Desmond Ng announces on social media on Jan 28 that his wife Kanny Theng is pregnant. Photo: Desmond Ng/Instagram
Singaporean actor Desmond Ng and his wife, actress-host Kanny Theng, are set to welcome a child in the upcoming Year of the Horse.
Ng, 38, shared on social media on Jan 28 a photo of the couple holding an ultrasound image, as he tagged Theng, also 38, and wrote in English: “Our first family photo.”
He used the Chinese hashtag #MaDaoChengGong, which can be translated as “success comes with the arrival of the horse”.
Ng told Chinese-language daily Lianhe Zaobao in a Jan 29 report that they learnt of her pregnancy just days before departing for their honeymoon in South Korea. He had posted photos of himself in the country on social media in November 2025.
“We didn’t really enjoy the honeymoon much because she was constantly feeling exhausted and dizzy,” he said.
Theng is currently 14 weeks pregnant, with her due date in July. The couple tied the knot on March 28, 2025 after dating for close to eight years.
Ng, who is starring in the upcoming Singapore drama Last But Not Least, recalled they first discovered the pregnancy during a day trip to Malaysia with Malaysia-born actor Chen Hanwei and Singapore actress Hong Huifang.
Theng suggested buying a pregnancy test kit during the trip as she mentioned that her period was a day late and she had been unusually tired of late.
“I remember the result showed two lines, but one was very faint,” Ng said. “I was uncertain, so I took a picture and asked ChatGPT.”
He and Theng were still somewhat sceptical after receiving preliminary confirmation from the AI tool, so they scheduled a hospital check-up the next day, which officially confirmed the pregnancy. However, they kept the news private and chose not to share it widely.
“After all, we’re of a certain age, and she’s considered an older mother, so we basically didn’t tell anyone,” he said. “It wasn’t until the situation stabilised and we heard the baby’s heartbeat that we shared the news with close friends and relatives.”
Recalling the first time he heard his unborn child’s heartbeat, he said: “My wife noticed I was grinning the whole time. I guess that was how I expressed my happiness.”
Amid the joy, Ng also experienced other complex emotions.
“I panicked a bit initially,” he said. “I thought I was prepared, but I couldn’t sleep for four days when reality hit. I realised there were many things I hadn’t prepared for, and I needed to re-plan many things.”
Ng cited housing as the most pressing issue. He and Theng had designed their matrimonial home for two when they initially renovated it, but now they need to make space for their baby. Another concern was his retirement timeline.
“We had shared the idea of being DINK (double income, no kids) if we didn’t have children before 40,” he said. “Because if I have a child after 40, I’ll be working in my 60s or 70s to support my child’s university education, and I am worried that I won’t be able to fulfill my responsibilities to the child.”
Ng said that advice from his celebrity pals like local actors Sheila Sim and Desmond Tan helped ease some of his concerns.
“They told me not to worry so much, and that I’ll know how to face it when the time comes,” Ng said. “That put my mind at ease and I began enjoying this journey of preparing to become a father.”
Ng said his wife already knows the baby’s gender but has deliberately kept it from him.
“She probably wants me to find out with everyone else,” he said. “I don’t mind - whether it’s a boy or girl, what matters most is health.” – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
