Jake Quickenden confirms he and his girlfriend Sophie Church are expecting their first child

Singer Jake Quickenden has announced that he and his girlfriend Sophie Church are expecting their first child together.

The X-Factor, star who rose to fame when he appeared on the 2012 series of the show, has admitted he's "so excited" to become a father for the first time with his partner of two years.

The baby will be Jake's first while his beau Sophie is already a mother to a six-year-old son called Freddie, from a previous relationship.

Opening up about the prospect of fatherhood, Jake said, "I'm so excited to be a dad. It's something I've always wanted to do and I feel completely ready for it."

Swooning over Jake's relationship with her own little one, beauty therapist Sophie chipped in, "Jake will be such an amazing dad. Just seeing how he is with Freddie, I know that he will be brilliant and completely hands on."

Speaking to Hello! magazine, the Dancing On Ice star confessed that while he doesn't see himself as Freddie's dad, he's got a great bond with him.

"Freddie is a little legend. He's like my best mate. I met him when he was four, but I don't say that I'm his dad because I'm not and he's already got a really great dad. He's got me used to being around kids and it will be so nice to have my own child, too.

"I hope it will like sport and I can teach it everything my mum and dad taught me. I'm excited for everything, apart from the nappies. I'm not sure I will ever get used to that. And I'm a bit nervous about not knowing what to do. Babies are so little and vulnerable."

Jake and Sophie also opened up about how they suffered a miscarriage last year.

Sophie confessed, "Even though I was only six weeks pregnant it really hit me hard. With this pregnancy we still carry that worry, so it was nice to have the scan and know that everything is okay.

"We had been trying for a year and a half and I was doing ovulation tests and everything and Jake said 'Stop putting pressure on us, it will happen when it's meant to happen.' But when you really want something it's so hard to not feel disappointed every month."