Reality star Ashley Cain has announced the birth of his son Aliyas Diamond and said he will protect him “with all of my heart, for the rest of my life”.

The 33-year-old former footballer previously said he felt “guilty” about becoming a father again after his baby daughter Azaylia died of leukaemia aged eight months in April 2021.

In an Instagram post, the TV star – known for Ex On The Beach and Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins – revealed his son had been born at 4.32am on January 16, weighing 9lbs 3oz.

He wrote: “I will love you, appreciate you, guide you and protect you with all of my heart, for the rest of my life.

“And you will have the most beautiful guardian angel heaven holds watching over you and protecting you too.

“Welcome to the world my son.

“May your body be strong, your mind be wise, your heart be loving and your spirit be pure and truly powerful.”

He also explained the reasoning behind his son’s name and said: “What the letter ‘A’ holds is a family tradition, being the first letter of my father’s and all of my uncles’ first names.

“The name ‘Diamond’ is from my grandma and their mother. It’s our family name along with Cain, it’s our Vincentian roots, all the way from our small island and from our great people.”

The reality star shares his son with an unnamed woman who wants to stay out of the public eye.

Cain shared his late daughter, who was born in August 2020, with ex Safiyya Vorajee and when he announced her death in 2021 he said his heart was “shattered”.

“You gave my life purpose, my face a smile, filled my heart with love and my soul with pride,” he wrote in a post on Instagram.

Cain previously told ITV’s Good Morning Britain that he felt “guilty” after he learned he would be a parent again but said he “very quickly” took on “the responsibility of being a father”.

“I realise that every child is a blessing and I’ve got myself in the right mind frame,” he added.

In 2022, Cain embarked on five planned charity marathon runs in aid of a foundation in honour of his late daughter.

In August 2023, on what would have been his daughter’s third birthday, he wrote a message to her on social media which said: “My broken heart, even though aching, is full of pride.”