Mariah Carey, one of the world's top selling singers, said on Thursday that she is pregnant with her first child.

The Grammy Award winning singer and her husband, "America's Got Talent" host and rapper Nick Cannon, made the announcement in an interview broadcast on NBC's Today Show.

"Yes, we're pregnant, this is true. It's still early, we're expecting in the spring," said Carey, confirming rumors that had been swirling for several months.

"It's been a long journey, but it's been tough because I have been trying to hold on to a shred of privacy and that was not easy," said Carey, who also revealed that she suffered a miscarriage soon after she and Cannon married in 2008.

Carey will release her 13th studio album, "Merry Christmas II You," next week. During her 20 year career, Carey has sold more than 200 million albums, singles and videos and scored 18 No. 1 songs in the United States.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Patricia Reaney)

Source: Reuters