EastEnders legend Sid Owen returns to screens eight years after Walford exit

EastEnders legend Sid Owen is set to return to TV eight years after he left Walford.

The 52-year-old, who is best known for playing loveable mechanic Ricky Butcher on the long-running BBC soap, is finally making his long-awaited comeback with a new film that will focus on an issue close to Sid’s heart. The actor will star in A Day With An Eating Disorder, which was written by filmmaker and author Lynn Crilly, and Sid revealed he signed up to star in the film after a close friend suffered with an eating disorder.

“Mental health and eating disorders affect lots and lots of people. I know someone who has gone through an eating disorder and it’s really tough. So it’s great to be able to take part in a project which looks to break down stigma and help people,” he told The Sun. Sid is among a handful of famous faces who have signed up to star in the project for free, with reality TV star Jessica Impiazzi, actor Paul Cooper, comedy icon Bobby Davro, and former Hollyoaks star Mikayla Dodd also appearing in the film.

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Filmmaker Lynn is also a counsellor who specialises in supporting sufferers of eating disorders, and her daughter Samntha, who was diagnosed with an eating disorder 20 years ago, will also feature in the project. The author and director said she was inspired to make the film to support those suffering from eating disorders, as well as their carers, who need to have a “voice”.

Sid shot to fame in 1988, when he made his debut as Ricky on EastEnders, and featured in a series of hard-hitting storylines, including his failed marriage to Sam Butcher, weathering his wife Bianca’s affair with Dan Sullivan, and cheating on his wife with her best friend Natalie. He left the soap in 2012, and had a handful of TV projects before coming back to Albert Square in 2022 and last year, before devastating fans as he disappeared from Walford again.

His last acting job away from EastEnders was the short film Angels And Cowboys in 2016, and he’s also made appearances in reality TV shows such as Channel 4 ’s Banged Up. Sid refused to confirm if he was going to reprise his role as Ricky, but teased that he would never rule out playing the character again. “Never say never,” he told The Sun. “It would be my fifth time but there’s no plans right now. I stay in touch with everyone there so you never know what might happen in the future.”

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