7 JANUARY 2004
Friends star Courteney Cox has announced she is looking forward to the birth of her first child. "We are confirming they are expecting," said her publicist, Nanci Ryder, who declined to give any further details.

The happy news is especially significant for Courtney and her actor husband David Arquette, as they have experienced long-running fertility problems. The couple, who married in 1999, revealed last year that they were attempting to conceive via in-vitro fertilisation after suffering what they described as "many miscarriages".

"I actually have done IVF. It's a wonderful thing that people can do in this day and age," said the actress. "And I'm lucky enough to be able to afford to do it. I think it's great and I will do it again."

Courteney's pregnancy coincides with the last season of her sitcom Friends. In the final series her onscreen character, Monica, has been exploring adoption after being unable to conceive. When the shows are broadcast this spring, one of the most popular comedies in US television history will come to an end.