There are chapters in life that arrive wrapped in bittersweet emotion — and for Annabel Croft, 2025 and 2026 have delivered exactly that. The former British tennis champion and beloved TV personality is riding a beautiful wave of joyful family news, the kind that makes even the hardest seasons feel a little more bearable. With not one but two grandchildren entering the picture in the space of less than a year, Annabel Croft baby news has captured the hearts of fans across the country.
What makes this story even more touching is the backdrop against which it unfolds. Annabel has been quietly rebuilding her life following the devastating loss of her husband, Mel Coleman, who passed away in 2023 after being diagnosed with cancer. Against that grief, the arrival of new life in the family feels nothing short of extraordinary. And through it all, Annabel — now affectionately known as “Grannabel” — is stepping into this new role with warmth, grace, and an open heart.
First Comes Baby Arlo: Annabel Croft Becomes a Grandmother for the First Time
A September Arrival That Stole Every Heart
The Annabel Croft baby news that sent fans rushing to social media began in September 2025, when her eldest daughter, Amber Coleman, 36, welcomed her first child — a baby boy named Arlo William Melvyn Llewellyn — on 16 September 2025. Amber shares her son with her husband, financier Hector Llewellyn, and the couple wasted no time in introducing the newest member of the family to the world.
The name choice was particularly moving. The middle name “Melvyn” was chosen as a deliberate and loving tribute to Amber’s late father, ensuring that Mel Coleman’s memory lives on in the family’s very newest generation. It is the kind of gesture that speaks volumes about how deeply he is still missed and how lovingly he is remembered.
“Grannabel” Makes Her Debut
A month after little Arlo’s arrival, Annabel shared the milestone with her Instagram followers in the most charming way. She posted photos of herself cradling her grandson in a baby carrier during a sunny outing to Richmond Park, and in her caption, she introduced fans to her brand-new identity: “Officially a granny. My new name in the fam is Grannabel.”
The post was met with an outpouring of love. Fellow Strictly Come Dancing star and presenter Angela Scanlon called her a “divine granny,” while professional dancer Johannes Radebe — who partnered Annabel on the 2023 series of the BBC show — simply echoed her new title back to her: “Grannabel.” The warmth from friends, colleagues, and fans was palpable.
Speaking about the experience, Annabel described the arrival of baby Arlo as bringing back a flood of memories from her own early days of motherhood. She reflected that it felt like only yesterday she had been doing this with Amber herself — and now, watching her daughter step into that same role, the emotion was overwhelming in the very best way.
Second Baby on the Way: Charlie Coleman and Honour Wainwright’s Pregnancy News
A Honeymoon Surprise That Thrilled the Whole Family
Just as Annabel was settling into life as a first-time grandmother, another wave of Annabel Croft baby news arrived — and this time, it came from her son. In February 2026, Charlie Coleman, 29, and his wife Honour Wainwright, 30, revealed they are expecting their first child together. The couple made the announcement in the most romantic of settings: their honeymoon in South Africa.
The pair had tied the knot in a society ceremony in Hampshire back in August 2024, and their honeymoon took them to the luxurious Shumbalala Game Lodge in South Africa’s exclusive Thornybush Game Reserve. It was there, amid safari adventures and sun-drenched landscapes, that they shared their exciting news with the world. Honour posted photos to Instagram showing off her blossoming baby bump, captioning one image with the playful line: “Honeymooning with a third wheel.”
Annabel’s Reaction Says It All
When Charlie shared a similar post on his own Instagram, Annabel’s response in the comments was short, sweet, and full of feeling: “Absolutely stunning.” Three words that carried the weight of a grandmother’s joy and a mother’s pride all at once.
Honour Wainwright, for her part, is no ordinary newlywed. She works as marketing director at Boodles, her family’s prestigious and long-established jewellery house. The Coleman-Wainwright wedding last year was a spectacular event — described by guests as an unforgettable occasion, right down to the vintage Land Rover the couple departed in, decorated with a “just married” sign and tennis rackets trailing behind as a charming nod to Annabel’s legendary sporting career.
Who Is Annabel Croft? A Quick Background for New Fans
From Tennis Courts to Television Screens
For those coming to Annabel Croft’s story fresh, a little background goes a long way. She is one of Britain’s most celebrated tennis personalities — first as a player, and later as one of the sport’s most recognisable TV voices. She began playing tennis at just nine years old and went on to win the junior titles at both Wimbledon and the Australian Open in 1984. By the following year, she had climbed to number 24 in the senior world rankings — a remarkable achievement for someone so young.
She retired from professional tennis in 1988 at the age of just 21, but her relationship with the sport was far from over. She transitioned seamlessly into broadcasting, building a long and respected career as a TV sports presenter and pundit. Over the decades, she covered some of the biggest moments in tennis history, including interviewing the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray throughout their careers.
Strictly, Grief, and a Nation’s Support
In 2023, Annabel took on a very different kind of challenge when she joined the cast of Strictly Come Dancing, partnered with the effervescent professional dancer Johannes Radebe. Her appearance on the show was deeply emotional — she had lost her husband Mel Coleman just weeks before filming began, after he was diagnosed with incurable colon cancer. He passed away from sepsis, leaving Annabel and their three children — Amber, Charlie, and Lily — navigating grief in the most public of circumstances.
The nation rallied around her. Her courage, warmth, and vulnerability on the dancefloor won hearts across the UK, and her journey on Strictly became about far more than dancing. It was, as she later described it, a “wonderful distraction” during one of the hardest periods of her life.
Annabel Croft Children: A Family Blooming With New Beginnings
Three Siblings, Three Milestones
Annabel Croft’s children have had quite the year. In what Annabel’s youngest daughter Lily herself described as a family that “doesn’t mess around,” the Croft-Coleman family has racked up three enormous milestones in remarkably quick succession: a birth, a wedding, and an engagement.
In September 2025, Lily Coleman, 27, announced her own engagement to Felix McCorquodale, an investment director who belongs to a prominent aristocratic family with connections to Princess Diana’s late stepmother, Raine Spencer. Lily shared the news on Instagram, showing off her diamond ring alongside her long-time partner, and Annabel was quick to react. In the comments, she wrote simply: “The most wonderful news. And makes me so happy.”
A Mother’s Pride
It is hard not to be moved by how much Annabel Croft’s children have come together during what has been an incredibly turbulent few years. Amber became a mother. Charlie got married and is now expecting his first child. And Lily is planning a wedding of her own. Through it all, Annabel has stood at the centre of it — not just as a mother, but as a woman choosing to embrace life rather than retreat from it.
Healing Through Family Joy: How Baby News Is Helping Annabel Move Forward
Finding Mel in Every Milestone
One of the most quietly powerful threads running through Annabel Croft’s recent story is how present her late husband Mel continues to feel, even in his absence. She has shared that she often feels his presence during significant family moments, finding white feathers at home that she chooses to interpret as signs from him. It is a small comfort, perhaps, but one that carries enormous meaning.
Annabel has spoken openly about the way grief works — how it arrives in waves, often unexpectedly, and how it sits alongside joy rather than disappearing when good things happen. She has said that Mel would have wanted her to be happy, and that she tries to live in the moment as much as possible. That philosophy seems to be serving her well.
A New Chapter, A New Home
Looking ahead, Annabel has described 2026 as a time of genuine new beginnings. She has spoken about plans to move into a new home — finally selling the house where she and Mel raised their family — and approaching the next chapter of her life with openness rather than fear. She has put it beautifully herself: “When a door opens, go and explore. At my age, and with everything that’s happened, I’m not afraid to fail.”
For someone who has faced the kind of loss Annabel has, that is no small statement. Grandmotherhood, it seems, has given her something powerful: a renewed sense of wonder, purpose, and connection to the world’s simplest and most profound joys.
Conclusion: “Grannabel” Is Just Getting Started
The story of Annabel Croft baby news is ultimately a story about resilience — about how life, in all its unpredictability, keeps moving forward. From the arrival of baby Arlo to the exciting pregnancy news from Charlie and Honour, the Croft-Coleman family is growing in the most wonderful ways. And running through every milestone is the bittersweet thread of Mel’s memory — honoured in a middle name, felt in a white feather, and present in every moment of celebration.
Annabel Croft has always been admired for her strength — first on the tennis court, then on the television screen, and most recently on the Strictly dancefloor. But perhaps her greatest performance of all is the one she gives every day: showing up for her family, finding joy where she can, and stepping into “Grannabel” life with everything she has.
With one grandchild already here and another on the way, one thing is very clear — Grannabel is just getting started.
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