Former EastEnders actor Ricky Groves, known for his role in Albert Square, is now appearing in a social media advertisement for a mould removal product.
The 57-year-old actor, known for playing the unlucky mechanic Gary Hobbs on the soap opera for nine years before his character was written off in 2009, recently appeared in an advertisement for Must Have Ideas UK, wearing a blue polo shirt.
Ricky, appearing very confident on camera, enthusiastically praised the product’s unique formula while showing how it works.
The actor originally appeared on EastEnders as a member of the Slater family, playing a husband to Lynn (Elaine Lordan). His character then had several short-term relationships before unexpectedly falling in love with Dawn Swann (Kara Tointon).
After appearing on shows like Celebrity Coach Trip and Strictly Come Dancing, he unexpectedly returned to EastEnders for a special appearance in February 2025.
In 2009, Ricky and his wife, Hannah Waterman (who played Laura Beale), separated after he discovered she was having an affair with her now-husband, Huw Higginson.
They later had a son, and then moved to Australia, where they got married. Hannah also began acting in the popular soap opera, Home and Away.
Oh my gosh, she was amazing after losing all that weight – two and a half stone! She did a fitness DVD, and honestly, it was incredible. But it’s so tragic, because she was still with Ricky then, and he actually blamed the DVD for their split! Can you believe it? Like, her getting healthy was somehow the problem! It just breaks my heart, honestly. He just couldn’t handle her success, I swear!
She openly shared how much she liked Huw, describing him as ‘lovely’ to work with. She explained that performing with just the two of them required a lot of trust, and that he was incredibly reliable and supportive – ‘a rock,’ as she put it.
She ended her relationship with Ricky on New Year’s Eve in 2009. Then, in June 2010, Huw moved in with her in Essex, after experiencing problems in his marriage to Geraldine Dove-Higginson, with whom he has a daughter.
Huw married Geraldine, a stage manager and former art director on The Bill, in 1997.
Hannah described her decade-long friendship with Huw, explaining they first connected when he played her somewhat inappropriate landlord on the TV show EastEnders. They’ve since shared the stage in two plays together, as she shared in a 2011 interview.
Huw was going through a rough patch personally, and I was busy touring with Calendar Girls, so he ended up staying with me. He moved in around June, and we quickly became close!
We’ve been keeping our relationship private because we both value our privacy. We wanted to build a strong connection before sharing it with the world, and we’ve always talked about wanting to start a family together.
Huw was known for his role as the kind but not very bright police officer George Garfield on the TV show The Bill. In 2009, he acted with Dennis Waterman in the plays ‘Rattle Of A Single Man’ and ‘Killing Time’.
Beloved EastEnders character Pat Butcher unexpectedly reappeared on the show today, even though her character was killed off back in 2012.
Pam St Clement, age 83, briefly returned to her well-known role on television for a special episode focusing on Nigel Bates’s struggle with dementia.
On the December 22nd episode, Nigel (played by Paul Bradley) becomes disoriented and mistakenly enters the Queen Vic pub, hoping to find a taxi.
During his time there, he encounters several well-known faces for longtime viewers of EastEnders, such as the notorious Pat Butcher, who passed away from cancer more than ten years ago.
An exacerbated Michael asks: ‘What do you have to do to get a taxi in this place?’
Pat Butcher replies: ‘And a very Merry Christmas to you and all sweetheart.’
EastEnders viewers will be thrilled to have Pat back on TV, but Pam St Clement says it was challenging getting back into the part after so many years.
She said: ‘I think I was a bit bewildered, and a bit bowled over.
‘Coming back to jump into those clothes and make-up again was strangely difficult.
I expected this to be simpler, but I realize I’ve likely reached a point where I’ve emotionally moved on from her.
I thought I understood her entire look – her clothes, makeup, everything – but it’s surprising that the general public doesn’t seem to, perhaps because it all feels so new.
That’s likely due to the frequent rebroadcasting of older shows and classic programs on television.
I’m still amazed by how much people love her character, even now! It’s incredible to see new generations discovering and connecting with her – the actress herself was really surprised by that, and honestly, so am I. It’s just wonderful to witness this continued appreciation.
She explained that sometimes young fans approach her and express their appreciation, but she wonders how well they really know her, given their age. They often tell her they’ve seen her work on TV, which she appreciates, and she’s glad to have their support.
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2026-01-02 19:52