03 October 2023 , 09:27
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EastEnders legend Lucy Benjamin looks despondent as she appeared to ditch her wedding ring after her 17-year marriage reportedly crumbled.
Weeks after stories emerged that the actress and husband Richard Taggart have called it a day, there was no band on her ring finger as she popped to the supermarket near her home in Essex. Lucy, 53, looked downcast as she pushed her trolly to grab some groceries.
Wearing a black v-neck T-shirt and white linen trousers, she threw on some Crocs as she did her shopping at the Tesco branch, taking her mind off her worries as she picked up some essentials. Lucy, known for playing the role of Lisa Fowler on the BBC One soap opera, met her former husband Richard, an oil businessman, while on a flight to Dubai.
She took her mind off things with a trip to Tesco (SplashNews.com)
Lucy and her husband of 17 years have reportedly called it a day (SplashNews.com)The couple instantly took a liking to one another and they started dating. The former couple share children Bessie, 16 and Rosie, 12. Lucy and Richard went on to tie the knot on March 30, 2006, just nine months after they met onboard the flight that changed their lives.
However, last month it was reported the pair decided to call time on their romance.
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"Lucy and Richard tried to make it work but ultimately decided it was best they split up," a source told The Sun. The source went on to claim: "It's been rough for them both in recent months but hopefully they can now start looking forward to the future. Their children will always be their number one priority."
The actress and Richard Taggart are said to have split a month ago (David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock)
Lucy wore Crocs as she grabbed some shopping (SplashNews.com)Lucy previously admitted that she found it highly amusing when Richard approached her. Speaking about their relationship, She said: "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 me, but my name's Richard and I'm going to Dubai'. Fortunately, I found it very funny and we didn't stop chatting. We were engaged within six weeks — and married within nine months."
But their marriage was rapidly arranged with Lucy saying she was "a bit pushy" as she was seven weeks pregnant when they tied the knot. Her pregnancy with her daughter was announced on the first episode of The X Factor: Battle of the Stars on May 31, 2006, by Sharon Osbourne. Seconds after the blunder, Kate Thornton who at the time was hosting the programme painfully smiled as she asked Lucy: "I don't think you wanted that announced tonight, did you?"