Amy Nuttall left 'crushed' after husband Andrew Buchan 'walked out'
EXCLUSIVE: Amy Nuttall removes her wedding ring as she is seen for the first time since husband Andrew Buchan left her for co-star – as it emerges she is leaning on Downton Abbey pal Joanne Froggatt for support
- READ MORE: A look back at Amy Nuttall’s rocky romances in her own words
Amy Nuttall has been pictured for the first time since it emerged her husband has walked out on her and their two children.
The Downton Abbey star, who has been left so ‘crushed’ by the end of her marriage to Andrew Buchan that she has been crying almost every day, struggled to raise a smile as she ran errands in Buckinghamshire on Tuesday.
The mother-of-two wrapped up against the cold in a padded navy jacket and swept her hair back in a chunky clip.
Broadchurch star Mr Buchan, 44, is said to have left the family home over Christmas and moved in with Leila Farzad, 40, after meeting the glamorous actress while working on the BBC series Better.
Speaking to MailOnline about the split, Mrs Nuttall fought back tears and confessed: ‘I can’t talk about it. I’m sorry, I can’t say anything.’
Crestfallen: Amy Nuttall has been pictured for the first time since it emerged her husband has walked out on her and their two children
New love: Broadchurch star Mr Buchan, 44, is said to have left the family home over Christmas and moved in with Leila Farzad, 40, after meeting while working on the BBC series Better
Friend: Sources close to Ms Nuttall say that she has been supported by her close friend Joanne Froggatt, who used to live close to her and Buchan
Sources close to Ms Nuttall say that she has been supported by her close friend Joanne Froggatt, who used to live close to her and Buchan.
One friend of Ms Nuttall said: ‘It has broken Amy, it has been so dreadfully sad to see.
‘She got wind that something was going on and she knew she had to say something so she confronted Andrew about it. It must have been the most difficult thing Amy has ever had to do.
‘Now she is getting used to life without him and it is really hard. Luckily, she has some great friends around her who are supporting her every step of the way.
‘One is Joanne and only a few years ago she split from her husband but she has got through and come out the other side.’
As well as starring in Downton Abbey, the women also appeared in both series of ITV drama Liar together in 2017 and 2020.
Her friends told MailOnline that the split left the actress ‘crushed’ as she attempts to rebuild her life.
One said: ‘It’s been very hard for Amy. She’s been crying virtually every day since it happened and she’s struggling to cope with things. She can’t even bring herself to talk about it as she’s still trying to make sense of it all.’
Heartbroken: The Downton Abbey star, who has been left so ‘crushed’ by the end of her marriage that she has been crying almost every day, struggled to raise a smile
Business as usual: Amy looked sombre as she ran errands in Buckinghamshire on Tuesday
Another friend added: ‘Amy and the kids have been hit very hard by this, as you can imagine. They are all crushed. One minute they were living an idyllic family life in a beautiful house and the next, Andrew walks out on them.
‘I’ve seen Amy a few times and when I do, she just bursts into tears. She’s been doing a lot of crying and is still grieving the end of the marriage.’
A close family friend told MailOnline: ‘Amy and the whole family are devastated by what has happened.
‘Her parents are really upset by this as is everyone. ‘People are very angry at Andrew by what he’s done. ‘We just did not see this coming. ‘It’s a massive shock.’
Amy alluded to their split with cryptic social media posts over the last few months.
The day after Valentine’s Day she shared a pointed post that read: ‘I am not impressed by money, social status or job title, I’m impressed by the way someone treats other human beings.’
Sad times: Her friends told MailOnline said that the split has left the actress ‘crushed’ as she attempts to rebuild her life (pictured together in 2013)
Days before she shared pictures from a holiday, which featured no sign of Andrew but one image with a female pal and a cute snap of herself holding hands with two children.
She captioned the images: ‘Holidays with my favourites.’
In another hint that she was going through a tumultuous time, Amy shared a selfie drinking a cocktail at the beginning of the month, penning: ‘When a pornstar martini makes life a bit better.’
At Christmas she shared a solo snap posing in front of her tree as a follower asked: ‘How are you and the kids ? Xxxx’
Meanwhile, Leila has also been active on Instagram and recently shared a gushing Instagram post paying tribute to Andrew for ‘holding her up and wiping away her tears,’ alongside a snap of them filming their new drama.
Alongside a montage featuring the entire Better cast and crew, she penned: ‘This lot. Couldn’t and wouldn’t happen without them. Big up the Better team who wiped my tears, held me up, fed me crumpets and made me smile.
‘Don’t have pics of everyone but this gang got me through! We made a show, it’s NOT a Happy Valley replacement but a morality tale which should make you think.’
What’s going on? Last week, Amy appeared to allude to the split, as she took to Instagram to share a cryptic message just a day after Valentine’s Day
Family: She also shared an image that showed her walking along holding hands with two children, writing the caption: ‘Holidays with my favourites’
Seeking solace? She also previously shared a snap of herself enjoying a Porn Star Martini
Riding solo: At Christmas she shared a solo snap posing in front of her tree as a follower asked: ‘How are you and the kids ? Xxxx’
Andrew plays well-connected criminal Col alongside Leila’s corrupt police officer, Lou, in the crime drama Better, which was first screened on BBC One in February.
It’s said that Andrew left his wife of 11 years after striking up a romance with Leila.
The actor, 44, best known for his role as Mark Latimer in Broadchurch married Downton Abbey star Amy in 2012, with the couple welcoming a son three years later, in 2015. The pair also have a daughter.
But he is understood to have left the family home and moved in with Leila after meeting the glamorous actress while working on BBC series Better, The Sun reports.
Leila married her husband James Maizels in 2013, and they have a daughter, Allegra, who was born in 2014. It is not known when they split.
A source told the outlet: ‘It was a huge shock. Amy is heartbroken.
United: Earlier this month, Leila took to social media to share a gushing tribute to Buchan in a montage featuring the Better cast and crew
Happy: She shared a caption lauding her co-stars, including Andrew, for ‘wiping away her tears’ and ‘holding her up’
Co-stars: Andrew plays well-connected criminal Col alongside Leila’s corrupt police officer, Lou, in the crime drama Better, which was first screened on BBC One in February
‘For Andrew to walk away from his family was a huge shock to us all – and Amy is heartbroken. Everyone who knows them thought they were going to be together forever.
‘But he’s packed his bags and left with his new co-star. Whatever has gone on, it seems to have been enough for him to re-evaluate his whole life and rip up their marriage.
READ MORE: ‘I would NEVER try it on with someone else’s boyfriend’: A look back at Amy Nuttall’s rocky romances in her own words
‘Nobody is quite sure of the exact details, but Andrew has clearly had his head turned pretty dramatically.’
MailOnline has contacted a representative for further comment.
In scenes from Better, Leila and Andrew are seen sharing an embrace, and Leila has described their on-screen relationship as ‘intense.’
She said: ‘It’s a very complicated relationship.
‘When we first meet them, it’s an intense relationship that has an element of friendship, but there’s quite an intimate power play between these two people.
‘Early on, something very triggering happens to Lou, and she finds herself having to let go of this person, Col, who was so integral to her life.
‘The crux of the story is that Col goes from friend to foe, which is why the story gathers momentum.’
On working with Andrew on the show, she added: ‘We never worked together before. He’s a dream to work with.
‘He’s utterly open and generous and so highly skilled at what he does. I felt very lucky to be working with him on set every day.’
London born, Oxford-educated Leila also starred in Law & Order: UK, Man Down, This Time With Alan Partridge and I Hate Suzie – a part that earned her a Bafta TV nomination.
Leila has shared a few posts about her daughter on Instagram, who is now her biggest fan after her mother found fame on TV.
She posted a photo of a note her little girl had hidden in her suitcase as she went away to film, which was written in joint-up handwriting and read: ‘I’m very proud of you mummy.’
Happier times: The actor, 44, best known for his role as Mark Latimer in Broadchurch married Downton Abbey star Amy in 2012 and the couple have two children (pictured in 2017)
Andrew is best known for roles in Broadchurch, The Fixer and Garrow’s Law – and more recently played Matt Hancock in Kenneth Branagh’s Sky political drama This England.
He landed his first big role in Jane Eyre in 2006, and also starred opposite Matt Smith in Party Animals the following year.
Meanwhile, Amy found fame after joining ITV soap Emmerdale in 2000 at the age of 18; she played Chloe Atkinson for eight years before leaving the show to pursue a music career.
While on the show she dated co-star Ben Freeman for more than four years before the couple separated in 2004 amid claims that he had cheated on her.
It was reported by The News Of The World that Amy discovered Ben had cheated on her, with a source saying: ‘She found out a few weeks ago that Ben had been playing around behind her back but when she confronted him he denied it.
‘At first she believed him but then she discovered that he had been calling this girl repeatedly and sending her text messages.
Former flame: Leila was previously married to husband James, with the pair tying the knot in 2013, after being friends for six years. They have daughter Allegra, born in 2014
Cute: She posted a photo of a note her little girl had hidden in her suitcase as she went away to film, which read: ‘I’m very proud of you mummy’
‘She found his phone bill and called the girl up. It took a lot of guts but she wanted to know the truth and the girl admitted what had happened.’
In a 2003 interview, while she and Ben were still dating, Amy said she would ‘never dream’ of chatting up someone else’s partner.
She told The Mirror: ‘The girls don’t make me jealous because I’m very secure in my relationship with Ben, but I do think it’s rude. I would never dream of going up to someone else’s boyfriend and trying it on.’
More recently, Amy played Ethel Parks in BBC period drama Downton Abbey, with her character losing her job at the sprawling Downton estate after having an affair with a serving officer.
Former boyfriend: While on Emmerdale, Amy dated co-star Ben Freeman for more than four years before the couple separated amid claims he had cheated on her (pictured on the show)
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