Tracy Robinson: Marriages, affairs and crippling postnatal depression
Amy Walsh has seen her character go from con-artist to moral mum
Tracy Robinson (nee Shankley) in Emmerdale has been causing trouble in the village for almost a decade.
Estranged from second husband Nate Robinson she is desperate to pursue her dream of opening a forest nursery. But will she ever manage it?
Who is Tracy Robinson in Emmerdale?
She is the daughter of the late Frank Clayton and Evette Shankley, the latter of whom has never been seen on-screen.
Tracy’s parents split when she was a young girl. She lost contact with Frank and Evette turned to alcohol in order to cope. Tracy is also the half-sister of vet Vanessa Woodfield.
The siblings are former housemates and didn’t discover they were related until 2016, nearly two years after their first meeting.
A former prostitute and thief, Tracy’s upbringing was far from a happy one, although she no longer engages in criminal activities.
Tracy has also been married twice. Her 2016 union with David Metcalfe ended in divorce two years later. She’s estranged from husband Nate Robinson after cheating on him with his uncle, Caleb Miligan.
The love of Tracy’s life is her young daughter, Frankie, who she welcomed in February 2021 and named in honour of her late father.
Tracy’s arrival
Wild child Tracy made her on-screen debut on July 7, 2014 and was first introduced as a love interest of Sam Dingle, who she’d met via an online chat group.
Going by the name Coleen, Tracy cruelly scammed Sam out of money. He later found her sleeping rough and invited her to stay at the Dingles’ while she found her feet again.
Tracy then moved into the B&B to live with Eric and Val Pollard, but proved old habits die hard when she was caught with her fingers in Val’s purse.
Her love life
Tracy began dating shop owner David Metcalfe, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer shortly into their relationship. She supported him through his illness and the couple got hitched in 2016 after David was given the all clear.
Their marriage only lasted a couple of years, after Tracy’s past as a prostitute was exposed when she got a stalker. Davis was unable to cope with who she had been and had a one-night stand with ex, Leyla. But Tracy and David hooked up for one last night together, which resulted in her falling pregnant. Feeling unable to keep the baby, Tracy had a termination.
Her next relationship was with Nate Robinson, but what started out as just a no-strings fling turned serious when Tracy learnt she was expecting.
In early 2021 she gave birth to a little girl called Frankie. After overcoming a few obstacles, Tracy and Nate finally made it official and married in July 2023.
Tracy’s postnatal depression
Motherhood hasn’t been the easiest ride for Tracy.
Just days after Frankie’s birth, Tracy found herself overwhelmed and unable to cope looking after her new baby. She battled with postnatal depression in silence for months, and came very close to taking her own life.
Thankfully, Tracy recognised she needed help and committed herself to a psychiatric ward, leaving Frankie in Nate’s care.
She returned to the village a few months later, but was heartbroken to discover Nate had been unfaithful in her absence.
Nate’s betrayal resulted in Tracy relocating to Nottingham, which coincided with actress Amy Walsh’s maternity leave.
Affair with Caleb Miligan
With the ink barely dry on her marriage certificate to Nate, Tracy shocked viewers by embarking on a forbidden affair with his uncle, Caleb Miligan.
Despite her best efforts, Tracy was unable to resist the charms of the smooth-talking businessman. The lustful duo took major risks by engaging in passionate trysts across the village, but ended up getting caught in the act by Moira Dingle.
She ordered Tracy and Caleb to end their affair, which they did, only to resume it weeks later.
Tracy eventually decided she didn’t love Nate any more and ended their marriage. He found out she had been bedding Caleb when Caleb’s wife Ruby announced it at Belle and Tom’s wedding reception.
Caleb decided to make a go of things with Ruby, leaving Tracy out in the cold and all alone. She threw herself into her forest nursery idea, but determined to get him to prove his loyalty, Ruby made Caleb sabotage her presentation to potential investors. He exposed her prostitute past and it left her dream in tatters.
She now works in Eric’s shop, desperately trying to salvage her future.
Who plays Tracy Robinson?
Emmerdale’s Tracy Robinson is played by British actress Amy Walsh. She was born on 27 March 1987 and raised in Bradford, West Yorkshire.
Amy is the youngest of four children, and her sister Kimberley Walsh is a member of the iconic girl group Girls Aloud.
Her other sister, Sally Walsh, also had a role in Emmerdale and played the character of Lyn Hutchinson between 1997 and 2000.
Amy’s first television appearance was as Jennifique McQueen in series four of the Hollyoaks spin-off, Hollyoaks Later.
Interestingly, Tracy wasn’t the first Emmerdale character Amy tried out for. She previously auditioned for the part of Rachel Breckle, which went to actress Gemma Oaten.
In August 2023, Amy married former EastEnders actor Toby-Alexander Smith in the foothills of Montenegro’s towering mountains.
The couple met in the audience of Strictly Come Dancing back in 2019, and moved in together when the Covid pandemic hit.
They are parents to their daughter, Bonnie Mae, who they welcomed in December 2021.
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.30pm and 2.05pm.