The former EastEnders star reveals they have been separated for a while, but she says they’re still happily living together in their Bedfordshire farmhouse with their children Benjamin, 19, and Lili Rose, 15. Samantha is also stepmom to Mark’s son Michael, 25, from a previous relationship.
“Our family home is big enough and we’re co-existing happily. There’s no rush to change things,” she explains. “But now feels like the right time to be honest and admit we’re no longer together.”
Samantha first met Mark, 59, on the set of Liverpool 1 back in 1998 and their 2009 wedding was covered by OK!. Despite their harmonious relationship, Samantha says there’s no going back for her and Mark – who joined Emmerdale as DI Mark Malone earlier this year – and admits they have both dated other people since their split.
“It would be naive to say that moving on has been easy for us both. It’s not an easy route but we’ve always been honest with each other about everything,” she explains. “I want to be best friends with anyone Mark dates because I love him deeply and want him to be happy.”
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