Thanks to its successful eighteen series, Heartbeat became a classic TV show back in the day. Viewers are often treated to a trip down memory lane with old episodes being shown on television channels such as ITV.
One of the stars of the series, Tricia Penrose, became a household name when she played the role of Gina Ward in the police drama – but where is the actress now? Here's what we know...
Who did Tricia Penrose play in Heartbeat?
Tricia Penrose played Gina Ward in Heartbeat, who was a landlady at the Aidensfield Arms. Gina became a beloved character during her tenure in the show, which began in series two, and she remained part of the Heartbeat furniture until the end. Her character Gina had quite complicated romantic relationships during the show, and her life certainly wasn't without its drama.
PC Phil Bellamy was the greatest love, to whom she was engaged, but she also had relationships with other officers and also had an affair with Andy Ryan in the show. Gina then became a widow after PC Bellamy's death, and later gave birth to their son towards the end of series 17.
What else has Tricia Penrose been in?
Tricia's first TV appearance came in the form of police officer Emma Reid in Brookside. She then went on to appear in other popular soaps in the earlier nineties such as Emmerdale (then known as Emmerdale Farm), Coronation Street and the TV drama series Boon.
During her tenure as Gina, Tricia reprised her role for two appearances in Heartbeat spin-off drama The Royal, in 2003. Tricia's most recent acting role was in 2011 in the series Justice, in which she played Hayley Gosling, alongside Game of Thrones actor Robert Pugh.
Who is Tricia Penrose's family?
Tricia was previously married to husband Mark Simpkin, who was a television presenter and businessman. Mark also worked in acting and appeared as Craig Brennan in Coronation Street, but mostly stuck with presenting and popped up on popular shows such as This Morning, GMTV and travel shows. Mark and Tricia married in 2003 and share two sons together. At the time, the couple shared their special day exclusively with HELLO! magazine.
However, in 2021, it was revealed in The Sun on Sunday that Tricia and Mark had decided to end their marriage after 18 years. According to the publication, the pair decided to part ways after drifting apart.
Where is Tricia Penrose now?
In more recent years, Tricia has made a number of TV appearances. In 2013, she appears as a housemate on Celebrity Big Brother (along with Rylan Clark and Heidi and Spencer Montag). She's also appeared as herself on shows like Big Star's Little Star and Celebrity Pointless. Nowadays, the former actress lives in Cheshire with her family and presents her own radio show on Radio Wirral.