‘They decided to go their separate ways’: Heartbeat star Tricia Penrose and husband Mark Simpkin ‘split after 18 years of marriage’
Heartbeat star Tricia Penrose and husband Mark Simpkin are believed to have split after 18 years of marriage
Penrose, 51, and former actor Simpkin, 48, are now thought to be living separately in Cheshire after parting ways, The Sun reports.
A source told the publication: ‘They decided to go their separate ways after realising they had grown apart and it would be better for everyone that they ended the marriage.
Split: Heartbeat star Tricia Penrose and husband Mark Simpkin are believed to have split after 18 years of marriage (pictured together in 2005)
The couple married in 2003 after a picturesque ceremony at Adlington Hall in Cheshire.
Penrose, who played Gina Ward in Heartbeat, and Simpkin renewed their vows in 2013, with the actress saying at the time that the event was a ‘celebration’ a decade together.
Speaking to Hello! magazine at the time, she said: ‘For us it was an opportunity to celebrate how our marriage has grown stronger and stronger.’
The former couple met when they both attended the National Television Awards in 2001.
On screen: The actress, 51, is best known for her role as Gina Ward in Heartbeat (pictured on the series)
Beginnings: Tricia first met Mark when they both attended the National Television Awards in 2001 (pictured together in 2006)
They dated for three years before tying the knot in Cheshire and jetting off to Bermuda for a tropical honeymoon.
Simpkin told Northern Life Magazine in 2015: ‘I know this sounds really tacky, but as well as Tricia being my wife, she’s also my best friend.’
‘We don’t fall out; we work well as a team,’ he added.
Penrose shot to fame with her role in Heatbeat. She also appeared in spin-off show The Royal as well as soaps Brookside, Coronation Street and Emmerdale.
The actress has also appeared on Comic Relief Does Fame Academy as well as Celebrity Big Brother in 2013 where she was evicted in the semi-final.
She has since moved into radio presenting and works on Radio Wirral.
Ended: A source said the couple decided to split after ‘growing apart’ (pictured in 2005)