There’s not many people in Walford who have a happy love life.
And that curse appears to have struck EastEnders new boy Lee Ryan, who hasn’t even appeared on screen yet.
The Blue singer, who will be seen for the first time next week, has apparently dumped his gorgeous Swedish girlfriend to focus on his new career.
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Lee, 34, had been dating flight attendant Evelina Nicastro since last year, and the couple were inseparable over Christmas.
But now Evelina has revealed that Lee broke off their relationship after getting the call to join the BBC One soap. And his timing put paid to the pair’s romantic plans to travel the world together.
“We had planned to go to Thailand and on an Asia cruise together in March, but then he got his role in EastEnders and I decided to travel alone,” she told The Mirror.
While a source added: “They really tried to make it work. But he got the call from EastEnders and felt it was more important.”
Lee has joined EastEnders to play bad boy ‘Woody’ Woodward. Announcing the news, executive producer Sean O’Connor said: “Woody is a man who has worked hard and played hard in bars, clubs and pubs around the world and has finally decided to stop wandering and put down some roots.
“He’s going to ruffle some feathers and obviously break some hearts, so there’s a great deal to look forward to as soon as he bursts onto the Square.”
Woody is going to be a rival for pub landlord and Albert Square favourite Mick Carter, played by Danny Dyer – who has been on a break from the show.
After landing himself a job behind the bar at the Queen Vic, Woody and Mick will come to blows when the Cockney King finally returns to Walford.
“There’s going to be ongoing beef between the two hardmen and eventually it all kicks off,” a source told The Sun.
“Mick and Woody end up having a huge punch-up in the Square, leaving all the residents stunned. It’s a proper bust-up with the boys really going for it and rolling all over the place.
“Woody also has a secret connection to Kellie Bright’s character Linda too, which makes things even more difficult.”
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Singer Lee’s lovelife has been pretty complicated ever since he first found fame with Blue, back in 2011.
He has dated celebs including Atomic Kitten singer Liz McClarnon, his fellow Celebrity Big Brother housemate Jasmine Waltz and Casey Batchelor, plus model Stefanie Martinez.
He also has a son with ex-girlfriend Samantha Miller and a lovechild with a girl he met in a club.
As for Woody, it’s believed that he will enjoy a romance with Whitney Carter (played by Shona McGarty). And that’s bound to complicate things even further with Mick, who has shared a couple of secret smooches with his former daughter-in-law.