ITV/Composite: EI Share By Joel Harley Jul 25 2025 By Joel Harley Jul 25 2025 Former EastEnders star Tamzin Outhwaite reveals eldest child, 17, is transgender The star shares two children with ex-husband Tom Ellis Tamzin Outhwaite Share By Joel Harley Jul 25 2025 By Joel Harley Jul 25 2025 Former EastEnders actress Tamzin Outhwaite has revealed that her eldest child, 17, is transgender. Tamzin is best known by EastEnders fans for playing Mel Owen on the soap, appearing between 1998 and 2019 in two iconic stints. The 54-year-old shares two children with ex-husband Tom Ellis – 17-year-old Flo and Marnie, 12. In an appearance on Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe’s Parenting Hell podcast, Tamzin has revealed how son Flo came out as transgender when he was ‘about 1o or 11.’ Tamzin played Mel Owen on EastEnders (Credit: BBC) EastEnders star Tamzin Outhwaite reveals eldest child is transgender She told comedians Josh and Rob: “The way I reacted at the very beginning I would love to change because I think until you’re going through it yourself with your child it’s very difficult to judge other people or to judge a situation because you don’t expect that to happen to you or your child. “What I did initially, I was like ‘don’t be ridiculous’, I didn’t say don’t be ridiculous but my mind went to ‘that’s ludicrous’ and working back from that to talking through it.” She continued: “The maddest thing is I suppose that it’s not the most interesting thing about him. He’s an incredibly funny intelligent boy, and I’m watching him grow into a wonderful human who’s very talented. Article continues below Read all the latest spoilers “To see him thriving is just nothing but relief and joy for me really because there were some dark times.” She credits a “fab bit of family therapy” with helping the family adjust to Flo’s news, although admitted she had struggled at first. Tamzin spoke of how she regretted her initial reaction to her son’s news (Credit: ITV/YouTube) Tamzin Outhwaite reveals her reaction to son Flo’s transgender revelation Elsewhere in the interview with Rob and Josh, Tamzin reflected on her initial reaction, describing it as a ‘distressing’ time as she attempted to process the news. “I became almost like a padded cell around Flo, almost going ‘it’s okay whatever you want, you want to do this, you want to do that, it’s all okay’, because I think if you push back on a kid they’re going to want to do the opposite of what their parent says so I made everything a possibility,” she said, in a transcript recorded by The Mirror. “I didn’t say you can’t be that but it was a very distressing time,” said Tamzin, who was previously romantically linked with co-star Nigel Harman. She went on to praise the reaction of Flo’s sister, Marnie, revealing: “Marnie has been the most insightful about all of it because it’s constantly, from pretty much day one when Marnie was six years old has said ‘this is my brother Flo’. “Flo has many nicknames at school, all sorts of different things, all of the kids are so accepting of everything but I think they’re much more understanding.” Read more: Who’s leaving, joining and returning to EastEnders? Complete list of cast exits, arrivals and returns. Share Good to Know Share By Joel Harley Jul 25 2025 By Joel Harley Jul 25 2025
