Some very exciting news for Lucy Pargeter - the Emmerdale actress has announced she is expecting twins! A spokesperson for the ITV show confirmed: "Lucy Pargeter and her partner Rudi Coleano are delighted to announce they are expecting twins spring 2017. They will be long-awaited siblings for their daughter Lola."
Lucy, 39, later took to Twitter to thank fans for their kind words following the announcement. "We are overwhelmed with your lovely messages and over the moon to be having twins," she wrote. "Thank you all so so much."
Lucy Pargeter and her partner Rudi Coleano have announced they are expecting twins
Rudi and Lucy, who has appeared as Emmerdale's Chastity 'Chas' Dingle since 2002, have been together for a number of years, but have not yet tied the knot – despite the fact that the actress proposed just two weeks after they first met.
The couple had planned to marry in a lavish ceremony but put their wedding on hold when they discovered Lucy was pregnant with daughter Lola, now 11.
Lucy took just three months off from Emmerdale to give birth and look after Lola at her home near the show's set in Leeds. "As soon as I told the bosses at Emmerdale I was pregnant they asked me how long I would want on maternity leave. But I just wanted three months and then straight back," she told the Mirror.
The Emmerdale actress took to Twitter to thank fans for their messages of support
"I couldn't afford to have too long off work – I have got two mortgages and a car. Working is a big part of me and my life and I wasn't happy to stay at home – I'm a workaholic."
Since then, Rudi has proposed to Lucy with a second ring, after secretly taking back the first to get the right size. "I was going mad thinking I had lost it," she admitted. "But it was a really romantic thing to do."
She also said the couple hope to tie the knot in the near future – possibly abroad. "I've still got my wedding file from last time," she revealed. "I had a lot of it planned, the dress, the cake…
"Rudi is desperate to get on with it, but there just aren't enough hours in the day!"