X Factor star Jai Waetford is every inch the doting father as he shares precious image of newborn daughter Aaliyah
In a heartwarming series of photos shared with his 380,000 followers on Tuesday, Jai is seen cradling his newborn daughter with pure adoration.
'Everyone meet Aaliyah,' he began alongside the post.
'Sorry I been MIA, newborn phase ain't no joke. Love you all. btw new music coming soon.'
One pictured showed him gazing lovingly at her at dinner, while another captures him grinning from ear to ear in hospital as he holds the tiny newborn close to his chest.
From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop.
'This is what life is about. Love you bro ❤️,' wrote friend Josh Carroll in the comments, while fellow reality stars and influencers flooded the post with messages of support.
Love Island's Georgia Hassarati added: 'So perfect ❤️ congratulations Jai,' and MAFS groom Al Perkins commented, 'Praise God! Congratulations man!'
Though Jai has kept most of his relationship with girlfriend Bec Donaghy out of the spotlight in recent years, the emotional post marks a major new chapter for the singer who shot to fame in 2013.
It is not known exactly how long Jai and Bec have been dating but they started featuring on each other's Instagram pages in 2023.
They went Instagram official in July 2023 with a cosy photograph of them packing on the PDA, which was shared to Bec's account.
Jai captured Australians' hearts when he rose to fame on The X Factor in 2013, when he earned the nickname of 'Aussie Bieber'.
He impressed with his audition, where he sang Different Worlds by Jes Hudak and his own original song Don't Let Me Go.
He eventually placed third on the fifth season of The X Factor Australia and his debut single Your Eyes peaked at number six on the ARIA Singles Chart.
In 2016, he moved away from singing and went on to pursue a television career, making his acting debut on Neighbours as Angus Beaumont-Hannay.
He portrayed the son of Sarah Beaumont and Peter Hannay for around 50 episodes before announcing he was relocating to Hollywood.
He signed with the powerful US talent company Creative Artists Agency and spent some time in Africa and South America before returning to Australia.
Since relocating back Down Under, Jai returned to screens in Stan drama Critical Incident.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
21 minutes ago
- The Sun
Parents are ‘making an M&S trip a priority' after realising they can bag a whole cake & a sweet treat totally for free
M&S has sent thrifty parents into a frenzy after they realised the easy way to score a whole cake and a sweet treat for their kids for free. According to savvy shoppers, the popular retailer is handing out free cakes and a healthy treat for kids - and parents don't have to spend a single penny. 2 2 With the costs soaring, many supermarkets have come to rescue with freebies for cash-strapped Brits - and Marks & Spencer is no exception. The supermarket recently launched its new baby club - the Parent Hood - and there are heaps of perks that come with it. As well as having access to nutritionist-approved recipes for tots and monthly rewards to name a few, M&S is now also handing out free cake and treats for members of the scheme. One shopper who recently spotted the epic offer on her app was mum-of-two Jess - who also took to TikTok to share the news with fellow parents. ''I love that M&S always gives freebies to parents and this time they're giving us a free full cake and also a Piccolo breakfast pouch for your child. ''All you need to do is be a part of the Parent Hood Club, load it onto your Sparks card - you'll see there's loads of offers on there.'' Once you've picked the cake and the healthy pouch for your little one, simply head to the till and scan them at the checkout using the offer. Jess, who posts under the username @ thepiecesofparenthood, went for the classic red velvet cake, she shared in the clip. Thanks to the epic deal, Jess saved £4.25 on the cake and an extra £2 on the Piccolo pouch. The mum-of-two is not the only one raving about the deal - as TikTok user @ littleoutfitters also showed off the scrumptious Chocolate Fudge Cake she'd nabbed for free. Top 10 Birthday Freebies She told fellow parents in the video: ''If you're a Sparks card holder and already a part of the parenthood club then go grab your free cake from @Marks & Spencer. ''There's also a free @MyLittlePiccolo pouch from the M&S Cafe!'' If you're already a member of the club but cannot find the offer, the mum advised to ''try logging in and out of account''. Free summer holiday activites You don't need to spend a penny to keep your kids entertained this summer... Museums - Some museums offer free entry to some exhibits, and also host events for kids. Parks - Head to your local park to enjoy the playgrounds, games areas, courts and splash pads. Some even have trails for kids to enjoy. Beach - It doesn't have to be sunny to enjoy the beach, you can go rock pooling, crabbing, make sandcastles, or enjoy a walk along the headland. Library - If the weather is awful, head indoors and borrow books, audiobooks, dvds. Cooking - Have your own mini bake-off, or Come Dine With Me challenge. Playdates - Invite friends over for an afternoon of socialising. Boardgames - Enjoy a little sibling rivalry with rounds of Monopoly or stretch your brain with Scrabble. She said: ''It may be worth updating the app or logging in and out again. ''If still not there then contact them so you don't miss out on this and future rewards.'' The cash-savvy TikToker chucked in the comments: ''I literally went M&S just for the cake.'' The video has since taken the internet by storm, winning the mum close to 125k views in less than 24 hours. Dozens flooded to comments, where one said: ''Got mine today with a free pack off biscuits.''
Daily Mail
21 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Aussie fitness influencer reveals David Beckham slid into her DMs and shows the proof
Pregnant Aussie fitness influencer Laura Henshaw sent her fans into a frenzy on Wednesday when she revealed English footballer David Beckham had slid into her DMs around seven years ago. The KICPOD host, 32, made the revelation in a video uploaded to her podcast's Instagram page and even shared a censored look at the messages. The news left her followers stunned, though nothing untoward happened as some may remember Laura and David have worked together in the past. Laura was asked in a video if 'someone famous' had ever slid into her DMs. She replied with 'David Beckham' and pulled out the proof when her producer asked: 'Is that true?' Laura then showed the Instagram messages exchanged between her and the legendary sportsman, 50, who has been married to Victoria Beckham since 1999. She ensured all the messages were censored, so followers couldn't see what was exchanged between the pair, leaving fans begging for the whole story. 'Story time on old mate Dave ploise [sic],' one person wrote in the comments, while another said: 'We NEED the Beckham tea!' 'Now I'm curious what did Beckham say to Laura!' a third added, while someone else commented: 'Podcast on David Beckham please Laurs.' Need to know more on David Beckham!' said one. 'Surely tell us David story! Leaving us hanging,' another noted. However, those who have followed Laura closely over the years will know the messages were likely about the work she did with AIA Vitality seven years ago. David has been a global ambassador for the health and wellness brand since 2017, and is often involved with AIA Vitality initiatives. Laura, as a co-founder of Australian health and fitness app Kic - formerly Keep It Cleaner - got involved with AIA Australia in 2018. However, those who have followed Laura closely over the years will know the messages were likely about the work she did with AIA Vitality seven years ago The pair spoke in person and virtually about the initiative and even appeared at an AIA event together in Sydney. David and his Spice Girl wife, 51, are currently enjoying a lavish Italian getaway on their multi-million-dollar superyacht. They share children Brooklyn, 26, Romeo, 22, Cruz, 20, and Harper, 14. Meanwhile, Laura is expecting her first child with husband Dalton.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Every cinephile in Australia wanted to be David Stratton. His passion was infectious – and his legacy lives on
For a long time, every cinephile in Australia – myself included – wanted to be David Stratton, the beloved critic who has died at age 85. And not just because that would involve being paid to watch and talk about movies – Stratton, of course, being beamed into lounge rooms across the country with fellow critic Margaret Pomeranz. We wanted to be him, aspired to be him, because of the values he represented and the manner with which he held himself. Stratton was deeply learned but approachable; polite but at times wonderfully feisty; and above all else deeply passionate about film. That passion was infectious, and his contributions to cinema culture in Australia are immeasurable. Stratton had many strings to his bow, including a long-running stint as director of the Sydney film festival (from 1966 to 1983), and an even longer stint teaching a film course at the University of Sydney's Centre for Continuing Education, which he ran for 35 years. But for me, as a teenager in the 1990s – in the earliest years of cutting my teeth as a critic – it was his film reviewing on TV that I found most inspiring. Like many others, I tuned in religiously to 'David and Margaret', as we fondly referred to the Movie Show and, later, At the Movies. They had excellent chemistry: the former a little more mannered, the latter a bit more playful, and the combination irresistible. I spent much of the time waiting, hoping for them to argue with each other (you know you did, too). All critics are strongly opinionated and perhaps a little sniffy-sounding from time to time; it's in the job description. One of the great things about Stratton was that you could always feel his criticism coming from the right place – a place of passion and love. I met him for the first time, many years ago, at a Melbourne film festival opening night party at the (long gone) Greater Union cinema on Russell Street. I nervously introduced myself; he was affable and very easy to talk to. I remember asking him, perhaps a little cheekily, whether his well-known distaste for handheld photography might be partly a generational thing. I expected him to demur, but he said this may well have been the case. Stratton was like that: he always seemed willing to consider another person's perspective, and to reassess his own. When I spoke to him for the last time in November last year, he reflected on changing his mind about the classic Australian comedy The Castle. Stratton told me he initially 'thought it looked like a telemovie' and awarded the film one and a half stars. But after returning to it a couple of times, he came to the party: 'I think Tiriel Mora is hilarious, talking about 'the vibe',' he said. 'Things can improve when you look at them a second or third time.' Once, many years ago, Pomeranz invited me as her guest to a film critics event held at Paddington RSL in Sydney. When Stratton joined us for a few wines beforehand, we had a wonderful time and I discovered a more comedic, slightly acerbic side to him. He could be quite funny – sometimes in self-deprecating or unexpected ways, privately as well as publicly. Take, for example, Stratton's hilarious cameo in the satirical comedy series Review With Myles Barlow, about a TV host who reviews absolutely anything. In one scene, Stratton zings 'the best thing for you to do would be to review your own retirement,' before he and Barlow get into a (very realistic-looking) punch-on. There's also the title of Stratton's 2008 memoir, I Peed on Fellini. In the preface, he recounts a story about how the legendary Italian auteur stood next to him at a urinal at the Venice film festival in the 1960s. In his excitement to introduce himself, Stratton 'turned towards the great man' and 'peed all over his shoes'. But perhaps the part of the book that best represents Stratton's character, and his insatiable desire to share his love for motion pictures, arrives at the very beginning. He dedicated the book to his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, as well as 'all young people passionate about cinema'. He made so many of us passionate about cinema. His legacy lives on.
