Peaky Blinders actress Charlene McKenna gives birth to her first baby with her famous husband

Actress Charlene McKenna, 40, has welcomed her first child with her husband, actor and Ripper Street co-star Adam Rothenburg.

The Irish actress announced the safe arrival of her daughter, Martha Josephine, this week, suggesting she had been busy with a “new production.” And indeed, Charlene’s daughter was born months ago.

Charlene, known for her role as Laura McKee in seasons five and six of Peaky Blinders, kept her happy news under wraps until a recent interview. Charlene’s pregnancy was not hinted at on her social media page and her bump was not visible in a post from Christmas last year.

Charlene herself announced the happy news on RTE Radio 1, where the actress told how much she was enjoying spending time with her “little daughter”. She welcomed her with her husband, actor Adam, who played Captain Homer Jackson from Ripper Street, while Charlene played sex worker-turned-singer Rose Erskine (later Drake).

Charlene told presenter Kay Sheehy: “I’ve had a little baby so I haven’t been up to date for a long time. I’ve just been in nesting mode and enjoying my little girl. She’s just really special.”

The actress keeps her family life mostly private, but revealed that her three-month-old son is “already” telling her something.

Charlene also recently spoke about her fear that acting work might eventually dry up. She said: “As an actress, I always think, ‘It’s going to stop soon,’ but we keep going. I still live with the existential dread that it’s going to be over.”

Charlene added that she was nervous about “taking time off,” stressing that in the acting business, no one retires, “the industry retires you.”

Charlene married her husband Adam during the Covid pandemic, but there was a second ceremony in June 2022. Both took place at the magnificent Castle Leslie in Charlene’s hometown of Glaslough.

Charlene posted snaps of her second special day on social media. She wrote: “6/22/22 Mr. & Mrs. Rothenbery: Part two. Years in the making, finally we can celebrate with family and friends!!!”

She then called out some of the people who helped with the wedding before naming her bridesmaids and thanking all the family and friends who came to celebrate with them.

Charlene isn’t the only Peaky Blinders star to have had a baby recently. Sophie Rundle, who played Ada Thorne, welcomed a baby boy with her husband Matt Stokoe.

Announcing the arrival of her third child, Sophie posted a sweet snap of her baby sleeping on her chest with the caption: “He’s here. I am completely ready and expecting to fall off the hormonal cliff at any moment but right now I’m riding this heavenly wave of perfect love.

“I just want to stay in this bed, tend to my exhausted, happy bones, sniff his delicious head, and boastfully proclaim that he’s wearing an archive look from the 2021 collection every time I put him in one of his brother’s old baby onesies.”