Patsy Palmer has shared a rare photo of her second eldest child Fenton Merkell in celebration of him being accepted to study at the prestigious University of California (UCLA).
The 49-year-old actor - who is best known for having played Bianca Butcher on EastEnders - shared news of the "amazing achievement" with her followers on Instagram yesterday.
Proud mother-of-four Patsy accompanied the post with a photo of herself and son Fenton, 21, whom she shares with her husband, Richard Merkell, who she married in 2000.
"We are so proud of our son. This is big news in our family. He has been accepted into @ucla. He has worked so hard for this and deserves the best life has to offer," she wrote.
Patsy said that they love Fenton "so much," with the actor adding that no one else in the family has been to university, which makes his news particularly exciting for his mother.
She wrote at the end of the caption for the post: "Being the first in both family's to attend a university, especially one of the best in the world, is an amazing achievement."
The post has amassed more than 13,000 likes on the platform, including from actor Kate Beckinsale, 48. And celebrities also took to the comments section to respond.
Loose Women 's Denise Welch, 63, wrote: "Such wonderful news. We're all proud of you Fenton." Claire Sweeney, 51, said: "You must be so proud." Patsy replied: "Beyond."
They weren't the only people commenting on the announcement, with another follower responding to Patsy's post: "Aww what lovely news for you. Congrats to your boy."
"Congratulations! Huge proud mama moment," said one person. Another wrote: "Congratulations Fenton. Proud of you. The dedication is paying off. The sky is the limit."
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Patsy shares Fenton, Emilia Merkell, 20, and Bertie, eleven, with her husband Richard. The actor also has an older son Charley Rothwell, 30, whose father is boxer Alfie Rothwell.
The actor is best known for her role in EastEnders, having joined the show in 1993. She initially departed in 1999 but later returned in 2008 for another six year stint.
She returned for a second time in 2019, though this was only for a short period of time. The character hasn't been back to Albert Square since then.
Patsy and her family relocated to Malibu, near Los Angeles, almost a decade ago. She now runs haircare business Good & Proper, with her the founder and CEO of the company.
It's understood that she is also the wellness editor for lifestyle magazine Cali Mag and the former actor has made a career for herself as a DJ since moving to California.
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