28 OCTOBER 2005

Brooke Shields has confirmed that she is pregnant with baby number two. The actress and husband Chris Henchy will welcome their new bundle of joy into the world next spring.

The 40-year-old star, who is currently starring in a Broadway revival of the hit musical Chicago, has been open about her battle to overcome post-natal depression the first time she became a mother. Later Brooke turned her experience into the subject of a book, Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression.

In her account the star revealed that she had suicidal thoughts and had to be prescribed anti-depressants. Her admission prompted a public clash with Tom Cruise, who questioned the use of medication to treat the illness.

Brooke and Chris, who married in 2001, already have a two-year-old daughter Rowan Francis.