Children's TV presenters Sam Nixon and Mark Rhodes are so in synch that the double-act have become first-time dads to baby girls at the same time, and speaking exclusively to HELLO! the CBBC stars introduce their newborn daughters to the world."I can't believe our babies were born nine days apart," says Mark, whose wife Harriet gave birth to baby Scarlett on 25 September, just over a week before Sam's wife Anne gave birth to baby Meridon.
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"Someone pointed out to us that the babies' initials are also S and M, which is another coincidence. "The dynamic duo, who host Sam and Mark's Big Friday Wind-Up, have been inseparable since they met as contestants on the ITV talent show Pop Idol 11 years ago.After the show they paired up to form Sam & Mark, went on to share a No 1 hit and a BAFTA, and even got married in the same year. Now the pair are sharing their baby joy with HELLO!."They will definitely be close and grow up together," says Mark. "I'll be Uncle Mark to Meridon and Sam will be uncle to Scarlett."
However, the close friends reveal that despite their synchronicities, they are very different characters. "I have a feeling that Mark will be softer than I am," says Sam, who admits that he cried at Meridon's birth. "We always joke that I am dead inside. But becoming a dad has definitely brought out the softer side in me."Adds Mark, who also cried a Scarlett made her first appearance, "I looked like I had dipped my head in water."READ THE FULL INTERVIEW IN HELLO! MAGAZINE, OUT NOW.
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