Mariah Carey would have been hard-pushed to smuggle a baby bump under the figure-hugging black dress she wore to dinner last night.

The singer and husband Nick Cannon - who have been the subject of persistent baby rumours in recent months - were snapped laughing as they walked to their car after dining at Japonais in New York.

And Mariah showed off a remarkably flat tum in an unforgiving LBD, suggesting that the pregnancy gossip is a little premature - either that, or she was wearing some impressive support underwear.

Last month it was reported that the diva had cancelled forthcoming tour dates because she will be too heavily pregnant to perform.

This came after she was allegedly spotted emerging from the gynaecologists clutching a baby scan picture.

She also hinted that motherhood was a possibility in the near future, telling Hello!, "I just think about it as the next phase. We’ll see."

Take a look back at last year's celebrity baby boom below