Mark Wright’s mother shares tribute to granddaughter as Michelle Keegan welcomes baby
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Mark Wright’s mother Carol has shared a heartfelt message to her granddaughter after her reality star son welcomed his first child with Michelle Keegan this week.
The Only Way Is Essex star, 38, and former Coronation Street actor, 37, who have been married since 2015, announced on social media Keegan had given birth to a baby daughter called Palma on Wednesday (March 12).
They captioned the black and white announcement Instagram post: “Together we have a new love to share…Our little girl. Palma Elizabeth Wright 06.03.25.”
Wright’s mother was quick to share her joy over the new arrival. Resharing a photo of Palma to her own profile, she said: “We are in love with you beautiful baby girl thank you Michelle and Mark for this wonder gift. X.”
After announcing the news on Instagram, the couple received thousands of congratulatory messages from stars including Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden, The Inbetweeners actress Emily Atack, Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden, YouTuber Joe Wicks and Loose Women star Denise Welch.
“This is wonderful news. Love the name too. Congrats guys,” wrote Atack. Meanwhile, Wicks revealed he was “crying”, adding: “I know how much you’ve wanted to be a dad and you’ll be an amazing dad too. This is the most beautiful thing to see. So happy for you both.”
“Best news ever congratulations darling to both of you,” Holden added.
Meanwhile, Wright’s TOWIE co-star James ‘Arg’ Argent commented: “I love you and I’m so happy for you both, you’re going to be amazing parents. I can’t wait to be an uncle.
Alongside his mum Carol, the rest of Wright’s family also shared their elation at the happy news: “So so happy for you both. The best news ever,” his sister Natalya said.
“Over the moon for you both and can’t wait for our boys to meet your little one,” his brother Josh added.
Keegan began her acting career in TV in 2008 playing Tina McIntyre in ITV soap opera Coronation Street, before going on to star in the hit army drama Our Girl as Georgie Lane and in the Sky comedy Brassic as Erin Croft.
Meanwhile, Wright was a semi-professional footballer who spent time at the youth academies of West Ham, Arsenal and Tottenham before he starred in TOWIE.
He gained further recognition after finishing as a runner-up on ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2011, and as a finalist on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing in 2014.
Explaining how he and Keegan first met, Wright previously revealed on the Private Parts podcast: “I think the first time was at an event together. We were both attendees at the X Factor and we were in the green room backstage and it was her and her mum and me and my cousin.
He continued: “We got talking and I think it was about three days later, we ended up being on a table next to each other at a Manchester United charity dinner.
“We got talking and got on really well. Then I saw her at the NTAs a week later – I just kept seeing her…Nothing bloomed from there but people were suspecting things.”
However, when Wright bumped into Keegan a year later he finally made his move and asked her on a date: “Yeah it all went from there,” he said. “I chased her for a while.”
The happy news comes after Keegan and Wright were forced to lock themselves in a bedroom of their £3.5m home when four masked raiders broke in while Keegan was heavily pregnant last month.
Essex Police reportedly arrived at the mansion within eight minutes of the burglars triggering Wright’s security system with the group fleeing the scene “empty handed in a getaway car”, per The Sun.
