Actors Sarah Parish and James Murray have opened up about their enduring relationship, from a rocky start to navigating the devastating loss of their first child. The couple, who met on the set of BBC drama Cutting It in the early 2000s, married in 2007 and later founded the Murray Parish Trust in memory of their daughter Ella-Jayne, who died at eight months old in 2009.
Parish, 56, recalled their first meeting at a party as less than promising. 'I didn't like him much,' she said. 'He had a preconception of me based on what he'd heard about my previous relationship and said something inappropriate about the breakup.' Despite this, they became friends at a read-through for Cutting It a month later, and Parish soon realised her feelings had changed. 'I said to my friend, "Something's happened. I really fancy him." I guess it was love at first back.'
The couple described their early relationship as 'tempestuous' and 'rock'n'roll', with both being strong personalities who enjoyed partying in Soho. 'We were drawn to each other because we're both out-there, sociable characters, but we probably tried to tame each other a bit – which didn't work,' Parish said.
The loss of their daughter Ella-Jayne, who had Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome, was a profound challenge. 'Grief is all-consuming and we realised we had to do something,' Parish explained. They volunteered in orphanages in Vietnam and Cambodia, an experience that gave them strength. 'If those children could carry on, so could we.'
Their charity, now called Imagine This, is the only UK charity dedicated to supporting the mental wellbeing of ill children and their families. Both received MBEs earlier this year for their work. 'The death of a child is difficult to get through as a couple, and maybe without setting up our charity we wouldn't have made it,' Parish said.
Now, the couple live in Hampshire with their teenage daughter Nell. 'Our relationship has settled into something much more peaceful,' Parish said. 'We've watched each other grow up, and now what I find most attractive about him isn't nearly as superficial as the view of his back – it's the way he throws himself into his passions.'
