Ahead of the 40th anniversary of EastEnders, BBC bosses have brought back two of the most iconic characters in the history of Albert Square. EastEnders fans are in for a huge surprise this week as none other than Garry Hobbs and Minty Peterson will made their return to The Queen Vic for Billy Mitchell's long-awaited stag-do celebrations. The iconic duo, played by actors Ricky Groves and Cliff Parisi, haven't been on our screens in well over a decade, but they will make their epic return tonight (Wednesday, February 12). The iconic and clumsy Garry last appeared on Albert Square back in 2009. The loveable geezer sailed off into the sunset with partner Dawn Swann (played by Kara Tointon).
During his time on the BBC One soap, he was involved in some huge storylines, including his on-off relationship with Lynne Slater, which ended when their baby Vivienne was sadly stillborn after being born by an emergency caesarean following a fairground accident. After the heartbreaking loss, he had a near-fatal suicide attempt, only to be rescued by his close pal Minty. Sadly, after leaving behind his nearest and dearest, viewers learned that Garry's relationship with Dawn failed - as did their sailing journey when their boat sank in the midst of their adventure.
Just a couple of months after Garry's departure from the square, his best friend Minty also moved on. In 2010, Minty decided that it was time to up sticks and follow in the footsteps of his brave friend - with viewers hoping that they reconnected and reunited following Garry's relationship breakdown with Dawn. In tonight's special episode of EastEnders, Minty reveals that he has tied the knot with the woman of his dreams, and even better, he has confirmed that he and Garry have remained best friends after leaving Albert Square.
After walking into the Queen Vic - much to the delight of characters including Stacey Slater, Alfie Moon, Billy Mitchell, and his partner Honey - Minty jokes that Garry is now like his "adoptive grown-up child and lodger". Meanwhile, Garry tells his old pals that he has been working as a bingo caller and enjoys nothing more than coming home from a hard day's work to his best friend Minty and his beloved wife. The pair’s return was kept totally secret by soap bosses with scenes seeing them surprise Billy on his stag do airing tonight on BBC One.
But what have the two actors been up to since leaving EastEnders back in 2009 and 2010? Well, after leaving his beloved character Minty behind, Cliff filmed a guest role in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, playing the character of Walt. He also starred as a guest in the BBC drama Hustle, playing the character of Arnie. Since 2012, the actor has starred in the BBC period drama Call the Midwife, appearing as Fred Buckle. Then, in 2014, he appeared in the fifth and final series of the British sitcom Outnumbered, as Ed Poll.
In 2019, he participated in the nineteenth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! and was the third contestant to leave. The much-loved actor has four children, one with his partner, BBC producer Tara Wyer, and three from previous relationships. Meanwhile, Ricky, who appeared on EastEnders from 2000 to 2009, has also been kept busy since leaving the BBC One soap. The actor has taken part in TV series Celebrity Coach Trip partnered with friend and co-star Alex Ferns.
The same year he left the soap, Ricky took part in the seventh series of Strictly Come Dancing alongside professional dance partner Natalie Lowe. Then in 2014, he took part in the second series of Splash on ITV. Before his role in EastEnders, Ricky appeared in the series Burnside, a spin-off from The Bill. Last year, Ricky was spotted promoting products on retailer Must Have Ideas UK's social media channels. In the Instagram clip, Ricky is helping to sell mould remover. Demonstrating how it works, he tells potential customers: "Want to get rid of mould once and for all? Mould Magic Extreme. Check this out. It's got a specially patented formula that actually sticks to the wall. Unlike sprays, they don't do the job.".
Turning on his salesman charm, Ricky continued: "Don't believe me? Look at some of our customer's results. Mould in the bathroom, there you go, where's it gone? It's gone. What about that wallpaper? No more mould! Washing machine - you're going to save yourself a fortune. You get two in a pack. Click the link below to order yours.". Ricky became engaged in 2005 to girlfriend and EastEnders co-star Hannah Waterman who played Laura Beale. The pair married in a ceremony on 2 September 2006, in a country church on Dartmoor. In January 2010, it was announced that Groves and Waterman, were to separate after 3 and a half years of marriage.
