Big Brother’s Brian Dowling welcomes second baby and reveals first picture and very unusual name
BIG Brother star Brian Dowling and his husband Arthur Gourounlian have welcomed a second child together.
The 46-year-old share the happy news just a few months after revealing his younger sister Aoife was there surrogate for a second time.
Sharing the first snap of their little one, Brian told fans: “Please be upstanding for the arrival of our BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER, Blu Amar Rose Dowling Gourounlian.”
“@effidy_dowling_, you are a SUPERSTAR & we are, as always, FOREVER GRATEFUL.
“You stayed so calm, considering it wasn’t exactly the birth plan we had initially hoped for.
“Baby Blu was adamant to arrive on Sunday, the 23rd of June & nothing or no one was going to stop her.
“Big Sister Blake, you have been activated.”
The couple – who married in 2015- are already parents to a little girl called Blake.
People were absolutely delighted at the news, with dozens flocking to the comments to congratulate the family.
Una Healy said: “Congratulations to you all.”
Pippa O’Connor, who attended the couples baby shower last week, added: “Baby Blu you little beauty. Welcome to the world.”
A fan told how the family had been blessed with “another little princess” whilst a second added: “The best news. Welcome to the world Baby Blu.
“I’m so glad to hear you have arrived safely. Sending lots of love and hugs to you all. Aoife Dowling you are amazing.”
The happy pair threw a luxurious baby shower in the Glasshouse Bar in Dublin city centre last week.
The stunning venue was decked out with white balloons and beautiful flower arrangements, in sync with their classy white theme.
Brian – who first shot to fame on Big Brother series two – found out he was infertile when they started their surrogacy journey.
Speaking on Ireland AM in November, he said: “It’s something I have been very embarrassed about, I don’t know why I’m embarrassed about it.
“The issue of the infertility for me is a much bigger issue, and that is of our daughter.
“I’m still her father – when I say I’m infertile, I still have a child. I’m very mindful of the words that I use and the conversation I have.
What is surrogacy?
Surrogacy is the name given for a type of pregnancy where a woman carries and gives birth to another person’s baby.
The surrogate mother is then expected to give up the baby at birth, so it can be raised by the couple who originally wanted the baby.
Surrogacy is often an option for those unable to have children themselves, or for same sex couples.
According to surrogacy charity Childlessness Overcome Through Surrogacy (COTS), there are two different types of surrogacy.
- Traditional surrogacy: When the surrogate uses her own egg fertilised with the intended father’s sperm.
- Gestational surrogacy: The surrogate carries the intended parent’s genetic child conceived through IVF, for which specialist doctors are needed.
“I don’t want our daughter seeing something when she’s older or reading something when she’s older.”
“People would always say to me, ‘She’s the image of Arthur’,” he added. “It was like a knife in my heart each time people said that because they were unaware of my own issue.
“The control was taken away from me. But now everybody knows the truth about my daughter’s DNA. My name is not on her birth cert. It’s just my sister Aoife and Arthur.”