Mark Wright has shared the touching story behind the name he and wife Michelle Keegan chose for their newborn daughter, Palma, during a recent appearance on ITV’s This Morning.
The TV and radio presenter, who has been married to actress Michelle Keegan since 2015, welcomed their first child, Palma Elizabeth Wright, on March 6. The couple announced her birth a few days later on March 12, posting a heartwarming photo of them holding their daughter’s tiny hand.
Although many assumed the name was inspired by the sunny city of Palma in Majorca, Mark explained that it wasn’t quite the case. Speaking to hosts Dermot O’Leary and Sian Welby, he said: “We just loved the name. We liked the name Palmer with an ‘er’, but we preferred it with an ‘a’ at the end — it just sounded right to us. We simply loved how it looked and felt.”
Sitting beside fellow new dad and Heart FM colleague Olly Murs, Mark couldn’t contain his excitement over becoming a father. He called it “the best thing” and said his daughter Palma was “amazing.”
“She’s been brilliant,” he shared. “She’s only five weeks old, and by 11pm she goes down for the night and doesn’t wake up until 5am. It’s incredible.”
Mark has also been turning to other celebrity dads for advice. He mentioned learning from Olly, whose daughter Maddy is nearly one, and even from Ed Sheeran. “We saw Ed on the show last week,” Mark said. “He came up to me and said, ‘How are you feeling?’ I didn’t even know he knew I had a baby. Then he said, ‘Trust me, it gets easier!’”
Mark recently shared another special moment on air when he brought baby Palma to the Heart FM studio for the first time. “Right now, I’m doing my show at Heart, and I’ve got my baby girl in my arms,” he told listeners. “It’s her first time at work with me. She’s just five weeks old, but walking through the office holding her and hearing everyone say how cute she is — it’s the best feeling ever.”
“She’s resting on my shoulder right now,” he joked, “and I’ve got to watch out because she might pick up a few tricks and try to take over my job one day — but I wouldn’t mind.”
Before Palma was born, Mark had opened up about feeling nervous but excited to become a dad for the first time. During an appearance on BBC’s The One Show in February, where he was promoting his new home improvement series, host Lauren Laverne congratulated him on the baby news. Mark responded with a big smile: “Thank you so much. It’s very exciting — a little nerve-wracking, but I’m ready. I can’t wait!”
