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- Eastenders
EXCLUSIVE Former EastEnders star Rita Simons has found happiness once again, seven years after her last marriage fell apart to baby daddy and hairdresser Theo Silverston
EastEnders legend Rita Simons is set to get married again. We can reveal the actress has secretly got engaged to partner Ben Harlow.
A pal told the Daily Star Sunday: “Rita and Ben have been together for a while now and they’re blissfully happy. Getting engaged is the natural step for them to take. They’re both so excited. Rita is planning to announce the happy news within days. She wants to time it just right.”
Rita’s engagement comes seven years after her last marriage fell apart. The star wed hairdresser Theo Silveston in 2004 and they had twin girls before separating in 2018.
A pal said: “It’s lovely that Rita has found happiness again.”
Rita and Ben met while starring together in Legally Blonde: The Musical in 2017. Last year she opened up about their relationship on reality show Drama Queens and revealed it took a few years for romance to blossom.
She said: “We were mates and then a couple of years later he asked me out on a date and we’ve been together ever since.”
The actress and her ex-hubby called time on their marriage because they were "growing apart". While the couple publicly announced their split in 2020, they had been secretly living seperate lives since 2018. The pair, who have twin daughters, have been secretly living separate lives since 2018, with Theo moving out of the family home in Elstree, Hertfordshire.
At the time, Rita's agent confirmed the split. They said: "Rita and Theo have been separated for almost two years and Theo moved out of the family home some time ago.
"They are currently finalising their divorce, and amicably co-parenting their two daughters."
Rita shot to fame as gobby Roxy Mitchell on EastEnders in 2007. Since leaving the show she has joined rival soap Hollyoaks to play Marie Fielding.
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