EastEnders star Tamzin Outhwaite discloses eldest child, 17, is transgender as she admits to ‘difficult’ initial reaction
Actress Tamzin Outhwaite has disclosed that her 17-year-old child Flo is transgender, speaking publicly about this for the first time.
The 54-year-old former EastEnders star explained that she is now parent to a son and a daughter, rather than two daughters as previously.
“I’ve got two kids. I did have two daughters and now I have a son and a daughter. That’s quite easy for me to say now, but it wasn’t maybe six or seven years ago,” she explained.
Outhwaite, who shares Flo and 12-year-old daughter Marnie with former husband Tom Ellis, revealed that Flo first came out as transgender around the age of 10 or 11.
The actress expressed regret about her initial response when Flo first shared his identity.
She acknowledged that her immediate reaction was dismissive, with her mind going to “that’s ludicrous,” though she didn’t voice this thought directly to her child.
“The way I reacted at the very beginning I would love to change because I think until you’re going through it yourself with your child it’s very difficult to judge other people or to judge a situation because you don’t expect that to happen to you or your child,” Outhwaite admitted.
The shared the update with Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe on the Parenting Hell podcast.
The family navigated through what she described as “some dark times” and “pretty unhappy years.”
Both mother and child attended therapy sessions to work through the transition process, with Outhwaite noting that connecting with others in similar situations proved particularly beneficial.
Outhwaite’s younger daughter Marnie demonstrated remarkable understanding from an early age, referring to Flo as her brother since she was six years old.
“Marnie has been the most insightful about all of it because it’s constantly, from pretty much day one when Marnie was six years old has said ‘this is my brother Flo’,” the actress revealed.
The family’s journey included concerns about older relatives’ reactions, with Outhwaite initially fearing her father’s response. However, she noted that he has since become supportive of Flo.
Today, the household has transformed into what Outhwaite describes as a joyful environment.
“We live in a very happy household now, full of jokes, and it’s my favourite place to be at home,” she said, adding that the family is now “thriving” after navigating through challenging periods.
Outhwaite reflected on the broader context of transgender issues during the podcast, acknowledging that “the whole LGBT community get a bit of a hard rap at the moment – it’s quite tough, I think. It is a hot topic.”
She emphasised that transgender people represent “less than one per cent of the population” despite the significant public debate surrounding the issue.
The actress praised Flo’s talents and ambitions, describing him as “an incredible actor” who is “desperate to be a comedy writer.”
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She noted that being transgender isn’t his defining characteristic: “The maddest thing is I suppose that it’s not the most interesting thing about him.
“He’s an incredibly funny intelligent boy, and I’m watching him grow into a wonderful human who’s very talented.”
Outhwaite also mentioned that her former partner Tom Child, with whom she separated over a year ago, remains closely involved with the family and supported them throughout Flo’s transition.