'Utterly in love': Steps star Ian 'H' Watkins becomes a dad as he welcomes twin boys with partner Craig Ryder via surrogate 

Ian Watkins - otherwise known as H from Steps - has announced the arrival of twin boys.

H, 39, and his partner Craig Ryder, 39, shared their baby joy on Monday with an adorable picture of the hospital wrist bands, saying: 'We are DADS! We are totally & utterly in love!'

The happy couple, who have been together for around nine years, are yet to name their two new arrivals after welcoming their sons by surrogate in the early hours of Sunday morning.

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Happy news: Ian 'H' Watkins and his partner Craig Ryder welcomed twin boys by surrogate on Sunday, sharing the news by Twitter

The black and white picture simply shows the date of birth, times at 02.14 and 02.17 with the babies' temporary names 'Baby "A"' and 'Baby "B"'.

Craig and Ian, who live together in North Wales, first shared their wishes to start a family back in 2011 but suffered a heart-breaking loss in 2012 when their first surrogate miscarried.

Their second shot at parenthood was revealed in December 2015 when they shared the news with fans in an uplifting animated video posted to Twitter.

Former popband singer H teased fans with a Youtube video, featuring their happiest moments of their relationship to date.

First-time dad: The former pop group star gushed: 'We are DADS! We are totally & utterly in love!'

Happy couple: The duo have been talking about starting a family since back in 2011 (pictured here on This Morning) but previously experienced heartbreak when their surrogate miscarried in 2012

Appearing as photo cut-outs against a cartoon backdrop, a smiley H and Craig announce that their 'Biggest adventure'... Is yet to come.'

A banner reads 'We are going'... 'To be dads', before a cartoon child falls from the sky - followed by a second, to indicate twins. 

Ian previously told The People that hearing the news that his child's heart had stopped beating was the 'worst moment of his life.'

He continued: 'We were thinking of names, and we even planned our first Christmas as a family. We were both ready to be Dads.'

'I just feel really empty and helpless. The only person who can help me is Craig.'

Bundles of joy: H revealed that they are expecting twins in an uplifting animated video posted on Twitter back in December last year

Colourful scenes: Appearing as photo cut-outs against a cartoon backdrop, a smiley H and Craig appear outside their first home together alongside their pets

Surprise! The news is then delivered with a banner reading 'We are going'... 'To be dads', before a cartoon child falls from the sky

Home sweet home: As celebratory balloons and bunting decorates their living room, pregnancy scan pictures appear on the TV screen above the fire

The big reveal: The couple's quest to become dads has been years in the making 

Overcoming tragedy: The overjoyed couple previously experienced heartache when their surrogate suffered a miscarriage in 2012

Ian admitted that one thing which has made the painful news a little easier to deal with is the fact that they didn't yet know the sex of the baby. 

The couple first spent a year and half trying to adopt a child in 2008, using a social worker to try to match them to a child before eventually turning to IVF with an egg donor.

Speaking of his initial excitement at the process, back in 2011, Ian told The Sun: 'I'm so excited. We both are. We just can't wait. It's like "Oh my God, this is finally happening!" I'm so broody — I have been for years. I always knew that I wanted children.'

He added on the process: 'These days there is really no "normal" or "natural" or "right" way to have a baby. Surrogacy may not be a traditional way to have a child — but it's our way.

'The most important thing a child needs is love and support and that is something ours will have in abundance.' 

Claim to fame: H rose to fame as part of pop group Steps in the late 1990s, along with (L-R) Faye Tozer, Lee Latchford-Evans, Claire Richards and Lisa Scott-Lee

H, whose abbreviated pop nickname stands for 'hyperactive', came out as gay on the day that he entered the Celebrity Big Brother house in January 2007, six years after Steps split.

The musician was in the Nineties pop band - which also featured Faye Tozer, Lee Latchford-Evans, Claire Richards and Lisa Scott-Lee - for four years.

Speaking to PinkNews in June last year, H revealed that his bandmate Lisa used to 'have his back,' saying she would jump in during magazine interviews where H was asked about girlfriends. 

He revealed: 'It was just something that was unsaid but know. I vaguely remember us talking about people we fancied but it wasn’t like, "by the way, I’m gay".

The star added: 'I felt massive pressure to keep my sexuality a secret but I was not alone. I had a brief relationship with a member of a boyband, but we were careful and the media never found out.

'During my time in Steps I had dates with other singers, and actors, and some still haven’t come out to this day. It’s amazing that they have kept their sexuality secret all this time.'

Unspoken: H came out as gay in 2007, later saying that it was unspoken with bandmate Lisa (here in January 2007) when she used to jump in during magazine chats about girlfriends