Soaps

Amy Nuttall: Emmerdale fame to stage success and ‘Stars in their Eyes’ win

She was a hit in Downton Abbey and has enjoyed a glittering career since leaving the soap

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Emmerdale star Amy Nuttall shot to fame in the early 2000s playing Chloe Atkinson.

But though it was the soap that made her famous, Amy is also an accomplished stage actress.

She was the youngest ever performer to play Christine in Phantom of the Opera when she was just 17, and she even won Celebrity Stars in their Eyes as Sarah Brightman!

Chloe Atkinson and Scott Windsor
Chloe and Scott were a couple and so were their alter-egos, Amy and Ben (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)

Who did Amy Nuttall play in Emmerdale?

Chloe arrived in Emmerdale to work in the short-lived Chez Marlon. Marlon’s girlfriend Tricia Stokes didn’t warm to her, worrying that Marlon liked Chloe a little too much, but Chloe settled into village life and became friends with Charity Dingle.

Later Chloe started a romance with Scott Windsor and the pair moved in together.

But when their friend Syd Woolfe moved in too, sparks flew with him and Chloe, and they slept together. Oops.

Chloe and Syd began an affair. But when they were getting passionate at Home Farm, things took a turn.

By then Chloe was a nanny to Jean Tate, Zoe’s little daughter whose dad – though Chloe didn’t know – was Scott.

While Syd and Chloe were otherwise engaged, Jean fell over and hurt herself. Chloe hid her injuries and lied to Syd that she’d taken her to be checked at hospital.

A few days later, Jean hurt herself again and this time things escalated. Poor Zoe was accused of hurting her baby because the hospital could see it had happened before – and not been reported.

And Chloe found out Scott was Jean’s father. What a mess!

After breaking up with Scott and losing her job, Chloe went off the rails a bit. She had a romance with Carl King, which led to a feud with Chas Dingle, and eventually left the village in disgrace.

Chloe Atkinson in between Scott Windsor and Syd Woolfe
Chloe was in a love triangle with Scott and Syd (Credit: ITV/Shutterstock)

Life after Emmerdale’s Chloe Atkinson

By the time she left Emmerdale, Amy was having success with her classical singing career.

She toured in My Fair Lady as Eliza Doolittle and took over from fellow soap star Kim Medcalf (AKA Sam Mitchell) in the West End production of Cabaret.

She also appeared in Spamalot among many other theatre shows and plays.

Amy also starred in BBC drama Hotel Babylon as receptionist Melanie.

In 2011, Amy landed the role of Ethel in Downton Abbey.

More recently she’s been in All Creatures Great and Small, and Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? alongside Hugh Laurie and Emma Thompson.

Amy Nuttall and husband Andrew Buchan hold hands as they're papped on a night out
Amy and Andrew have reportedly now split (Credit: Cover Images)

Who is Amy Nuttall married to?

Emmerdale star Amy Nuttall dated her soap co-star Ben Freeman for several years. They were known as the Posh and Becks of the soap world!

But the romance was rocky and they split.

Amy has been married to fellow actor Andrew Buchan for 11 years.

Andrew played Mark Latimer in Broadchurch and has also played Andrew Parker Bowles in The Crown, and beleaguered health secretary Matt Hancock in This England, a dramatised retelling of the first months of the Covid pandemic.

The couple have one child who was born in 2015.

Reports emerged on Tuesday, February 28, however that the pair had split after he had fallen for his Better co-star, Leila Farzad.

Andrew is said to have ended his marriage shortly before Christmas.

A source told The Sun: “Amy is heartbroken.”

ED! has approached representatives for Andrew Buchan, Amy Nuttall and Leila Farzad for comment.

Read more: Who is in the cast of Emmerdale 2022? Meet the full line-up

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Emmerdale usually airs weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays.

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Kerry Barrett
Freelance Soap Writer