EastEnders actor Micah Balfour has become a father for the first time, welcoming a baby with his partner Natalie.
The 46-year-old star, who plays Junior Knight in the BBC One soap, shared the joyful news on Instagram on Wednesday.
The couple have kept details of their newborn private, with Balfour choosing not to reveal the baby’s name, gender or exact arrival date in his announcement.
The actor, who joined EastEnders in May 2024 as George Knight’s son, has been in a relationship with Natalie, 33, for five years.
The new parents shared a touching black and white photograph showing their hands alongside their newborn, who is pictured gripping Natalie’s finger.
Balfour captioned the intimate moment with a simple heart emoji on his Instagram page and story.
The announcement was met with congratulatory messages from his soap co-stars and fans.
Former EastEnders star Louisa Lytton responded: “Congratulations” accompanied by love heart eye emojis.
Eden Taylor-Draper, known for her role in Emmerdale, wrote: “Congratulations!!!!”, while ex-Coronation Street actress Rhea Bailey commented: “Ahh! Congratulations Honey!! So exciting!!”
The baby’s arrival comes after the couple announced their pregnancy last summer with a special social media post.
The soap star announced their pregnancy back in 2024
Balfour shared a photo featuring a teddy bear and a sign reading “Baby Balfour, February 2025”, writing: “So we have some exciting news……”
Natalie also shared the news on her own social media, saying: “We’ve been keeping a little secret…our best adventure yet!! Due February 2025.”
The couple, who began dating in 2020, moved into their first house together in 2023.
The baby news comes amid a dramatic storyline for Balfour’s character Junior Knight in EastEnders.
Junior’s affair with his father George’s ex-wife Cindy Beale (played by Michelle Collins) was exposed on Christmas Day in front of the whole family.
The revelation came after Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) sent a recording of Cindy confessing to the romance.
Micah Balfour’s character has caused chaos ever since stepping into Walford
BBC
Following these events, Cindy was attacked by an unknown Walford resident with a shovel.
In Tuesday night’s episode, Junior was seen hiding the weapon used in the attack in his flat, though the true culprit won’t be revealed until the show’s anniversary special next month.
