Strictly Come Dancing star Artem Chigvintsev has shared his excitement after revealing that both he and his fiancée Nikki Bella are expecting a baby boy in the season finale of Total Bellas. The couple, who are set to become parents this summer, hosted a fiesta-themed baby shower in honour of the former wrestler's Mexican heritage. Ahead of the show, Artem teased: "Finally today is the day we don't have to keep a secret about gender of our baby, Nicole and I are so excited to share this with all of you! Nicole, I love you so so much and how much I appreciate you for going through with this pregnancy, I know it could be challenging at times, you’ll make the best mum ever."
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Following the gender reveal, the professional dancer confirmed on Instagram: "It's a boy." Fellow Strictly pro Graziano Di Prima was quick to respond: "Congratulations." Gleb Savchenko added: "Artemchik so so happy for you!!!" Artem and Nikki, the former WWE wrestling star, live in Phoenix, Arizona, and are looking forward to becoming parents in August.
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However, during the show, Nikki confessed Artem was hoping for a daughter before they found out the sex of their baby, saying: "He wants a girl, and I'm like, I don't care." The expectant mother admitted she had a strong feeling she was having a boy from looking at her scan. "The first time I saw the 3D version of my baby I immediately thought a boy because the back was so jacked and strong," she explained. "I was like, 'Oh damn, if that's a girl she's going to come out here and destroy people - which would be awesome.'"
This will be Artem and Nikki's first child
In April, Artem exclusively opened up to HELLO! about the prospect of becoming parents during lockdown. "It is a really crazy time," he said. "It's going to be interesting to see what happens with the new restrictions. We usually go for pregnancy scans together but I couldn't go to the last one, because new rules meant that Nikki couldn't bring anyone to the hospital. Having a baby is a big deal, so we hope things get better for when the baby arrives."
The couple got engaged in Paris back in November, and just over two weeks later, they found out Nikki was pregnant. "I've always wanted to have kids – I think it's something that every human should experience. We are very lucky," Artem remarked. The pair first met in 2017 when they were partnered on Dancing with the Stars, the US version of Strictly. Artem has said their focus is on welcoming their first child. "We're praying for a healthy baby and that everything goes well," he concluded. "We can't wait to meet our baby."