Soap actor Callum Kerr is set to become a father once more, just over a year after a devastating family tragedy in which his mother and stepfather were discovered dead at their home in France.
Callum and his wife Lauren Stacy have shared their wonderful news, revealing they are expecting a baby boy towards 'the end of the year'. The 32-year-old Scotsman, who portrayed PC George Kiss on the Channel 4 series, posted two photographs showing himself and Lauren dressed in coordinating blue outfits.
The expectant mother proudly displays her bump in a flowing dress while Callum rests his hand on her stomach. Their daughter Isla, born in 2023, will soon have a younger brother to look after, following the couple's joyful announcement via social media on Monday.
Callum and Lauren tied the knot in a breathtaking Scottish ceremony at a Highland castle in January. The joyous occasion took place fewer than 11 months after Callum's mother and stepfather were found dead at their French property.
Family Tragedy Details
Dawn and Andrew Searle, aged 56 and 62 respectively, were discovered in southwest France on Thursday, February 7 last year. French authorities investigating the deaths concluded it was a case of murder followed by suicide, reports the Mirror.
Post-mortem examinations confirmed Mr Searle died from hanging and Mrs Searle suffered 'multiple blows to the head with a blunt and sharp-edged object'. The couple, originally from East Lothian, Scotland, had relocated to the picturesque hamlet of Les Pesquies, Toulouse a decade earlier, settling into a property featuring a swimming pool and a two-bedroom flat available to let.
Neighbours in Les Pesquies described the couple as lovely, normal people, and both had previously been married before they tied the knot in France in 2023. Callum gave Dawn away and wished the couple a 'tremendous life together' on social media.
Callum's Career and Family Life
Callum, who joined Hollyoaks in 2020 before departing in 2021, got down on one knee to propose to Lauren in 2024, having welcomed their daughter together in December 2023. The actor donned a traditional black and green kilt on the day, while his bride turned heads in a pencil-strapped wedding dress. The pair were pictured beaming with joy as they celebrated their big day surrounded by their closest friends and family.
His character was placed at Hollyoaks High to tackle drug dealing on school grounds, where he encountered John Paul McQueen (James Sutton). Their relationship became volatile as a result of George's jealousy towards James Nightingale (Gregory Finnegan) and Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson), JP's former partners.
Following his time on the soap, Callum went on to appear in the Netflix series Virgin River and has since embarked on a fresh career as a country singer based in Nashville.
He is still coming to terms with the heartbreaking loss of his mother. In a lengthy statement posted online in the wake of the distressing discovery, her grief-stricken children urged loved ones not to attend their step-dad's funeral.
It read: 'In the absence of any evidence suggesting third-party involvement in the tragic death of our mother, Dawn Kerr, the prevailing hypothesis remains that of a murder-suicide,' said Callum and his sister Amanda. 'Our mother was killed by multiple blows to the head, and Andrew was found deceased by hanging. His injuries are consistent with self-hanging, and no defensive wounds were found on his body. There is also no evidence whatsoever of any third party's involvement at this stage.'
'While the official investigation is still ongoing, we cannot ignore the circumstances as they stand. For this reason, we must respectfully but firmly request that our mother not be included in any way in the funeral arrangements being made for Andrew. Please do not share photographs of them together.'
'Please do not attend Andrew's service if you were a friend of our mother. It would be inappropriate for her memory to be associated with a service honouring the man who, based on all available evidence, may have been responsible for her death. We ask for understanding, privacy and respect as we continue to grieve and seek justice for our mum.'
