Grantchester star Melissa Johns and her husband Dan Hampton have unveiled their baby daughter, Ottilly, in a stunning new photoshoot, sharing details of her dramatic and unforgettable arrival.
Melissa Johns beams with happiness as she and husband Dan Hampton introduce their gorgeous new baby daughter.
Cradling little Ottilly, who was born on 29 October, the Grantchester star looks worlds apart from her feisty Miss Scott persona, fully embracing life in the “baby bubble” at 35.
The couple, who tied the knot at the historic 14th-century Brinsop Court Manor House in 2024, shared the joy of their newborn, while admitting her arrival took them by surprise. During a 36-week scan, they received worrying news. “We were told that the baby was starting to plateau in her growth, and that if we tried to go to 40 weeks, the risk [could be] fatal,” Melissa revealed, gently holding Ottilly in her arms.
“They used the word – fatal. It’s not a word any mum wants to hear,” Melissa recalls. “They told us she needed to be delivered at 37 weeks, and I just panicked. I said, ‘I can’t do that, that’s next week,’ but they insisted. In my head, I thought I had another four weeks.”
Although it wasn’t the birth she had imagined, Melissa describes the experience as just as magical. Surrounded by her midwife and doula, with Dan at her side, she welcomed baby Ottilly via caesarean section. The little girl weighed 5lb 10oz, with calming meditation music playing instead of Melissa’s original choices of the Spice Girls or Rod Stewart.
The couple spent five days in hospital following Ottilly’s early arrival. Staff provided invaluable support, helping Melissa find comfortable positions to breastfeed with one arm, as Ottilly was born without her right forearm and hand.
For Melissa and Dan, the most magical moment came when they finally brought Ottilly home. “I was nervous, of course, after five amazing days in the hospital. But the moment we stepped through our front door, it was like life had shifted—everything felt different, meaningful in a new way,” she recalled.
Ottilly’s arrival also marked a turning point in Melissa’s career on Grantchester, where she has played Miss Scott since 2020. She wrapped filming her final scenes just as she and Dan began their new chapter as a family of three.
The couple revealed that their daughter was nearly named Vera Violet. “Dan and I each have a grandmother called Nanny Vera, and violet is my other nan’s favourite flower. Last year, I read that wild violets are essential to the world yet impossible to tame—and I loved that,” Melissa shared with a smile.
Before settling on Ottilly, the little girl was almost named Vera Violet, but Melissa began to worry that her daughter would constantly have to clarify her full name instead of simply being called Vera.
“I’d met someone with a daughter named Ottilly 10 or 15 years ago and had forgotten about it until I stumbled across it while scrolling through a baby name list,” she explained.
“I mentioned it to Dan, and we both loved that it contains ‘otter’—and otters are just so adorable! We fell in love with the name and felt it really stands on its own. If she wants to go by Tilly when she’s older, she can, but for now, she’s Otty.”
The former Coronation Street star previously opened up about her concerns over handling everyday tasks with a newborn while living with her disability. “Dan and I were saying the other day, even with two arms and a newborn, you always feel like you need an extra one. So when one is missing, it can be really challenging,” she shared.
Melissa, who advocates for disability rights, explained: “People notice my one arm, but they don’t see the intense back pain I experience due to muscle imbalances from having a smaller arm.”
She admitted she had hoped to have found solutions by now, but that hasn’t happened yet, meaning she’s been leaning heavily on her husband, Dan, a senior transport planner, as she navigates early motherhood.
“I’m having to have quite a lot of help from Dan while I work out my rhythm and my way around things. It’s a real struggle having one arm and a newborn baby.”
Melissa joked that Dan has taken the lead on nappy changes, though the pair are working together to make sure Ottilly gets everything she needs. “Not a day has gone by without me crying yet – but I think that’s totally normal as a new mum. What this experience has really highlighted for me is how many products out there just aren’t accessible or designed with disabled parents in mind,” she said.
She revealed she’s already thinking about ways to make a difference, including creating a disabled parents’ network where parents could support each other and share tips on equipment. “How amazing would it be if I could lay Otty down in something where her clothes could just wrap around her, instead of struggling to get her tiny limbs into an outfit? You don’t have to be disabled to find dressing a newborn tricky! I just wish people knew that making these small changes could help everyone, not just disabled parents. Having a newborn is hard enough as it is,” Melissa explained.
For new dad Dan, nothing compares to the moment he first held his daughter. “Life has completely changed, but I’m just so grateful she’s healthy and thriving. She’s feeding well and getting into a lovely routine,” he shared.