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Craig Parkinson as DS Norman Potting in Grace© ITV

Grace star Craig Parkinson has a very famous ex-wife - and she starred in Happy Valley and Unforgotten!

You'll definitely recognise the actress

Nicky Morris
TV and film writer
April 2, 2023
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Craig Parkinson is a familiar face to many thanks to his various small screen roles in popular dramas such as Line of Duty, Misfits, and of course, Grace, which is currently airing its third series on ITV1. 

But did you know he was previously married to another major TV star who has appeared in shows such as Happy Valley and Unforgotten?

WATCH: The trailer for series three of gripping crime drama Grace

For 12 years Craig, 47, was married to Northern Irish actress Susan Lynch, who viewers will recognise as Alison Garrs in Happy Valley, Liz Baildon in series four of Unforgotten and Miss Lawton in the first Downton Abbey film. 

Susan, 51, also played DCI Heather Pentland in the first series of BBC One drama Bloodlands.

The actors share an eleven-year-old son named Hardy. 

Sarah Lancashire and Susan Lynch as Catherine and Alison in Happy Valley© Matt Squire
Sarah Lancashire and Susan Lynch as Catherine and Alison in Happy Valley

Although the couple split in 2019, their separation wasn't confirmed until the following year by Craig's father, Derek Parkinson, who told the MailOnline: "Yes, they have split up. It's very sad but Craig is okay, and people do know. They are trying to stay amicable, it's just one of those things."

MORE: Grace star Zoë Tapper's famous husband revealed

READ: Grace star John Simm's famous wife revealed

While they were married, Craig and Susan's careers took them across the globe together. After they first wed, they immediately moved to New York City while Susan was in a play on Broadway, performing in Brian Friel's Translations. "We were in New York for six months and I loved it. The cat came over and everything," Craig told Great British Life

They later returned to the UK, first settling down in Camden, London before moving to Gloucestershire. "She was a bit worried that I wouldn't adapt to the countryside," Craig said of his then-wife. 

Susan Lynch and Craig Parkinson
© David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock
Susan Lynch and Craig Parkinson were married for 12 years

"I'm from the seaside and I'm kind of used to cities; I've been in London since I was 17. But I wouldn't live anywhere but here now."

Craig is currently appearing in the third season of the ITV crime drama, Grace, in which he plays DS Norman Potting. For those unfamiliar with the series, it stars John Simm in the titular role, Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, as he and the East Sussex police team investigate grisly crimes in and around Brighton.

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