Tamzin Outhwaite has spoken publicly for the first time about her eldest child coming out as transgender, revealing that her 17-year-old, formerly known as Florence, now goes by Flo and identifies as a boy.
The former EastEnders actress and Strictly Come Dancing star, 54, opened up during a candid appearance on the Parenting Hell podcast hosted by comedians Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe, saying: “I did have two daughters, and now I have a son and a daughter. That’s quite easy for me to say now, but it wasn’t maybe six or seven years ago.”
Outhwaite shares Flo and her younger daughter Marnie, 12, with ex-husband Lucifer star Tom Ellis, from whom she split in 2014. She added that Flo came out as transgender at home when he was ten years old.
Recalling the early days of his coming out, Outhwaite described it as a “very distressing time,” admitting her first reaction was one of confusion and disbelief.
“The way I reacted at the very beginning I would love to change,” she said, “because I think until you're going through it yourself with your child it's very difficult to judge other people or to judge a situation because you don't expect that to happen to you or your child.
“Initially, I was like 'don't be ridiculous'. I didn't say ‘don't be ridiculous’ but my mind went to 'that's ludicrous' and working back from that to talking through it."
With the help of therapy - both family sessions and individual support for Flo - and ongoing open conversations, she said they navigated the transition as a team.
“We worked together as a family and with outside help,” she explained.
Despite the challenges, Outhwaite said she is now filled with “relief and joy” to see her son thriving.
“The maddest thing is, I suppose, that it’s not the most interesting thing about him. He’s an incredibly funny, intelligent boy, and I’m watching him grow into a wonderful human who’s very talented,” she said.
"We live in a very happy household now, full of jokes, and it's my favourite place to be at home.”
She also acknowledged the current climate surrounding trans issues, calling it “a hot topic,” and praised the strength of the LGBTQ+ community. “It’s quite tough, I think. The whole LGBT community gets a bit of a hard rap at the moment.”
Flo, she added, is a gifted performer with dreams of becoming a comedy writer. “He's an incredibly funny, intelligent boy and I'm watching him grow into a wonderful human who's very talented and to see him thriving is just nothing but relief and joy for me really because there was some dark times."
Outhwaite also reflected on parenting two teenagers, admitting she’s now savouring the time she has left before they fly the nest. “I’m very aware of the amount of years I might have left with them, the amount of holidays, the amount of summers,” she said. “I’m so aware of all of that.”
She remains close with her former partner, film director Tom Child, 33, who was by her side during Flo’s transition and remains deeply involved in both children's lives.
“He’s still a member of the family,” she said. “Even the kids joke about how he’ll explain this to future girlfriends.”
