Former Emmerdale and Downton Abbey actress Amy Nuttall has given a rare insight into her home life following her husband Andrew Buchan's affair, stating she has discovered she can cope with situations she never imagined facing.
Speaking to 1883 magazine, the 44-year-old actress described herself as the glue holding her family together during a difficult period marked by marital betrayal and the death of her mother.
Nuttall opened up about her family life while discussing her latest role in Forever Home, a Channel 5 drama adaptation of Graham Norton's best-selling novel.
Grief and personal strength
During the interview, Nuttall reflected on losing her mother Elaine in 2023 following a four-month battle with a grade 4 glioblastoma brain tumour at the age of 68.
She described her mother as her best friend and a vital source of support when times were hard.
When asked what she had learned about herself in recent years that genuinely surprised her, Nuttall shared how she managed to persevere without her mother's presence.
"The last few years have been difficult, particularly because I lost my best friend, my dear mum, to a glioblastoma brain tumour," Nuttall told 1883 magazine. "She was always my crutch when the chips were down, and suddenly I didn't have that person anymore."
"I think what has surprised me is discovering that I can cope with things that I never imagined I would have to cope with," she added. "I hope my mum would be proud of how I've handled losing her and how I'm carrying on. 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."
Nuttall also discussed her character Carol in Forever Home, who acts as the emotional glue of her household. Asked what she recognised in a woman who continually makes herself smaller to ease life for others, Nuttall noted how natural that instinct felt to her.
"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," she said. "It certainly was the case in my family, and I feel I've taken on that role too."
Marital turmoil and discovery
The disclosures follow a turbulent period in Nuttall's personal life after her husband, actor Andrew Buchan, had an affair with his co-star Leila Farzad in late 2022.
Buchan and Farzad met on the set of the BBC drama series Better. Farzad had been married to her husband James Maizels since 2013.
Nuttall and Buchan married in 2012. Before their wedding, Nuttall recalled knowing for ages that Buchan was "The One" and admitted having an inkling he would propose on holiday.
Ten years into their marriage, her intuition alerted her to his infidelity after she saw pictures of Buchan and Farzad on social media looking a little too close for comfort.
Her suspicions were confirmed when she discovered Buchan had been staying in a hotel close to their home while claiming to be away on location, and had purchased racy lingerie in a size different from her own.
Nuttall confronted her husband over his actions, a moment a friend described to the Daily Mail as "must have been the most difficult thing Amy has ever had to do."
Separation and healing process
Speaking to the Daily Mail shortly after the confrontation, Nuttall fought back tears and admitted: "I can't talk about it. I'm sorry, I can't say anything."
A source said at the time: "It was a huge shock. Amy is heartbroken."
The affair resulted in a temporary separation for the couple, who share a daughter and a son together but have kept their children's names and ages private.
Just weeks after the split, Farzad allegedly returned to her husband James Maizels. By March, Nuttall was reported to have demanded a divorce after feeling publicly humiliated by the affair.
However, by June, Buchan was seen leaving the family home wearing his gold wedding ring and allegedly told a friend: "We're healing."
Although Nuttall was seen around the same time without her wedding ring, insiders suggested the couple were giving their marriage another chance. The pair are now believed to have reconciled.
Roles on stage and screen
Nuttall's role in Forever Home echoes themes from her previous work in television drama series.
In Downton Abbey, she played housemaid Ethel Parks, a character who had an affair with gentry, gave birth to an illegitimate child, and turned to prostitution after being spurned from society.
In the ITV soap opera Emmerdale, she portrayed Chloe Atkinson, a character who indulged in affairs, faked a pregnancy, and was forced to leave the village in disgrace after her web of deceit unravelled.
Downton Abbey, an acclaimed ITV period drama series, and Emmerdale, one of British television's long-running soap operas, brought Nuttall widespread television recognition prior to her recent screen appearance.
