Amy Walsh in tears as she shares heartbreaking ‘downside’ of ITV Emmerdale role

Amy Walsh was in tears reflecting on the “only downside” of her role on Emmerdale whilst out with her husband Toby-Alexander Smith, who tried to comfort his wife over it.

The actor, 37, and former EastEnders cast member Toby, 33, live with their daughter Bonnie, two, in Leeds. The ITV show is filmed in the area and Amy – who has played Tracy Metcalfe since 2014 – has opened up about living away from other members of her family, who are based in London.

She spoke about the experience on the latest episode of ITVBe’s Drama Queens, which follows various soap stars and gives viewers a glimpse at their lives off-screen. One scene in Wednesday’s episode showed Amy enjoying a meal out with her husband and their daughter ahead of visiting her mother Diane Walsh in the capital city on her own.

Mentioning having relocated to Leeds in recent years, Toby began the conversation by saying: “Since we’ve moved away from London …” Amy reacted to him: “That’s been so hard, hasn’t it?” Her husband said: “It’s been tough for you, I think, being away from being away from your family.”

Amy continued: “That’s literally the only downside to my job, isn’t it? I’m so close to my mum – like I can’t believe I don’t see her for weeks on end. I’m gonna cry …” Toby stated in response to her: “She’s amazing though, that’s why.”

Amy was then seen in tears as she discussed how she felt living away from relatives. She said: “I didn’t like it at Christmas when it felt like she didn’t know Bonnie as well even though she did. But before she was seeing her every day.” Toby told her: “It’s totally normal to feel like that.”

She further commented: “I’m so busy and constantly feel like a rubbish sister, a rubbish friend, a rubbish daughter and all that. It sounds so dramatic but it’s just … it’s actually juggling my work, the distance and now being a mum.”

Toby offered reassurance by stating in the scene: “… but all those people understand that!” Amy told him: “No, I know. It just doesn’t help me like feeling sad about it.” Speaking in a confessional, she added: “It’s funny with Toby because he’s so good emotionally at being there for me. It’s just really important for me to have that sounding board.”

Amy was later seen meeting with her mother Diane. She told viewers ahead of the scene: “I had to go down to London for some work commitments so I managed to very conveniently tie it in with seeing my gorgeous mum. And that was just amazing because I don’t think in the two years that I’ve had Bonnie I have seen my mum on my own.”

Whilst at a restaurant together, the pair discussed Amy living away from her older sisters Sally Walsh, 46, and Kimberley Walsh, 42, as well as Diane herself. Amy teased that some relatives are hoping that she will move closer to them.

Amy said: “It’s a hard one, I was talking to Toby the other day actually, because we feel so settled and so happy to be back in Leeds but then it comes with, obviously, the sadness that whenever I tell you or my sisters, like, that I’m happy living in Leeds, you’re all like ‘how happy? How long is this gonna be?'”

Diane said: “I know, Amy, but, like, you couldn’t live down here and work up there, could you?” Amy said: “No, exactly.” She went on to say that her mother is “so good” at being “practical about it,” adding: “You never actually make me feel bad.”

Addressing the comment, Diane said: “I can’t be putting that on you.” Amy continued: “It’s a small price to pay for doing a job that you love. Like, I could be near you, but not happy. Like waitress-ing still or … juggling a million other jobs just to get by. None of us would be happy with that, would we?”

Amy concluded by teasing that Diane could instead move closer to her, Toby and Bonnie. She commented: “So [I’ve] just gotta take it while it’s there. I just wish you would move back to Leeds and then it’d all be alright.”