Channel 9 presenter Leila McKinnon, and her husband David Gyngell, welcomed their first child on October 17, and have named their son Edmund (who will be known as Ted). Ted Gyngell was born in the early hours of the morning at Prince of Wales Private Hospital in Randwick, weighing 3.01 kg (6 lb 10 oz), and 51 cm long.

Leila was born in Iran to an English mother and New Zealander father, and grew up in Queensland. She began her journalism career in 1993 at WIN Television, and joined the Channel Nine Network in 1995. Leila is a co-host on Weekend Today, and regularly fills in on Channel 9 News and A Current Affair. She and David were married in a beach ceremony at Byron Bay in 2004.

David is the son of Bruce Gyngell, the first man to appear on Australian television, and a second cousin of the comedian Kim Gyngell. David’s great-great grandfather did the fireworks for the wedding for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and his great-grandfather was the first cider-maker in Australia. David is also the best friend of James Packer, the former owner of Channel 9 (David and James first met at school, and their fathers were also best friends). David is in his second stint as CEO of Channel 9 after resigning in 2005, and relocating to Los Angeles. Ratings suffered during his absence, and he returned to the job in 2007. David was in crisis talks over debt negotiations for Channel 9 when he had to rush off to hospital to be by his wife’s side.

UPDATE: Leila reveals that Ted is a nickname they gave their baby in the womb, even before they knew it was a boy, and they wanted a name which could have Ted as its short form. Leila always wanted an old name which dated from before the Norman Conquest, and says that sometimes they call their boy Edmund the Magnificent.