04 December 2023 , 17:45
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News that Nigel Harman was forced to pull out of Strictly Come Dancing just hours before the live show on Saturday night has left fans devastated. Week after week, viewers have been tuning into watch his perfect partnership with Katya Jones, but were left disappointed after he suffered a rib injury and had to pull out.
He and Katya were due to perform a Charleston to Step in Time from Mary Poppins as part of the programme's musicals week but Nigel's exit meant the usual dance-off and elimination had to be scrapped. It will be sad news for his wife Lucy Liemann who has been supporting him in the audience most weeks.
Lucy Liemann as Sarah in Agatha Raisin (TV Grab)The couple have been married for 12 years and first met on the set of BBC drama Hotel Babylon back in 2006 - which they both starred in. But before he settled down, Nigel had a brief relationship with co-star and fellow EastEnders actress Tamzin Outhwaite.
While Nigel and Tamzin are both known for starring in BBC One soap EastEnders, the couple didn't actually meet on Albert Square and never appeared on the show at the same time. Nigel played troubled Dennis Rickman for two years on the show between 2003 and 2005, before his character was brutally killed off.
While Tamzin found fame as Mel Healy - later Mel Owen - on the soap in 1998 where she stayed until 2002. Both Tamzin and Nigel's time on in Walford was short-lived, but the pair both became central figures in many key storylines with their characters loved by viewers.
EastEnders' Jake Wood's snap of son has fans pointing out the pair's likeness
After leaving the soap, both stars went on to find fame in a variety of other roles in popular UK dramas. The duo actually crossed paths on BBC One series Red Cap, which followed exploits of the Special Investigation Branch, before Nigel joined EastEnders.
Much of filming for the drama took place in Germany with the cast adapting to a gruelling schedule. Speaking of the long days on set with her castmates, Tamzin recalled: "Red Cap took 17 weeks to film, I was being picked up at 5.30am and getting in quite late, and I had more scenes to learn for the morning. I was doing 18-hour days sometimes."
It was during these weeks that Tamzin and Nigel hit it off and took their friendship to the next level. The pair started dating and despite trying to keep things under wraps, in 2003 were spotted having a steamy snog outside of Tamzin's flat.
Tamzin Outhwaite at the National Film Awards 2022 (Getty Images)However, despite a promising beginning, the romance proved short-lived with the pair calling it off before Nigel got the call to join the cast of EastEnders. Nigel went on to find love with wife Lucy, who is a successful actor in her own right.
Fans may recognise Lucy from her roles in popular shows like The Bill, The IT Crowd, and Midsomer Murders. But it was her role in the Jason Bourne film series that truly catapulted her into the spotlight. The couple tied the knot in 2011, and a year later Lucy gave birth to their daughter.
Things haven't worked out as magically for Tamzin. She wed fellow actor Tom Ellis in 2006, and the couple welcomed their two daughters before sadly splitting in 2013. It was reported Tamzin and her husband parted ways after the Lucifer star was accused of having an affair.
Earlier this year, Tamzin shocked fans when she took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to say she was still uncovering 'infidelities and lies.' She penned: “Ten years since the father of my kids walked out on us for the final time. I still meet new people on jobs who reveal more infidelities and lies that he committed. But thankfully my heart and soul are clear and clean and I could not be happier right now."
However, she soon deleted the post and apologised for “triggering” any of her followers who were going through similar heartache. “Thank you all for your messages re my now deleted tweet. I was marking the 10 year anniversary with pride, a feeling of triumph & genuine gratitude,” Tamzin explained.
“I understand it has triggered some people. For anyone struggling, the most important relationship you will ever have is with yourself,” she wrote. Tamzin previously addressed their split in 2015, and suggested the infidelity was a long-term relationship rather than a fling. I wouldn't not be with my husband over a one-night stand is all I'll say,” she told Essentials magazine.