Heartbeat actress Tricia Penrose has ended her 18 year marriage to husband Mark Simpkin and the pair have gone their separate ways, reports claim.
The 51-year-old played barmaid Gina Ward in the iconic ITV drama – while 48-year-old Mark has hosted segments on This Morning, Fashion Police, and acted in TV shows including Coronation Street.
Tricia and Mark wed back in 2003 and reportedly renewed their vows on their 10th wedding anniversary – while the couple also have two sons together.
But now the pair have reportedly called time on their relationship and are living in separate homes in Cheshire after realising they had drifted apart.
The Sun on Sunday reports: “They decided to go their separate ways after realising they had grown apart and it would be better for everyone.”
Tricia and Mark’s wedding was a star studded affair – with celeb guest attending their nuptials at Adlington Hall in Cheshire in 2003.
Photos from the big day were splashed in Hello! magazine at the time – and Tricia wore her dress again for her vow renewal in 2013.
She said at the time: “For us it was an opportunity to celebrate how our marriage has grown stronger and stronger.”
Tricia moved away form acting in 2012 with her last role in a series called Crime Stories.
She has since found renewed success as a director for a luxury travel service – but also works as a director of Adlington Memorial Park, England’s largest private natural burial ground, in Cheshire.
The company offers alternatives to existing funeral practices using only sustainable, biodegradable and environmentally friendly materials.
She briefly enjoyed a return to the spotlight in the reality realm as a contestant on the 2013 series of Celebrity Big Bother.
Fellow contestants that year included American reality stars Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt, and the series was won by X Factor star Rylan Clark.
