Martin Clunes has revealed the emotional impact of his daughter Emily leaving home, confessing on a podcast that he misses her dearly. The actor, best known for his role in the long-running series Doc Martin, opened up about his family life during an appearance on Gyles Brandreth's Rosebud podcast.
Fatherhood and Longing
When asked if he considered himself a good father, the 64-year-old responded: "You'd have to ask her. I think so, yes. I'm doting, adoring....I miss her. She left home."
Martin lives on a 130-acre farm in Beaminster, Dorset, with his wife Philippa Braithwaite. The couple, married for over 20 years, moved there in 2007, partly to accommodate Emily's passion for horses.
Family and Horses
On ITV's This Morning, Martin explained the move was driven by a desire to provide space for his daughter's pony. He said: "We always wanted a field for a pony for our daughter Emily. And one never came up, and suddenly, 130 acres came up, which wasn't quite what we were looking for, but if you don't do something, you'll have a grass problem. It will all go wild, so we started with loads of sheep."
Emily, a professional event rider, is training as an equine vet at Hartpury University. She previously competed in show jumping and even appeared in an episode of Doc Martin as a schoolgirl.
Marriage Dynamics
Martin also discussed his relationship with Philippa, noting that they spend time together but often separately. He said: "We spend a lot of time together but separate. Or at home together, but she's in her office or she's with her horse or I'm fixing a fence or with the dogs or with my horse or something. And then there's obvious meetings, mealtimes and things like that and the debate about what to eat and the evenings. But I don't know, that's how we've done it."
