Former Dancing with the Stars' judge Rachel White is 12 weeks pregnant, and both she and Kiwi husband and fitness professional Stuart are over the moon, despite news this week that White has been replaced on the show.
White was Spy's favourite judge, bringing glamour and sass to the show, and is unsure why she was not invited back this year.
"Obviously, I am hugely disappointed not to be involved in Dancing with The Stars this year. I have absolutely loved being part of such a fantastic award-winning production. I did seek professional advice, and certainly there were no medical concerns about me being able to cope with being pregnant and continuing on the show.
Rachel and Stuart White Pregnancy announcement Supplied to Spy
However, MediaWorks clearly felt they needed a fresh face on the panel this year. Laura (comedian Laura Daniel) is a great woman and I genuinely wish her, and all the DWTS team, the very best for another fantastic season," says White.
Her former fellow judges, Julz Tocker and Camilla Sacre-Dallerup, are still very much part of her life, however.
"Julz, Camilla and I have worked together and been a close-knit team for years. They are two of my dearest friends and were some of the very first people I told that my treatment had been successful. They have both been very supportive," she says.
White will be teaching and keeping fit by dancing throughout her pregnancy.
"It's important for me to stay fit and healthy during my pregnancy and dancing plays a big role in that. Dancing is low-impact, so it's a perfect way for pregnant women to stay active throughout the nine months. Pilates is a daily ritual for me too, and I have always maintained a healthy diet, even when the morning sickness was at its worst."
White's replacement on the show is last year's former celebrity contestant Daniel, who will be straddling the network divide between her new reporting role on Seven Sharp on TVNZ1, and DWTS on Three.
White, however, is feeling positive and is delighted with her baby news.
"It feels like such a miracle, I can't quite believe it's true. We had such a difficult journey to get to this point, we definitely needed help in the end," she tells Spy.
"Fertility treatment is so brutal. It's not just the physical toll it takes on your body, but the mental strain was often all consuming. There were certainly moments where we believed we'd never become parents," she says.
Rachel and Stuart White Supplied to Spy
The couple say their families are very thrilled for them and excited to have a new family member to celebrate later this year. White says being pregnant is everything to her, as she has always dreamed of being a mother.
"I just feel so very blessed that I finally have an amazing little person of my own growing inside me," she says.
The parents-to-be met at a salsa class in 2011 and it was love at first sight. They married in a romantic ceremony in Hawaii in 2016. White tells Spy they will continue to work in Los Angeles, but it is too early to say where they will bring up their child. She does know New Zealand and "the Kiwi way" will be a huge part of their new baby's life.
Her husband's family farm in Northland at Maungakaramea and the children White has taught dancing here have impressed on her that New Zealand is a great place to bring up a family.
