MIC's Ollie Locke welcomes twin babies and shares special meaning behind names

20 August 2023 , 16:00

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Ollie Locke and husband Gareth have welcomed their twin babies

Ollie Locke and his husband Gareth have announced they have become fathers to twins, a boy and a girl, after their long journey to parenthood took over three years.

"Guys, the news we've been wanting to tell you for so many years – we are finally dads!" said Ollie in an Instagram video before Gareth said: "The twins are here," and Ollie added: "And you can only see them on our YouTube channel!"

The couple, who married at London's Natural History Museum in 2020, shared a video documenting their journey to the hospital to pick up their children Apollo Magnus Obi and Cosima Emily Bex for the first time.

In the YouTube video shared on Sunday, Ollie said: "The babies were born six weeks ago. It has been a scary time, they have been in neonatal intensive care for quite a long time," before Gareth added: "It was something we didn't want to share until we had them safe, back home with us and all part of the family. It is down to the amazing NHS team in the neonatal units we've been in that means we've got the kids home now and the real daddying is about to begin."

Ollie and Gareth introduced their baby twins

The clip showed the twins' first "at home nappy change" as well as the couple's multiple dogs getting used to the new arrivals. Gareth said: "Everyone at the hospital has been so amazing but it's so much nicer being here, being at home."

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Opening up on becoming fathers, Ollie and Gareth shared the special meaning behind the twins names in an interview with Hello! magazine.

"I always wanted to have as on and call him Apollo," says Gareth, adding: "My dad’s nickname for my mum [Margaret]is Maggie, so Magnus is the male version."

Ollie and Gareth's daughter's name means "chaos and beauty" with the Made in Chelsea star adding she's "already living up to that".

Ollie and Gareth shared their first feed at home with their twin babies

The couple paid tribute to two very special people in their lives with Cosima's middle names. She is named after Ollie’s close friend Emily Hartridge, a YouTuber who passed away in 2019 and the couple’s surrogate, Bex Ward, who gave birth to the twins on 8 July.

The couple married in 2020 in front of 13 guests with 48 hours' notice, including bridesmaids Binky Felstead and Olivia Bentley, who have both starred in Made In Chelsea.

Reality TV star Olivia posted a picture on Instagram cradling Apollo, as she announced she has been chosen as his godmother. "Welcome to the world my beautiful godson Apollo Magnus Obi Locke-Locke and little Cosima, you are just wonderful and I can't wait to watch you grow up and go on a million adventures with you," she said.

Charlotte McIntyre