Parminder NagraER star Parminder Nagra is reportedly pregnant with her first child.

The British actress, who shot to fame in 2002’s Bend It Like Beckham opposite Keira Knightley, is said to be around four months pregnant, meaning her bump will become increasingly visible while she films the final series of the medical drama - but producers will not write it into the show:

A source close to Parminder and long-term boyfriend James Stenson explained: “Parminder does not want to distract viewers from the storyline. Luckily she wears baggy scrubs or a white doctor’s coat so they will be able to disguise her bump for a couple more months. Then she will have to stand behind things and be filmed from the waist up.”

But the source added the baby was planned: “This baby was very much part of her plan. She is very maternal. When she came on set and told people she was pregnant she couldn’t stop grinning. She said she has always longed for a family.

“She and James are a great couple, very much in love and will make wonderful parents. She has spent five years in ER and now is the perfect time to start a family.

“She is planning a short break when the baby is born and will be much more selective about the roles she chooses. She intends to be a hands-on mother but also wants a film career.”