The Tracy Metcalfe actress is a world away from her soap character
Emmerdale star Amy Walsh has played the role of Tracy Metcalfe on the ITV soap for nearly a decade. The 36-year-old’s character has been caught up in some gripping plots since she arrived in 2014, including her recent scandalous affair with Caleb Milligan (William Ash).
Tracey only married Nate Robinson (Jurell Carter) earlier this year and the pair share daughter Frankie, but she can’t keep her hands off her husband’s uncle. This Christmas, Caleb and Tracy get the alone time they were longing for, however, it’s not long before teh cheating pair were caught in the act by someone.
But away from Emmerdale, Amy Walsh leads a quite life with her soap star husband and their young daughter. Amy met Toby Alexander-Smith, who played Gray Atkins in EastEnders, in a ‘twist of fate’ audience of Strictly Come Dancing back in 2019.
Amy was in the audience of the BBC reality show to support her Emmerdale co-star Kelvin Fletcher while Toby was cheering on co-star Emma Barton, who plays Walford’s Honey Mitchell.
“The twists of fate that came into play to make us meet are crazy,” Amy told OK! Magazine. “Jamie Laing was supposed to be in it that year but he broke his ankle so Kelvin Fletcher replaced him, and Toby wasn’t even supposed to be in the audience that week.
“It only came out when we spoke to each other and we put two and two together and were like, ‘So you do that and I do that.’ We didn’t even say the words Emmerdale or EastEnders.”
As well as that, the couple didn’t even know they were both appearing in rival soaps when they met. “After the show someone sent me a screenshot of us in the audience and I sent it to my best friend and joked, ‘Me and my future husband,’ just thinking it was going to be a date,” Amy said. “But after our first date, I was like, ‘This is it!’.”
The pair quickly became an item and they welcomed their daughter and first child, Bonnie Mae Smith in December 2021 – two years after they met. In August 2023, the soap star couple tied the knot at the Talici Hill Rustic Villas – a beautiful 17th century villa in the foothills of Montenegro’s towering mountains.
Amy is the sister of Girls Aloud star Kimberley Walsh, who is due to go on an arena star with the pop group who were formed in Pop Stars: The Rivals back in 2002. And it seems Kimberly is a fan of her famous brother in law Toby.
Speaking to The Metro, Kimberly explained what is like in real life, she said: “‘It’s amazing for him to play a part like that because it’s literally the polar opposite, he could not be any more of a sweet lovely wholesome guy. So I’m like, you’re a really good actor. Honestly, it’s a credit to him as an actor because he’s the loveliest guy and I’m so happy for them both.”
Amy and Kimberly’s sister, Sally Walsh has also been in the spotlight having played the role of Marlon Dingle’s troublemaker girlfriend, Lyn Hutchinson in Emmerdale. Her character famously got into a catfight with Kelly Windsor.
