Emilia Fox is excited about the 'unknown' of being single in her 50s, and hails dating apps as 'amazing'

After splitting from her partner, Jonathan Stadlen in 2025, Emilia Fox has found herself facing the “unknown”, being single in her 50s.

However, her attitude is one of hope and positivity, with the Silent Witness star embracing the excitement of what might come next, revealing what she’s looking for in a potential new partner, and just how high up that even is on her priorities right now.

Speaking about her new single status and whether she’s back dating, she shared, “I have done dating apps before, but I haven't done them in the past few years. "I've been preoccupied with all the other things in life, so maybe I've neglected that side of life a bit, but that hasn't been at the cost of my happiness.”

Speaking to HELLO!, she continued, "I think I wanted to process the last relationship I was in, which was a meaningful relationship. I feel that I've been able to do that in a good way and not move into something else."

And on that idea of moving on to something else, she explained that she’s very much open to life’s surprises, but it’s not all she’s thinking about.

She said, "I feel as though I'm enjoying what I have in my life now, not wanting something I don't have, but if something came along that felt right…

"Who knows - there's something exciting about the unknown, and I think dating apps are amazing. I’m a great believer in human contact and finding out who someone is; I do think that's important, to find out who someone actually is before you launch into a relationship."

The actress who has played Dr Nikki Alexander in the BBC crime drama since 2004 spoke exclusively to woman&home at the beginning of the year, opening up on splitting from her partner of nearly four years.

She told us, "Jonathan and I separated last February. I have only the very best of feelings towards him. Relationships are funny. They bring different things in different moments of the partnership, but it doesn’t take away from the really wonderful times."

Age helped Emilia cope with the break-up, she revealed. "You might feel emotional about it at one point, but luckily with age, you can accept it as part of life, and know how to recover and look after yourself.

"The end of relationships are always sad, but I’ve been putting into practice things that have made me feel more positive, hopeful and optimistic.”

Fans will be excited to know that Emilia just wrapped up filming the 30th series of Silent Witness, set to air on BBC One in early 2027, and she’s focusing on enjoying her fifties, with or without a new romance.

She told HELLO!, "My fifties are rich with work, and Rose [her daughter, from her former partner Jeremy Gilley] is a little more grown-up. It's a lovely feeling being there to guide and light the way, but also to watch her become herself, an individual. I'm loving that."

She adds, "I would love to study something again - something that's a personal passion, like garden design or horticulture."