EastEnders star Alex Walkinshaw, known for playing Ross Marshall on the BBC soap, has a surprising family connection to former glamour model Jodie Marsh. The 51-year-old actor is the cousin of the 47-year-old reality TV personality, who rose to fame in the 2000s.
Alex Walkinshaw's Career Highlights
Alex Walkinshaw gained widespread recognition for his portrayal of PC (later Inspector) Dale 'Smithy' Smith on ITV's The Bill, a role he held from the show's launch in 1999 until its conclusion in 2010. He has also appeared as sports teacher Jez Diamond in Waterloo Road and as nurse Adrian 'Fletch' Fletcher in the BBC medical dramas Casualty and Holby City. In the 1990s, he featured in popular shows such as Harry Enfield and Chums, A Touch of Frost, and London's Burning.
In 2025, Walkinshaw joined EastEnders as Ross Marshall, the partner of returning character Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig). The couple arrived in Walford with Ross's son, Joel (Max Murray), and quickly became embroiled in drama. In May 2026, Vicki and Ross planned to marry, but the ceremony was overshadowed by Vicki's confession of an affair with Zack Hudson (James Farrar). Despite this, the couple proceeded with their vows, making Ross an official member of the Watts/Fowler dynasty.
Jodie Marsh: From Glamour Model to Animal Sanctuary Owner
Jodie Marsh was one of Britain's most recognizable faces in the 2000s, known for her glamour modeling and a highly publicized rivalry with fellow model Katie Price. She appeared in numerous reality TV shows, most notably Celebrity Big Brother. Marsh also authored a memoir, Keeping It Real, which was published in 2005 and reached the top 10 on Amazon's bestseller charts.
In recent years, Marsh has stepped away from the entertainment industry to run an animal sanctuary in Essex. She once shared a nostalgic throwback photo with Walkinshaw on Instagram, captioning it: "Found this at my mum's - it's me pre-nose job with my gorgeous cousin Alex Walkinshaw, who's currently in Holby and has also been in the Bill #Smithy and Waterloo Road. He's a talented beast. We were so young here. What happened? Haha XXXX."
Alex Walkinshaw's Personal Life
Walkinshaw met his former partner, Sarah Trusler, while working on The Bill, where she was employed as a makeup artist. Trusler's impressive CV includes work on major films and TV dramas such as Pirates of the Caribbean, London Has Fallen, and Wolf Hall. The couple married in June 2009 at the Queen's House in Greenwich, South London, with a wedding themed after A Midsummer Night's Dream. Hundreds of guests attended, including actors Claire Goose, Gary Lucy, and Louise Lytton. Walkinshaw's current EastEnders co-star Scott Maslen, who plays Jack Branning, served as best man; the two had previously worked together on The Bill. The couple reportedly split in 2018.
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday on BBC One and iPlayer.
