Channel 4 presenter Jon Snow, 73, steps out after announcing he and wife have welcomed first child

Channel 4 news presenter Jon Snow popped out to a coffee shop offering senior citizen discount days days after he welcomed a baby boy with his wife Dr Precious Lunga. 

The TV journalist, 73, from Sussex, revealed yesterday he and his wife, 46,  had a baby boy with a surrogate last Tuesday after ‘numerous medical setbacks and miscarriages’. 

Jon, who has two older daughters from his first marriage to former partner Madeleine Colvin, 64, donned a yellow puffer jacket as he picked up a coffee with a friend three days after the arrival of his baby on March 2. 

A large sign displayed in the window of the coffee shop revealed it offered 25 per cent discount for senior citizens on certain days of the week.

Jon Snow, 73, used his senior citizen discount as he stepped out for a coffee with a friend  days after welcoming his first child with his wife Dr Precious Lunga

The presenter picked up a coffee from a shop advertising senior citizens receive 25 per cent off on Wednesdays

The presenter picked up a coffee from a shop advertising senior citizens receive 25 per cent off on Wednesdays 

The presenter could be seen chatting with his friend Lord Hollick as they strolled through the streets of London, before the pair stopped at a coffee shop to pick up a hot drink. 

Businessman Lord Hollick ran Express Newspapers, then part of United News & Media, before selling it to Richard Desmond. 

Prior to that, he sold off United’s regional newspaper operation, UPN Holdings, in 1998 to a consortium led by buyout specialist Candover for £360m. 

The outing comes as the presenter said he and Precious are ‘delighted’ to announced their child arrived safely on March 2. 

Jon and Precious, 46, said they are 'delighted' to announced their child arrived safely on March 2, after they married 11 years ago in 2010 (pictured together in 2015)

Jon and Precious, 46, said they are ‘delighted’ to announced their child arrived safely on March 2, after they married 11 years ago in 2010 (pictured together in 2015)

In a statement, Jon said: ‘In our desire to seal our now 11 years of marriage with a baby, my wife suffered numerous medical setbacks and miscarriages.

‘Consequently, we will always be deeply grateful to our surrogate, who carried our embryo to term. 

‘Amid these challenging times, we feel doubly blessed to be able to celebrate our good fortune.’ 

Snow has had an eventful romantic life. He was once briefly engaged to fellow ITN journalist Anna Ford, 70.

And proving that age is no barrier to love, he married Zimbabwean-born academic Precious in March 2010. 

Snow said her ‘mental age’ was far higher than his, saying: ‘She’s somewhere in her forties. She’s very, very mature. I mean, she’s a serious boffin.’ 

Jon donned a bright yellow puffer jacket as he chatted with his friend while they waited to receive their discounted coffee

Jon donned a bright yellow puffer jacket as he chatted with his friend while they waited to receive their discounted coffee 

Snow, the son of a former Bishop of Whitby, walked Precious down a beach rather than the aisle. 

The pair married on the ­Caribbean island of ­Mustique, the exclusive hangout of rich and famous.

It was conducted at the £800-a-night Firefly Hotel, where past guests have included rocker Mick Jagger, royal Zara Phillips and actors Liz Hurley and Hugh Grant.

At the time, Snow himself said: ‘Yes, I have got married, but I have absolutely no interest in discussing my private life. It was actually some time ago.’   

How does surrogacy work and what are the laws in the UK?

Surrogacy is when a woman carries a baby for a couple who are unable to conceive or carry a child themselves. 

Such couples may include those who have suffered recurrent miscarriages, repeated IVF failures, premature menopause or a hysterectomy. 

The risks of being a surrogate mother are the same as for every pregnancy, and include nausea, heart burn and back ache.

In extreme cases, surrogates can suffer high blood pressure or gestational diabetes.  

Straight surrogacy

This involves using the surrogate’s egg and the intended father’s sperm.

It is the least expensive and simplest form of the procedure.

Host surrogacy

Host surrogacy requires IVF with either the intended mother’s eggs or donor eggs rather than those of the surrogate.

In this case, the surrogate is genetically unrelated to the baby. 

Donor eggs can be from friends or relatives, or anonymously donated. 

What are the laws? 

Surrogacy is legal in the UK, however, it cannot be advertised.

No third parties are allowed to be involved and surrogates can only receive payments to cover expenses incurred as a result of being pregnant. 

In the US, surrogacy costs around $100,000 (£75,879), with laws varying between states. 

Source: Surrogacy UK 

Unlike Snow, who failed to ­complete his Liverpool University degree, Precious is a serious scholar. 

She is an epidemiologist with the Medical Research Council, specialising in HIV prevention in Africa, and a Yale World Fellow. 

She also captained the Cambridge University women’s karate team while doing a PhD in neuroscience there a decade ago. 

He is best known for being the longest-running presenter on Channel 4 News, which he has fronted since 1989.