EastEnders actors Tamzin Outhwaite and Tom Ellis separate after 7 years of marriage

Tom Ellis and Tamzin Outhwaite pictured in December 2010 (Getty Images)

Former EastEnders star Tamzin Outhwaite and her husband Tom Ellis have separated, a spokesman for the couple said.

They married in June 2006 and had two children together.

Their first daughter was born in 2008 and their second baby girl was born last August.

Outhwaite, 42, who played Mel Owen in the soap, has appeared in Red Cap and Hotel Babylon since leaving Walford.

Ellis, who also appeared in EastEnders, has more recently been seen in Miranda and Doctor Who.

A spokesman for the couple said: "Tamzin Outhwaite and Tom Ellis are sad to confirm they have separated. They continue to support each other as parents and will remain friends. They ask for sensitivity at this difficult time."

Tamzin Outhwaite and husband Tom Ellis at a premiere in May 2012

PA