Lacey Turner Husband Matt Kay: How the Childhood Sweethearts Met, Married and Built a Family With Three Children

Lacey Turner has spent more than two decades as one of British television’s most recognizable soap stars, but her life away from EastEnders has remained considerably more private. At the center of that life is her husband, Matt Kay, the man she first met long before Stacey Slater made her famous.

Lacey Turner and Matt Kay are childhood sweethearts who met when they were teenagers. Their relationship survived the huge changes that came with Lacey joining EastEnders, years of demanding filming schedules and some deeply personal challenges on their journey to becoming parents.

The couple married in Ibiza in September 2017 and now share three children, daughter Dusty, son Trilby and youngest daughter Gipsy. While Lacey has spent most of her adult life in front of cameras, Matt has generally preferred staying outside the celebrity spotlight.

Who Is Lacey Turner’s Husband Matt Kay?

Lacey Turner’s husband is Matt Kay, her longtime partner and childhood sweetheart.

Unlike his famous wife, Matt has maintained a relatively low public profile throughout their relationship. Older reports have described him as working outside the entertainment industry, and he has rarely sought publicity even while accompanying Lacey through major moments in her career.

That contrast appears to have worked well for the couple.

Lacey’s professional life has involved television sets, red carpets, award ceremonies and years of public attention. Matt, meanwhile, has mostly remained focused on their home and family.

Lacey has spoken warmly about the role he plays as a father, particularly after they welcomed their first daughter, Dusty. During a 2020 television interview, she explained that Matt was happy taking on the role of a stay-at-home dad and described the close bond he shared with their daughter.

How Did Lacey Turner and Matt Kay Meet?

Lacey and Matt’s story began well before EastEnders became such an important part of her life.

The couple reportedly met through mutual friends when they were teenagers, around the age of 15. Their relationship developed during their younger years and continued as Lacey’s acting career began taking off.

Lacey joined EastEnders as Stacey Slater in 2004 when she was only 16.

Her career quickly became demanding. Stacey grew into one of the BBC soap’s central characters, bringing Lacey critical acclaim and numerous television awards.

Matt remained part of her life as that success grew.

By the time they married, the two had already known each other for well over a decade. Matt has previously spoken about how meaningful it was that they met so young and were still together years later.

Their long history is one reason their relationship stands apart from many celebrity romances that begin after both people are already famous.

Their Ibiza Wedding

Lacey Turner and Matt Kay married in Ibiza in September 2017.

The ceremony was private but included around 120 guests, with several familiar faces from EastEnders joining the couple for the celebration. Those reported to have attended included James Bye, Jake Wood, Scott Maslen, Laurie Brett and the late Barbara Windsor.

The ceremony took place in a picturesque setting surrounded by flowers, family and friends.

Lacey later described feeling more excited than nervous when the moment finally arrived. Despite normally finding public events uncomfortable, she said she could not wait to walk down the aisle and marry Matt.

The wedding came after years together, making it less the beginning of their relationship and more a celebration of a partnership that was already well established.

Official biographical records list their marriage date as September 5, 2017.

Lacey Turner and Matt Kay Have Three Children

Lacey and Matt are parents to three children.

Their eldest daughter, Dusty Violet Kay, was born on July 12, 2019. Their son, Trilby Fox Kay, arrived on February 3, 2021.

The family grew again in January 2025 when Lacey gave birth to another daughter. A few days later, she revealed that they had named her Gipsy Olive.

The unusual names chosen by the couple have attracted attention from fans over the years, although Lacey and Matt have generally avoided making their children a major part of their public lives.

By 2026, Dusty is seven, Trilby is five and Gipsy is one.

Family life has become an increasingly important part of Lacey’s story as her career has changed. She has spoken about balancing motherhood with acting while Matt has taken a very hands-on role at home.

Their Difficult Journey to Parenthood

Becoming parents was not straightforward for Lacey and Matt.

Before becoming pregnant with Dusty, Lacey experienced two miscarriages. She later spoke publicly about how difficult those losses had been and how they left her questioning whether she would ever become a mother.

After the second miscarriage, Lacey recalled reaching a point where she and Matt considered taking a break from trying for a baby.

Soon afterward, she became pregnant with Dusty.

The experience continued to affect how she approached later pregnancies. When she was expecting Trilby, Lacey acknowledged that she remained anxious because of what she had previously been through.

Rather than keeping the subject entirely private, she eventually used her platform to discuss pregnancy loss and argue for better support for families experiencing miscarriage.

Her willingness to talk about those years offered a very different picture from the glamorous side of celebrity life.

Behind the television awards and successful career, Lacey and Matt had experienced a difficult and uncertain journey toward becoming parents.

Matt Kay Became a Hands-On Father

Lacey has repeatedly praised Matt’s approach to fatherhood.

When Dusty was still very young, she explained that Matt had chosen to spend significant time at home caring for their daughter.

Lacey described him as brilliant with Dusty and said the arrangement worked because father and daughter genuinely enjoyed being together.

That family setup also challenged more traditional expectations about who should stay home with children.

At the time, Lacey was continuing her demanding acting career while Matt took greater responsibility for childcare. She made it clear that she saw nothing unusual about the arrangement.

Their family later expanded with Trilby and Gipsy, turning the couple into parents of three.

Matt occasionally shares his pride in Lacey’s professional achievements too. Following one of her major EastEnders performances in 2025, he publicly praised her work and expressed admiration for the effort she put into her career.

Matt Has Supported Lacey Through Her EastEnders Career

For most viewers, Lacey Turner will always be strongly associated with Stacey Slater.

She first appeared on EastEnders in 2004 and went on to become one of the soap’s most acclaimed performers. Her storylines covered relationships, motherhood, bipolar disorder, family conflicts and some of the show’s biggest dramatic moments.

Matt witnessed much of that career from outside the industry.

Their relationship began before Lacey had achieved national fame, meaning he has been alongside her through almost the entire period in which viewers have known her as Stacey.

Lacey stepped away from EastEnders as a regular cast member in 2025, although reports in September 2026 revealed that she would temporarily return to film additional scenes later in the year.

That return came during another major change in her professional life.

Matt and Their Children Are Part of Lacey’s Strictly Journey

In 2026, Lacey joined the celebrity lineup of Strictly Come Dancing.

The new series launched on September 19, introducing Lacey alongside the other contestants as they began their journey on the BBC competition.

For someone accustomed to scripted television, performing live on a dance floor represents a very different challenge.

Lacey has indicated that her children are one reason she wanted to push herself into trying something new. At home, Dusty, Trilby and Gipsy represent a different audience from the millions who have watched her on EastEnders.

Her participation also adds another unusual chapter to a relationship that has already survived major career changes.

Matt knew Lacey before Stacey Slater existed, supported her during her years as one of EastEnders’ biggest stars, helped raise their growing family and is now watching her take on a completely different television challenge.

Are Lacey Turner and Matt Kay Still Married?

Yes, Lacey Turner and Matt Kay remain married in 2026.

The couple have now been together for much of their lives and married for nine years. Their relationship has included Lacey’s rise to television fame, a destination wedding, pregnancy losses, three children and several major changes in her career.

They have also managed to keep much of their marriage away from constant public attention.

That privacy is notable considering how recognizable Lacey has been since she was a teenager. Matt occasionally appears in family photographs or public posts, but he has never attempted to turn his connection with an EastEnders star into a celebrity career of his own.

For people searching for Lacey Turner’s husband, Matt Kay is more than simply the man she married after becoming famous. He knew her before EastEnders transformed her life and has remained beside her through some of its biggest personal and professional chapters.

Their story began as teenagers introduced through friends. More than two decades later, Lacey and Matt are married parents of three, raising Dusty, Trilby and Gipsy while Lacey continues exploring life beyond the soap that made her a household name.