Weekend Today host Richard Wilkins has shared the touching moment he met his granddaughter for the first time. On Tuesday, the television presenter, 66, took to Instagram to congratulate his daughter Rebecca and son-in-law James on the arrival of their second daughter, Abigail Rose Wilkins Bateman, who was born last Thursday. Wilkins is already a grandfather to Abigail’s older sister Bella.
“What a joy to meet my brand new granddaughter Abigail Rose Wilkins Bateman 21/1/21 – how perfect!” he wrote alongside a gorgeous photo of himself cradling little Abigail. “Congratulations Bec, James and big sister Bella.”
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Fans of Wilkins’ were quick to congratulate the doting grandpa on the new arrival, with one writing, “What a beautiful photo! Congratulations.” Another added, “How delightful. Congratulations to all.” While a third wrote, “Aww just a little bit adorable. Congrats to you all.”
The entertainment guru first announced the news of his second granddaughter on Saturday during Weekend Today. “I became a granddad for the second time, on Thursday,” he told co-hosts Rebecca Maddern and Sophie Walsh at the time, honey.nine.come.au reports. “My beautiful daughter Becky and her husband James had a beautiful little daughter, Abigail Rose Wilkins. Becky, I love you, darling. I’m so proud of you.”
Richard is a dad to five children: Adam, Nick, Christian, Rebecca and Estella. The entertainment guru has previously spoken about how he had to suddenly grow up at 18 after discovering the girl he was seeing at the time was pregnant. The expectant mother was only 16 years old but, despite her young age, the pair got married, as was expected of many young couples in the 1960s and ’70s.
Wilkins said he felt even more overwhelmed by the new situation after learning his first child, Adam, had Down Syndrome. “I didn’t quite know how to handle all that at the tender age of 18, but now I often refer to him as my rock,” Wilkins said.
Wilkins soon left his home country of New Zealand to go on the road with his band, sending home the money he made for Adam’s care. He has previously spoken about how much he loves being a father to his five children, saying they make him “enormously proud, deliriously happy”.
“People often say, ‘What’s the greatest thing you’ve ever done’ and I always say the greatest thing in my life are my children – bar none. I love, love, love them so much.”