Rosie Marcel

Career Marcel describes herself as being from a "dramatic" family, and she had her first job at the age of three as a fairy in A Midsummer Nights Dream at the National Theatre. In 1985, she appeared in Bergerac as an abducted child, Michelle. In 1989, Marcel was cast as Sophie in the children's comedy drama Press Gang. Marcel played a sidekick to Paul Reynolds' character Colin Mathews. She enjoyed the experience, especially scenes in which she had to bite on sweets that made fake blood pour from her mouth. In 1999, Marcel played Donna Palmer in Days Like These, which was set in the 1970s. Marcel later recalled that during filming the show's dream sequences, she often had to dress up in "awful" outfits such as a cat suit donning Barbarella and a Union Jack Flag. It was revealed in the BBC's Annual Report for 2016 that Marcel was one of the BBC's highest-paid stars, with an annual salary for her role in Holby City in the range of £200,000 to £249,000, making her the highest-paid actor on the series. For her work in a 2019 storyline which sees Jac have a mental breakdown, the show put forward Marcel's name for BAFTA consideration although she did not ultimately receive a nomination. In January 2021, she announced her departure from the series after 16 years in the role. However, she returned four months later and remained with the show until its cancellation in 2022. Marcell won Best Drama Star at the Inside Soap Awards in 2019, 2021 and 2022. After two years of inactivity in the industry, she confirmed her retirement in 2024.

Personal life Marcel's mother, Lindsey Brook, was an actress and her father, Terry Marcel, is a television director; they divorced in 1995. Her older sister, Kelly, is a writer and actress who has appeared in both Holby City and The Bill, but is now best known as the writer and executive producer of the television series Terra Nova. They also have a younger brother, Luke. an inflammatory disease in which the white blood cells attack healthy cells.

The disease left her almost bed-bound for two years until she was seen by an immunologist at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London, who diagnosed the condition and put her on immuno-suppressants. During the two-year period, Marcel was unable to walk unaided for approximately twelve months, instead relying on the use of two walking sticks. Speaking about the condition, Marcel said: "I have liver function and blood tests every three months. It's highly likely I'll die before [then-husband] Scott, but I'm coming to terms with that. It's worth it not to go back to the hell I was in for those two years. Untreated, Behçet's disease can affect your lungs, heart and blood vessels, so without the immuno-suppressants I might not be here now." She married gym owner Ben Stacey in March 2013 in Las Vegas. In August 2014 Rosie announced her pregnancy, which they found out about two days before starting IVF treatment following months of trying to conceive and suffering a miscarriage. The miscarriage occurred just after she had finished filming the scenes in which her onscreen character, Jac Naylor, gave birth. She later announced that she was pregnant with a baby girl. She gave birth to her daughter on 21 January 2015. Due to Marcel's rare clotting disorder (known as storage pool disease), the baby, called Beau, was born via caesarian section.

Filmography Holby City The Bill Nathan Barley Hotel Infinity The Vice Time Gentlemen Please The Secret World of Michael Fry Days Like These Casualty Growing Pains The Castle of Adventure Press Gang Hyper Sapien: People from Another Star Bergerac The Weather in the Streets HolbyBlue Venom: Let There Be Carnage