Sky Sports presenter Simon Thomas welcomes baby with wife after family tragedy

Simon, 51, shared his happy news on Instagram as he revealed he was 'so proud' of wife Derrina, who he married in 2021.

The couple already share 15-month-old daughter Talitha together, while Simon is also dad to 12-year-old Ethan - his son with late wife Gemma. Mum Gemma tragically died at the age of 40 in 2017 just days after being diagnosed with cancer.

Simon brought Ethan up alone before meeting Derrina and turning his life around. Sharing some candid snaps from the birth of his latest child, the devoted dad wrote on Instagram : "After a long ten days of endless hospital visits and uncertainty, feel incredibly blessed to be able to say that Theo Benjamin Thomas was born this week - Ethan and Talitha have a little brother!"

"After the drama and fear of Talitha's premature arrival nineteen months ago - this time was so different and we're so thankful for this. I'm so proud of @derrina . She was desperate to reach full term this time and she did it. She's the most incredible Mum and I know that he has a mother who will always be his biggest cheerleader."

He continued: "It's been a long few days and not without some drama along the way; but as ever we are incredibly grateful to the wonderful doctors and midwives at Stoke Mandeville Hospital for getting us through. Now it's time to hopefully get Derrina and Theo home from hospital this weekend."

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He continued his post by pointing out how he 'hates' missing work but explained that "family comes first" as he confirmed that he wouldn't be on Soccer Saturday this weekend. He thanked his team for being supportive and Julian Warren for stepping in over the last few weeks.

Simon's TV pals rushed to the comment section to congratulate his family after the share. "Many congratulations to you all, such wonderful news," posted Kirsty Gallacher. Former Blue Peter co-star Matt Baker shared a string of love hearts in response while footballer John Bostock replied: "Congratulations brother! God is faithful"

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Simon, who hosted Blue Peter from 1999 until 2005, before presenting live Premier League football for Sky Sports from 2016 to 2018, tragically lost his first wife Gemma to cancer in 2017. He has bravely opened up about the devastating blow in the years since to help other grieving families.

Speaking last year, he said: "We went from Monday night with her being diagnosed with a blood cancer of some sort. For a couple of days, things were looking OK, the treatment was going well but then things just cartwheeled out of control.

"And by 5.45pm on that Friday in November 2017 at the age of 40, with an eight-year-old son and a husband, she's gone. The first thing I did when I came out of that hospital was I just sank to my knees and shouted at God. I shouted, 'Why? Why, why, why?

"Why've you left my boy without a mum, I don't get it, I don't get you God.'" Simon told how he even considered ending it all as he was so consumed by grief." He added: "I'm not cut out for being strong enough to navigate my boy through the next few years, and I just wanted to roll into the Thames. I wanted to let go of life for a minute.

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"Thankfully, I got an image of Ethan and I thought, 'I can't, he's just lost his mum.'" Simon revealed his Christian faith helped him get through the darkest of times after Gemma's death.

He added: "It has helped me 100% and is the most important part of my life. When you go through ­challenging things in life, whether you have a faith or you don't have a faith. I still get messages now from people who have gone through ­something really tough, whether it be loss or mental health and they're always looking for hope.

"Hope that life will get better. Hope that they can find joy again in life. Difficulties come in different forms and it's just part of life."