The 37-year-old `Contagion` actress - who has a 12-year-old daughter, Mia, from her first marriage to Jim Threapleton, and a nine-year-old son, Joe, from her second marriage to director Sam Mendes - has confirmed she is expecting her first child with her husband Ned Rocknroll.

A spokesperson for the couple told People.com: "Kate and Ned are delighted."

The Oscar-winner, who tied the knot with Ned, who is the nephew of Sir Richard Branson, in a secret ceremony in December, previously revealed she was eager to have at least one more child.

In an interview with InStyle in 2006, she said: "I`m hoping to have more kids. I don`t know whether one or two. Oh, God, I would love to have more."

An insider recently told Star magazine that Ned, 34, was desperate to be a father.

The source said: "Kate knows how much Ned wants to be a father. She thinks they would have the most adorable kid together, so they`re planning on getting pregnant by the end of the year. Having a child together is her absolute priority."
sections: Celebrities