Black Doves star Andrew Buchan’s private life: from cheating scandal to rocky marriage to Downton Abbey star

Netflix’s new spy thriller Black Doves has taken the streaming world by storm. Critics and audiences alike have been gripped by the compelling star-studded series which follows secret agent Helen Webb, played by Keira Knightley.  

Andrew Buchan plays her on-screen husband Wallace Webb, an MP and senior government figure who remains blissfully unaware of his wife’s double life as a Black Doves agent. While the actor is a familiar face on our screens thanks to his roles in Broadchurch, Better and The Crown, how much do you know about his life off-screen? Find out all we know below…

Andrew’s famous wife Amy Nuttall

Andrew married his long-term girlfriend, actress Amy Nuttall, back in 2012. The pair, who first got together in 2007, went on to welcome two children together, a daughter and a son. 

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Amy, 42, is perhaps best known for playing Chloe Atkinson in the ITV soap, Emmerdale, as well as for her portrayal of housemaid Ethel Parks in Downton Abbey. Fans may also recognise the actress for her appearances in Liar and All Creatures Great and Small. 

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More recently, she played Lisa Castleton in ITV’s hit drama, Mr Bates vs The Post Office, and Jane Butterfield in the 2024 comedy horror, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

Andrew and Amy’s rocky relationship

Andrew and Amy’s marriage made headlines in December 2022 when it was reported that the pair had split. Just months later, in February 2023, it was alleged that the Black Doves actor had fallen for his Better co-star, Leila Farzad, and left their marriage of 11 years. 

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The pair reconciled, with Amy reportedly taking him back on the condition that he follow seven non-negotiable rules, including weekly date nights and full access to each other’s phones. At the time, the MailOnline reported that the pair would adopt the 777 approach, consisting of one date every seven days, one night away every seven weeks and one holiday every seven months. 

In August last year, it was reported that the couple had split for a second time. However, in an interview with The Times published in March, Amy confirmed that the pair were still married and living together in Buckinghamshire with their two young children. 

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Amy appeared to reference her tough couple of years in an Instagram post from October. Sharing a tribute to her late mum Elaine, who passed away last year after being diagnosed with a brain tumour, Amy penned: “I love and miss you mum. I remember turning 40 and you said I was entering my ‘happiest years’. Little did we know eh.”