01 May 2024 , 13:33
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Doting mum Denise Van Outen was over the moon on Wednesday when she marked a milestone birthday for her only daughter Betsy.
The actress, singer and presenter is also a single mother following her late 2023 split from property developer Jimmy Barba, and she shares a close bond with her only daughter, Betsy, born in 2010, during her marriage to Any Dream Will Do winner Lee Mead.
This Wednesday, the star penned a heart-warming message for her teen daughter as she celebrated her fourteenth birthday. To mark the occasion, Denise, 49, paired her emotional caption with a snap of the young girl in her Instagram story - and the resemblance is uncanny.
Denise Van Outen's daughter Betsy celebrates her 14th birthday this Wednesday, May 1 (Instagram)
Denise shares her teen daughter with ex-husband Lee MeadBetsy, an avid knitter, can be seen in the shot staring straight into her mother's camera, her mouth curled upwards in a shy smile as she sits cross-armed at a table.
The teen sports a black sleeveless top with a round neckline and a golden necklace, her hair tied back. "My beautiful Betsy, 14 today", Denise captioned, "love you so much."
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In the wake of her thirteenth birthday in 2023, Denise addressed a more public tribute to her child as she penned an emotional letter, opening up about their shared struggles and woes. "It seems like only yesterday that I cradled you, just minutes old, in my arms, suddenly feeling this huge weight of responsibility", she'd recalled.
"You took my breath away and I knew then that I would spend the rest of my life wanting to protect you. So it seems mad to think of that 7lb 10oz bundle now being on the cusp of becoming a teenager. And I’m in awe of the brilliant, bright young woman you’re blossoming into."
Denise had also explained at the time that, despite their separation when she was just three years old, her and Lee Mead remained civil to co-parent Betsy. "When me and your dad separated, we were adamant we didn’t want this to affect you. You were just three and we both had a duty of care to make everything the best it possibly could be", she admitted.
She had then added: "To be honest, it was never too difficult — me and your dad have always had a great deal of respect for each other and co-parenting came naturally. Even now when he drops you off after you’ve stayed at his, he’ll usually come in for a cuppa, so you can see that our relationship is genuine."
While Betsy continues to grow up in a loving and caring environment, surrounded by her parents who prioritise her every need, Denise Van Outen revealed her daughter had been diagnosed with dyslexia and dyspraxia in 2017. To tackle her learning difficulties, both her and Lee decided to enrol Betsy in a specialist school.