Tamzin Outhwaite

Tamzin Maria Outhwaite (; born 5 November 1970) is an English actress, dancer, presenter and narrator. From 1998 to 2002, and again from 2018 to 2019, she played the role of Mel Owen in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. She has also starred in a number of theatre and television productions, including army series Red Cap and crime drama New Tricks. She also played Rebecca Mitchell in the BBC drama series Hotel Babylon (2006–2009).

Early life The only daughter of Anna (née Santi) and Colin Frank Outhwaite, born in Ilford, Greater London, Outhwaite has two younger brothers. She was educated at Trinity Catholic High School, Woodford Green. Her mother is of Italian heritage. Her maternal great grandfather and his eldest son were born in Barga, Italy, and became naturalised British citizens in 1957, living first in Glasgow, Scotland, and then settling in Fishburn, England running an ice cream business.

Outhwaite attended the Stagestruck Theatre Company as a teenager, taking part in several productions during the mid-1980s. While at school, she studied part-time at Sylvia Young Theatre School, and on leaving school in 1987, she joined the London Studio Centre to study drama and dance.

Career Early career and EastEnders On graduation from the London Studio Centre she started her career in the theatre, taking roles in productions including Grease and Oliver!, and work at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, before landing bit parts in television series The Bill and Men Behaving Badly.

She found national fame in 1998 when she was cast as Mel Healy in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders. Her first appearance was aired in October 1998 and her final one was in April 2002. During nearly four years in Walford, Outhwaite's character was central to many storylines. Outhwaite left EastEnders in 2002, shortly after the departure from the soap of co-star Martin Kemp, who had played her on-screen husband Steve Owen.

She stated in 2006 that she would not rule out returning to EastEnders and her return was confirmed on 24 October 2017. Outhwaite departed the soap for a second and final time in November 2019, when Mel was killed off.

Further work In 2007, Outhwaite appeared in a revival of Boeing Boeing at the Comedy Theatre, as well as the film Cassandra's Dream, which first premiered in June. In March 2008, she had a role in the ITV drama series The Fixer. In 2009, she played the lead in the sci-fi crime series for the BBC entitled Paradox, which first aired on BBC One on 24 November 2009. In 2010, she appeared in Over the Rainbow, a talent show casting for Andrew Lloyd Webber's stage production of The Wizard of Oz. That same year, she was a member of the judging panel on the UK television programme Don't Stop Believing broadcast on Channel 5.

In July 2013, Outhwaite joined the cast of the popular BBC One comedy-drama series New Tricks as DCI Sasha Miller, replacing Amanda Redman as head of the team in the show. Outhwaite had earlier appeared in series 9, episode 6 of the show, guest-starring as a different character who is brought to justice at the end of the episode. In March 2016, Outhwaite was cast to play Teresa Phillips in a revival of Alan Ayckbourn's How the Other Half Loves at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. Outhwaite has done introductory segments of true crime episodes of NBC's Dateline for British television audiences. In May 2020, Outhwaite played Indie Hendricks in Dun Breedin, a project by Julie Graham about women who are going through the menopause during lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of this, her scenes were filmed at her own house. The episodes were uploaded to YouTube weekly.

In 2020, Outhwaite starred in Philip Franks' West End theatre play "The Haunting of Alice Bowles" (an adaptation of M. R. James' short story "The Experiment"). In 2021, Outhwaite appeared on The Masked Dancer, masked as Scarecrow. She was unmasked in the final and finished in fourth place.

Personal life Outhwaite resides in north London. From 2006 to 2014, she was married to Welsh actor Tom Ellis, with whom she has a son and daughter. In 2013 the pair separated and Outhwaite had filed for divorce which was finalised in April 2014.

Outhwaite is cousin to Holly Willoughby's husband, Dan Baldwin.

Outhwaite acts as an ambassador for the Park Theatre in the Finsbury Park area of London.

In 2026, Outhwaite revealed that she had previously undergone a non-surgical facelift using a course of NeoGen nitrogen plasma treatments.

Filmography

+ Television Year Title Role Notes 1993 The Mystery of Dr Martinu Girlfriend Television film 1995 Men Behaving Badly Girl in Pub 1 episode (season 4 episode 23) 1996 The Bill Liz Crane Episode: "Hers" 1998–2002,2018–2019 EastEnders Mel Owen Regular role; 617 episodes 2000 Da Ali G Show Melanie Episode: "Gail Porter" 2003 Final Demand Natalie Taylor Television film 2003–2004 Red Cap Sgt. Jo McDonagh Main role2004 Hustle Katherine Winterborn Episode: "A Touch of Class" Frances Tuesday Frances WestTelevision film 2005 Walk Away and I Stumble Claire Holmes 2006 Vital Signs Rhoda Bradley Main role 2006–2007 Hotel Babylon Rebecca Mitchell Main role (series 1–2)2007 The Catherine Tate Show Shelley 2007 Christmas special 2008–2009 The Fixer Rose Chamberlain Main role 2009 Paradox D.I. Rebecca Flint TV mini-series2011 Law & Order: UK Miriam Pescatore Episode: "Immune"2012 Silent Witness Beth Gilston Episodes: "Fear: Parts 1 & 2" New Tricks Victoria Kemp Episode: "Love Means Nothing in Tennis"2013 Foyle's War Brenda Stevens Episode: "Sunflower" Doctor Who Captain Alice Ferrin Episode: "Nightmare in Silver" Agatha Christie's Marple Mrs. Rogers Episode: "Endless Night" 2013–2015 New Tricks DCI Sasha Miller Main role (series 10–12) 2016 Josh Valerie Episode: "Bed & Breakfast"2017 Inside No. 9 Connie Episode: "Empty Orchestra" Murdoch Mysteries Penelope Marsh Episode: "Up from Ashes" 2018 Midsomer Murders Samantha Adler Episode: "The Lions of Causton" 2020 Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators Jessica Duke Episode: "Teach Me, Dear Creature" 2021 Ridley Road Barbara Watson All 4 episodes2022 Death in Paradise Holly Faircroft Episode: #11.2 We Hunt Together Shannon McBride 2 episodes Murder, They Hope Diana Episode: "Can't See The Blood For The Trees" 2023 The Tower Cathy Teel Series two Murder is Easy Mrs Pierce 2 episodes 2024 The Wives Sylvia Morgan 6 episodes2025 Murder Before Evensong Stella Harper All episodes Silent Witness Sally Alden Episodes: "Broken: Parts 1 & 2" 2026 Benidorm Is Murder Tiff (Dennis's wife)

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result 1999 The British Soap Awards Sexiest Female EastEnders 5th National Television Awards Most Popular Newcomer 2000 The British Soap Awards Sexiest Female 2001 The British Soap Awards Sexiest Female Maxim Awards Woman of the Year Herself 2002 The British Soap Awards Best Actress EastEnders The British Soap Awards Sexiest Female 2006 12th National Television Awards Most Popular Actress Hotel Babylon 2012 What's on TV Soap's Greatest Legend Eastenders 2015 20th National Television Awards Drama Performance New Tricks TV Choice Awards Best Actress 2018 TV Choice Awards Best Soap Actress EastEnders 2019 The British Soap Awards Best Actress Inside Soap Awards Best Bad Girl Digital Spy Reader Awards Best Soap Actor (Female) 2024 Romford Film Festival Best Actress