Inside Emmerdale Mackenzie star Lawrence Robb’s life from real age to actress girlfriend
Emmerdale star Lawrence Robb has played Mackenzie Boyd in the ITV soap for six years, so here's a glimpse into the star's life away from the camera
Emmerdale’s Mackenzie star Lawrence Robb is dating a talented actress whom he calls a “keeper”.
The actor arrived on the ITV soap in October 2020 as Mackenzie Boyd, the trouble-making long-lost brother of Moria Dingle, and has been caught up in some very dramatic plots ever since.
Over the past six years, Mackenzie has fathered a child, Reuben, following a one-night stand with Chloe Harris (Jessie Elland), married legendary villager Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins), and was terrifyingly kidnapped by serial killer John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth) in a deadly plot.
But the drama doesn’t stop there for Mackenzie as he now takes centre stage once more after discovering Charity is the biological mum of baby Leyla after she cheated on him with best mate, Ross Barton (Mike Parr).
Charity and Mack’s marriage appears to be crumbling around them in Emmerdale (Image: ITV)
As his marriage starts to crumble before his eyes, Mack is encouraging Charity to take down Dr. Todd (Caroline Harker) after she was sexually assaulted by the doctor, and he is about to confront the twisted surgeon.
Away from the ITV show, actor Lawrence Robb leads a much quieter life compared to his alter-ego Mack. Here’s what we know about the much-loved soap star…
Rise to fame
Lawrence Robb arrived in Emmerdale as Mack Boyd, the brother of Moira Dingle (Image: ITV)
Lawrence was born in Glasgow on 7 November 1991, making him 34 years old.
When he first appeared on the ITV soap, people thought he was related to his character’s sister, Moira Dingle, who is played by Natalie J. Robb, in real life, as they share the same name and are originally from Scotland.
However, it was confirmed that both soap stars shared the same surname, which was purely coincidental.
Before landing his role in Emmerdale, Lawrence also appeared in the television series I Hate Suzie, playing Matt in 2020.
Romance
The couple, who prefer to keep their relationship low-key, made their public debut at the Scottish BAFTAs(Image: Getty Images for BAFTA)
Lawrence was previously in a relationship with fellow actor Joanne Thomson, who also writes and directs.
People may recognise her from the ITV mini-series In Plain Sight, the 2019 series The Victim, or from the popular show Outlander, where she played a widow named Amy McCallum.
The pair were very private about their relationship and made rare posts about each other, and Lawrence also attended the 2022 Outlander premiere to support her. However, it was reported that they quietly split up.
The soap star was more recently linked to West End actress Pamela Blair. Speculation about Lawrence’s ‘secret’ girlfriend first surfaced in 2024 when he posted photos from a holiday in Antigua that subtly featured Pamela’s tattooed arm, hinting that he wasn’t alone.
The couple, who prefer to keep their relationship low-key, made their public debut at the Scottish BAFTAs.
She is currently starring in the hit musical The Devil Wears Prada at the Dominion Theatre in London, where she plays Chanteuse and Emily, sharing the stage with Vanessa Williams.
Her impressive theatre repertoire also includes Beauty and the Beast, Oklahoma!, Cinderella, 42nd Street, and Curtains. The versatile actress has also appeared in the film Tomorrow Morning and made several TV appearances at the BBC Proms and on ITV’s The Olivier Awards.
Lawrence is in a relationship with West End star Pamela Blair (Image: Instagram/Pamela Blair)
Lawrence couldn’t help but sing Pamela’s praises during an appearance on ITV’s Lorraine in 2025. During his chat with Lorraine Kelly, it emerged that the interview nearly came to a halt after he left his outfit behind.
“I’m so glad that you’re sitting there looking so refined, so elegant, so beautiful. Can I tell the nation that you forgot your clothes this morning? You didn’t turn up naked or anything, you had your sport stuff on and someone came to your rescue” Lorraine said.
Fortunately, Lawrence’s girlfriend Pamela ensured he could wear his intended ensemble. He said: “My gorgeous girlfriend left halfway through our car journey here and went back to the house to grab it and then got the tube here… it was very dramatic. She’s a keeper.”
Lawrence regularly updates his new Facebook page with glimpses into his private life, including snaps with Pamela.
Emmerdale airs weekdays on ITV and ITVX
