Sid Owen - aka EastEnders' Ricky Butcher - first found fame back in 1985 but what's he up to now? We've got all the answers.
Who is Sid Owen?
Sid is well known for his role on EastEnders but before his time in Walford he actually starred in the film Revolution in 1985.
Fun fact about the film: Hollywood actors Al Pacino and Donald Sutherland were both main characters in the movie.
Who was Sid Owen on EastEnders?
Sid played the iconic character Ricky Butcher aka RICKAAAAAAY. He first joined the show in 1988 and played the role on/off until 2012.
What happened to Ricky Butcher on EastEnders?
Ricky first joined the show back in the 80s as a mischievous teenager who started dating Shireen Karim but when things didn't work out he joined a racist gang and started terrorising her family.
Fast forward and he started dating Sam Mitchell, they eloped as teenagers but it didn't last and she left him.
Ricky then started dating Bianca Jackson and well, the rest is history. They had plenty of rows over the years, they welcomed Liam Butcher into the world but after Bianca's affair with her step-dad Dan Sullivan came to light they split and Bianca left town.
They reunited and were on-again-off-again, he got back with Sam but Bianca was always The One for Ricky and they finally got back together again... Until Bianca was sent to prison, Ricky went to Dubai to get a job but was arrested and they finally called it quits again in 2012.
As well as his rocky relationships Ricky supported his sister Janine Butcher's turbulent life and he discovered that Tiffany Butcher is his biological daughter.
After Janine returned to Walford in 2021 she revealed that Ricky struggled to cope with lockdown and had a mental breakdown.
Check out: the STEAMIEST soap kisses in TV history
17 of the STEAMIEST soap kisses in TV history - SLIDER with cover pic
1 of 37Coronation Street
2 of 37Jimmy King and Kelly Windsor, Emmerdale
Kelly Windsor had a VERY tumultuous life in the Dales. Her relationship with Jimmy King began as a brief fling, but it ended after he discovered she was working as a glamour model and didn't like it. They eventually got married,
3 of 37Kelly Windsor and Jimmy King
Sadly, Kelly and Jimmy's relationship fell apart after she had a secret abortion and he couldn't forgive her for it, but what a steamy passion they had together!
4 of 37Sharon Mitchell and Phil Mitchell, EastEnders
Blimey, don't EastEnders writers LOVE pitting siblings against each other in a love triangle?! And why is it always the Mitchells?! Anyway. Sharon married her abusive boyfriend Grant - but falls for his sensitive brother, Phil.
5 of 37Sharon Watts and Phil Mitchell
And we all remember how that one turned out, don't we? Shaz's friend Michelle accidentally recorded them talking about how she had feelings for Phil, leaving Grant to find it and, of course, play it to the ENTIRE population of Walford in the Queen Vic at Phil and Kathy's engagement party.
6 of 37Sienna Blake and Dodger Savage, Hollyoaks
Ok, we know this one isn't so much steamy as ABSOLUTELY GROSS, but it's pretty controversial so we simply couldn't ignore it. Dodger and Sienna conceived a baby when they were 13 after a brief encounter, but Sienna's father Patrick gave her away.
7 of 37Sienna Blake and Dodger Savage, Hollyoaks
Fast forward however many years and they meet again - but they soon realise that despite sleeping together and having a baby, they're actually LONG LOST TWIN SIBLINGS. NOOOOO.
8 of 37Kim Tate and Dave Glover, Emmerdale
Kim Tate is one of the most loved/hated characters in soap history. She is best remembered for seeming utterly evil, and her failed relationships were the stuff of legend.
9 of 37Kim Tate and Dave Glover, Emmerdale
Despite her many passionate kisses, Kim rolling around in hay in a barn is just too classic Emmerdale to leave out.
10 of 37Sinead O'Connor and Tony Hutchinson, Hollyoaks
Don't the soaps just LOVE an incestuous affair?! Sinead O'Connor (lol) embarked on an illicit affair with her stepfather Tony Hutchinson, who was married to her mum Diane.
11 of 37Hollyoaks
Initially, Sinead only seduced Tony to get back at her mum, but then the pair fall in love for real and have a full-blown affair. She even thinks she's pregnant by him at one stage, before discovering he's infertile and Ste was actually the father.
12 of 37Peter Barlow and Tina McIntyre, Coronation Street
Tina McIntyre had a very troubled life on the Street - what with her dad being killed, being a surrogate mother and having abortion. Oh, and then being killed herself. Her relationship with Peter, a much older man, began as an illicit affair as he was at that point engaged to marry Carla Connor.
13 of 37Coronation Street
But they're not bothered about that, and have their first passionate snog on Peter's actual wedding day to Carla after she's passed out drunk. They then embark on an affair - before Carla's brother Rob murders her.
14 of 37Coronation Street
Linda and Mark basically couldn't keep their hands off of each other. She married Mike anyway, but continued sleeping with his son. Of course! What else would she do?!
15 of 37Linda Baldwin and Mark Redman, Coronation Street
This was yet ANOTHER incestuous affair - Underworld machinist Linda embarked on an affair with her boss Mike Baldwin, but when his son Mark Redman re-entered his life after years away, things got spicy...
16 of 37Kate Connor and Rana Nazir, Coronation Street
Along a similar vein, Kate and Rana are currently caught up in an illicit affair - which is a bit awkward for Muslim Rana who is married to Zeedan.
17 of 37Coronation Street
After initially writing off her jealousy at Kate's relationship, Rana slowly began to realise that it was more than just over-protectiveness of her friend. They soon began an affair - what will happen next? We wonder...
18 of 37Deirdre Barlow and Dev Alahan, Coronation Street
Now these two were the most unlikely couple EVER. You'd would never have put them together - yet there they were, getting down and dirty on Deirdre's carpet.
19 of 37Coronation Street
In the weirdest twist of events, Dev started going out with Deirdre's daughter Tracy - but that soon ends after their one-night stand is inevitably found out.
20 of 37Moira Barton and Cain Dingle, Emmerdale
Moira has only been in Emmerdale for seven years, but she's achieved a LOT in that time. During her stint on the show, she and nemesis Cain have been rather entangled as they enjoyed an affair whilst she was married to her childhood sweetheart John, before they actually got married themselves.
21 of 37Emmerdale
More recently, Moira fell pregnant - but wasn't sure who the father was. But of course, it was Cain's!
22 of 37Robert Sugden and Aaron Barton, Emmerdale
Aaron and Robert were initially just friends, and Robert was engaged to Chrissie White. But things all changed when Aaron confessed that he was gay to Robert, triggering him to realise his own feelings...
23 of 37Emmerdale
After luring Aaron to a random side of the road pretending that his car has broken down, the pair eventually acted on their secret desires and have a good old snog.
24 of 37Bernice Blackstock and Carlos Diaz, Emmerdale
Bernice was married to the lovely, gentle Ashley Thomas (RIP), but in Soapland that's never enough is it! She started an affair with her sister Nicola's fiancé, Carlos Diaz.
25 of 37Emmerdale
And obviously, Bernice fell pregnant - not knowing who the father was. She gave birth to a baby girl named Gabrielle, and after much to-ing and fro-ing, discovered that it was Ashley who was her father. Phew!
26 of 37Max Branning and Stacey Slater, EastEnders
Stacey Slater and Bradley Branning were literally the cutest couple to ever appear on EastEnders. Despite the fact that they were complete opposites, their relationship was the stuff of DREAMS.
27 of 37EastEnders
...That is, until Stacey started sleeping with his dad, Max. People across the country will ALWAYS remember the moment that Lauren revealed Max and Stacey's affair to the world with a home video that accidentally filmed Max and Stacey snogging on her wedding day to Bradley. Awks.
28 of 37Roxy Mitchell and Jack Branning, EastEnders
Now this was the ULTIMATE betrayal. Ronnie and Jack were in love with each other for the longest time, and were in this sort of weird on-off thing for ages. They FINALLY were able to put their past aside and get married, but we all know how that ended...
29 of 37EastEnders
In the midst of all this, Roxy and Jack had a passionate one-night stand - despite the fact that Ronnie knew full well that her sister was in love with Jack, Roxy slept with him and became pregnant.
30 of 37EastEnders
Tragically, Jamie was killed by none other than Martin himself, and Sonia stayed with him until his death in the hospital on Christmas Day 2002.
31 of 37Sonia Jackson and Jamie Mitchell, EastEnders
Sonia and Jamie were just two messed up kids who found happiness with each other - that is, until Sonia found out she was pregnant by Martin Fowler after a one-night stand. Despite this, they put their trouble behind them and got married.
32 of 37Christian Clarke and Syed Massood, EastEnders
Now THIS was a forbidden love if ever we've seen one. Syed and Christian slowly fell in love over time - but Syed's Muslim background meant that it was utterly prohibited. And so much more tantalising...
33 of 37EastEnders
Of course, they couldn't stay away from each other for long, and ended up in a steamy lip-locking sesh. After MANY ups and downs, they tied the knot and moved to American to start a new life together. Naww.
34 of 37Brendan Brady and Ste Hay, Hollyoaks
Despite this being one of the weirdest soap couples ever, we all found ourselves kind of rooting for poor little Ste and abusive Brendan.
35 of 37Hollyoaks
They did have a relationship together, but it was short-lived - and Brendan's near-death experience at the hands of police was truly heart-wrenching. He was then carted off to prison to live out his days... But could he one day return?
36 of 37Beth Jordache and Margaret Clemence, Brookside
We couldn't have a gallery of steamy soap kisses without including one of the most iconic snogs of them all. The first pre-watershed lesbian kiss aired in the UK happened in 1994 was acted out by Anna Friel and Nicola Stephenson, who played Beth and Margaret.
37 of 37Brookside
It was also included in the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony, which was broadcast live and uncensored in 76 countries where homosexuality is illegal, meaning that it became the first homosexual kiss to be broadcast in those countries.
Is Sid Owen returning to EastEnders?
Ever since Sid left in 2012 there's been a lot of rumours that he'd return to the show and in 2021 he spoke out about going back to Walford.
"It's one of those shows – as you know, it's iconic – so if they ever ask, of course yeah.
"I mean, I have sort of been and gone like four, five times and it is hard work. But no, I would love to go back. I mean, I would never say never," she said on BBC Breakfast.
What is Sid Owen doing now?
Since leaving EastEnders in 2012, Sid has gone on Strictly Come Dancing, The Jump and Masterchef.
What happened on Sid Owen's golf accident?
Sid had six of his teeth knocked out by a rogue golf ball and will need reconstructive surgery on his face.
The retired actor had been enjoying a relaxing holiday to Thailand when the dramatic incident occurred.
“One minute I’m playing a round and the next I’m in total agony and on my way to hospital,” he said.
“But actually I’ve almost been lucky because they’ve told me if it had hit me two inches higher up I’d probably be dead from that sort of impact.”
The former soap star went on to tell The Sun, “I was stood about ten feet away when it hit me, hard, and of course it hurt like hell, but it was the shock factor too.
“I remember seeing two teeth fly straight out of my mouth but it turned out to be a fracture in my face and a broken jaw, along with another tooth embedded into my jaw.”
At the time Sid was waiting for a brain scan in a Bangkok hospital so that doctors could see if there was been any permanent damage to the brain.
“It has just been five weeks of hell, total hell. I came here for a detox to relax, as I have been doing sober for January annually for 20 years, and I was nearly ready to come home when it happened.”
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How old is Sid Owen?
Sid is 49 years old. His date of birth is 12 January 1972.
Is Sid Owen married?
Not yet but in 2021, Sid revealed that he found love and is set to become a dad.
After getting back in contact with an ex on Facebook, Sid and Victoria Shores reunited and the former EastEnders star has described his fiancée as "The One".
The pair got engaged in August and are set to welcome their first child into the world in January.
"I never ever dreamt I would have kids. The older you get the more distant that idea seems, you give up hope sometimes, so it is a miracle it has happened.
“We’d spoken about it when we talked about marriage but I just didn’t think it was going to happen. I was completely shocked and over the moon," he told the Mirror.