Former EastEnders star Tamzin Outhwaite has delivered a message to those who show hate towards trans people.

Tamzin, who is 55, is best known for her role as Mel Owen in the BBC One soap. In July last year, she spoke about her experience as a parent of a transgender child.

The star has two children with ex-husband Tom Ellis, an actor who has starred in hugely popular shows including Luther and Miranda.

Tamzin’s eldest child Flo, 17, came out as transgender when he was ‘about 10 or 11’.

Chatting to Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe on their Parenting Hell podcast in July 2025, Tamzin spoke honestly about adjusting to telling people she used to have two daughters, but is now mum to a son and a daughter.

‘That’s quite easy for me to say now, but it wasn’t maybe six or seven years ago’, she explained.

‘The maddest thing is, I suppose, is that it’s not the most interesting thing about him. He’s an incredibly funny, intelligent boy. And I’m watching him grow into a wonderful human who’s very talented. And to see him thriving is just nothing but relief and joy for me, really. Because there were some dark times.’

The star admitted that family therapy sessions helped her understand what Flo was experiencing.

‘Now we’re in a really wonderful place as a family. Flo is in a wonderful place as a brilliant actor, singer, writer, and director in his sixth form at school. And Marnie is thriving’, she said with a smile.

‘So instead of just trying to get through difficult times, we are now all thriving. And the relief and the joy is very tangible. It’s lovely. Flo is an incredible actor and he’s desperate to be a writer, a comedy writer.’

This week, Tamzin appeared at the British Diversity Awards at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House hotel in London.

In a chat with BANG Showbiz, the actress delivered a message to transphobes.

‘Before people judge, you don’t know the journey that the person has been on to get where they are. I don’t have to explain that but it wasn’t short, it’s a long process before someone actually speaks about it for the first time’, she said.

‘Every journey is completely different, so I think it’s really easy to judge, but if it’s not actually affecting you, I believe you should not judge, because nothing is easy.’

Tamzin’s EastEnders character Mel first rocked up in the Square in 1998 and was involved in some huge storylines, including the dramatic scene that saw her ditch Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) on their wedding day.

She later went on to be involved in a major love triangle with Walford bad boys Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) and Steve Owen, who she married and fathered a child with.

After leaving the show in 2002, Mel returned in 2018.