05 May 2023 , 12:23
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Jack Ryder lives a very different life these days after leaving the soap world and ex-wife Kym Marsh behind.
He was just 17 when he made his debut as the floppy-haired EastEnders mechanic before the character was killed off on Christmas Day in heartbreaking scenes.
Dubbed the 'mini David Beckham ' due to his blonde curtains and cheeky smile, fans were shattered by his traumatic death which left the Square reeling.
Some 20 years on, he writes children's books, runs a mentoring business and also directs - and is still just a handsome two decades after he burst onto the scene.
EastEnders wasn't the end of the acting road for Jack- and it wasn't long before he caught the eye of the Hear'Say singer.
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Jack Ryder hasn't lost his looks 20 years after his EastEnders exit (Instagram/ @jackrydersessions)
The teenage heartthrob joined EastEnders in 1998 as Phil Mitchell's young cousin (Instagram/ @jackrydersessions)Writing in her autobiography From the Heart, the actress explained how they came to meet before getting hitched years later.
"When I spotted him I told Myleene Klass, 'He's quite cute - except he looks about 12'," confessed Kym.
"We chatted and he was flirting with me. I kinda liked him too. He had a very honest face and I could sense something between us.
"A few months earlier I'd been a single mum who spent her evenings ironing. Now I was being texted by the hottest soap star in the country."
Jack confessed he was surprised by the controversial decision to kill off his beloved characterThe pair married in August 2002 and settled in St Albans, Hertfordshire.
But with Kym wanting roles in the north-west and to be closer to her family they moved up to Manchester in 2004.
She got the role of Michelle Connor on Coronation Street in 2006, but just two years later it was all over between them.
They announced they had called it quits in 2008, issuing a statement which said no one else was involved in the break-up and they would "remain friends".
The pair were married in 2002 but cracks started to appear when they moved to ManchesterHowever, the actress sensationally admitted to cheating on Jack in their divorce papers.
Jack was granted a decree nisi on the grounds that the marriage had broken down irretrievably as a result of her affair with fellow soap star Jamie Lomas, who plays Warren Fox on Hollyoaks.
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Court papers detailed Jack as saying that he first found out about her adultery in July 2008.
He wrote that his wife "has admitted that she has committed adultery, which is ongoing".
He's really kept himself busy since leaving the Square (Sunday Mirror)
Kim and Jack split back in 2009In reply to a question asking if she admitted to the alleged adultery, Kym simply replied: "Yes."
Jack will always be known for his time on EastEnders - and for the torment his death inflicted on poor Sonia.
In July last year Jack posted a photo of him as Jamie, musing: "Once a Mitchell… This year marks 20 years since I left EastEnders. I owe so much to the people there for giving me such an opportunity at such a young age.
"When I really think back, everything I am and do was all born out of that experience. There were tough times to be sure. Challenging times. But never on that set with those wonderful people. I will forever be grateful."
Poor Sonia was left heartbroken - and so were the show's fans (BBC)Fans loved the post, with one saying: "I’m re-watching the old EastEnders just to see you!!"
While another penned: "Still don't think I've ever got over that Christmas Day. Cried my eyes out for hours."
Jamie was accidentally knocked down by Martin Fowler in Walford in a horror smash which sent fans into a frenzy.
The character's final scenes left millions bereft as the mechanic died in hospital with fiancee Sonia Fowler and Phil Mitchell at his deathbed.
Speaking about the Beeb's decision to axe him from the soap, Jack told the Mirror: "I was a bit shocked by their decision.
"When I said he was going to leave, they said they would keep the door open. It didn't really matter either way to me. I wasn't planning on coming back. At the end of the day, it's their choice."