TV legend, 45, welcomes ‘utterly perfect’ seventh child

Madeleine West has given birth (Picture: Madeline West/Instagram)

Former Neighbours star Madeleine West has given birth to her seventh child.

The actress, 45, announced her pregnancy in January, revealing that she originally suspected she was going through perimenopause.

‘WHOOPS! Thought it was perimenopause. I thought WRONG!’ she wrote on social media at the time.

‘It’s not too much Christmas pudding either. And I couldn’t be happier.

‘Not too sure about the title “Geriatric mum” but here we are, and I’m winding back a little to grow this little surprise package I’ve dubbed #007
(Baby number 7, couldn’t help myself)

‘I don’t have much more to say right now, but I’ve noticed I don’t hear much about older parents. l know you must be out there. Just seems we are invisible. 

She continued: ‘So if you’re expecting later than expected, and tackling early parenthood in your 40s or 50s, I’d LOVE hear your stories.

‘I’d love any tips you care to share. Like how the heck do you get all the baby paraphernalia together again after you’ve given it all away????

She announced her pregnancy in January (Picture: Madeleine West/Instagram)

‘There’s a terrifying new world of contraptions out there and I don’t know where to start!! HELP!!!’

Madeleine has six children with Melbourne restauranteur Shannon Bennett, who she separated from in 2018 after 13 years together.

She has been in a relationship with environmentalist Maximo Bottaro since 2020.

Taking to Instagram yesterday, she uploaded an up-close picture of her baby, writing: ‘Earthside at last… and utterly perfect.’

Her former Neighbours co-stars rushed to the comments to send their love, with Aaron Brennan actor Matt Wilson writing: ‘Woah! Congratulations.’

Libby Kennedy icon Kym Valentine added: ‘Congrats my love.’

‘Congratulations!!!’ wrote April-Rose Pengilly, who played Chloe Brennan.

Madeleine originally starred as Dee Bliss on the Amazon Prime Video soap between 2000 and 2003, with the character famously being killed off in a car accident on her wedding day to Toadie Rebecchi (Ryan Moloney).

Madeleine is best known as Dee Bliss in Neighbours (Picture: Fremantle Media/REX/Shutterstock) She later returned as Dee’s evil identical twin (Picture: Fremantle Media)

Fourteen years later, Madeleine returned to Ramsay Street, albeit as Dee’s estranged, evil, identical twin sister Andrea Somers, who conned Toadie out of $100,000.

In a bizarre twist, they also conceived a baby together whilst his horrified wife Sonya (Eve Morey) watched on via video call.

The long-running story arc came to an end when the real Dee actually returned, revealing that she had spent time in witness protection. Andrea was eventually sent down for identity theft.

Madeleine played both characters, wearing slightly different costumes to differentiate between the two.

She has most recently been seen on an episode of TV gameshow Hard Quiz, and played the regular role of Kath Rickards in football-based drama Playing for Keeps.

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