DANCING with the Stars judge Todd McKenney is fathering an IVF baby with his best friend. The gay dance guru will become a father at the end of May.
And he plans to be a hands-on dad.
"I'm absolutely thrilled," he told the Sunday Herald Sun.
"This is something that we had talked about for 20 years, but I just wanted to be sure that the conditions were right.
"I wanted to be sure that I was financially secure enough to look after the child and also emotionally secure enough to take on the important role of fatherhood."
It was shortly after his 40th birthday in May 2005 that McKenney decided that all these key elements were aligning, thanks to his success on Dancing with the Stars and he contacted his single friend in Melbourne to ask whether she was still interested.
"She immediately said 'Yes'," he confides, "because it was also the right time for her."
The pair underwent rigorous IVF counselling to ensure the decision they had made was not one that had been taken lightly.
It also took well over a year for her to become pregnant.
"We have gone into this with our eyes wide open," he says.
McKenney does not know the gender of the baby, but says his whole family is elated by the prospect of welcoming the child.
His sister has three children and his mother can't wait to add another grandchild to the mix.
"The baby will be born in Melbourne and I currently work in Melbourne, but live in Sydney -- so I will probably move down there to be closer to the child."
According to McKenney, he and his best friend will share the parenting role, though as yet they have not decided on the logistics.
"I don't think that we will all live together, but I will be close," he insists.
McKenney says that he has wanted to be a father for as long as he can remember.
"I have always loved children," he explains, "especially growing up in dancing schools where I was surrounded by 400 of them. It feels as though children have always been part of my life."
McKenney is reticent to name the woman who is carrying his child because he wants to protect her privacy.
However, he admits she is also involved in showbusiness.
Throughout each of the six series of Dancing with the Stars, McKenney has cemented his reputation as one of the most controversial judges.
He has had famous stoushes with various female identities including Nikki Webster, Kate Langbroek and most recently Arianne Caoili.
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