Jill revealed she's found love since her late partner's passing © SOPA Images

Jill Halfpenny love life: Who is the actress dating?

The TV star has had a tragic love life

TV and film writer
Updated: February 15, 2024

Jill Halfpenny may be best known for her roles in the likes of EastEnders, The Holiday and for competing on Strictly Come Dancing. 

Not only is she a beloved actress on the screen, but Jill also works as a radio broadcaster on BBC Radio 2, and has a thriving career on stage.

But how much do you know about her love life? Read on to find out about her previous relationships and the tragic death of her partner. 

WATCH: Jill Halfpenny stars in The Holiday

Jill's marriage to Craig Conway

In 2007, Jill married fellow actor Craig Conway, who has featured in a number of stage plays, films and TV shows, including the BBC's Doctors. The couple divorced in 2010 after welcoming one child together, Harvey Reece, in 2008. 

© Dave M. Benett

Jill was previously married to Craig Conway

Relationship with Matt Janes

The actress has remained very private about her love life but opened up about her grief in 2019 after the death of her partner two years prior. 

© Photo: BBC

The 46-year-old appeared on Line of Duty star Craig Parkinson's podcast, The Two Shot Podcast, where she shared her grief following the death of her partner Matt, who sadly passed away when he suffered a heart attack at the gym in 2017. 

Jill explained how his death mirrored that of her father, Colin Halfpenny, who also died of a heart attack in 1979, when the actress was just four years old. 

"In January 2017, my partner, in very similar circumstances to my dad, he went to a peloton class at the gym, and he had a heart attack and died," Jill said. 

© SOPA Images

Jill Halfpenny in 2019

With her voice starting to break, she continued: "My grief at losing Matt, my partner, was so brutal and so shocking but then what happened was it brought out all of the grief from my dad as well. It was like dealing with a double loss – a loss I'd never actually dealt with." 

The Three Girls star added: "I just found myself thinking, 'Oh my god, this is unbearable. What am I going to do? I cannot cope. I just want cessation, this feeling to stop.'"

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