Game of Thrones star Natalie Dormer is a new mum after quietly giving birth during the pandemic lockdown.
The actress' "COVID baby" was born in January, and she swore friends and family to secrecy, so she could take time to adjust to motherhood before announcing the big news.
Natalie revealed all during an appearance on her friend Esther Rantzen's That’s After Life podcast, confessing she was tired, but "in love".
The newborn is Dormer's first with her partner, actor David Oakes.
"It's the perfect thing to do during a pandemic - get pregnant, have a baby," Natalie quipped.
I feel like I'm probably being a bit of a cliche. She'll (baby daughter) probably be sitting in a bar in 30 years... going, 'Yeah, I'm a COVID baby!'" she went on, musing: "I think there's going to be lots of COVID babies, because what else can people do?"
The new mum then admitted adjusting to a motherhood sleep schedule is tougher than filming on set, sharing: "She's just three months and she's an absolute joy (but) I'm never going to complain about shooting hours ever again because sleep deprivation is something else."
She reflected: "People say, 'Your whole perspective on life will change, and your whole set of value system...' and you sort of roll your eyes and go, 'Yeah, yeah...' - and then you have one (baby) and you go, 'Oh, wow!'"
The Hunger Games star is now preparing to return to work and revealed that she isn't looking forward to spending time away from her baby.
"I'm going to find it very difficult, I think," she said, adding: "You don't want to warp the childhood experience."
Natalie is hoping to find a theatre role, so she can spend all day at home in London with her daughter.
"People in the industry that I'm in do lean on nannies and they do that for a reason, so that they can take children with them. But, I mean for me, this is the perfect time to go back to the stage, because then I could be with her all day," she explained, pondering: "But with COVID, who knows when that will happen. I really feel for our theatres around the country."
