Coronation Street actor James Burrows and girlfriend, Sophie Coates, are expecting their first child

Huge congrats!

Coronation Street's James Burrows has announced that he is going to be a dad. The 27-year-old actor, who plays Ali Neeson on the ITV soap, shared the happy news that he and his girlfriend, Sophie Coates, are expecting on Instagram last night [October 12]. Alongside a photo of the ultrasound, he wrote:

"Me and my beautiful girlfriend @sophie_coates are over the moon to announce that we’re having a baby. We can not contain our excitement we are so so happy x"

Fans flooded the comments under the Instagram post, sending the couple their best wishes - as well as praising James' performance in Coronation Street's dramatic double bill on Friday night. It all kicked off when evil gangster Ronan Truman mowed down Dr. Ali's 'brother', Ryan Connor, before reversing into Leanne Battersby - leaving both of them to die on the road. As he sped away, Ronan lost control of his car and was impaled by a fence pole. Ali heard him shouting for help, so he left Ryan and rushed to his side. He told Ronan not to pull out the post as it was keeping him alive; seemingly determined to save him - even with all of the carnage he had caused on the cobbles recently. That is, until Ronan reached for the glove box - and his gun. Ali lunged forward to shut the compartment, trying to making Ronan promise that he wouldn't kill again if he saved him. But Ronan taunted Ali, telling him that he wouldn't even be going to prison as he's got a good lawyer. The doctor realised that Ronan was too dangerous to live, so he pretended to help him - then pulled out the fence post, leaving Ronan to bleed out.