Adultery on ITV: Real love lives of the cast include a Casualty heartthrob husband, marriage to Grace villain, and high-profile split
It's a tangled web of famous faces, swaps, and heartbreak
Adultery is an ITV drama with a forbidden affair at its centre and, coming from Brassic writer Danny Brocklehurst, we know we’re in good hands – but what about the real love lives of the cast?
Dominic Cooper and Romola Garai portray Tom Kirkman and Beth Brookes, who share an immediate, intense connection. Trouble is, both of them are married to other people.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, their children are dating. It’s a messy situation, and one that will inevitably end in tears.
The synopsis tells us: “As Tom and Beth struggle with their undeniable desires, they must grapple with their guilt and the potential consequences for their families. The two families’ lives are potentially turned upside down forever. Will Tom and Beth be able to control their desires unlike their lovestruck teenagers?”
Short answer? No. But, in real life, the cast of Adultery are (nearly) all happily married or in long-term relationships. Here’s what you need to know.
The love lives of the Adultery cast: Who is Dominic Cooper’s partner?
London-born Dominic Cooper, 48, is perhaps best known for playing Sky in Mamma Mia, or Dakin in The History Boys. His TV roles have included Danny Wood in Down to Earth, Jesse Custer in Preacher, Fielding Scott in Spy City, and Edwyn Cooper in The Gold.
Although he plays cheating GP Tom in Adultery, in real life he’s been with his actress girlfriend Gemma Chan aince 2018. The couple first sparked dating rumours in the summer of that year and made their public debut together at a fashion event in December 2018.
Gemma, 43, is an actress known for Humans, Secret Diary of a Call Girl, Bedlam, and The Five-Star Weekend. She famously portrayed Sersi in the Marvel film Eternals, and Astrid Young Teo in Crazy Rich Asians.
Before dating Gemma, Dominic had relationships with actress Joanna Carolan, Ruth Negga, and Amanda Seyfried. In fact, Dominic and Mamma Mia co-star Amanda dated, split up, and reunited just weeks after she announced the end of her marriage to Thomas Sadoski. They eventually split up for good in 2011, before he went on to date Ruth Negga for several years. The couple amicably split in 2018 but remain close friends.
Who is Romola Garai’s husband?
British Hong Kong-born Romola Garai, 44, stars as adulterer Beth in ITV drama Adultery.
She recently won an Olivier Award for her performance in the play The Years. She’s been in multiple films, including Atonement, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, and Suffragette. On TV, she’s best known for Zoe Atkins in Attachments, the title role in Emma, and Bel Rowley in The Hour. Romola also played a leading role in Vigil series 2.
Romola is married to British actor and director Sam Hoare. The couple began dating around 2011, welcomed their first child in 2013, and secretly married in July 2014. They now share two children together, and lead a very private life.
Following their marriage, the family temporarily relocated to Brooklyn, New York, while Garai performed in an off-Broadway play. Sam Hoare also directed partner Romola in his 2013 feature film debut, Having You.
Of course, TV fans will now 45-year-old Sam Hoare for playing ACC Cassian Pewe in Grace, Ed Polczynski in The Capture, and Matthew Pocket in Dickensian.
Who is Shelley Conn married to and does she have children?
Shelley Conn, star of Bridgerton, Mistresses, and Little Disasters, plays Tom’s wife Hannah in the cast of the ITV drama Adultery.
London-born Shelley, 50, is married to actor and musician Jonathan Kerrigan. They married in 2011, and have one son together called Oscar who is now 14. On his 50th birthday a few years ago, Shelley said: “Happiest 50th Birthday to my bestiest friend. Still hot as heck @thejonathankerrigan! I love you #50thbirthday.”
The couple have previously worked together on TV dramas such as Casualty, and Merseybeat, which is where they met and fell in love. They even played husband and wife Xander and Marina Shepherd in an episode of Death in Paradise in 2019. They actually played a married couple in the episode.
Jonathan Kerrigan, now 54, is best known for playing PC Rob Walker in Heartbeat, Sam Colloby in Casualty, and PC Steve Traynor in Merseybeat. Most recently, he portrayed Reverend Peleg Woodsworth in Outlander.
The love lives of the Adultery cast: Who is Matthew McNulty married to?
Bolton actor Matthew McNulty, 43, stars as Beth’s husband Neil. He’s best known for his roles in The Bay, After the Flood, and Domina.
The actor is married to his high school sweetheart, Katie McNulty, with whom he has three children. Kate is the founder of social app Huddle Up.
The couple share three children, two sons named Ellis and Oliver, and a daughter. Their eldest son Ollie is following in his dad’s footsteps, and recently played Peter in Time series 3.
The pair prefer to keep their home life private, although Katie occasionally shares photos of her husband and family on her socials.
Is James Murray still married to Sarah Parish?
The Crown and Masters of the Air actor James Murray, 51, will appear opposite Ellis and Emmerdale actress Charley Webb. They’ll play Paul and Leah Kirkman, Tom’s brother and sister-in-law, in the cast of Adultery.
James is married to fellow actor Sarah Parish, who he met in 2002 on the set of the BBC drama series Cutting It. James joined the cast during the show’s third season, where he and Sarah – who played the lead role of Allie – grew close during script read-throughs. Of course, Sarah is famous for her roles in Peak Practice, Hearts and Bones, Mistresses, and Piglets.
After dating for several years, they later married in December 2007 in the Hampshire countryside where they continue to live. The actors have one surviving child together, their teenage daughter Nell who was born in 2009.
Tragically, their late daughter Ella-Jayne passed away. Born in June 2008 with Rubinstein–Taybi syndrome – a rare genetic disorder that causes severe medical complications and congenital heart defects – she passed away in January 2009 at eight months old. Her memory inspired the couple to create their charity, now known as Imagine This (formerly The Murray Parish Trust).
The love lives of the Adultery cast: Why did Charley Webb split from her husband?
Former Emmerdale actress Charley Webb, who played Debbie Dingle in the soap from 2002 to 2021, plays Leah Kirkman in Adultery.
In real life, Charley is divorced from her soap co-star Matthew Wolfenden. The couple met on the set of Emmerdale, got engaged in 2009, married in February 2018, and announced their split in November 2023. They share three sons Buster, Bowie, and Ace and continue to co-parent.
In fact, the pair live directly across the street from one another to make shared custody easier. They follow a week-on, week-off routine for raising their three boys.
Charley initiated the separation, with Matthew saying “he didn’t expect it at all”. Matthew is now in relationship with dancer/choreographer Heather Scott-Martin. Actress Charley, 38, is said to be single. However, tabloids linked her to Sheridan Smith earlier this year after she admitted “everyone is somewhat bisexual” and shared a series of “romantic” posts. But in reality, they are close friends who became inseparable after Charley’s split from Matthew.
