Michelle Keegan is planning to take a "good chunk of time off" to enjoying being a mother

She told Grazia magazine: "'I'm going to take a good chunk of time off to enjoy being a mum. 'I'm never normally at home in the summer, I've always been away working, so I can't wait."

However, the break won't last too long as Michelle told the publication she's landed a "a big new job" but she's been sworn to secrecy on details of the project.

During the interview, Michelle, 37, admitted she struggled to deal with speculation over her plans to start a family with Mark because the pair waited until 10 years after they married to have children.

She told the magazine: "'Around the time we got married, I was open about the fact that I wanted to have a family but then, because we didn't choose to have children within a certain time, there was lots of speculation.

"And we can handle that but, at one point, there was a story every week. My family was asking me about it, so I made the decision to not talk publicly about that side of my life.

"I'm going to be 38 this year and, as I've got older, I feel more confident about my boundaries."

Michelle previously announced her baby news in a post on Instagram alongside a picture which showed her cradling her bump.

She wrote: "2025 is going to be a special one for us ... "

Michelle previously admitted she hates being asked questions about her family plans, insisting it was "no one else's business".

The actress told the Mirror newspaper: "It's horrible. People don't know if we're trying. They don't know the background of what's happening ...

"In this day and age, you shouldn't be asking questions like that. I'm asked purely because I'm a woman. I'm immune to it now - it's like a reaction, and as soon as I hear it I brush it off as it's no one else's business."