BBC EastEnders legend has a very different career 15 years after leaving iconic soap

EastEnders icon Ricky Groves played Garry Hobbs successful the BBC soap for 9 years - but the 56-year-old histrion has been spotted doing a precise antithetic occupation now

An EastEnders fable is doing a precise antithetic occupation these days 15 years aft his exit.

Ricky Groves played Garry Hobbs successful the BBC soap from 2000 to 2009. He was progressive successful immoderate immense storylines, including his on-off narration with Lynne Slater, which ended erstwhile their babe Vivienne was sadly stillborn aft being calved by an exigency caesarean pursuing a fairground accident.

After the heartbreaking loss, helium had a near-fatal termination attempt, lone to beryllium rescued by his adjacent pal Minty. But Garry's exit from the quadrate came erstwhile helium and Dawn Swann, played by Kara Tointon, got unneurotic and decided to commencement a caller beingness elsewhere, starring to their characters being written off.

Though the doorway has been near unfastened for Ricky to perchance return, the present 56-year-old - who went connected to prima arsenic 1 of the celebs successful Strictly Come Dancing successful 2009 - was precocious spotted promoting products connected retailer Must Have Ideas UK's societal media channels.

In the Instagram clip, Ricky is helping to merchantability mould remover. Demonstrating however it works, helium tells imaginable customers: "Want to get escaped of mould erstwhile and for all? Mould Magic Extreme. Check this out. It's got a specially patented look that really sticks to the wall. Unlike sprays, they don't bash the job."

Turning connected his salesman charm, Ricky continued: "Don't judge me? Look astatine immoderate of our customer's results. Mould successful the bathroom, determination you go, where's it gone? It's gone. What astir that wallpaper? No much mould! Washing instrumentality - you're going to prevention yourself a fortune. You get 2 successful a pack. Click the nexus beneath to bid yours."

Though he's been distant from the spotlight for a fewer years, Ricky precocious caught up with immoderate of his EastEnders co-stars. The histrion was seen hanging retired with Jamie Borthwick, who plays Jay Brown connected the soap, successful September. The brace had a mini-reunion up of Jamie strutting his worldly connected this year's Strictly, wherever helium is partnered with pro dancer Michelle Tsiakkas. Sharing the drawback to his Instagram stories, Jamie captioned the post: 'Legend.'

And Ricky looks beauteous overmuch the aforesaid 15 years connected from leaving EastEnders. Off-screen, Ricky was joined to his erstwhile EastEnders co-star Hannah Waterman, who played Laura Beale. The brace archetypal met connected acceptable and tied the knot successful 2006. But their happily ever aft was not meant to be, arsenic the soap mates parted ways conscionable 4 years later.

On New Year's Eve 2009, Hannah dropped the bombshell that she'd had an affair, and consequently nary longer wanted successful connected their marriage. Ricky was near heartbroken astatine the news, particularly due to the fact that helium didn't spot it coming. He admitted: "It took maine a long, agelong clip to get implicit what happened. It was the lowest I've ever been. It was the objective mode it was done. I privation she had fto maine down gently, but I accidental determination is nary casual mode to permission someone."

At first, Ricky shifted blasted connected Hannah's "obsession" with her unthinkable value loss. After dropping 3 stone, it was speculated this was what had spurred connected their break-up. But Hannah told Mirror Online: "The thought we divided up and our matrimony broke down conscionable due to the fact that I mislaid a mates of chromatic is ridiculous.

"There's ever going to beryllium much than 1 crushed wherefore a mates splits up, but those reasons are betwixt us. Ricky knows what happened, and truthful bash I. To deliberation I mislaid weight, I turned horrible, I dumped my husband, is stupid."

Hannah blamed not being suited for joined beingness connected the crushed down the couple's daze split. Soon aft the split, Hannah settled down with histrion Huw Higginson, with whom she shares a son. While Ricky recovered emotion again with Kay Russell, who helium joined successful 2015.

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