Novelist Sir Salman Rushdie is to become a grandfather, after his daughter-in-law Natalie Rushdie revealed she is pregnant.
Jazz singer Natalie, 33, is expecting a daughter in October with husband Zafar, son of the Booker Prize-winning author.
The pair married in New York in June 2016 and this will be their first child together.
Speaking to Hello! magazine, she said of the author: “He’s really over the moon and couldn’t be happier for us. And so are we. It’s super exciting.
“He just knows everything about everything so I really think, hopefully, he can give all of his knowledge to our child.”
Natalie has suffered from morning sickness and lost a stone in weight.
She added: “Movies depict this idea that pregnancy is all wonderful and glowing but really, it’s hard work but throughout this pregnancy Zaf has been so calm and reassuring.”
Zafar, 40, has been unable to accompany her to her scans due to the lockdown.
He said: “She’s either FaceTimed me in for a live ‘broadcast’ of the scan or videos it to show me afterwards.
“Five months is a long time. The world has changed a lot in the last two months so … hopefully, things will be better than they are now.
“I would feel really, really disappointed not to be there.”
Read the full interview in Hello! magazine, out now.