Congratulations are in order for BBC broadcasting legend Tony Blackburn OBE, who is celebrating very special family news after welcoming a new granddaughter, Eloise.
The renowned DJ and Sounds of the 60s host, 83, shared the happy news on Instagram, posting a picture of himself holding his new grandchild alongside his wife Debbie, 66, and daughter Victoria, 29.
"Debbie, Victoria and myself with our new granddaughter, Eloise," Tony captioned the post.
Tony is also a grandfather to two boys, Harry and George, and has previously shared glimpses of family life on social media.
Fans react to Tony's news
Tony, who made broadcasting history as the first voice heard on BBC Radio 1 on 30 September 1967, was quickly flooded with congratulatory messages from fans on Instagram.
© Getty Images"Congratulations! You will make a superb Grandad," said one person, while another said: "Oh, this is a lovely photo of you all. Huge Congratulations, she's gorgeous."
A third added: "Congratulations to you all, welcome to the world, beautiful Eloise, " while a fourth wrote: "Congratulations, Tony. A very special time for you all."
© WireImageMeet Tony Blackburn's family
Tony has been married to his current wife, theatrical agent Debbie Thomson, since 1992. The couple share a daughter, actress Victoria Blackburn. He also has a son, Simon, 53, from his first marriage to actress Tessa Wyatt (Robin's Nest). The pair were married between 1972 and 1977.
© Getty ImagesSpeaking to The Guardian in 2017, Tony explained: "My daughter, Victoria, is an actress and dancer and she's been with me all the way through life; Simon, who works in advertising, was three when his mother and I divorced.
"He lived with her and I saw him every weekend. It was tough taking Simon back on Sundays and I always put him first for the 17 years between my two marriages."
Tony is also a grandfather to Simon's two sons, Harry, 14, and George, 10. "It's boom, boom, boom when they come round – especially with Harry, who for some reason thinks I'm a funny grandad because I'm always coming up with silly things to do with him," Tony told The Guardian. "That puts me under enormous pressure to come up with even more silly things to do for next time!"
Tony's grandparent campaign
As well as enjoying the perks of grandparenting, Tony put his name to a campaign in 2024, teaming up with Gas Safe Register to help grandparents and families become more gas safety aware at home.
As part of the campaign, Tony said: "There's no doubt that we grandparents play a distinct and important role in our grandchildren's lives, increasingly indispensable when it comes to alleviating childcare costs, as well as being on hand to impart valuable pearls of wisdom – and educating them on good music!
© WireImage"We've experienced more of life and there are great advantages to that when it comes to being 'in the know', but it's never too late to learn something new, or learn more about something we think we know everything about – particularly when it comes to the safety of our homes and loved ones.
"I'm a stickler for making sure everything is working properly in my house: everything gets serviced and replaced if necessary. But I realise I am in a fortunate position to do that, so my one piece of advice is to get clued-up on what the signs and symptoms of unsafe gas appliances can be. It could not only save your life, but those of your grandchildren and loved ones. Being in the know on the gas safety basics has never been more important."
