Comedian Bharti Singh and her husband, writer Harsh Limbachiyaa, are thrilled about their second pregnancy. They made the announcement in October. And now, in her first interview since, she tells us, “I’m getting so much love! I hadn’t expected to be so pampered during my second pregnancy, too. Koi ghee de raha hai, koi laddoo la raha hai, meri daadi ne achaar daala mere liye, koi kala dhaga pehena raha hai.”

Emotional about this outpouring, the 41-year-old shares that their three-year-old son Laksh aka Gola was the first to know about the good news. Sharing how the couple has explained all about being a big brother to him, Bharti says, “We took Golu to the sonogram where he heard the heartbeat. Tab usko kuch samajh nahi aaya. but next two-three sonograms mein usko baby kaju ki tarah laga tha! He now tells me, ‘Aapke tummy mein kaju hai!’ (laughs)”

Known for her comic timing, and hosting popular shows, Bharti confesses that she hopes for a baby girl this time around: “Humein bohut logon ne bola tha ki aap bahar ghumne gaye thhe, aap check karwa lo. But na mujhe ye chahiye tha na ghar waalo ko. Main to yehi dua karti hun ki beti ho jaye. Behen bhai hone chahiye, ek ladki toh honi hi chahiye! Pura Ghar discipline mein rehta hai. Gola bohot excited hai.”

Comedian, actor, anchor Bharti Singh feels achieving a fitter self eventually led her not only to become a better person, but also helped her conceive in no time.

“It’s more about grit and determination. During the lockdown, I just decided to try intermittent fasting because gym toh mujhse hota hi naa. I wanted to get in shape because it was more about my well-being as a whole. Fasting and eating only in a fixed time span really worked wonders for me. After seven in the evening, I just refused to eat and soon this routine became part of me. I was so determined that aap chahe chappan bhog rakh do but I didn’t fall for it,” says Singh who was last seen hosting the reality show Dance Deewane.

Sharing how her fitness stint really worked for her, “Pehle se bahut patli ho gai main...Nobody believed my transformation of being fat to fit and now it’s simply fab for me. Funny part is many thought it’s some kind of weight-loss surgery that I underwent. I was like arey, mujhe inke naam bhi nahin pata, so how would I get one done? (laughs),” she says.

“Becoming fit and toned actually worked well for us (me and my husband, screenwriter Haarsh Limbachiyaa). I think it did make it somewhere easy for me to conceive last year, as we both greatly wanted to become parents. I am on mum-to-be diet for now and we are waiting for our bundle of joy to arrive in April this year,” Singh adds.

Known for her spontaneous acts and one liners, the Khiladi 786 (2012) and Sanam Re (2016) actor, says, “As a chef masters his craft, same way I too learnt the art of making people all happy and positive. At times it feel I have been into comedy since forever and so maybe it does come naturally to me. The one liners are like a tadka to any of my acts.”

For the comedian, it’s always about staying happy come what may. “I enjoy my work and thankfully it never feels that I am on a job or something. I have always enjoyed whatever work came to me and I think this adds positivity to all my projects too,” she concludes.

After remaining tight-lipped about her pregnancy, comedienne Bharti Singh has finally confirmed that she is all set to welcome her first child with her husband, Haarsh Limbhachiyaa. She took to social media to announce the big development recently. Talking to Bombay Times about the happy news, she says, “I am five months pregnant and the baby is due at the end of April. I had to be guarded about it, as our families didn’t want me to talk about it until I had completed four months. In fact, we disclosed the news to them after I completed three months.”

Bharti, who tied the knot with Haarsh in 2017, has often joked with him about becoming parents on various reality shows they have hosted together. So, how excited is the dad-to-be? “Yes, I would often jokingly tell him on stage, ‘Kab mummy banayega, kab papa banega?’ In fact, even during the shoot of Dance Deewane, when we learnt about our pregnancy, everyone continued with the joke.”

Bharti says, “I would laugh, thinking ki kya bataau sabko ki we are already pregnant. Haarsh was in tears when I shared the news with him. He loves kids. Mere se zyada iss bachhe ki maa Haarsh hai. He is very excited about the new phase. I am experiencing severe mood swings and morning sickness, but Haarsh has been pampering and taking extra care of me through it all (smiles!). It’s a beautiful and challenging phase,” she answers.

She was also in the news for her weight loss. She had shed almost 15 kgs in a year. Ask her if the weight loss was the first step towards pregnancy and she replies, “During the pandemic, I realised that I had become healthy and fit. I suffer from asthma. So, I decided to work on myself and lose weight for a healthier lifestyle. We hadn’t planned to go the family way. However, a child is God’s gift and this is His blessing. I find it so funny. Main kal tak bachchi thi, logon ke saath flirt karti thi aur ab sab kuch khatam ho gaya (laughs!).”

The couple will be seen hosting Hunarbaaz — Desh Ki Shaan. Bharti shares, “I am glad that we are working during my pregnancy. I want to work till the ninth month of my pregnancy. Hamaara bachcha bhi hamaari mehnat mehsoos kar raha hai and I hope the child grows up to become as hard-working as us. I hope and pray that bachcha apne papa ki tarah mehnati nikle. Haarsh has started putting more hours into work. We want to do as much work as possible before the baby is born so that we get ample time to spend with our bundle of joy.”

There has been much speculation about a new member in comedian Bharti Singh and her husband, writer and host Haarsh Limbachiyaa’s family for quite some time. And, we have now exclusively learnt that the couple is expecting their first child in 2022.

A source close to the couple confirms the pregnancy: “It is at a very early stage. Singh is already on rest and has halted her work commitments for now. She is not stepping out much and keeping a low-profile.” However, we have learnt that Singh will resume work in a few days. She will re-join Kapil Sharma’s comedy show soon.

When we contacted Singh for a clarification, she did not deny or confirm it. “I’m not going to deny or confirm anything. But when the time is right, I will speak openly about it. One can’t hide such things. So when I want to reveal it, I will do it publicly,” she explained, while her husband was unavailable for comment.

Singh and Limbachiyaa married in 2017 and celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary recently. Of late, the two have become absolute favourites with the paparazzi, who are constantly questioning them about the baby. “Rumours of us having a baby started since the day we got married,” the 37-year-old laughs.

The comedian had previously stated that she and her husband intended to have a child in 2020, but the pandemic put a halt to their plans.