Ricky Butcher is making a return to EastEnders and his first scenes are set to air soon.
Ricky is returning to the soap after an absence of ten years, for a short run of episodes in December.
But who was Ricky Butcher on EastEnders?
And why did Ricky leave the show?
Who was Ricky Butcher on EastEnders?
Ricky Butcher arrived on Albert Square as a teenager in 1988, when his father, Frank, became landlord of The Queen Vic.
Showing a talent for cars, he was hired by Phil and Grant Mitchell as an apprentice mechanic in 1990.
After he began dating Phil and Grant’s sister, Sam, the pair eloped to Gretna Green in 1991.
However, their marriage was short lived, and Sam left Ricky three years later.
Who was Ricky Butcher married to?
Ricky began dating Bianca Jackson in 1994, and the pair moved in together.
The pair split after Ricky had an affair with her best friend, Natalie, but she eventually forgave him for the cheating and they got back together soon afterwards.
Ricky and Bianca married in 1997 – the same year as Bianca fell pregnant with their first child. However, it was revealed that the baby suffered from spina bifida and hydrocephalus, and they decided to terminate the pregnancy.
Bianca fell pregnant again in 1998, giving birth to their son Liam, on Christmas Day.
Why did Ricky leave EastEnders?
Soon after, Ricky learned that Bianca was having an affair with her mother’s boyfriend, Dan Sullivan.
As their marriage fell apart, Bianca and Liam left the Square for Manchester.
Ricky returned to Walford in 2002, after hearing that his sister, Janine, had turned to prostitution and drug addiction.
After reuniting with Natalie – ruining her marriage to husband Barry in the process – Ricky and Natalie planned to leave Walford together, but they split when she learned of his one-night stand with ex-wife Sam.
Ricky left the Square again after Janine killed Barry, disowning his sister before he left.
Ricky returned to Walford once more in 2008, to let Pat know that his father, Frank had died.
When he learned that Bianca was homeless and had lost custody of her children, Ricky helped her out – helping her to regain custody of the kids.
He then decided to stick around in Walford, hoping to reconcile with Bianca, in spite of the fact that Bianca was in a relationship with Tony King at the time.
However, when Tony was revealed to be a paedophile – having a secret relationship with Bianca’s stepdaughter, Whitney – the pair split. Bianca revealed to Ricky that her daughter, Tiffany, was actually his own, conceived after a one-night stand in 2002.
The pair remarried in 2010, after Ricky learned that his then fiancée, Sam, had been having an affair with Jack Branning.
Sam later revealed that she was pregnant with Ricky’s child – Ricky Jr. – but the baby was later confirmed to be Jack’s, via paternity test.
How did Ricky leave EastEnders?
While Bianca was in jail for assault, Ricky slept with his ex, Mandy Salter.
Bianca discovered the truth upon her release from prison and, unable to forgive Ricky, he was forced to leave Walford once more.
He briefly returned to attend Janine’s wedding to Michael Moon and, when he left, took his children with him.
It was revealed last year that Ricky had suffered a mental breakdown during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
Who plays Ricky Butcher?
Ricky is played by Sid Owen, and is one of the soap’s longest-running faces.
Sid initially left the role of Ricky in 2000 to pursue a career in music, but has returned to the show several times over the years.
Outside of EastEnders, Sid has also appeared on reality TV shows I’m A Celebrity, and Strictly Come Dancing.
It was confirmed this year that Sid would be reprising the role of Ricky for a brief stint of episodes.
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EastEnders usually airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One
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