Soap actor Adam J. Woodward, 33, has become a father for the first time. The star, famous for playing Brody Hudson in Channel 4's Hollyoaks and for guest roles in Emmerdale, announced the birth of his son, Matthew Rayn Woodward, on August 5, 2026, sharing the happy news on Instagram.
He posted pictures of himself with the newborn, along with the caption 'Welcome to the world Matthew Rayn Woodward,' using a globe emoji instead of the word world, before including the date '05.08.2026.' He added, 'We love you more than you could ever know.'
Fatherhood Announcement
The actor first announced in May that he was expecting a child, posting a series of pictures on Instagram including the baby scan, tiny booties, and a dinosaur onesie, along with an image of Adam kissing his partner's pregnancy bump with the caption 'Incoming badass'.
Adam is best known for his portrayal of Brody, who was central to Hollyoaks' ground-breaking historic abuse plot, where it emerged that his character was groomed and sexually abused by football coach Buster Smith as a teenager. Brody's story had a profound impact on audiences, with the Channel 4 soap reporting that rape and sexual abuse charity Survivors Manchester experienced an increase in calls after those scenes aired.
Career and Fan Support
Introduced in 2017, Brody made a memorable entrance by emerging from the sea in his trunks, a homage to Daniel Craig's James Bond in Casino Royale. Brody was so beloved that Adam won the British Soap Award for Best Male Dramatic Performance in 2019.
Brody met a tragic end in 2021 when he was the victim of a hit-and-run by Warren Fox (Jamie Lomas), who killed him to prevent him from telling police about Cormac Ranger's murder. He died in the arms of his true love, Sienna Blake (Anna Passey).
In 2023, Adam left Soapland to become a manual therapist, focusing on the Kasser Method osteopathy technique.
Co-Star Congratulations
Following the birth announcement, Adam received an outpouring of love from his online followers, mostly his co-stars. The comment section featured a who's who of soap stars posting their best wishes.
Owen Warner, who played Romeo Nightingale, wrote 'Congratulations both of you'. Rory Douglas-Speed, who portrays Joel Dexter, posted 'Congratulations brother'. Jessica Fox, who plays Nancy Osborne, wrote 'Massive congratulations'. Ashley Taylor Dawson, who plays Darren Osborne, wrote 'Congrats bro!' with a string of love heart emojis. Nikki Anderson, who portrayed Maxine Minniver, wrote 'Congratulations to you both' along with a heart emoji, adding 'he's a little cutie x'.
