Natalie Anderson husband: Who is Emmerdale’s Alicia Gallagher star married to?

Natalie Anderson on her shocking Emmerdale storyline – This Morning

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

Natalie is best known for playing Alicia Gallagher on Emmerdale, the sister of Leyla Harding (played by Roxy Shahidi) and the adoptive mother of her nephew, Jacob Gallagher (Joe-Warren Plant). The actress played the character for five years between 2010 and 2015, with the beloved villager leaving to begin a new life in Portugal. Over the course of her stay on the ITV soap, the bar woman had a tumultuous love life with David Metcalfe (Matthew Wolfenden) but it seems her marriage off-screen has been a lot better than her alter-egos.

Who is Emmerdale’s Natalie Anderson married to?

The soap star married her husband, James Shepherd, in 2008 in a ceremony which took place in Harrogate, with their friends and family in attendance.

James is a financial advisor and he recently turned 50 years old, making his wife 10 years his junior but age does not matter to them.

Natalie and James met when the actress was a cheerleader for the Bradford Bulls rugby league team and at first, she thought he fancied her friend.

They were friends for a few months before James finally decided to ask her on a date and the rest is history as the couple are now parents as well as married.

With their marriage having lasted 14 years, earlier this year, Natalie decided to hatch a plan to renew their vows whilst on Holiday in the Maldives.

In a private ceremony, with their 10-year-old son Freddie in attendance, the couple recommitted themselves to each other.

Discussing the renewal, Natalie said: “How James didn’t know is beyond me, It was so magical and so intimate with it just being the three of us.

“It was absolutely perfect and all I dreamt it would be,” she told Hello! Magazine, with the ceremony taking place just days before their wedding anniversary.

Since marrying in 2008, the couple went on to have their son Freddie, who was born four years after they originally tied the knot.

Speaking about meeting their son for the first time, Natalie explained: “I cried and James had a tear in his eye. It was incredible to see the tiny hands and feet, the face and this little thing dancing away.”

It was absolutely perfect

Natalie Anderson

Although she had James to hand throughout the entire pregnancy, the soap actress believed her late grandfather was guiding her through the process.

The actress said: “He inspired me. If I’m feeling nervous about the baby, anxious that things will be all right, I feel him around me.

“It’s a lovely feeling, as though I have someone watching over me,” she added in another interview with Hello! Magazine.

Since having their son, the couple’s marriage has gone from strength to strength, with the family of three making the perfect unit.

The soap star often posts pictures of her husband and her son together on her Instagram profile in view of her 110,000 followers.

Although the soap star is now playing a role on Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks, she believes her character on Emmerdale did help her marriage.

Natalie explained: “She’s brassy and trashy and wears miniskirts, low-cut tops, padded bras, hair extensions and lots of fake tan and massive jewellery.

“I showed James the first picture of myself done up as Alicia and he said he didn’t quite know whether he fancied her or ­wanted to give her a good wash.”

“Make of that what you will,” she told The Mirror and she continued to talk about how hard it was to spend time away from James whilst she was on stage, playing a role in Wicked many years ago.

They spent the best part of a year living 200 miles apart whilst the actress fulfilled her duties on the stage in the West End.

How well do you know your British soaps?

How many times has Ian Beale been married in EastEnders?

What is the name of Bianca Jackson and Ricky Butcher’s son on EastEnders?

On EastEnders in 2002, who accidentally ran Jamie Mitchell over in his car which caused his death?

How many times has Corrie’s Steve McDonald been married?

What happened to Emily Bishop in Coronation Street?

Who murdered Maxine Peacock in Coronation Street in 2003?

Which incident in 1993 killed off four characters in Emmerdale?

When did the show stop being known as Emmerdale Farm?

On what date did Hollyoaks air its first episode?

What was the name of the much-loved Coronation Street pet dog who was put down in April 2020 after 14 years?

1996 saw the arrival of one of Hollyoaks all time bad boys and rival of Kurt Benson, but who was he?

Who is the longest serving character on Coronation Street?

Who shot Phil in EastEnders?

How many fires have there been at Corrie’s Rovers Return? 

Get out of my pub, you’re no soaps fan

You’re either too young to remember the big lines or have better things to do on weekday evenings 

Casual viewer 

You watch them sometimes so you kinda know what’s been going on 

Die hard fan

You love watching the soaps so much your entire week is planned around when they air

Discussing the long-distance relationship, Natalie said: “We missed each other terribly.

“I loved the show and everybody in it, but my heart was with James. We spoke on the phone six or seven times a day – we were still newly-weds.

And on our first ­wedding ­anniversary I had two shows and didn’t see James until 11pm. I cried so much. I’d get the train back to Leeds on Sunday morning to see him and I cried every single Monday morning when I had to leave him and our house and return to London.”

“But at the same time it’s given us a new depth to our marriage because we’re incredibly strong,” the actress continued.

“If we can go through that, and still be as in love as we are then we can do anything,” the soap star explained.

Four years after they married, they had Freddie but it was always on the agenda that a child would come later down the line.

The actress explained at the time of marrying James: “It’s quite selfish really, but I always said I would like time for me and him as husband as wife.

“To explore the world and really enjoy each other before we have a family,” she added.

With the soap star now on Hollyoaks and also holding down a presenting role on This Morning and Loose Women, it seems she might be putting a return to Emmerdale on the back burner for now.

Emmerdale airs weekdays at 7:30pm on ITV, with an hour-long episode airing on Thursdays.

Source: Read Full Article