Amy Nuttall, a 44-year-old actress known for roles in "Emmerdale" and "Downton Abbey," spoke candidly about her personal struggles with her husband Andrew Buchan's affair and the death of her mother Elaine from a brain tumor. In an interview with 1883 magazine, Nuttall described herself as the "glue that holds her family together" and expressed surprise at her ability to cope with hardships she never thought possible. The couple, who have two children, reportedly reconciled after Buchan's affair with co-star Leila Farzad in late 2022.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-30,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Former Emmerdale and Downton Abbey actress Amy Nuttall has given a rare insight into her home life in a new interview with 1883 magazine.
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Nuttall → give → magazine
The star, 44, talked about being the 'glue that holds her family together' and said she's 'coped with things she never imagined she could cope with'.
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she → talk → things
While discussing her latest role in Forever Home, a Channel 5 adaptation of Graham Norton's best-selling novel, she opened up about losing her mother and how difficult the past few years have been.
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years → discuss → mother
The comments follow Amy's husband, actor Andrew Buchan, having an affair with his co-star Leila Farzad in late 2022, which led to a temporary separation from Amy.
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which → follow → Amy
The couple, who are thought to have reconciled, have a daughter and a son together but have not released information about their names or ages.
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who → think → names
In the interview Amy spoke about losing her 'best friend', her beloved mother Elaine, in 2023 when she was 68 years old following a four-month battle with a grade 4 glioblastoma brain tumour.
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she → speak → tumour
Amy Nuttall has given a rare insight into her home life following her husband Andrew Buchan's affair and said she's the 'glue that has held her family together'
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that → give → family
Andrew had an affair with his Better co-star Leila Farzad in late 2022, which led to a temporary separation from Amy, but are since believed to have reconciled, (pictured together in 2014)
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which → have → 2014
Amy was asked: 'What’s something you’ve learned about yourself over the last few years that genuinely surprised you?'
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that → ask → you
She replied: 'The last few years have been difficult, particularly because I lost my best friend, my dear mum, to a glioblastoma brain tumour.
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I → reply → tumour
She was always my crutch when the chips were down, and suddenly I didn’t have that person anymore.
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I → have → person
I think what has surprised me is discovering that I can cope with things that I never imagined I would have to cope with.
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I → think → that
I hope my mum would be proud of how I’ve handled losing her and how I’m carrying on.
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I → hope → her
She was such a huge source of strength for me, and perhaps I’ve discovered that some of that strength was in me all along.
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some → discover → me
Her character in Forever Home, Carol, is the emotional glue that holds the family together.
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that → hold → family
And she's asked what she recognised in a woman who continually makes herself smaller to make everyone else’s life easier.
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life → ask → woman
Amy said: 'I think, perhaps this is a slightly stereotypical thing to say, but as a mum I do think there can be something very instinctive about wanting to be the glue that holds a family together.
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that → say → family
It certainly was the case in my family, and I feel I’ve taken on that role too.
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I → feel → role
As Downton Abbey housemaid Ethel Parks she had an affair with gentry, gave birth to an illegitimate child and later turned to prostitution after being spurned from society.
In Emmerdale, her character Chloe Atkinson indulged in affairs, faked a pregnancy, and was forced to leave the village in disgrace after her tangled web of deceit unravelled.
Amy and Andrew married in 2012 and in an interview before their wedding she admitted: 'I’ve known for ages he’s The One.'
She confessed to having an 'inkling' he was going to propose during their holiday which turned out to be correct.
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which → have → holiday
But her intuition also alerted her to Andrew's betrayal ten years later.
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intuition → alert → betrayal
She is said to have grown concerned after seeing pictures of him with Leila on social media in which the pair appeared a little too close for comfort.
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pair → say → comfort
Amy's fears were confirmed when she discovered he had been staying in a hotel close to their home while claiming to be away working on location – and had purchased racy lingerie in a different size to hers.
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he → confirm → hers
Andrew pictured with his co-star Leila in 2023, who he met on the set of his BBC series, Better
She confronted her husband about his behaviour, with a friend telling the Daily Mail it 'must have been the most difficult thing Amy has ever had to do'.
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Amy → picture → Mail
Speaking to the Daily Mail shortly afterwards, she fought back tears and confessed: 'I can't talk about it [the split].
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I → speak → it
I'm sorry, I can't say anything.'
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A source said at the time: 'It was a huge shock.
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Just weeks later, however, Leila allegedly returned to her husband James Maizels, whom she married in 2013.
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she → return → 2013
In turn, it was claimed Amy demanded a divorce from Andrew in March after being 'publicly humiliated'.
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Amy → claim → March
Yet by June she had seemingly had a change of heart as Andrew was seen leaving their family home wearing his gold wedding ring, allegedly telling a friend at the time: 'We're healing.'
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Amy was spotted around the same time at the property without her ring, but insiders suggested they were giving things another go.
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they → spot → go
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