Pop star Gareth Gates and his wife Suzanne are celebrating this week after the birth of their first child, Missy.

The West Yorkshire singer’s baby arrived in the early hours of Monday morning and weighed 7lb 8oz.

Commenting after the birth, Gates said that he and his other half are "very excited" about starting life with their new arrival.

"We can’t wait to spend time together as a family," the 24-year-old added.

Gates was runner-up in the 2002 series of Pop Idol, losing to Will Young in the reality television phenomenon.

Born in Bradford, the singer overcame a stammer to win the hearts of the UK public during the show.

With cover hits such as Unchained Melody and Spirit in the Sky, as well as a number of his own tracks, Gates has become a regular in the British charts since his exposure on the Saturday night ITV programme.