The 41-year-old singer ' who has been the subject of much speculation she is expecting her first child with husband Nick Cannon ' finally acknowledged the rumours, admitting it had been 'tough' trying to keep the news secret.

She said: "Yes, we are pregnant. This is true. It's been a long journey. It's been tough because I've been trying to hold on to a shred of privacy."

Nick, 30, also spoke about the 'absolutely emotional' news, saying: "The greatest gift on earth is a child.

'We've had names picked out from the first day we met and we want to stay true to that.'

Mariah ' who refused to reveal when she is due to give birth and said she didn't know the sex of the baby ' also spoke about her sadness at suffering a miscarriage shortly after she married Nick two years ago.

She said in an interview for US TV show 'Access Hollywood' which previewed on the 'Today' show: "It kind of shook us both and took us into a place that was really dark and difficult.

'When that happened I wasn't able to even talk to anybody about it. That was not easy."

Nick added: "It strengthened our relationship so much. She handled it so well."