PICTURE SPECIAL: Christmas Day babies the perfect gift for families across Northern Ireland

Kerrie Duncan from East Belfast had double joy with the arrival of twin girls Elyssia Rose and Sienna Aurora, born at 3.03am and 3.05am respectively in the Ulster Hospital.

Another Ulster Hospital newborn was celebrated by Bangor parents Rosie Coles and Mathew Moses, with Violet Roberta Moses born at 8.45am weighing 8.1lbs.

And Oti Mabuse has announced that she has given birth to her first child.

The Dancing On Ice judge, 33, previously shared that her and husband Marius Lepure had difficulties conceiving.

In a Christmas Day Instagram post, Mabuse wrote: "Merry Christmas. Wishing you all a wonderful festive season and special memories with loved ones."

She also shared images of her and Lepure in matching festive outfits, a baby in her arms and a Christmas tree in the background.

Mabuse previously said they decided to stop trying to conceive before she fell pregnant because it "just got too much" after announcing the news in August.

Mabuse was the dance partner of Lepure after she left Pretoria, South Africa in 2012 for Nuremberg, Germany, and together they competed for Germany in show dance Latin.

The South African dancer was a Strictly Come Dancing professional before she left the show in 2022.

She won the celebrity dance show in 2019 and 2020 with Emmerdale actor Kelvin Fletcher and comedian Bill Bailey, respectively, and last competed with former rugby player Ugo Monye.

Mabuse replaced Doctor Who star John Barrowman as a judge on ITV's Dancing On Ice last year.

Her sister Motsi, 42, had been a judge on the German version of Strictly, Let's Dance, before joining the BBC series as a judge in 2019, replacing Dame Darcey Bussell.