Big Brother icon confirms he's set to welcome another child in joyous statement
Big Brother icon Brian Dowling has confirmed he and his famous TV judge partner are expecting their second child and gave a special shout out to his daughter Blake.
The couple, who are already parents to one-year-old Blake, have been strong advocates for the rights of parents who have children through surrogacy. Brian and Arthur Gourounlian - best known for being a judge on Dancing with the Stars- said they feel "blessed" at the chance to bring up another little one. Sharing the happy news on Instagram, Brian said: "Our family is going to get bigger.
"We are so excited about the arrival of Baby Dowling Gourounlian Number 2 this Summer. We have already been so blessed with Blake we can't believe how lucky we are as parents to welcome another baby to our family. Blake is going to be the BEST BIG SISTER EVER."
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In January, the couple first mentioned they were planning to have another child. "Listen, I've always been loud about it, I want Blake to have siblings, I'm not getting any younger. We want her to have someone to play with," Arthur told the Irish Independent.
Brian Dowling and Arthur Gourounlian 'heartbroken' as daughter hits milestoneHe praised his sister-in-law Aoife Dowling - who carried their daughter - as "the best thing ever", saying they could "never repay her" for helping them bring Blake into the world. Arthur hinted that Aoife might be open to being a surrogate for the famous couple again, saying they've had discussions about it. He remembered a conversation with her during their documentary when she agreed to help them once more if asked.
Needless to say, Brian and Arthur's celebrity pals were thrilled with their announcement, sharing their happiness in the comments. Doireann Garrihy wrote: "Dad goals always. Congratulations," while Donal Skehan also sent his best wishes, saying: "Woohoo! Pippa O'Connor noticed Blake's joy in the post and commented: "Her happy face - the best news."
Announcing the birth of their daughter Blake in 2022, Brian and Arthur wrote on Instagram at the time: "Please be upstanding for the arrival of our BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER Blake Maria Rose Dowling Gourounlian. Yes people another BDG. Blake was delivered safely on Thursday September 1st at 14:52pm weighting 7lb 4ozs. We @gourounlian are ABSOLUTELY TOTALLY IN LOVE with her & can’t believe she’s here & is ours."
The pair went on to thank their unknown donor and Aoife for her gift, writing: "None of this would have been possible without our donor, a woman we have never met or even seen a picture of but has given us the GIFT OF LIFE. "Now, where do we even start with you @effidy_dowling_ you are a SAINT to us & we will FOREVER be GRATEFUL to you for the REST OF OUR LIVES. Baby Blake can’t wait for her Aunty Aoife to spoil her."
Brian won Big Brother 22 years ago - on its second series- and since then has had a successful showbiz career. From presenting Saturday morning TV, to competing in Strictly Come Dancing and Hell's Kitchen to even being given his own show, Brian is certainly no stranger to the limelight.
He married Arthur Gourounlian in 2015 and was quite vocal about some of the vile messages he had received following the birth of his beloved daughter. "I can handle comments saying I'm a sh*t TV host, saying I've ruined my face with botox, and comments regarding my fake accent,” he told Instagram followers in January. The couple made a documentary about how they're finding parenthood called Brian and Arthur's Very Modern Family that give a look inside their experience.