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Jonny Holloway, known for his role on the show Traitors, has recently brought new insights into the unfolding drama involving Charlotte Chilton and Conor Maynard over a paternity dispute.
Back in June of last year, Charlotte, age 32, asserted that Conor, who also shares her age, was purportedly the father of her forthcoming child. This claim arose following what she described as a one-night encounter that led to what she referred to as her ‘miracle’ pregnancy.
However, after undergoing two separate paternity tests, it was confirmed that the singer, who has since revealed his engagement to Kitty Bertrand, is not the father of Charlotte’s child.
The narrative took another unexpected turn when Conor made a public announcement suggesting that the actual father might be Jonny Holloway, Charlotte’s compatriot from Traitors and a close confidant. Jonny, who is 33 and a former soldier, was named by Conor in an online post.
In a recent exclusive conversation with the Daily Mail, Jonny admitted to having been intimate with Charlotte and expressed his intention to request a DNA test to ascertain the truth. Charlotte, on her part, denies having had any sexual relations with Jonny.
Now, Jonny has admitted he wasn’t able to ‘perform’ on the night he slept with Charlotte due to an excessive amount of drinking.
Traitors star Jonny Holloway, 33, has disclosed new details in the Charlotte Chilton-Conor Maynard paternity scandal
Charlotte, 32, claimed in June last year that Conor, also 32, was allegedly the father of her unborn ‘miracle’ baby, having fallen pregnant as a result of a one-night stand
He told the reason he has demanded a DNA test is to simply take his name out of the paternity row and prove he isn’t the father – insisting the dates Charlotte’s daughter Penelope was born, doesn’t add up to the night they had sexual relations.
In a video posted on Thursday, Jonny told his fans on TikTok: ‘So first of all, I know the dates don’t add up.
‘The person who pulled me into this has changed some details and it insinuates that I’m the father.
‘I don’t think I’m the father, like I said, because the dates don’t add up. When it happened I was very drunk. “He” [pointing below] didn’t want it to happen… obviously that’s not something I really want to talk about.’
Jonny continued: ‘My name has been brought into the picture publicly. My kids are involved in this. Penelope is still involved in this.
‘I want a DNA test to take my name out of this. I know this entire situation is unreal, but I can’t explain it anymore than that.’
At first, Jonny publicly dodged the question of whether he could possibly be the little girl’s father, wanting to sort the situation out privately for Penelope’s sake.
Jonny has asked Charlotte for a DNA test – but she has since changed her mind and is refusing to discuss the subject properly with him.
Two paternity tests have since found that the singer, who recently announced his engagement to his girlfriend Kitty Bertrand, is not the father
Then came another surprising twist when Conor shared a message online in which he claimed to reveal who the real father of Charlotte’s baby was – none other than Charlotte’s Traitors co-star and close friend, former soldier Jonny
Last week, Jonny, told Daily Mail in an exclusive interview that they had sexual relations and he has asked for a DNA test. She denies sleeping with Jonny
‘If I was the father I would step up and take that child as my own,’ he told the Daily Mail emotionally. ‘Relations took place on a drunken night out. I was heavily intoxicated at the time. I’ve asked for a DNA test several times but have been ignored.
‘I’m a man of values and standards, I come from a military background. I pride myself on having respect and being a good dad to my children.’
Indeed, Jonny, a former member of the Royal Lancers, won admirers for his bravery and openness when discussing the aftermath of his deployment to Afghanistan in 2013.
He’d been travelling in the lead vehicle of a patrol in a known Taliban stronghold when it was blown up by an explosive device.
Three years later he was forced to have his leg amputated below the knee and was diagnosed with PTSD.
As well as the injury to his leg, Jonny was blinded in one eye and suffered a brain injury which affects his short-term memory and concentration. He has spoken movingly about his mental health struggles and a dependence on alcohol which developed in the aftermath of his injuries.
His emotions are close to the surface as he discusses the recent events, which he says have left him feeling at his most ‘mentally weak’. He added: ‘This is coming from someone who has been blown up in Afghanistan’.
At first glance, it isn’t altogether clear why Charlotte wouldn’t want Jonny to do a DNA test to establish her baby’s parentage once and for all, although some speculate it’s because she desperately wants successful singer Conor to be the father.
Now, Jonny has admitted he wasn’t able to ‘perform’ on the night he slept with Charlotte due to an excessive amount of drinking (Charlotte pictured on the show)
He told the reason he has demanded a DNA test is to simply take his name out of the paternity row and prove he isn’t the father – insisting the dates Charlotte’s daughter Penelope was born, doesn’t add up to the night they had sexual relations
Charlotte was ‘banished’ in episode 9 of series 2 of the Traitors, but was a ‘Faithful’ in the BBC show
The details of the night she and Jonny spent together are, sadly, rather unedifying.
‘After a night out in March last year, people came back to stay at my house and as I said I was highly intoxicated,’ he says. ‘I know things took place, and I understand she was sober.
‘If I had an inclination I was the father, I would have spoken up more clearly. I was drunk that night and I wasn’t quite with it, so I don’t know exactly how it went but I know something happened between us.
‘And I have said to her that I want to do a DNA test, I want to find out. If I thought I was ever the father of someone’s child I would want to know and clear it up. That’s where I stand with it.’
He adds: ‘I said to Charlotte, “Look we both know what happened here. Should we do a DNA test because of what has happened?”
‘Originally she said “yes”. When it came to me setting it up, I haven’t heard back from her since. So I don’t know what is going on.’
One person who seems to be certain about what occurred is Jonny’s ex-wife and mother of his children, Lauren Ward.
It was she who sent a message to Conor Maynard, claiming her husband had slept with Charlotte at the same time he had.
Conor with fiancée Kitty Bertrand as they announce their engagement
The pair had split before filming for The Traitors had even begun and Jonny says he is baffled about how she could have known of the events of that fateful night.
But then Conor shared a video with his 2.8million Instagram followers which stated Jonny could be the father.
Having been backed into a corner, Jonny now feels he has no choice but to publicly speak out.
‘He [Conor] hasn’t reached out to me privately. It was a complete shock to me. I know if I was in his shoes I would have tackled it completely differently. It shouldn’t have been made public in the first place.’
He says he feels ‘betrayed’ by his ex-wife’s actions.
‘I’ve just tried to be a good dad,’ he says. ‘I’ve tried to get on and deal with my trauma.’
Jonny – who has since worked with small military charities like Hounds For Heroes – met Charlotte at a train station in the Scottish Highlands as they arrived to start filming The Traitors, which was screened in January 2024.
He recalled: ‘Me and Charlotte… had a laugh, everyone was quite jokey and flirty. It was quite a friendly environment.
‘I stated to Charlotte many times that I’m not interested in a relationship. I had come out of a messy relationship, and that wasn’t what I was looking for.
‘I get on with everyone and we just got on… I get on with everyone. We all stayed in touch after the series.’
Certainly, Jonny seems vulnerable. While he has a good support system around him, he is still struggling with his ongoing health issues and is now at the heart of an online media storm.
‘I do try to be positive, but PTSD doesn’t go away. I have dark days and good days, and I remind myself of that when I’m having a bad time with mental health that it will get positive again.’
So how can Charlotte possibly believe Conor – who recently announced his engagement to his girlfriend Kitty Bertrand – is the father of her child in the face of two negative DNA tests?
In an interview with The Sun she said a rare medical condition may explain all: ‘I have researched and researched trying to find the answers because I know for a fact that the only person who can be my daughter’s father is Conor.
‘And finally, after speaking to experts, I have found out that what might have happened is I could have been carrying twins but lost one very early.
‘Then strange genetics come into play, which means that twin could have taken certain DNA so her father could never show up on a paternity test. It is something called chimerism.’
Chimerism is a condition where an organism is composed of cells from different genetic origins, meaning it has two distinct sets of DNA.
It can occur through natural processes like a twin pregnancy, where two fertilised eggs fuse.
Charlotte added that having twins runs in her family, and so it makes sense to her that Penelope could have been a twin.
On this, Jonny is clear: ‘I think for everyone’s sake – and for Penelope’s sake – there is a young child who needs to find out who her father is.’