EastEnders legend breaks silence on heartbreaking marriage breakdown after 17 years together

Eastenders legend Lucy Benjamin has broken her silence a year after her marriage broke down.

Actress Lucy, who played Lisa Fowler in the BBC soap, has revealed how she dealt with the devastation of her divorce from Richard Taggart away from the spotlight.

News of the end of their 17-year marriage first emerged last summer.

But the big screen favorite revealed it was over long before it was made public.

Richard and Lucy had actually split months before, in January 2023.

The TV star told OK! : “It was weird how it came out because it was quite a long time after we split.

“But people didn’t really put pressure on us and there wasn’t a big fuss about it. We were kind of left alone, which was lovely.”

Lucy, who played Phil Mitchel’s wife Lisa in EastEnders for five years, also shared that her work had brought her comfort during this difficult time.

She described the job as “a lifeline when times are tough”.

Richard and Lucy have two daughters together, Bessie, 17, and Rosie, 13.

A source previously said: “Lucy and Richard tried to make it work, but ultimately decided it was best for them to go their separate ways.

“It’s been difficult for both of them over the last few months, but I hope they can now start looking towards the future.

“Their children will always be their number one priority.”

The pair met on a flight to Dubai, with Richard making the first move after recognizing Lucy on TV.

She once said: “He was sitting next to me and while I was reading a book, he tapped me on the shoulder and said, ‘This must be strange for you because I know a lot about you and you don’t know anything about it. me, but my name is Richard and I’m going to Dubai.

“Fortunately, I found it very funny and we didn’t stop talking. We got engaged in six weeks and married in nine months.

Lucy admitted they rushed to get married because “I was a bit pushy but you have to go”, revealing she was seven weeks pregnant at the nuptials.

She previously dated EastEnders co-star Steve McFadden, who played her on-screen love Phil Mitchell, between 1999 and 2003.

In 2002, she appeared alongside EastEnders co-star Jessie Wallace in a calendar for men’s magazine FHM.

Lucy has also had roles in BBC1 dramas Casualty, Holby City and New Tricks, as well as various panto jobs.