18 March 2023 , 17:11
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Hollywood actor Ben Hardy and TV star Jessica Plummer have split after an 18-month romance, sources claim.
The pair had separate stints on EastEnders but started dating in 2021 after meeting on BBC drama The Girl Before.
Prior to that, Ben had starred in X-Men: Apocalypse and as Queen drummer Roger Taylor in Bohemian Rhapsody – after two years as Albert Square’s Peter Beale.
The pair’s romance was at a peak last year when they celebrated Ben’s 31st birthday six months late with a trip to Turkey.
But sources say they have now called it quits after “growing apart”.
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One tells us: “Ben and Jessica were besotted with each other but work has meant they spent a lot of time apart.
“Over time it’s taken its toll and recently they decided to call it a day.”
Jessica appeared on I’m A Celebrity in 2020 (Dave Benett/Getty Images for Bulgari)
The pair celebrated Ben's birthday with a trip to TurkeyWhile Ben’s acting breakthrough came with EastEnders, Jessica, 30, had enjoyed chart success with girl group Neon Jungle before playing Chantelle Atkins in the soap from 2019 to 2020.
And she appeared on I’m A Celebrity in 2020, before taking on the role of Emma Matthews in The Girl Before – alongside Ben as her partner, Simon.
He had just split from actress Olivia Cooke, while Jessica was also single after ending a long-term relationship.
And after on-set rumours, they went public in December 2021 after being spotted getting close on a night out.
Last July, they shared holiday snaps of their time in Turkey, with Ben writing: “Best fake birthday ever.”
Sources said the pair have 'grown apart'But the source said they called it off just after Christmas, with Jessica unfollowing Ben’s socials.
Ben, 32, has since thrown himself into a lead role for gritty new film Unicorns, while Jessica is appearing alongside Amber Anderson and Tamsin Egerton in romantic drama Tell That to the Winter Sea.
Both of which should cheer them up more than an afternoon in Albert Square.
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