Emmerdale actress Rosie Bentham has spoken publicly for the first time about the sudden death of her father, John, just a week before her 18th birthday. The 20-year-old, who plays scheming Gabby Thomas on the ITV soap, revealed that her father died of a pulmonary embolism in 2019 at the age of 60.
Describing the loss as a 'huge shock', Rosie said she initially felt anger and disbelief. 'I can remember saying 'No, no, no',' she recalled. She now encourages others to cherish their parents, saying: 'You never ever know.'
Rosie spent Father's Day with her mother and siblings, describing it as a 'day of reflection'. She hopes that sharing her experience will help others dealing with grief. 'Grief comes in different stages,' she said. 'First, I was shocked, then anger, and then I found myself trying to remember when I'd last seen him.'
The actress, who joined Emmerdale at age 14, credited her parents for keeping her grounded. Her father, a chaplain at the University of Nottingham, and her mother Marianne instilled in her the importance of staying humble. Rosie's first storyline involved her on-screen father's dementia diagnosis, a role she found emotionally challenging.
