Lee Mead: It's a wrench to leave Betsy behind

Lee Mead has confessed it's a struggle to leave his two-week-old baby Betsy and wife Denise Van Outen to go to work.

The Any Dream Will Do winner is currently starring as Fiyero in the award-winning London production of Wicked, but is loving being a new dad.

Lee told the Daily Mirror: "As soon as I leave the house I start missing her - it's an instant feeling. Obviously I have to go to work, but it's very hard leaving her. She's still only days old, she's so new.

"But it's not too bad. If I was on tour or away filming I'd be working very long hours and I'd hardly see her.

"With Wicked, we live half an hour from the theatre, I'm called for around 5.30 each evening so during the day I get to play dad. We go for nice walks and there's lots of nappy-changing.

"Of course I'm going to be biased, but I think she's lovely. She's just gorgeous. She's got her mum's eyes and mouth. And we've spotted a few little kinks going on in her hair so I think she's got my curls.

"We both wanted quite a traditional name, but one that wasn't particularly common. I think it's a sweet name, Betsy Mead has a nice ring to it. I'm just very, very proud."

Lee, 28, reveals Denise, 36, is just as excited about parenthood.

He said: "Denise is just really enjoying a mum. She's looking gorgeous. She IS gorgeous! She looked after herself so well during the pregnancy with exercise and eating the right things. We're both just really excited."