Scottish actor Callum Kerr is expecting a boy a year after his mother was murdered in France

The actor and his wife, Lauren, are expecting their second child a year after the tragic murder of his mother in France

Scottish actor Callum Kerr is to become a father again, well over a year after the devastating family tragedy in which his mother and stepfather were found dead at their home in France, in what police believed to be a murder-suicide.

A year on from the tragedy, Callum and his wife Lauren Stacy have shared their wonderful news, revealing they are expecting a boy towards the “end of the year”. The 32-year-old star, best known for playing PC George Kiss on Hollyoaksposted two photographs showing himself and Lauren dressed in matching blue outfits.

In the snap, the mum-to-be proudly shows off her baby bump in a flowy dress, while Callum places his hand tenderly on her stomach. Their daughter Isla, who was born in 2023, will soon have a little brother to look after, as the couple confirmed their happy news in a social media post on Monday (June 15).

Callum and Lauren tied the knot in a stunning Scottish ceremony at a Highland castle in January, just under 11 months on tragic discovery by his mother and stepfather at their French estate.

Dawn and Andrew Searle, aged 56 and 62 respectively, were found dead in south-west France on Thursday 7 February last year. French authorities investigating the deaths concluded that it was a case of murder followed by suicide Mirror reports.

Post-mortem examinations confirmed that Mr Searle died by hanging, while Mrs Searle suffered “several blows to the head with a blunt and sharp-edged object”.

The East Lothian couple had moved a decade ago to the picturesque village of Les Pesquies, Toulouse, settling in a property with a swimming pool and a two-bedroom flat available for rent. Neighbors in Les Pesquies described the couple as lovely, normal people.

Both having previously been married, the couple tied the knot in France in 2023, with Callum giving Dawn away and wishing them a “huge life together” on social media.

Callum, who joined Hollyoaks in 2020 before leaving in 2021, popped the question to Lauren in 2024, following the arrival of their daughter in December 2023.

On their wedding day, the actor donned a traditional black and green kilt, while his bride turned heads in a pencil wedding dress. The couple were photographed beaming with joy, surrounded by their closest friends and family.

His Hollyoaks character was placed at the school to tackle drug dealing at the site, where he ran into John Paul McQueen (James Sutton). Their relationship became turbulent due to George’s jealousy of James Nightingale (Gregory Finnegan) and Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson), JP’s former partners.

After his time on the soap, Callum appeared in the Netflix series Virgin River and has since embarked on a new career as a country singer after moving to Nashville.

He is still coming to terms with the tragic loss of his mother. Following the devastating discovery, her heartbroken children released a lengthy statement urging their loved ones not to attend their stepfather’s funeral.

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The statement read: “In the absence of evidence to suggest third party involvement in the tragic death of our mother, Dawn Kerr, the prevailing hypothesis remains that of a murder-suicide,” Callum and his sister Amanda said.

“Our mother was killed by multiple blows to the head and Andrew was found dead by hanging. His injuries are consistent with self-hanging and no defensive wounds were found on his body. There is also no evidence whatsoever of any third party involvement at this stage.

“While the official investigation is still ongoing, we cannot ignore the circumstances as they are. For this reason, we must respectfully but firmly request that our mother not be involved in any way in the funeral arrangements for Andrew. Please do not share photos of them together.

“Please do not attend Andrew’s service if you were a friend of our mother. It would be inappropriate for her memory to be associated with a service honoring the man who, based on all available evidence, may have been responsible for her death. We ask for understanding, privacy and respect as we continue to grieve and seek justice for our mother.”