EastEnders actor Jack Ryder was dubbed a ’90s heartthrob as Jamie Mitchell before his controversial exit and dramatic marriage breakdown with Kym Marsh – and has now admitted he struggled with fame
EastEnders star Jack Ryder was hailed as the Square’s “ultimate bit of cockney totty” back in the late ’90s.
The teenage pin-up arrived in EastEnders in 1998 playing Phil Mitchell’s young cousin, Jamie, whose character had endured a traumatic past following abuse at the hands of his uncle Billy.
Jack’s trademark floppy blond curtains earned him comparisons to David Beckham from his EastEnders co-stars, who nicknamed him “a mini David Beckham”. During his four-year stint on the soap, Jack was at the centre of several explosive storylines – and his personal life proved equally dramatic after his departure.
The heartthrob chose to leave EastEnders in 2002 when his contract expired, acknowledging it was a difficult choice but he was keen to explore other opportunities. However, controversy erupted before his final scenes were even broadcast, as Jack revealed he’d initially been told the door would remain open for a potential comeback.
READ MORE: Kym Marsh welcomes new baby to the family as daughter gives birth on Christmas Day
Instead, what unfolded became one of soap’s most heartbreaking deaths. Whilst then Executive Producer John Yorke had agreed Jamie would depart for pastures new, incoming boss Louise Berridge opted to kill the character off in a more dramatic fashion.
On Christmas Day 2002, Jamie was tragically run over by Martin Fowler in a devastating car accident. Jack’s closing scenes on the programme left millions of viewers in tears as Jamie died in hospital surrounded by fiancée Sonia Fowler and uncle Phil Mitchell.
Jack admitted he was taken aback by the contentious decision to write off his popular character. “I was a bit shocked by their decision,” he told The Mirror in December 2002. “When I said he was going to leave, they said they would keep the door open. Then Louise took over as producer and they said they wanted a good exit.
“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. They hired me. Jamie was always having an affair or another fight with Phil and I didn’t want to be in a soap for the rest of my life.”
His EastEnders co-stars were devastated, and were still discussing Jack’s exit during a compilation of greatest departures in 2011. Acknowledging the nation grieved Jamie’s death, EastEnders actor Joe Swash remarked: “Not only that but there was probably about 25 million girls out there, breaking their hearts because they all loved Jack Ryder.”
Opening up about his “struggle” with fame, Jack candidly told The Sun: “The thing is, I loved the work. I loved being on set, working with the crews, being in front of the camera and developing relationships through the storylines with the actors I worked with. What I struggled with was the fame and the world outside the gates.”
However Jack was secretly used to the fame, as he recently revealed he is a nepo baby, with a famous dad. His singer father sold millions of records and six US Top 40 hits under his belt. Dad Jeremy Allan Ryder, known professionally as Jack Hues, is frontman of ’80s new wave band Wang Chung, who are best known for their 1986 hit Everybody Have Fun Tonight.
Despite the group, which also included Nick Feldman and Darren Costin, being British, they found their biggest success across the pond. Jack told Daily Mail: “My dad was a famous pop star in America in the ’80s and [together we have] talked about this a lot.” Not being a fan of the fame was something Jack and his father had in common.
Jack would regularly top the ‘Sexiest man alive’ polls, and would often feature in teen magazines or as a poster pin up. Talking about his sex symbol status, he told The Sun: “Being a heartthrob was never something I really aligned with. I never quite understood it and I found it difficult to deal with, especially the frenzy of it all.”
Grappling with his newfound fame, while on EastEnders, Jack faced a potential £20,000 fine (one-fifth of his salary) for breaching BBC rules against commercial endorsement, according to BBC News. Following his EastEnders departure, Jack triumphed in Celebrity Stars In Their Eyes with his Justin Timberlake performance and took to the stage in the pantomime Sleeping Beauty. Beyond his acting work, Jack began dating Hear’Say singer Kym Marsh, who was amazed to be with the heartthrob.
“When I spotted him I told Myleene Klass, ‘He’s quite cute – except he looks about 12,” Kym revealed in her autobiography From the Heart. “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.” The couple tied the knot in August 2002 and made their home in St Albans. However, with Kym eager to pursue acting opportunities in the north-west and be nearer to her family, they relocated to Manchester in 2004.
Landing the part of Michelle Connor on Coronation Street in 2006 marked a career high for Kym, but their marriage crumbled just two years later. In 2008, they publicly confirmed their separation through a statement insisting no third party was involved and pledging to “remain friends”.
Yet the actress made a shocking confession of infidelity in their divorce documents. Jack was granted a decree nisi after the marriage collapsed irretrievably due to her affair with Hollyoaks actor Jamie Lomas, who portrays Warren Fox.
Legal documents revealed Jack first discovered the betrayal in July 2008. He stated that his wife “has admitted that she has committed adultery, which is ongoing”. When asked whether she admitted to the alleged adultery, Kym’s response was simple: “Yes.” Kym later cited his teetotal, quiet lifestyle as a factor in their struggle to make the relationship work.
Jack’s professional trajectory remained unaffected, landing the role of Laurence in the West End’s Calendar Girls production in 2009, whilst also serving as assistant director. In 2010, he penned and helmed his own short film, before taking on the role of Associate Director for the theatrical adaptation of The Full Monty in 2013. Jack was also personally selected by Gary Barlow to serve as assistant director on his West End musical back in 2017.
Following his stint in directing, Jack returned to acting, appearing in Kay Mellor’s drama In The Club before surprising Holby City audiences when he joined the cast in 2018. Viewers were taken aback by Jack’s striking transformation, with many saying he looked completely different from his EastEnders days. Jack turned heads again with his updated appearance during a Loose Women interview in 2020.
During the show, Jack discussed his new children’s book and shared the exciting news that his wife Ella is expecting their first child. “We are due in July. Ella and I are gushy and over the moon. I always just smile when I talk about it,” the delighted actor said. “We’re prepared as we can be, but we’ve got toys all around the place and clothes and bits and pieces. Yeah, we’re ready to go. We’re very humbled and grateful. It’s going to be an amazing journey.”
Having moved on from his iconic blonde curtains hairstyle, Jack reflected on his departure from EastEnders. “On one side of the coin it’s gone so quickly, but then so much has happened since then,” Jack acknowledged. It’s bizarre seeing that last episode. It was a sad end for the character.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: mirror.co.uk
