EastEnders star Ricky Groves made a surprise return to the BBC One soap on Wednesday (February 12), joining his best mate Minty (Cliff Parisi) for Billy’s (Perry Fenwick) stag do.
The 56 -year-old actor became a household name when he first stepped foot in Walford as mechanic Garry Hobbs in 2000, staying on the show for an impressive nine years.
During his time in Albert Square, Garry was at the centre of some major storylines, including his tumultuous relationship with Lynne Slater (Elaine Lordan). Their love story tragically ended when their baby Vivienne was stillborn following an emergency caesarean after a fairground accident.
After this devastating loss, Garry attempted suicide but was saved by his close friend Minty. In 2009, Garry bid farewell to the Square when he and Dawn Swann (Kara Tointon) decided to start afresh elsewhere, leading to their characters being written out of the show.
Interestingly, during Ricky’s stint on EastEnders, life mirrored art as sparks flew between Ricky and actress Hannah Waterman, who played Laura Beale on the BBC soap.
(Image: BBC/ Adam Pensotti)
Their characters were caught up in a dramatic storyline in 2002 involving a drunken one-night stand, which resulted in Laura telling Garry she was pregnant with his child.
However, it later transpired that the baby’s father was actually Laura’s husband, the ever-present Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt), reports Plymouth Live.
Like her former co-star Ricky, Hannah also made her first appearance on EastEnders in 2000. The couple’s off-screen romance blossomed, leading to their engagement in 2005 and marriage the following year.
However, the relationship sadly ended before they reached their fourth anniversary. Ricky has been open about his heartache following the split, with MyLondon reporting that he believed Hannah’s dramatic weight loss and possible “obsession” with it played a part in their separation.
Hannah, however, daughter of famed actor Dennis Waterman and actress Patricia Maynard, quickly refuted such claims. She told Mirror Online: “The idea we split up and our marriage broke down just because I lost a couple of stones is ridiculous.”
She continued, emphasizing that the real reasons for their breakup were private: “There’s always going to be more than one reason why a couple splits up, but those reasons are between us. Ricky knows what happened, and so do I. To think I lost weight, I turned horrible, I dumped my husband, is stupid.”
(Image: Tabatha Fireman/Getty Images for Breast Cancer Care)
It was only later that Hannah discovered she had an underlying health issue, as OK Magazine reported. She recounted her experience: “I was eating tons, and I wasn’t overdoing the exercise – I was training only three times a week. But I just kept losing weight. And if I looked exhausted, well, I was. But I just put it down to stress,” revealing the struggles she faced during that period.
Hannah opened up about her battle with undiagnosed type 1 diabetes, expressing regret over not knowing sooner. She said, “I wish I had known it at the time – I could have told the world, ‘Back off – I’m ill’,” reflecting on the harsh public judgment she endured.
Now, Hannah has found joy in a new chapter of her life, happily married to actor Huw Higginson. Ricky, too, after a period of searching for happiness post-divorce, has discovered love once more and is blissfully wed to Kay Russel.
(Image: BBC/Adam Pensotti)
Since his departure from EastEnders in 2009, Ricky has broadened his acting horizons with various roles, including a guest spot in the Doctor Who episode ‘Thin Ice’, voicing Markus Creevy in ‘Crime of the Century’, and appearing in series like Crime Stories, Going Forward, and The Tab Theory. He also graced the silver screen in Two Days in the Smoke.
Ricky hit the dance floor with Erin Boag on Strictly Come Dancing in 2009, bowing out in week 10. The next year saw him team up with Alex Ferns for Celebrity Coach Trip, and he flaunted his cooking prowess on Celebrity Masterchef in 2012.
On New Year’s Eve 2015, Ricky triumphed on Celebrity Come Dine With Me with Kay by his side, and he’s been a regular in pantomime circles. In 2021, he took on the role of Jimmy Jangles in The Tab Theory.
Then, in 2022, he made a comeback to BBC One for a celebrity edition of Mastermind.
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One and available to stream on BBC iPlayer from 6am
View news Source: https://www.ok.co.uk/tv/eastenders-garry-hobbs-stars-love-34660730
