Kym Marsh's ex husband Jack Ryder, who was a heartthrob in the late 90s for his role as Jamie Mitchell on EastEnders, is barely recognisable now at 42. The actor, who married Kym in 2002, became a household name for his good looks and boyish charm when he joined the soap in 1998, only to be dramatically killed off in a Christmas Day special.
Fast forward more than years, and Jack has traded his clean-cut image for a rugged salt and pepper beard, and said goodbye to his iconic 'curtains' hairstyle. He also has a new wholesome career away from the spotlight after becoming a successful children's book author as well as an acting coach and director of talent agency Intertalent group.
Despite his transformation, the actor still manages to make fans' hearts flutter with regular selfies and snaps on Instagram, where he boasts 13k followers.
But it's not just his appearance that's changed. Jack and his girlfriend Ella welcomed a baby girl named Marnie in 2020. After leaving EastEnders at the tender age of 17, Jack continued his acting career with a role as Evan Crowhurst in BBC One's Holby City, appearing intermittently between 2012 and 2019.
Reflecting on his early fame on EastEnders, where he was dubbed a soap heartthrob, Jack admitted in 2021 that nothing could have prepared him for the spotlight.
He reminisced: "No one can prepare you for it, at that time, it was before Facebook, Instagram and the social media world. It was the last golden era of TV... my last episode, I think it got something like 25million viewers! Yeah, it was a big time."
"But I loved the work, the fame side was tough to cope with at that age, I had a great family and great friends, so I just sort of kept my head down and got on with everything."
Jack's love life has also been in the spotlight, especially his marriage to soap legend Kym Marsh, who announced she is now loved-up again with her 101 Dalmatians: The Musical co-star and new boyfriend Samuel Thomas, 29.
Kym, who had her daughter Emilie and son David before meeting Jack, has openly discussed how Jack remains in touch with her kids despite their split back in 2009. Speaking to OK! in 2015, Kym said: "I'm happy they're in contact. He was in their lives for 7 years and he's known Emilie since she was 3 , so he was a big part of their younger years."
Her subsequent marriage to Jamie Lomas, father to her daughter Polly, ended in divorce in 2014 after a brief two-year union. Last year Kym split from her third husband Scott Ratcliffe, following a two-year marriage. The couple had tied the knot in October 2021. However, they later called it quits in May 2023, 19 months after first saying “I do.”
