. He also appeared in the second series of I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!, but is now a regular in ITV's rural show, Emmerdale.
In a bizarre coincidence, his real-life reflects his screen life, where his alter ego is also set to become a dad – albeit under slightly more dramatic circumstances. Married man Jai and his wife Charity have to deal with the fact that an indiscretion led to his impending paternity. When the cameras stop rolling, however, everything is as it should be, and committed couple Chris and Rowena now look forward to establishing a family unit with their new baby boy Harry.
And although things are calm in real life, the irony isn't lost on Chris who told The Sun that expecting a baby was "more fun in real life than it is on screen". He added: "Jai's got all these problems that I don't have, thank goodness! "It's very, very exciting, and also interesting as the two pregnancies are happening at exactly the same time." Having now welcomed his son into the world, that "excitement" will only increase as Chris and Rowena explore the joys of first-time parenthood.