Big Brother star Brian Dowling has revealed that he and his husband Arthur have welcomed a second child.
The TV star shared the happy news on Instagram, sharing photos of the moment the couple met their daughter and revealing that her ‘superstar’ sister Aoife was her surrogate mother for the second time.
‘Please stay tuned for the arrival of our BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER, Blu Amar Rose Dowling Gourounlian. Blu was delivered safely on Sunday, June 23 at 1:33 p.m., weighing 6 pounds, 2 ounces. “Dad and I are ABSOLUTELY THRILLED and actually can’t believe we now have two little cuties to keep us on our toes,” he wrote.
Paying tribute to his sister, Brian continued: ‘@effidy_dowling_ you are a SUPERSTAR and we are, as always, FOREVER GRATEFUL.’
‘You stayed very calm, considering it wasn’t exactly the birth plan we were initially hoping for. Baby Blu insisted on arriving on Sunday, June 23, and nothing and no one was going to stop her big sister Blake, you’ve been activated.
Big Brother star Brian Dowling has revealed that he and his husband Arthur have welcomed a second child.
The TV star shared the happy news on Instagram, sharing photos of the moment the couple met their daughter and revealing her ‘superstar’ sister Aoife was her surrogate mother for the second time.
Several stars congratulated Brian in the comments, with Una Healy writing: “Congratulations everyone!” while Steps singer Ian ‘H’ Watkins wrote: ‘CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Tons of love!!!! Xxxx’
Big Brother legend Brian announced in March that he was becoming a father for the second time.
The presenter, who rose to fame by starring on the reality show in 2001, revealed the happy news in an Instagram post.
The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter named Blake, in September 2022, with Brian’s sister acting as a surrogate mother.
Sharing an adorable photo of the little one in a ‘promoted to big sister’ sweater, she wrote: ‘Our family is going to grow.
“We are very excited about the arrival of Baby Dowling Gourounlian Number 2 this summer.”
Brian continued: ‘We have already been so blessed with Blake that we can’t believe how lucky we are as parents to welcome another baby into our family.
“Blake is going to be the BEST BIG SISTER EVER.”
‘Please be respectful of the arrival of our BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER, Blu Amar Rose Dowling Gourounlian,’ Brian posted on Instagram
Brian also revealed that his sister Aoife acted as his surrogate mother for the second time, having previously had their first child.
Big Brother legend Brian announced in March that he was becoming a father for the second time.
Brian pictured hosting Big Brother in 2011
Blake was welcomed through surrogacy on Thursday, September 1, 2022, and Brian’s sister Aoife agreed to carry and give birth to Blake for the couple.
Posting a selfie with his newborn son at the time, Brian was dressed in a hospital gown as he held newborn Blake in his arms, as an excited Arthur took the photo.
‘Blake was safely delivered on Thursday 1 September at 2.52pm weighing 7lb 4oz. “We are ABSOLUTELY TOTALLY IN LOVE with her and we can’t believe she is here and she is ours ,” he explained.
Brian went on to thank the women who contributed to the process, writing, “None of this would have been possible without our donor, a woman we have never met or even seen a photo of but who has given us the GIFT OF LIFE.”
As he prepared to welcome his first child in 2022, Brian revealed that his sister had agreed to be his surrogate mother.
speaking to Made by Moms: The PodcastThe star said he had always wanted to be a father and his sister graciously offered to make his dreams come true by carrying a donor egg.
However, the TV presenter revealed that the journey to fatherhood had been difficult after he and his husband discovered “things along the way” that meant only one would be able to be the baby’s biological father.
The couple have also been subjected to homophobic abuse after beginning their journey towards parenthood.
Although he did not reveal who his son’s biological father will be, Brian told presenter Zoe Hardman: “It doesn’t make any difference to me and Arthur.”
The star, whose sister is due to give birth later this year, married professional dancer Arthur in 2015 and said that, as they both come from large families, they always wanted to have children.
“I always wanted to be a mother. I remember taking my two younger sisters to Paris, to Disney. I was working at Ryanair at the time. I don’t think I was more than 20 or 21 and they were very young. And I remember telling someone that I was their father to take them on a trip.”
He went on to remember the moment Sister Aoife made the generous offer.
‘At Christmas 2020, Aoife said, “I’m definitely interested in doing this for you,” and we thought, “Oh my god, maybe this is something we should really think about,” I told Arthur. “This year I’m 44 years old and I said that when I’m 45 I feel like I’m going to be too old” –Arthur is two years younger than me.’
And while she didn’t give any details about the donated egg, she said, “We went for a walk and she said, ‘I’m really interested in doing this, I really, really want to help you, I think you’ve done a lot for me.’
He added: “She’s single, she’s 32, so you know, experiencing all that would be an amazing feeling.” But then not having the responsibility.
“So the way it happened was very organic, and it was Aoife who initiated these conversations and that was very reassuring for us.”
He went on to reveal that the couple had previously lost two embryos after doctors concluded they were not viable.
‘I was very sad because to me it’s not just an egg and a sperm, it’s an embryo, and they knew the gender and for me that was a loss. I know it sounds really dramatic. But for me that was a loss.’
As he prepared to welcome his first child in 2022, Brian revealed that his sister had agreed to be his surrogate mother.
The star continued to discuss the positive comments the trio has received since the news was announced.
He said: “My sister went for a spray tan and she was naked and the woman said: ‘Oh, your Bran Dowling sister, what you’re doing is amazing.’
But the positive also comes with the negative, as he said heterosexual couples don’t face the same scrutiny.
‘There are people out there who can’t stand the fact that two men who chose to be gay are forcing this, you know, “raping a womb,” “renting a womb,” “forcing this woman into a situation.”
“We’ve had that for things like, ‘Well, I hope he doesn’t get cancer because of the hormones,’ ‘Men shouldn’t be allowed to have babies,’ ‘You’re disgusting.'”
‘The day we chose to be gay, we gave up the right to be parents… But you know, that’s based on pure homophobia, that’s all.
‘I know people who have chosen surrogacy and who are heterosexual and don’t understand it. Do gay men or gay women do it? Everyone has an opinion.’