australian television information archive

Adorable Rebecca Gibney's Baby X lapping up fame as Packed To The Rafters' new addition

GIRL or boy? That is the burning question Packed To The Rafters fans want answered.

On the eve of Rebecca Gibney's alter-ego Julie Rafter giving birth on the high-rating Australian drama, the gender of the bub remains a mystery and will until the season two finale plays out tomorrow night.

For Gemma and Andrew Strong, the parents of the baby, who we'll call Baby X, they hope it's the beginning of the little one becoming a star.

Baby X is likely to be exposed to a national audience of more than two million viewers when she or he makes his or her TV debut tomorrow night.

Mrs Strong, 27, from Church Point on Sydney's North Shore, said the shoot had been nerve-racking because Baby X had been "really feral" the day before - but had behaved perfectly for the camera.

"Our baby knew a career was on the line so didn't blow it during filming," she said.

"(Baby X) is very much an attention seeker and loves looking at the camera. We are so excited our baby is on the show. We watch it every week."

Baby X's rise to fame began two months ago when a friend of Mrs Strong's forwarded her an email from a talent agency on the hunt for a baby under three months old to play the newborn Rafter. Not even 24 hours after emailing her baby's photograph, the producers of Packed To The Rafters were on the phone saying they'd found the show's latest guest star.

"I remember when we got the first email and I asked my dad if I should send a photo off and he said 'Well, (Baby X) definitely looks like a Rafter, so would get the part for sure'," Mrs Strong said

If Packed To The Rafters attracts more than 2.3 million viewers it will join the ranks of some of the highest-rating baby plots behind the 2002 Friends episode which revealed the pregnancy of the character Rachel.

By Erin McWhirter
November 23, 2009
The Daily Telegraph