Inside the life of Amy Nuttall from famous husband’s ‘cheating’ scandal to Emmerdale exit

It may be 20 years since Amy Nuttall left ITV’s Emmerdale but the actress will always be remembered for her portrayal of ‘maneater’ Chloe Atkinson.

Amy was just 18 when she was cast in the role back in 2000 and she stayed in the soap for four years where her character was embroiled in plenty of headline grabbing storylines, including Chloe having an affair with her boyfriend’s best friend.

Since then, Amy’s gone on to enjoy success in a number of high-profile shows including fan favourite Downton Abbey, ITV’s real-life drama Mr Bates v The Post Office and crime series D.e.a.t.h In Paradie and Silent Witness. She also appeared in the Beetlejuice sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and has worked extensively in theatre.

Her private life hit the headlines after her famous husband was involved in a ‘cheating’ scandal with his co-star. As mother-of-two Amy prepares for her latest role in Channel 5 drama, The Feud, alongside Jill Halfpenny and Rupert Penry-Jones, we take a look at her career highlights and life off-screen.

Emmerdale exit

Amy, now 42, joined Emmerdale in December 2000 where she starred alongside her then real-life boyfriend Ben Freeman playing Chloe’s love interest Scott Windsor. Chloe went on to have an affair with Scott’s best friend and fans labelled her a ‘maneater’.

Amy said in an interview with the Metro at the time: “It’s funny because all my headlines include the word ‘maneater’ and I have only snogged two, no three, members of the cast on-screen. […] I’m a bit fed up of being called a soap siren.”

After four years playing Chloe, she quit the soap to focus on a singing career after performing at a football event at Old Trafford. Amy, who is from Blackburn in Lancashire, was no stranger to singing having been credited as the youngest actress to ever understudy and play the lead role of Christine in The Phantom of the Opera (at age 17) in a national theatre tour.

At the time of her exit, Chloe was seeing Carl King (Tom Lister) who was with Chastity Dingle (Lucy Pargeter) and desperate to hold onto him, Chloe lied about being pregnant. Chas worked out Chloe’s scheming and dunked her in a fountain, threatening to drown her unless she confessed. Chloe then admitted she was never pregnant and left the village in disgrace on Good Friday 2005.

Downtown Abbey success

One of Amy’s other most famous roles was as housemaid Ethel Parks in the BBC hit period drama Downton Abbey.

Amy joined the second series in 2012 as new maid Ethel who was also not without controversy. Outspoken, Ethel did not like being told what to do by anyone and complained about her surroundings so she was often in conflict with her boss Mrs Hughes. Ethel had an affair with Major Charles Bryant and later got pregnant with the Major’s illegitimate child and was forced to give the baby to his biological grandparents.

During an interview with the Daily Mail, Amy said: “‘One of the things I love about playing Ethel is that I am unrecognisable from Chloe, particularly now that Ethel is a destitute single mother. I was just 18 when I joined the cast of Emmerdale, and although it was a great experience at the time it’s been hard to live down.”

Famous husband’s ‘cheating scandal’

Amy met Broadchurch and Black Doves actor Andrew Buchan in 2007 and they married in 2012. The couple have two children. Their relationship hit the headlines in 2023 when it was reported that Andrew had grown close to his co-star Leila Farzad from the BBC series Better.

Amid reports that Amy and Andrew had split, the day after Valentine’s Day Amy shared a pointed post that read: ‘I am not impressed by money, social status or job title, I’m impressed by the way someone treats other human beings.’

Days before she shared pictures from a holiday, which featured no sign of Andrew but one image with a female pal and a cute snap of herself holding hands with two children.

Since then there have been reports of a reconciliation and further split and there’s no sign of Andrew on Amy’s Instagram account.

The Feud

Amy has landed the role of Sonia in new six-part Channel 5 series The Feud which stars EastEnders’ Jill Halfpenny and Gavin & Stacey’s Larry Lamb, and centres around a couple living an ostensibly perfect suburban life, complete with close-knit relationships with their neighbours.

However, the harmony begins to unravel when Emma and John, portrayed by Halfpenny and Spooks’ Rupert Penry-Jones, decide to add a kitchen extension to their home.

Ahead of the series’ launch, a teaser has been released and the clip shows the initial conversation between Emma and neighbour Barbara, where the plans are raised.

Despite assuring Barbara that the extension work will not be intrusive to the property, Emma and friend Sonia are struck by Barbara’s actions after an innocent remark to a mystery character called Marcus.

Emma and Sonia then discuss the fate of Marcus, with the latter remarking: “Come on, people don’t just disappear. I mean, you said so yourself, you could hear the fights through the wall.”

The Feud premieres on 5 on Monday (April 14) at 9pm