What A Legend - Beth's Baby Belle Nell

The TV villain can’t get enough of her gorgeous girl.

- Fleur Mealing

At the very reasonable hour of 10.32am on a Tuesday in May, beautiful baby girl Nell Irene Rainee McDermott was born via Caesarean at Auckland Hospital to the tune of John Legend’s “Penthouse Floor”.

And although her parents, former Shortland Street actress Beth Allen and her husband Charlie McDermott, insist they didn’t plan for the funky jam to be playing, the laid-back song sure fits their cruisy wee gem.

“They let you put on a playlist and it’s quite civilised,” tells actor and theatre producer Charlie, 35. “We walked in at 7.30am and had a baby at half past 10. It was like a well-oiled machine! She came out, I took one look at her and thought, ‘You’re going to be easy!’”

“And she is,” smiles Beth, 34. “I remember when they held the baby up. I could hear the happiness and elation in Charlie’s voice, then they handed her to me and she was so chill – she just lay there and looked at us. Ever since, she’s been really low-key. She doesn’t complain and doesn’t fuss, so she’s fitted in really well.”