EastEnders viewers have been captivated by Ross Marshall's arrival in Walford, but his portrayer, Alex Walkinshaw, has a showbiz connection that may leave fans astonished. The actor's cousin is none other than former glamour model and reality television star Jodie Marsh.
Who Is Alex Walkinshaw?
Alex Walkinshaw, 51, is best known for his long-running role as PC Dale 'Smithy' Smith on the ITV police drama The Bill, a character he played from 1999 until the series ended in 2010. He has also appeared in Waterloo Road as sports instructor Jez Diamond and portrayed 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.
Since 2025, Walkinshaw has played Ross Marshall on EastEnders, the new boyfriend of returning character Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig). Ross arrived in Walford with his son, Joel (Max Murray), and the couple married in May 2026 despite Vicki's confession to an affair with Zack Hudson.
The Famous Cousin: Jodie Marsh
Jodie Marsh, 47, rose to fame in the 2000s as a glamour model and became one of the most recognisable faces in British tabloids. She was also known for a highly publicised feud with rival Katie Price. Marsh has appeared on numerous reality shows, including Celebrity Big Brother, and published her autobiography, Keeping It Real, in 2005, which reached the top 10 on Amazon's best-sellers list. In recent years, she has stepped away from the spotlight to run an animal sanctuary in Essex.
Marsh once shared a nostalgic throwback photo on Instagram with Walkinshaw, 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, on the set of The Bill, where she worked as a makeup artist. Trusler's credits include major productions 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 A Midsummer Night's Dream-themed ceremony attended by hundreds of guests, 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 pair had previously worked together on The Bill. According to reports, Walkinshaw and Trusler separated in 2018.
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday on BBC One and iPlayer.
