Emmerdale’s original Amy Wyatt’s life now – from major roles to famous auntie

**Chelsea Halfpenny first took on the role of Amy Wyatt in 2010 (Image: AMY BRAMMALL)**

In addition to becoming well-known on stage, Chelsea Halfpenny has built a name for herself in the acting industry by appearing in several hit TV series.

The 2010 Emmerdale season saw Amy Wyatt (now Barton) make her dramatic debut. It feels like it was just yesterday.

The character was first given life by Chelsea Halfpenny, who led her through a flurry of stories, including adolescent rebellion and an unplanned pregnancy with Cain Dingle. Amy’s character has evolved significantly over time, and although Halfpenny left the serial opera in October 2013, Amy returned in 2019 when Natalie Ann Jamieson took up the role.

Halfpenny previously talked candidly about her decision to quit Emmerdale in an interview with Metro, stating that her primary motivation for leaving was to pursue other acting chances.

Thinking back on her time spent in the community, she said, “It was fantastic. I simply left because I wanted to explore new things and I was young, 22 years old.

“Although my character has returned, I am not portraying her. They had asked me a few times over the years if I wanted to come back, but each time I had said no.

“Then, two years ago, they called to say how much they would love for my family to return. I had two options: either I returned to that period or I bid the part farewell and had it recast for a different woman. I thought that saying farewell was the right move since I wanted to portray other roles.”

**The actress continued to achieve great success on television. (Photo: ITV)**

After leaving Emmerdale, Halfpenny exhibited her skills in the student-produced short film “Lilium” from Teesside University. She later joined the cast of the medical drama Casualty on BBC One in 2015.

She portrayed Alicia Munroe, a foundation officer doctor in her first year of training. Although Halfpenny’s contract was just for eight episodes at first, news of her return to the serial broke in May 2016. After four years, the actress finally quit the program in 2019.

She has established a reputation for herself in theater in addition to her career on television. She portrayed Judy in the West End theater production of 9 to 5: The Musical in 2019.

**In recent years, Chelsea has featured in Waitress: The Musical (Image: DAILY MIRROR).**

Then, around a year later, it was announced that she will play Jenna on the UK Wide Tour of Waitress. Chelsea still periodically works with some of her Waitress co-stars, based on her Instagram feed.

She would appear in the new musical We Aren’t Kids Anymore this year, it was also revealed in June. It’s interesting to note that her aunt, Jill Halfpenny, a former star of Eastenders and Waterloo Road, is an actress, suggesting that acting skill runs in the family.