‘All Creatures Great and Small’ Star Rachel Shenton Welcomes First Child

All Creatures Great and Small star Rachel Shenton has welcomed her first child with husband, actor Chris Overton. But the baby boy’s arrival didn’t come without a little drama as the tot arrived earlier than expected.

The 37-year-old actress shared the news on Instagram on Saturday (April 19), writing, “On the 09.04.2025 my dream came true….Welcome to the world Orson Wilde Overton….Our hearts are yours” alongside a black and white photo of the tot’s feet.

She added, “The biggest thank you to the brilliant midwives and doctors at Royal Stoke maternity Unit. Orson came along earlier than expected…so we needed to stay in hospital for a while and we couldn’t have wished for better care and support ❤️”

Fans, friends, and celebrities jumped into the comments to share their well wishes, including Rivals star Emily Atack, who wrote, “Absolutely bloody brilliant news xxx.”

 

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A post shared by Rachel Shenton (@rachelshenton)

“Congratulations ❤❤❤❤,” added EastEnders actress Louisa Lytton.

“Congratulations to you both. What exciting adventures ahead!” said another.

Rachel Shenton and Chris Overton; Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

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Another wrote, “How wonderful! Congratulations to you both.”

“I am SO happy for you, over the moon in fact. This is the best news ever. Enjoy the new born bubble. I’m sending you all so much love,” added another.

Shenton and Overton met in 2010 and got married in 2018. They won an Oscar in 2018 for their short film The Silent Child, which follows a 6-year-old deaf girl who lives a silent life before a social worker, played by Shenton, teaches her how to communicate through sign language. Shenton wrote the short, and Overton served as director.

Shenton rose to fame on the British soap opera Hollyoaks before landing a role in the ABC Family drama Switched at Birth, in which she played Lily Summers across 19 episodes. She joined All Creatures Great and Small in 2020, playing Helen Alderson (later Helen Herriot), and has appeared in all five seasons.