Simon Thomas recalls ‘fear’ after wife fell 'rapidly ill' before welcoming baby

Blue Peter presenter Simon Thomas has opened up about the ‘range of emotions’ he went through as his wife Derrina Jebb fell ill before welcoming their first child. 

The TV star surprised his followers on Wednesday when he announced that his and Derrina’s baby girl had arrived eight weeks premature. 

Simon has now revealed that their daughter was born via C-section after Derrina fell ‘rapidly ill’ and both are recovering at  Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Buckinghamshire where the newborn is expected to remain for five to six weeks. 

Speaking about the family’s ordeal, Simon said on Thursday: ‘Having thought we have got another eight weeks to get ready and buy all the stuff and just generally get ready for a new baby, she had an emergency C-section on Tuesday afternoon.

‘We have got a very tiny, three pounds four, little baby girl, which is amazing. 

‘It is such a range of emotions from fear on Tuesday – we were obviously highly worried that Derrina is going to be OK and the baby is going to be OK – to suddenly having new life in your hands,’ he added while speaking on The Jeremy Vine Show. 

Simon had nothing but praise for the NHS staff at the hospital, who he hailed as ‘unbelievable’. 

‘I know that we often on this programme discuss the NHS and all the things that aren’t so good with it, but the team that we have got around that little life right now are just amazing,’ the presenter said. 

‘So even though I am sat at home feeling very separate to everything, I am heading off to the hospital shortly, I know she is in amazing hands.’ 

Simon was already father to 13-year-old son Ethan from his first marriage to late wife Gemma, who died in 2017 shortly after being diagnosed with cancer. 

He explained that it was Ethan’s dream to have a sibling and has now stepped into the role of protective big brother easily. 

Simon said: ‘He has always wanted a brother or sister and my first wife Gemma, because of fertility issues, we couldn’t have any more children. 

‘So this has always been a sadness for him, and for me as well, that I have never got to see him alongside a sibling, and although he is going to be quite a lot older he is just so full of joy… 

‘He just said to me this morning, “daddy, can we go and see my little sister tomorrow because I have got a day off school?”’ 

Simon and Derrina tied the knot in July 2021 and announced they were expecting their first child together in September 2022.

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