Actress Louise Jameson has been portraying Mary Goskirk on ITV soap Emmerdale since 2022

Actress Louise Jameson, known for her role as Mary Goskirk in the popular ITV soap Emmerdale, has been involved in a whirlwind of drama since her character’s introduction in 2022.

Mary Goskirk, the straight-talking mother of established character Rhona Goskirk (played by Zoe Henry), quickly formed a bond with Kim Tate (Claire King). She later revealed to her daughter that she is and always has been a lesbian.

In a dramatic turn of events last year, Mary’s relationship with Faye Helders (Jane Gurnett) took a dark turn when she began to suspect that Faye, who she had assisted in organising a charity fundraiser, had stolen the money for herself.

After being knocked unconscious by Faye, Mary survived the dangerous encounter but faced further struggles when Faye released revenge porn. In stark contrast to her on-screen persona, 73-year-old actress Louise leads a much quieter life away from the Emmerdale chaos, reports Leeds Live.

Is Louise married?

While filming for Bergerac in Jersey between 1985 and 1990, Louise met Martin Bedford, an artist who would later become her husband. The couple fell in love and tied the knot in 1990, marking the start of their marital journey together.

Their wedding ceremony was held in a picturesque church near Louise’s cottage home in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Martin became a stepfather to Louise’s two sons and also brought children from a previous marriage into their blended family, according to The Express.

Seven years into their marriage, Louise and her husband decided to call it quits. Speaking about the divorce, which occurred just before Christmas 1997 following a period where Martin lived abroad after their separation, Louise was open about the reasons behind their split.

Louise shared: “It got to the stage where had we continued living together we’d have been in real danger of losing that love entirely.”

She added: “We became careless of one another’s feelings and no longer put each other first. I’m an incurable romantic. I love intimate suppers, cards and flowers, all of that.

“I will never regret marrying Martin because he made me happy for such a long time. Perhaps I’m difficult to live with, but I can’t compromise my feelings. When things start to slip away I think, `Right let’s work at it’. And if things still don’t work, I see no point in carrying on.”

Post-divorce, Louise was rumoured to be involved with several well-known individuals, including Doctor Who actor Robert Ashby, son of former Pakistani Prime Minister Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, as reported by OK! Currently, Louise’s relationship status remains a mystery.

In the world of EastEnders, Louise is remembered for her role as Rosa di Marco, who joined the show in 1998 as the mother of Beppe (played by Michael Greco) and Gianna (Marc Bannerman), characters known for their rivalry with the Mitchells.

Following a brief two-year stint on EastEnders, actress Louise Jameson, who played the Italian family matriarch Rosa di Marco, was unceremoniously written out of the show in 2000, leaving her to exit the Square abruptly.

Reflecting on her dismissal from EastEnders after two decades, Jameson shared with Inside Soap her discontent with how her departure was handled: “I was annoyed about the way it was announced,” she said. She felt particularly aggrieved that “I was only told the night before it appeared in the papers. I thought they could have run it by me first so I could tell my family. It wasn’t respectful.”

Rosa di Marco’s journey ended when she left Walford for Leicester with almost all of her family in August 2000, following allegations that her daughter Nicky (played by Carly Hillman) had been attacked by her maths teacher. Two years subsequent to Rosa’s exit, viewers were informed off-screen of her death due to a heart attack, which precipitated the departure of her son Beppe from the show.

Beyond the confines of soapland, Louisa Jameson boasts a diverse career, having featured in a series of esteemed television projects, from Midsomer Murders and Silent Witness to Holby City, Doc Martin, The Bill, and a host of others.

Prior to her time in EastEnders, Louise had firmly established her acting credentials. Noteworthy among her early roles, she portrayed Susan Young in Bergerac from 1985 to 1990 and took up the mantle of Leela in Doctor Who between 1977 and 1978.

Among her other notable performances are those in Tenko, Rides, The Stranger, and Casualty.

Emmerdale airs weekdays at 7:30pm on ITV and ITVX