emilia Fox: “I’m helping Laurence get over his split”
The Silent Witness star reveals how her cousin has coped since his split from wife Billie Piper, and why she’ll be friends forever with Dawn French
They supported each other during a gruelling trek on Bear Grylls: Mission Survive last year, now Emila Fox tells Closer how she’s helping her cousin Laurence cope following his split from wife Billie Piper.
Actress Emilia, 42, says she’s been spending more time with Laurence and his two sons – Winston, eight, and Eugene, four – and reveals he’s turned a corner following the bitter break-up. The 38-year-old actor recently admitted he hadn’t slept and had suffered panic attacks for six months after the split.
RELATIONSHIP WOE
Single mum Emilia, who has a five-yearold daughter Rose, from a relationship with actor Jeremy Gilley, says: “I’ve seen a lot of Laurence. He’s getting better and we’ve had some fun times with the children together.
“I have learnt from him – and my own situation – that relationships are
not often straightforward.”
Since splitting from Billie in March, Laurence has been linked to Irish TV presenter Vogue Williams. The pair – who met on Mission Survive – are said to be in a blossoming romance.
Meanwhile, Emilia split from chef Marco Pierre White in March this year after an on/off four-year relationship. She was also previously married to Mad Men star Jared Harris for five years, after which she dated Jeremy, but they split in 2011.
The actress admits that she loves being a mum and says she’d consider having more children in the future.
She “It’s tellsa lovely us: thought, but I do feel blessed to have one child. I love family life.”
MOTHERHOOD
And Emilia says she bonded with her Delicious co-star Dawn French over their families, while they were filming the Sky 1 drama. She says: “I’m very protective of Rose and I realised this even more during filming. I play a mum, married to a man who has a complex relationship with his ex [played by Dawn]. Dawn and I both brought our protectiveness over our kids to the characters. It was something I could bring all the raw emotions to as I had experienced them.”
And Emilia says she and Dawn will be friends for life, as she admits: “I’d love to have her in my life forever. Everything about her is good fun.”
Currently filming the next series of Silent Witness, Emilia admits it’s the perfect role to combine with motherhood. She says: “The joy of Silent Witness is that it finishes at 5.30pm every day. And I live five minutes away!”
Although Emilia, who credits Pilates for keeping her in shape, admits there’s pressure to look good. She says: “I apply more cream in the morning, but you can’t stop the ageing process. I’ve learnt to just go with it and make the most of life.”
Emilia’s launching Alibi’s Facebook event Framed. Visit Facebook.com/alibichannel.