EastEnders legend who played Patrick Trueman for years reveals he was secretly homeless

EastEnders icon Rudolph Walker, who has played Albert Square nonmigratory Patrick Trueman since 2001, has revealed that helium was ‘homeless and penniless’ for 2 years portion inactive moving connected the show.

The 84-year-old soap fable ran into fiscal occupation successful the mid-2010s owed to the ineligible costs of his divorce from his 2nd woman Douanne Alexandar MBE, who helium had joined successful 1998.

At this point, Rudolph was successful his 70s and had been moving successful the manufacture for the past implicit 50years, but according to the screenstar, helium ‘had to commencement from scratch’.

The erstwhile Love Thy Neighbour histrion recalled the ‘extremely difficult’ time, which helium kept hidden from his co-stars and household successful a caller interview.

According to Rudolph, determination came a clip erstwhile each helium had near was a car and helium was forced to unrecorded retired of a suitcase arsenic helium started surviving a ‘double life’ that caused him immense pain.

‘It was painful. It was highly difficult. I conscionable didn’t person immoderate fiscal means. I was virtually starting from scratch again successful my 70s, with obscurity to live. It was a clip of large symptom and loneliness,’ helium said.

It was successful heavy opposition to the quality helium was playing connected screen, a sage with a penchant for trouble, and helium would often find himself pulling up to the broadside of the roadworthy to outcry arsenic helium drove into the studio.

‘[Then] I’d propulsion myself together, get astatine the workplace and the situation would enactment arsenic a tonic, and I was acceptable to go. I accidental it was a benignant of treble life,’ helium added to the Daily Mirror.

Diane Parish, who plays Denise Fox connected the show, had seemingly picked up that thing was incorrect and would propulsion Rudolph speech to cheque successful connected him adjacent though helium ne'er revealed ‘the extent of what was happening’.

At times helium hoped determination would beryllium a late-night sprout truthful the BBC would enactment him up successful a section edifice and yet helium managed to unafraid a abstraction successful a inexpensive edifice arsenic she was driven to ‘utter despair’.

The spot had a ‘communal shower’ and basal amenities.

‘I sat connected the furniture and cried. Questions of: ‘Who americium I? Why americium I successful this position?’ There was nary mode the nationalist watching maine arsenic Patrick each different nighttime were alert that was what was happening,’ helium added.

The concern has improved for the prima since then, and helium cited his ‘resilience’ and ‘will to survive’.

Now the Reading nonmigratory is ‘extremely happy’ and was helped by his archetypal woman Lorna Ross – with whom helium shares 2 children – who enactment him up astatine a friend’s house.

He added: ‘Bless her. We are inactive highly bully friends. It didn’t instrumentality maine retired of what I was experiencing, but it cushioned a lot.’

He opens up astir these experiences and much successful his caller autobiography, Walking With Dignity, which comes retired aboriginal this month.

The Trinidadian-British histrion was awarded a CBE successful 2020 for his services to play and charity.

Earlier this twelvemonth the Thin Blue Line prima – who volition observe his 85th day imminently – acceptable up the Rudolph Walker Foundation to ‘unlock the imaginable and beforehand the wellbeing of young people, by involving them successful high-quality performing arts experiences and welcoming them into an inspiring and originative family.’

And helium has nary plans of slowing down arsenic he told Metro.co.uk successful 2022.

‘Retiring? What’s that?! No, I bask it, I bask being there, I bask working,’ helium said astir the anticipation of leaving the show.

I’m definite determination are going to beryllium storylines that are going to travel up, having been present for a fig of years. I’m definite determination are breathtaking things successful the pipeline,’ helium added astatine the time.

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