(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Mariah Carey has confirmed she is pregnant with her first child.

The singer had been the subject of intense speculation for many months, with rumours circulating she was expecting a baby with her husband Nick Cannon. The 41-year-old superstar remained silent in the wake of the reports, with Nick fuelling rumours by saying his wife was a spiritual person and wanted to stay private.

Mariah has now finally decided to address the baby claims in a television interview which aired today.

"Yes, we are pregnant. This is true," Mariah told the Today show. It's been a long journey... It's been tough... We've been trying to hold on to a shred of privacy.

The star refused to reveal her due date, saying only that its still early and she is thrilled to be pregnant, adding expecting is great.

Nick joined Mariah for the interview and admitted he was absolutely emotional when he discovered he was going to be a father. The greatest gift on earth is a child, the 29-year-old presenter added.

Mariah went on to reveal the baby was conceived naturally and the couple dont want to find out if they are having a boy or a girl.

The star sparked rumours when she was seen wearing a brown maternity dress in August, she also admitted she was superstitious about discussing her desire to start a family.

It has been reported Mariah is expecting a boy and will give birth in March.

Earlier this week, Thandie Newton accidentally confirmed Mariahs pregnancy during a live television interview. She revealed she had landed a role in For Colored Girls after Mariah was forced to pull out of shooting the movie.

I think she is pregnant, Thandie said on The View. Quickly realising she had spoken too hastily, Thandie attempted to backtrack on her comments.

Or something major is going on in her life, so I carried the baton for her, she said. I only had two days to make a decision to play it. (C) Cover Media