Rosie Bentham, who has played Gabby Thomas in Emmerdale for a decade, is in the spotlight as her character faces a serious health crisis. In recent episodes of the ITV soap, Gabby has been struggling with orthorexia, an eating disorder characterised by an obsession with eating only 'clean' foods. She has been determined to change the menu at her restaurant to match her views, much to the frustration of co-owner Laurel Thomas (Charlotte Bellamy).
Gabby's health crisis
Gabby has also been sharing her thoughts on nutrition on social media while refusing antibiotics for a chest infection, leaving her gravely unwell. During Wednesday's episode (October 7), available on ITVX, Laurel found Gabby seriously ill, and she collapsed moments later. Gabby was rushed to hospital, where she was diagnosed with pneumonia.
Local GP Manpreet Sharma (Rebecca Sarker) visited Gabby and issued a stark warning about her physical and mental health. In an upsetting scene, Gabby questioned Manpreet about her treatment before trying to pull out her intravenous cannula, insisting she was being poisoned.
"Gabby, listen, you're not healthy. You're lying in a hospital bed, very unhealthy because your overwhelming irrational fears have stopped you from eating," Manpreet warned. "Forget the food for a minute, without these fluids and proper medical intervention, you'll die from malnutrition or pneumonia, whichever gets you first."
Rosie Bentham's background
Rosie is currently 25 years old and hails from Nottingham. In 2013, she joined The Television Workshop, an organisation that provides training in television, radio, film, and theatre for young people, where she began working on plays such as The Sound of Music and Annie. When Emmerdale producers reached out to The Television Workshop, Rosie auditioned for the ITV soap. After four callbacks, she was offered the role of Gabby, marking her big break in the industry.
In 2016, Rosie took over the role of Gabby Thomas, succeeding Annelise Manojlovic, who played the character between 2001 and 2015.
Real-life tragedy
At 17 years old, Rosie endured the devastating loss of her father just a week before celebrating her 18th birthday. Her father, John, died unexpectedly from a pulmonary embolism, or blood clot. He was a fit 60-year-old who hadn't been unwell and showed no warning signs that anything was amiss.
Speaking about her father's death, Rosie told The Mirror Online: "It was such a huge shock. I was on a weekend away, and when I got told, I just couldn't believe it because he hadn't been ill beforehand. I got angry because I couldn't understand why and how it had happened. I can remember saying 'No, no, no'. Dad loved being a dad more than anything else. It was such a big thing for him. It's why I always tell my friends to reach out to their dads because you never ever know."
Speaking about the grief of her dad's death, Rosie added, "Grief comes in different stages. First, I was shocked, then anger, and then I found myself trying to remember when I’d last seen him and what I’d said. It's why now when I phone my mum up, I always say ‘I love you’ at the end of our call. But everyone deals with grief in different ways, and for me, I was just about to turn 18. I can remember going out on my birthday with my friends and I just tried to put it to the back of my mind. That was how I coped with it all."
Rosie's relationship
Beyond the soap, Rosie has kept fairly quiet about her personal romantic life. However, in September 2025, she disclosed she has a boyfriend she kept "secret" for three years and revealed how "happy" she is. Speaking to The Sun, Rosie shared: "We were introduced by a mutual friend and he knew what I did for a job but hadn't seen the programme! His mum and grandparents watch Emmerdale, though. I am happy, and I am glad my life is a lot more peaceful than Gabby's! We've been together for nearly three years. He is a quantity surveyor and lives in Yorkshire. We are both really into our health and fitness."
Rosie then confessed that her boyfriend prefers to remain out of the spotlight and does not wish to be named. She continued: "He has never been one for all of that (fame). He likes to stay anonymous, and I respect that. But he came with me to the Soap Awards, and he loved it. I like going to events with him as it's fun for an outsider to have a glimpse of the TV world we work in, but at home and when we are together, we don't really speak about Emmerdale that much. But he does find it funny when people come up and call me Gabby!"
Emmerdale airs weekdays on ITV and ITVX.
