Oxfordshire actor Tom Hollander is to become a dad for the first time at the age of 55, after rekindling his romance with interior designer Fran Hickman.
According to MailOnline, the star of The Night Manager and the Netflix hit The White Lotus is 'beyond thrilled' that Ms Hickman, 39, is expecting their first baby, which is understood to be due within weeks.
Their news comes after they got back together during lockdown, 10 years after they called off their engagement in 2010.
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Mr Hollander has lived in Chadlington, west Oxfordshire. He attended the Dragon School and then Abingdon School, where he was chief chorister.
Last week the actor and Ms Hickman were seen enjoying lunch near Mr Hollander's home in Notting Hill, West London.
Mr Hollander, who turns 56 in three weeks' time, arrived on his bicycle.
One onlooker said: "They looked very much like the happy couple. Tom was seen putting his arms around Fran quite a lot."
It is understood Ms Hickman moved into Mr Hollander's £2m flat during the pandemic and friends say 'she never left'.
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In 2021 Mr Hollander was seen having dinner with Ms Hickman at Mayfair restaurant Scott's.
Friends have previously told of their hopes that the actor, who starred in the BBC's sitcom Rev and thriller The Night Manager, and played an English expat in Sky Atlantic drama The White Lotus, would propose to Ms Hickman.
Mr Hollander has been a loyal supporter of Helen & Douglas House children's hospice over the years.
The actor cut the ribbon at the hospice in Magdalen Road, east Oxford, on Monday following the completion of £1.5m of refurbishment work.
In June the actor said he did not open fan mail sent following his performance in the West End play Patriots in case it has been poisoned by “overzealous” Russian agents.
The British actor has been playing the lead role in the production, which follows the life of billionaire Russian businessman Boris Berezovsky through the decline of the Soviet Union and the rise of the Russian oligarchs.
Speaking to The News Agents podcast, Mr Hollander said there had been many Russian exiles, who had been “crying on the pavement” after seeing the show.
“The story spoke to them of people who’ve left Russia and can’t go back,” he said.
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“The play frames itself as if you were exiled, this is what you’d remember.
“So, we have met exiles, we’ve met the community of exiles, and they have been very supportive of us.”
Asked if he was worried for his own safety after playing Berezovsky, Mr Hollander replied: “I did slightly think when we opened this time in the West End… ‘Gosh, if there was a very overzealous FSB agent wandering around London with not enough to do on their hands, who wanted to draw attention to themselves and curry favour with the Kremlin, they could send us all poisoned fan mail.’
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Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here.
He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.
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