Ashley Jensen has been a regular fixture on our screens over the past few weeks, starring in the new season of the BBC's popular crime drama, Shetland.
The Scottish actress, who joined season eight following the departure of Douglas Henshall, plays Met Police detective Ruth Calder, who returns to Shetland after 30 years in search of a vulnerable witness to a gangland murder.
While Ashley, 54, is a familiar face to households up and down the nation thanks to her extensive list of small screen credits, how much do you know about her life away from the cameras? Keep reading for all we know.
Ashley's home life away from the cameras
When she's not busy filming for her latest drama or comedy series, Ashley can be found at home in Bath.
The Extras star, who hails from Annan, Dumfriesshire, lives with her son, Frankie, whom she shares with her late husband Terrence Beesley. The couple were married for ten years from 2007 until Terrence's death in 2017.
© BBCAshley has been living in the UK for the past ten years following a six-year stint in America. The actress moved to Los Angeles in 2006 after being offered a role in the hit US comedy-drama, Ugly Betty.
While living in America, the actress enjoyed nights out at the Golden Globes and the Emmy Awards.
"Suddenly my life was a flurry of stylists, limos and dresses – sitting there with someone painting my nails and doing my hair, and a security guard knocking on the hotel room door with diamonds for me to wear worth half a million dollars," she told The Guardian. "I found it so surreal coming from my childhood in Dumfries, especially when the first part of my career was spent doing theatre in front of a handful of people and staying in a room above a pub that stank of beer."
Ashley returned to the UK in 2012, settling in Bath.
Ashley's love life and marriage to Vera star
In August, Ashley tied the knot with Vera star Kenny Doughty, 48.
The wedding reportedly took place at Priston Mill, an idyllic property in the Duchy of Cornwall's Newton Park Estate.
© Amy Muir/ShutterstockWhile it's not known when the couple first began dating, speculation surrounding their relationship first began when the pair were photographed holding hands while on a night out in Bath in August 2021. Ashley was also spotted wearing a ring on her left hand during an appearance on the Graham Norton Show earlier this month.
While it's not confirmed, it's likely that the actors first crossed paths whilst both starring in the BBC One drama, Love, Lies and Records, which first aired in 2017.
© Ian WestThe series follows Leeds-based registrar Kate Dickenson as she juggles her personal life with the daily dramas of births, marriages, deaths and relationships. Ashley starred in the lead role, while Kenny played her love interest and colleague, Rick Severs.
