Patsy Palmer Age, Husband, Children, Family, Biography

Bio/Wiki
Real Name	Julie Anne Merkell
Nickname	Dolly
Profession(s)	Actress, DJ, Entrepreneur
Famous Role	Bianca Jackson in the English TV series EastEnders
Physical Stats
Height (approx.)	5' 6" (168 cm)
Eye Colour	Green
Hair Colour	Blonde
Career
Debut	Stage Play: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1978) TV: The Gentle Touch (1984) as 1st Girl; aired on ITV
Awards	• 2000: British Soap Award- Best Actress for EastEnders • 2000: TV Quick and TV Choice Award- Best Actress for EastEnders • 2000: Inside Soap Award- Best Actress for EastEnders
Personal Life
Date of Birth	26 May 1972 (Friday)
Age (as of 2025)	53 Years
Birthplace	Bethnal Green, London, England
Zodiac sign	Gemini
Autograph
Nationality	British
Hometown	London, England
School(s)	• Globe Primary School, Bethnal Green, London • Haggerston Girls Secondary School, London
Religion	Christianity
Ancestry	Irish (from father's side)
Food Habit	Non-vegetarian
Tattoo(s)	• On her left bicep: A sitting girl • On her right foot • On the left side of her stomach: Stars
Social Media	• Instagram • Facebook • Twitter • LinkedIn
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Married
Affairs/Boyfriends	• Alfie Rothwell (1991-1994) (boxer) • Stuart Bilton (actor) • Nick Love (film director) • Richard Merkell (cab driver)
Marriage Date	• First Marriage- August 1998 • Second Marriage- 1 August 2000
Family
Husband/Spouse	• First Husband- Nick Love (divorced in May, 2000) • Second Husband- Richard Merkell
Children	Son(s)- 3 • Charley Rothwell (with her ex-boyfriend Alfie Rothwell; born in 1992) (actor) • Fenton Merkell (born in 2000; with her husband Richard Merkell) • Bertie Merkell (born in 2010; with her husband Richard Merkell) Daughter- Emilia Merkell (born in 2001; with her husband Richard Merkell) (Internet personality)
Parents	Father- Albert Harris Mother- Patricia Harris
Siblings	Brother(s)- Albert Harris, Harry Harris (psychotherapist) Half- Brother- Berty Half-Sister- Georgia
Other Relative	Lindsey Coulson (actress; married to Harry Harris)
Favourites
Beverage	Mushroom Mocha
Actress(es)	Meg Ryan, Julie Walters
Style Quotient
Car Collection	• Toyota Hybrid Camry Base • KIA
Money Factor
Fees (approx.)	£100,000 for Celebrity Big Brother series 24 (2025)
Net Worth (approx.)	$13 Million (in 2021)

Some Lesser Known Facts About Patsy Palmer

• Patsy Palmer grew up in London, England.
  

  Patsy Palmer’s childhood photo

• When she was eight years old, her parents got divorced. She was brought up by her mother singlehandedly.

• She once shared that while she was in school, she was bullied in school.

• When she was too young, her mother noticed Patsy’s preference for acting. She enrolled Patsy in Anna Scher’s acting school in London.

• At the age of six, she accompanied her brother to an audition for the West End production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. However, the casting director spotted Patsy and offered her a role.

• While she was in the acting school, she came to know that there was already an actress named Julie Harris after which she decided to change her name to Patsy (her mother’s nickname) Palmer (her mother’s maiden name).
  

  Patsy Palmer in her teens

• She has performed in various stage plays like Tell Me On A Sunday, Stepping Out, Mum’s The Word, and The Night Before Christmas.

• She has worked as a model in various photoshoots and print ads.
  

  Patsy Palmer during her modelling days

• Patsy has acted in many English TV series including Tricky Business (1989), Clarissa (1991), Drop the Dead Donkey (1993), He Knew He Was Right (2004), Children in Need (2008), T&B 4Eva (2013).
  

  Drop the Dead Donkey

• She has acted in a few English TV movies like Skullduggery (1989), First and Last (1989), and McCready and Daughter (2000).
  

  McCready and Daughter

• In 1993, she was casted for the role of Bianca Jackson in the popular English TV series EastEnders. However, she did not audition for the role of Bianca. The casting agents of BBC had noticed her in her drama class and offered her the role. She gained immense popularity with her role and appeared in various seasons of the show. In 2005, audiences criticised the makers of the show for stating that Palmer would not appear in the sow. Later, she rejoined the cast of the show.
  

  EastEnders

• For around a week, she co-hosted the English TV show Big Breakfast which aired on Channel 4.

• She has released a few fitness DVDs like Patsy Palmer- The Club Workout (2000), Patsy Palmer- The Urban Workout (2002) and Patsy Palmer’s Ibiza Workout (2002).
  

  Patsy Palmer’s Ibiza Workout

• Some of her English short videos are The Urban Workout (2001), Another Green World (2005), Trapped (2008), and Jacked (2015).
  

  Jacked

• In 2001, she worked as an executive producer in the English video The Urban Workout.

• In April 2002, she was appointed as director at a company named Palmer Cutler Cosmetics.

• She has participated in various English TV shows such as Strictly Come Dancing (2005), Comic Relief Does The Apprentice (2009), The Masked Singer (2020), and Dancing on Ice (2023).
  

  Patsy Palmer in Dancing on Ice

• Patsy appeared in the 2006 charity fitness DVD named The Allstar Workout.
  

  The Allstar Workout

• On 5 April 2007, she released her autobiography ‘All of Me.’
  

  All of Me 

• In an interview, she shared that she was an alcoholic and addicted to drugs. She said that at the age of 10, she was introduced to alcohol for the first time at the age of 10, and after almost 24 years, she completely stopped taking drugs and decreased her consumption of alcohol.

• She has been actively supporting various social welfare organisations. She has lent her support to the anti-bullying campaign and CLIC Sargent Cancer Care for Children.

• In her leisure time, she enjoys baking, travelling to different places, and hanging out with her family and friends.
  

  Patsy Palmer during her vacation

• She has been featured on the cover of various magazines.
  

  Patsy Palmer featured on a magazine cover

• She follows a regular workout regimen which includes Pilates, yoga, and meditation.
  

  Patsy Palmer during her workout session

• She is an avid animal lover and owns a few pet dogs including Bu and Star.
  

  Patsy Palmer with her pet dog

• She has been featured in TV commercials for Clearasil, Police Recruitment, Palmer Cutler, and Best Buy.
  

  Patsy Palmer in Clearasil ad

• Patsy renewed her wedding vows with her husband Richie Merkell on 23 April 2012.

• She was once ranked #16 in the 100 Greatest EastEnders and Characters of All Time for her performance as Bianca Butcher.

• In September 2015, she started a non-profit organisation named Commonwealth Lifestyle Foundation in Los Angeles.

• In September 2020, she started a line of hair-based products with the name Good & Proper.
  

  Good & Proper

• In 2021, she started working as an editor at the magazine at Malibu Global Media Group in Malibu.

• She has been working as a DJ at various events.
  

  Patsy Palmer- DJing at an event

• She appeared in an interview in 2021 in which she was labelled as “addict to wellness guru.” However, she left the interview in between. Even the viewers criticised the news channel for labelling her in such a demeaning way.
  

  A screenshot from Patsy Palmer’s interview

• She participated in the reality TV show Celebrity Big Brother Series 24 in 2025.
  

  Patsy Palmer in Celebrity Big Brother Series 24