The Bill was one of Britain’s favourite police procedural shows, with the popular ITV drama running from 1983 all the way up to 2010. The programme served as a launching point for several major actors, and fans fell in love with the show over the years.
One of the more popular characters on the show was Dale ‘Smithy’ Smith, who rose from the rank of PC to become an Inspector during his run on the show from 1999 until its end. The character was brought to life by Alex Walkinshaw, and it was his second appearance on the show, after previously playing a separate character in an episode broadcast back in 1992.
The 51-year-old made his debut in Death in Venice, and the star has since appeared in the likes of Nelson’s Column, McCallum, Waterloo Road and Casualty. Since 2025, he has been appearing in the soap opera EastEnders as Ross Marshall, the long-term boyfriend of Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig).
During his time on The Bill, Alex found love with makeup artist Sarah Trusler, and the pair married in 2009 before welcoming two children. However, they split in 2019 after he was caught exchanging messages with another woman.
Away from the show, the star has a surprising link to a major British star, as he is the maternal cousin of model and TV personality Jodie Marsh. Here’s all you need to know about their bond…
Alex’s famous cousin Jodie Marsh
Jodie is best known as a glamour model and TV personality, with the 47-year-old making her debut back in 2002 during an episode of Essex Wives. The appearance launched her career, landing her several modelling contracts and further television appearances.
The star has since featured in the likes of Love on a Saturday Night, Celebrities Under Pressure, Back to Reality, Totally Jodie Marsh, CelebAir and Lemon La Vida Loca. She has also fronted several documentaries, including on topics like bullying in American schools and male escorts.
However, Jodie isn’t just known for her television career, as the star is also a professional bodybuilder, and in 2012, she won the International Natural Bodybuilding Federation Bodybuilding Championships. Alongside this, she also runs an animal sanctuary, Fripps Farm, which is home to 400 animals.
Although the pair haven’t often spoken about each other, they have a close bond, and in 2016, in a since-deleted post, Jodie shared a throwback snap of the pair. “Found this at my mum’s – it’s me pre-nose job with my gorgeous cousin Alex Walkinshaw who’s currently in Holby and has also been in the Bill #Smithy and Waterloo Road,” she captioned the post. “He’s a talented beast. We were so young here. What happened? Haha.”
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