Nicola Walker's brutal confession about marriage to Barnaby Kay in rare insight

Nicola Walker is married to Barnaby Kay (Image: Getty Images)

Nicola Walker and Stephen Mangan are back in hit BBC series The Split, airing on December 29.

The three season series ended with Hannah and Nathan's (Walker and Mangan) split as they attempted to divide up their life together.

But in a new double-part follow-up, called The Split: Barcelona, Hannah and Nathan reunite as they travel abroad to celebrate the wedding of their daughter Liv.

Luckily, Nicola's real life is not as tumultuous. Her real-life marriage to Barnaby Kay is rooted in practical reasons rather than romance. Having both experienced the early loss of a parent, they decided to wed for legal clarity after having their son, as Nicola revealingly told Radio Times: "Me and my husband, because we both lost a parent young, we thought, after we had a child, we ought to get married, in case one of us dies, so that the legalities are clear."

She admits marriage was not something she would have pursued if not for its practical implications: "Which is not the most romantic reason to get married but is probably the only thing that would have got me to sign a piece of paper."

Stephen Mangan, Nicola Walker and Toby Stephens star in The Split: Barcelona (Image: Brentwood Gazette)

Nicola and Barnaby's journey began in 1994 on the set of The Libertine, eventually culminating in marriage and the birth of their son, Harry.

In a candid interview, the actress likened marriage to "going to work".

"Putting on a lovely dress and make-up, learning lines, someone doing your hair ... I can see that would be really appealing if you don't do it for a living," she divulged to Radio Times.

Nicola Walker previously revealed the reasons behind her decision to exit her role as Cassie Stuart in the hit series Unforgotten.

The show's followers were devastated in 2021 when the beloved detective met her end in a tragic car crash while attempting to text her father.

Initially expected to recover, Cassie's fate took a turn when it was disclosed she had sustained a severe brain injury, leading to the switch-off of her life support.

Nicola confessed that her departure was a "joint decision" made with writer Chris Lang, feeling that after Cassie's "fantastic journey", it was time to bow out.

While the release date for the new season of Unforgotten remains under wraps, Sinead Keenan, set to step into Cassie's shoes, expressed her excitement about starting the shoot.

"I have long been an admirer of Chris Lang's work, so I am absolutely delighted to be joining the Unforgotten team," the incoming detective enthused.

She looks forward to collaborating with the "I'm very much looking forward to working with the extraordinary cast led by the brilliant and incredibly lovely, Sanjeev Bhaskar."

Sinead also humorously hinted at her aspirations within the squad: "And I'm hoping that if I play my cards right I might even get to take a peek in Sunny's backpack! ".