Welsh actress Sian Reese-Williams, who played murder victim Gennie Walker on Emmerdale, has transformed her look for a new role in Channel 5’s Huw Edwards drama
Emmerdale Gennie Walker star looks so different 14 years after exit in Huw Edwards drama(Image: ITV)
Sian Reese-Williams became a household name on Emmerdale through her portrayal of Gennie Walker – but what has the actress been up to since?
The Welsh performer rose to prominence playing Gennie on the ITV soap, first appearing in 2008. Gennie arrived in the Dales as the adoptive daughter of Brenda Walker (Lesley Dunlop).
She quickly won over audiences and became a beloved character. Gennie featured in numerous major storylines – from multiple romantic disappointments to eventually finding happiness with Nikhil Sharma (Rik Makarem).
Tragically, in 2013, Gennie met her end when Cameron Murray (Dominic Power) killed her, whilst attempting to conceal the murder of Carl King (Tom Lister).
Following her departure from Emmerdale, Sian has maintained a strong television presence, with roles in productions including Netflix’s Requiem and Holby City. She also portrayed Sgt. Jane Cafferty in the BBC’s Line of Duty, reports the Daily Star.
Most recently this week, Sian featured in Channel 5’s drama Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards. The hard-hitting one-off programme stars Martin Clunes as disgraced BBC newsreader Huw and documents the circumstances surrounding the presenter’s conviction for making indecent images of children.
Huw pleaded guilty in 2024 to three counts of making indecent images of children and was given six months imprisonment, suspended for two years, with a requirement to complete a sex offender programme.
The one-off programme centres on Huw’s alleged interaction with a 17 year old who has the fictional name ‘Ryan’. Alongside Martin, Power also features Jason Hughes and Chanel Cresswell in the cast. Sian portrays Carys, the mother of ‘Ryan’ (Osian Morgan).
Beyond her acting career, Sian is also an accomplished potter. She wrote on X in 2024: “Hello. I make pottery now. I’ll be selling these from next Friday so if you fancy a one-off piece of loveliness to brighten your January, head over to my insta.”
Last year, Sian appeared on the Celebrity Side Hustles podcast, hosted by her former Emmerdale cast mates Roxy Shahidi and Matthew Wolfenden.
Discussing her choice to pursue pottery, Sian revealed: “As I was finishing series three of Hidden [a Welsh television drama that aired from 2018 to 2021], I knew it was going to be a real loss in my life.”
She continued: “Because A.) as an actor to have something that is even remotely constant is such a luxury and you just want to hold on to it and B.) I was proud of the show and loved it, and I’d had quite a rough few years, like life, it had been hard.”
Upon discovering a six-week pottery course in Cardiff, Sian attended the classes and became “completely obsessed” with the craft. “I just wanted something to have in the diary, because I hadn’t cracked that downtime thing,” she explained.
Emmerdale airs Monday to Friday at 8:00pm on ITV1 and ITVX