Hollyoaks star Kieron Richardson says: Every day feels like Father’s Day with our twins

To exclude, to expel:

Gay opera star Keiron Richardson opens up about fatherhood with husband Carl – and says every day with their children is ‘priceless’ after the couple’s agent gave birth to twins

Today will be like any other day for soap addict Kieron Richardson as it always feels like Father’s Day with his adorable twins.

The Hollyoaks star, father of 5-year-olds Chase and Phoebe Ray with husband Carl Hyland, says that every day with his young children is priceless.

Company director Carl and the actor who played Ste Hay in the Channel 4 drama, can’t wait to unwrap their handmade cards and sit down to lunch with the family.

The babies are especially treasured as the couple’s surrogate failed twice before becoming pregnant a third time.

Kieron, 36, told the Sunday People: “This is our fifth Father’s Day and every year it just gets more magical.

“Kids are now at an age where they already have their own personalities. I just treat each day as Father’s Day because I am so grateful and blessed.

“It’s about appreciating your parents and being grateful for everything they do. Every day is Father’s Day for us because it’s something we thought was unattainable.

“I’m so grateful that we have these two amazing kids in our lives and we can only give them the best education we can think of.”

It’s been 12 years since Kieron joined Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby on ITV’s This Morning sofa.

Around this time Ste had a gay backstory. Ste has been at the center of a number of conspiracies since joining the soap in 2006, including pranks, domestic abuse, child abduction, drug trafficking, HIV and far-right radicalization.

He also has to deal with a few Hollyoaks killers. In 2017, he fought Cameron Campbell, played by Cameron Moore, to rescue two hostages.

The following year, he kissed double killer Ryan Knight, played by Blue singer Duncan James, who ended up drowning in a river.

Leaving the set, Kieron rejoiced at the progress of the LGBTQ+ community and reacted to his revelation to Phil and Holly.

He said: “I’ve had people tell me if you go and say this, then you’ll never work again. It couldn’t be further from what actually happened.

“If anything, my storyline just keeps getting better and better, I feel like I’m now a prominent, openly gay man in an industry where not so long ago there weren’t many people to let me in. care about.

“And we have a lot of inspirational people chasing after me, Tom Daley being one of them.

“Growing up, it was just what you imagined a life would be – that you would be a parent one day.

“But then, obviously, when I got a little older, I realized, well, that might not be possible because I’m gay.

“Yeah. Just like 10 years ago, having same-sex parents is unheard of.”

Kieron and Carl became dads in 2017 after 18 months of trying but no plans for a third. “I remember thinking the first week we could do this,” says Kieron. Let’s have more.

“But then after many sleepless nights, then you’re like, okay, maybe two is enough.

“If it were that easy to get another one we would, but it’s not and it’s not easy to find replacements and people willing to take the journey with you.”

The star, who came third in 2010’s Dancing on Ice with Brianne Delcourt, will never forget being handed her children.

“It is wonderful. Then I remember the nurse tapping me, “Kieron, your kids, you need to wake up, that’s for you”.

“Then get into it like crying, knowing we have to feed them. It’s like a collision course and you have to make these little humans live.”

Raised in Manchester, Kieron was raised by his mother Donna Jackson. He is still estranged from his father.

Kieron says he’s never felt like he missed out on having a father like his mother “for me was everything. It made me appreciate all the work my mother did.”

Kieron enjoyed the relationship he had with his father-in-law Paul. He said: “He was like a father figure to me, he was around all the time, and I found him to have a strong bond with Carl. I see how much the kids idolize and love him.

“Perhaps I missed out a bit but now I am definitely making up for lost time as a father to Phoebe and Chase.

“Every family is completely different. It’s not just about the sexual orientation of a couple or parent.

“Some parents unfortunately have divorced or are no longer living with us. Some children are in a single-parent household but that is not the case. I feel if you’re in a same-sex couple it should be the same.

“We explained how incredible it is to have two. It’s two people just to love and nurture them.

“They understand that they are lucky to have two parents.”

Kieron said Phoebe inherited his showbiz genes and that Chase played football brilliantly. He said being a father was the best thing he did.

“I don’t think you can top it,” he beams.