Australian DWTS judge and friend welcome baby girl

Australian Dancing With The Stars judge Todd McKenney, 42, and his best friend Anne Wood have welcomed a baby daughter. Charlotte Wood was born on June 2 after a 12-hour labor and weighed in at 7 lbs, 6 oz and measured 19 inches. They’ll be calling her Charlie.

Todd is openly gay; he and Anne made a pact twenty years ago that if they were single and childless by 40, they would have a child together. Charlotte was conceived using IVF and she will be informed of her father’s sexuality and her parents’ relationship. Says Todd,

Charlie will be brought up in an honest way. Honesty is important to me and I tend to live my life that way. She’ll be able to watch two people having an open, honest relationship. I’m proud to be me – and I’m gay and I’m kind and I’m generous and I’m a bastard sometimes. Our child needs to get used to this from day one. Charlie will be a showbiz kid with a really spiritual bedding.

He couldn’t be at the delivery because he was performing in DWTS but his thoughts were with Anne,

It was nerve-racking to listen to Anne when her father Bill rang from the hospital – that tore my heart out. I don’t know whether I’d have enjoyed watching the labor, but I’d have loved to be there out the front handing out cigars.

He has every intention of spoiling Charlotte,

I’m going to be the one who takes her to McDonalds. Stuff political correctness. I’ll also be the one taking her to the lolly department in David Jones, and buying her roller-blades, a bike and a pogo stick!

Source: Australian New Idea Magazine, June 16, 2007, p. 6-8

Thanks to CBB reader Elizabeth.

Comments

Congrats to them!! I think that’s great…gay or not, married or not, they’re best friends and have been for a very long time. How many straight married couples can say that they have been best friends and know each other as well as these two? I’m sure little Charlie will be extremely loved and spoiled!

- Mandii on June 27th, 2007

Bravo for them, and congratulations! Charlotte is such a cute name!

- Stephanie on June 27th, 2007

I think that it’s great that these two best friends are going to have a baby together!

This is such a different world than it was 100 years ago, and thus this situation is perfectly acceptable (well in my eyes)!

This baby will be SO loved and the parents will forever be friends, because without the other this baby would not have existed. And he/she was obviously made out of love, even though it isn’t the “storybook” love most think of when children are involved!

I say CONGRATS x a million!

- Tracy on June 27th, 2007

Thats so cool! I don’t hear about this happening often but I’m so glad to see it! I do think its a shame he wasn’t there for the birth though. I think he would have been excited to see his daughter being born.

- margaux on June 27th, 2007