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Emmerdale’s Moira Barton actress Natalie J. Robb’s life from co-star romance to pop fame and stint on rival soap

Emmerdale star Natalie J. Robb is well known for her role as Moira Barton on the ITV soap.

The actress has been on the show since 2009 and she recently signed a new deal that will see her remain in the soap as Moira Dingle for at least another year.

Since entering the Yorkshire village, Moira has been involved in a number of intense storylines, which include marrying into the Dingle clan, her beloved daughter overdosing on drugs and countless steamy affairs.

READ MORE: Emmerdale's Reece Dinsdale addresses claim he was 'axed' from the soap

Is Natalie married and does she have children?

It’s unknown whether Natalie is currently in a relationship or not but we do know that she used to be with her Emmerdale co-star Jonny McPherson.

Emmerdale's Jonny McPherson with former partner co-star Natalie J Robb (Instagram)

The couple got together in July 2020 and moved in together during the first coronavirus lockdown period. The stars split in June 2021 - speaking about their separation Natalie told The Sun: “Unfortunately, it was covid times, so there was this added pressure. He moved in with me during the first lockdown and it was just too intense, too soon.

“And if you’re not used to that, which I hadn’t been for a while, we realised pretty quickly that we were better off as friends.”

Natalie’s character Moira and Jonny’s doctor Liam Cavanagh rarely share screen time together in Emmerdale but there’s been no awkwardness between the former couple.

“We were doing a few scenes together the other day and it was lovely to see him,” Natalie explained. “Our characters don’t really have much to do with each other on screen, so it was nice working with him.”

Natalie doesn’t have any children and she previously discussed the pressures of society expecting her to be a mother. She said: “I used to get judged for not having children. People would be like ‘What? You don’t have any kids and you’re single? You must be crazy’.

“But I just never had that feeling of ‘Oh my god, I’ve got to have a baby.’ It has to be the right situation – I didn’t want to go and do something like that on my own.”

Natalie’s pop star fame

Natalie previously tried to make it as a pop star as she joined a group called The Kinky People, Daily Star reports. She also sang I Will Be There by a group called Absolutely, and in 1997 she released a single called Keep Your Love.

Natalie’s appearance on rival soap

Natalie previously played the role of Jude Carlyle in the BBC daytime soap Doctors – which is where her soap opera career began.

She later got cast in The Bill and played the role of an undercover journalist posing as PC Andrea Dunbar. The star also started in BBC hit soap EastEnders in July 2006 as Gemma Clewes, Max Branning's mistress. Three years later she could be seen in Waterloo Road as a school counsellor.

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