X Factor star Jai Waetford is every inch the doting father as he shares precious image of newborn daughter Aaliyah
Jai Waetford welcomed his first child with partner Bec Donaghy earlier this month.
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
Daily Mail
38 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Precious cargo! Madeline Holtznagel cradles newborn baby Jaegar in a woolen jumper as she exits seaplane with billionaire Justin Hemmes
Madeline Holtznagel looked every inch the doting new mum this week when she was spotted with her precious new bub in Sydney. The model, 28, and her billionaire beau Justin Hemmes, 52, welcomed their first child, Jaegar Justin on June 1. Madeline was positively glowing while carrying her precious cargo, as the new family arrived via seaplane at Justin's $100million Vaucluse mansion. The bubbly blonde could barely keep the smile from her face as she walked with Jaeger, who was swaddled in a brown sweater. Going casual for the flight, Madeline wore a plain light grey hooded sweatshirt and a pair of matching pants. 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. Madeline rolled the legs of her track pants to the knees to keep them dry as she waded to shore. Her trim and toned pins were on full display, and she finished off her look with a pair of plain white slides. Wearing her blonde locks back in a ponytail, Madeline accessorised with a pair of black Chanel sunglasses. She also carried a large black leather bag over her arm, no doubt containing all of Jaeger's necessary accessories. Justin was also spotted in tow, with an armful of jackets and shoes as he disembarked the seaplane. Also cutting a very casual figure, Justin wore a plain white T-shirt and a pair of dark grey track pants. While baby Jaeger was kept under wraps during the outing, Madeline snuggled her son close to her chest as she strolled along the beach with a pal. It comes after Madeline announced Jaeger's arrival in a sweet Instagram post last week. Madeline was positively glowing as she was seen carrying her precious cargo as the new family arrived, via seaplane at Justin's $100million Vaucluse mansion The new mum could barely keep the smile from her face as she walked with Jaeger, who was swaddled in what appeared to be a brown sweater 'Jaeger Justin Hemmes ❤️ 1.06.25,' she captioned the post. This is the model's first child with the billionaire Merivale owner. He shares two daughters - Alexa, nine, and Saachi, seven - with his ex-partner Kate Fowler. The sweet photo dump included an array of snaps showing the couple's newborn baby wrapped up in a blanket. One picture showed the new mum proudly holding her first child as she donned a matching pink pyjamas set. She was positively glowing as she beamed at the camera while her precious newborn wore a smile on his face. Another picture showed Justin and Madeline looking windswept and content as they enjoyed a beach walk with their little one. One adorable snap showed Justin leaning down to kiss baby Jaeger, who was tucked into his jumper to keep warm during the windy outing. Friends and family flooded the comments section with well wishes for the couple and their new bundle of joy. 'I love him,' Madeline's sister Simone Holtznagel simply wrote. Madeline recently announced the sex of their baby in an interview with Stellar magazine, and said she was thrilled because she wanted a 'new journey' with Justin. 'I always thought I was going to have a boy. I knew I was going to be a boy mum,' she said. 'Justin has two beautiful little girls, so having a boy, it's like a whole new journey together. '[The baby] is going to be his little best mate.' She said she previously kept details of her pregnancy private, but was ready to share her journey. 'I keep a lot of my life private and I don't share a lot online anyway, so [being pregnant] wasn't really something that I was going to share online,' she said. In November, an insider confirmed the exciting news of Madeline's pregnancy to Daily Mail Australia. They revealed a friend of Justin's recently moved out of his Vaucluse mansion to make room for their growing family. The business mogul, who has a net worth of $1.39billion, began dating Madeline in 2019 when she was 22 and he was 47, after his split from Fowler in 2018. Madeline is the younger sister of fellow Aussie model Simone Holtznagel, who welcomed her first child, a daughter called Gia, in March 2024 with her now-ex-boyfriend Jono Castano.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Married At First Sight's Jamie Marinos lands surprise new show after turning down appearance on UK series
Married At First Sight's Jamie Marinos is set to return to screens. The popular bride, 29, who was matched with caulker Dave Hand on the 2025 series, will host a new dating show alongside TikTok star Olan Tekkers. Daily Mail Australia can reveal that the series titled Love At First Scent, sponsored by Lynx, will see one blindfolded contestant going on dates with three options. 'Three guys, one fragrance each. A blindfolded queen. She sniffs. She quizzes. She eliminates,' the insider explained. 'Then it's two steamy live dates, one big final pick, and a face-to-face reveal that could lead to fireworks… or a hard pass.' 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. Daily Mail Australia can reveal that the series, sponsored by Lynx, will see one blindfolded contestant going on dates with three options It is understood that the series will be broadcast live on YouTube and across social media platforms. The news comes just weeks after Jamie reportedly turned down an offer to appear on a new version of SAS:UK due to contractual obligations with Channel Nine. Daily Mail Australia revealed that six 'Aussie celebrities' arrived in Marrakesh, Morocco to film an 'all-new version' of the hit survival series. Dubbed SAS Hotel, the hush-hush series is said to be unlike anything fans have seen before. Described by insiders as part military boot camp, part luxury mind game, the series is slated to air in the UK first but could very well land on Channel Seven late next year. Among the stars spotted arriving in Morocco are 'reality Queen' Jessika Power, singer and actress Natalie Bassingthwaighte, and Neighbours legend Ryan Maloney. All chosen for their recognisability in both the UK and Australia. 'It's a wildcard version of SAS with a twist,' one well-placed source said. The news comes just weeks after Jamie reportedly turned down an offer to appear on a new version of SAS:UK due to contractual obligations with Channel Nine. (Pictured with her on-screen 'husband' Dave Hand) It comes after Jamie shutdown romance rumours with co-star Eliot Donovan. 'Eliot and I are really good friends. He's been such a great support system, always makes me laugh and I'm super grateful to have him around,' she wrote. 'We are both single, and focusing on ourselves at the moment - But who knows what the future holds.' The pair have fuelled romance rumours for weeks after attending Daily Mail Australia's reunion party in April. Eliot spoke highly of his relationship with Jamie and said their friendship had grown since meeting during filming last year. Eliot said it was when MAFS began airing they each started to understand each other as they watched their respective marriages play out on television.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Supermodel Tyra Banks shows off her unique style in harem pants as she samples ice cream flavours at her new Sydney store
Tyra Banks has been spotted trying out some of the ice cream flavours on offer at her newly-opened Sydney store SMiZE & DREAM. The former Next Top Model host, who opened the Darling Harbour establishment last week, was all smiles as she popped into the flagship store on Monday. The 51-year-old, who has been living in Australia for nearly two years, stepped out in a bizarre all-black ensemble for the outing. The supermodel kept comfy in an off-the-shoulder black sweater which she paired with loose-fitting harem trousers. On her feet, the 51-year-old wore a pair of matching black sneakers as she made her way around the Sydney waterfront. 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. Tyra styled her hair straight, with her raven bob cutting just above her shoulders. She paired the look with a bold pink lip and matching rosy cheeks, along with a pair of gold-rimmed, clear-lens glasses. She slung a maroon suede bag over her shoulder as she and her friends sat down for the ice cream date. The business mogul was then seen thoughtfully sampling an ice cream flavour while sitting in a booth. Another showed her laughing hysterically while chatting to a SMiZE & DREAM staff member. Tyra officially unveiled her dream project in Australia – launching her first-ever SMiZE & DREAM ice cream store in the heart of Sydney on Thursday. In an exclusive interview with Daily Mail Australia, the American supermodel-turned-entrepreneur revealed she fell head over heels for the Harbour City after visiting regularly for over a year while producing ice cream for a cruise line account. 'I was coming for about a year and a half and just fell in love with it,' she said. 'And I said, should we make this move? And here we are.' Tyra said Sydney's relaxed charm and community energy helped seal the decision to base her global business Down Under, with one spot standing out above all others. 'I love Darling Harbour because of this park. Tumbalong Park is magical,' she said, adding that even before her shop opened, she and her family would spend their weekends there. 'I have friends that live an hour and a half away and on the weekends they drive here just to go to the water and put their feet in with the kids.' 'There's a playground for older kids, one for younger kids, Darling Square nearby, the harbour – it just felt natural.' Tyra's passion for the brand is personal, down to the flavours themselves. When asked about her favourite scoop, she didn't hesitate. 'My favourite flavour is called Tyra's Favourite – very creative, isn't it?' she laughed. The flavour features salted sweet cream with butter-roasted pecans and a thick, savoury caramel butter swirl. 'It's not your traditional ice cream taste – it has this surprising, rich sensation in the mouth,' she said. Beyond ice cream, the SMiZE & DREAM founder wants the business to stand for something bigger – encouraging others, especially women, to reinvent themselves no matter their age. 'It's never too late,' she said, when asked what advice she had for women starting over. 'But we have to know our stuff. Unfortunately, women – we have to be better. We have to be smarter. We have to know more. 'Just go deep, study hard, walk into that room head held high. You're going to hear no's – but one day you're going to get that yes. And you just have to be ready for it.'
