Amy Walsh is officially a married woman after saying 'I do' to her EastEnders actor partner Toby-Alexander Smith on August 30. And while the day was always going to be special, it was made even more poignant by the attendance of her father, John.
Chatting exclusively to OK!, after tying the knot in beautiful Montenegro, the Emmerdale star admitted that she 'wasn't sure' if her dad would even make it to the big day due to having terminal cancer.
The actress – who made it to the Celebrity Masterchef finals which aired just weeks ago – walked most of the way down the aisle at her alfresco wedding with her brother Adam, before John then accompanied her over to where her emotional husband-to-be was waiting.
“My dad isn’t very well and we weren’t sure until the 11th hour if he would be able to come,” explained a visibly upset Amy.
She continued: “My brother handed me over to my dad, who walked me down the last bit. He knows he only has a certain amount of time left, so it was important for him to be there. It’s a cancer you can’t cure, but you can live with it and he’s doing well fighting it.”
Recalling the moment that he turned to see Amy approaching, arm-in-arm with John, groom Toby said, “Amy’s dad was very emotional – it was a very poignant moment for me.”
Amy's mum Diane, who separated from John when Amy was two, gave a speech at the reception, with the actress saying it was important to have her “wonderful mum” front and centre.
“My dad was still very much part of our lives, but I really wanted to hear her version of a mother-of-the-bride speech,” said Amy.
“My dad also said a few words, which was lovely. He wasn’t well enough to stand and talk for a long time, but he told an anecdote about when I was little. It had everyone in tears.”
Amy, who is sister to Girls Aloud singer Kimberley Walsh, has kept her father's diagnosis quiet on social media, with both the actress and her famous sister rarely sharing news on their parents.
She met her husband on the set of Strictly Come Dancing back in 2020, striking up a romance not long afterwards. And it's been a busy few years since then for the duo, who went on to welcome a baby daughter named Bonnie in December 2021. Amy just recently returned back to Emmerdale following her maternity leave.
And after Toby popped the question in August last year, the smitten couple married almost exactly a year later in the stunning outdoor ceremony.
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