Wife Sarah give birth to daughter Grace on Friday afternoon and mum and baby are now doing well at the family home in Oxfordshire.

“Alfie is absolutely elated: he’s over the moon,” said his mum Pat Boe, at her home in Shakespeare Road, Fleetwood, where the tenor was raised as the youngest of nine children.

For Mrs Boe it’s her 42nd grandchild and she also has 10 great-grandchildren.

Mrs Boe said she wasn’t able to go to Oxfordshire at the moment but expected Alfie, Sarah and Grace to visit her soon.

She added: “I am thrilled and the whole family is.”

Grace arrived after a false alarm earlier in the week.

Sarah was watching Alfie in The Merry Widow at English National Opera when she thought she was going into labour.

Alfie drove her to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford - and there was great amusement for hospital staff because the singer was still in costume.

It was the real thing on Friday afternoon, however, when Alfie got a text message and had to leave an awards ceremony.

He arrived at hospital in time for the arrival of Grace who weighed in at 7lb 10.5oz.

Alfie said on his website: “It's so humbling to be a father, totally amazing.

“I’m so proud of both Sarah and baby Grace.”

Alfie and Sarah, a ballerina, met in New York five years ago when Alfie was performing in La Boheme on Broadway.

On a memorable first date Sarah sat in the audience at the show, not knowing just what Alfie’s involvement was.

When the curtain went up she realised he was the romantic lead in the Puccini tear-jerker.

Alfie, 33, has since gone on to make three hit albums as well as starring on the operatic stage.

He has had universally glittering reviews for his current run with English National Opera.