EastEnders star Ellie Dadd is years older than her on-screen character Amy Mitchell. Since Amy Mitchell, the daughter of Roxy Mitchell and Jack Branning (Rita Simons and Scott Maslen), was born in November 2008, she has never been far from drama.
Scandal and Tragedy
Before the now teenager was even born, there was a scandal surrounding her paternity after Roxy told Sean Slater (Robert Kazinsky) that he was her father to cover up her one-night stand with Jack. The DNA twist concluded on Christmas Day in 2008, when the truth was exposed. Sean was furious that he was not Amy's biological father and kidnapped the young tot. Luckily, Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) returned the tot back to Roxy before Sean tried to kill Roxy and her sister Ronnie (Samantha Womack) after driving his car into a frozen lake.
In January 2017, Amy suffered the tragic loss of her mum and auntie when they drowned in a swimming pool on Ronnie's wedding day to Jack, leaving her under Jack's guardianship. She has also struggled with her mental health and suffered emotional distress, leading Amy to self-harm in a heartbreaking storyline. At the time, she also saw her mum as a figment of her imagination. Currently, Amy is embroiled in a criminal case after she planned an attack on tearaway Joel Marshall (Max Murray), which included tying him up and pouring alcohol over his head while filming the humiliating incident. But Joel was later found in a pool of blood after an unknown person whacked him over the head with a hammer.
Ellie Dadd's Real Age
The actress, from Bromley, has played Jack Branning's daughter since 2022, taking over from Abbie Burke, who had played her since 2014. The character is currently 17 years old and attends sixth form after passing her GCSE's. Away from the bright lights of Walford, Ellie is a little older than her soap alter ego. In March 2026, she celebrated her milestone 21st birthday. Sharing a string of photos of her birthday celebrations, Ellie looked stunning in a long red strapless gown. She also wore her blonde hair in curls and a flawless makeup look. Some fans were left taken aback by the soap star's real age, with one person commenting: "And to think only last year you were playing Amy in School. Now you're a stunning, beautiful, all-Woman. Just Wow." A second exclaimed: "Bloody hell", while a third chimed in: "WOW! 21!", followed by a starstruck emoji. "Hope you had the best 21!", added one fan as another echoed the sentiment: "Happy Birthday @elliedadd_, have a good day- one of the best actors on EastEnders - great talent.."
Early Acting Career
Ellie has been acting from a young age and has also starred in pantomimes. "I started panto when I was six", she told The Mirror. "I did it for four years, age six to 10. It was the best time ever." She enrolled in D&B Academy of Performing Arts in Bromley and met her future EastEnders co-stars Tilly Keeper (Louise Mitchell) and Zack Morris (Keegan Baker), who both joined the soap ahead of her. EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday on BBC One and iPlayer.
