Emmerdale’s Amy Walsh has been at the heart of some gripping storylines recently, as her character Tracy Robinson finds herself embroiled in a major murder investigation.
Soap fans will know that villain John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth) murdered Tracy’s husband, Nate (Jurell Carter), following last year’s barn fire.
In a revealing flashback, viewers saw John administer an injection to Nate with the intention of “saving” him, only for Nate to suffer a fatal reaction to the substance.
John then chillingly transported Nate’s body to a bridge and dumped the concealed remains into the lake, the same location as the infamous limo crash.
More than eight months after the fire, the police have pulled Nate’s body out of the lake, and two prime suspects have emerged, reports Leicestershire Live.
Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) was initially in the frame after a heated exchange with his son on his last day in the village.
But the spotlight soon turned to Tracy when John cunningly hid Nate’s phone in her daughter Frankie’s (Eden Ratcliffe-Knights) playhouse.
The tension peaked when Tracy was arrested on suspicion of murder on Thursday (June 12) after her sister, Vanessa Woodfield (Michelle Hardwick), couldn’t vouch for her whereabouts on the night of Nate’s death.
As the drama unfolds on Emmerdale, let’s delve into the life of actress Amy Walsh away from the Dales.
Famous family
Amy was born in March 1987 in Bradford, West Yorkshire. She is the youngest of four children, with two of her siblings also in the spotlight.
One of her sisters, Kimberley Walsh, is a member of the much-loved British pop girl group, Girls Aloud.
Last year saw Kimberley, Cheryl, Nadine Coyle and Nicola Roberts reunite on stage for the first time in 11 years for a comeback tour. The reunion tour was a tribute to their late bandmate, Sarah Harding, who sadly passed away in 2021 after being diagnosed with advanced breast cancer.
Amy was a regular attendee at the tour, sharing numerous photos and videos from the audience.
However, Kimberley isn’t Amy’s only famous sibling. Her other sister, Sally, notably starred in Emmerdale years before Amy did, playing the role of troublemaker Lyn Hutchinson from 1997 until 2000.
Parenting struggles
Amy went public with her relationship with EastEnders star Toby-Alexander Smith back in 2020. Toby is best known for his portrayal of killer Gray Atkins, a character he played from 2019 until 2022.
Amy and Toby announced their engagement in 2022, before tying the knot in August 2023.
A year before their wedding, Amy welcomed their daughter, Bonnie Mae. The Emmerdale star was overjoyed that she was able to conceive so quickly after being diagnosed with Polycystic Ovaries Syndrome at the age of 20.
During an appearance on Lorraine, Amy previously opened up about the challenges of juggling parenting and working full-time on the ITV soap.
“I went full throttle into a massive storyline. I barely saw either of them. And then he [Toby] flew to Bulgaria for a film. It’s constantly like that. It is a struggle,” she explained.
“I don’t have family around me to help. It’s tricky, but you do it.”
Career
In addition to her role on Emmerdale, Amy has appeared in Hollyoaks Later as Jennifique McQueen and in the short film Past Memoirs.
She also competed in All Star Family Fortunes with her sister Kimberley in 2014, and made it to the final of Celebrity MasterChef in 2023.
During her time on Emmerdale, Amy has been part of several memorable storylines. As well as Nate’s murder, Tracy endured the death of her father, Frank Clayton (Michael Praed), and embarked on an affair with Caleb Milligan (William Ash).
Since joining the ITV soap, Amy has been nominated for a number of awards for her performance as Tracy.
She was nominated for Serial Drama Performance at the 25th National Television Awards, as well as Best Actress at the 2021 Inside Soap Awards and Best Soap Performance at the I Talk Telly Awards the same year.
