During the nineties and noughties, EastEnders character Jamie Mitchell was one of the biggest heartthrobs in Britain. From his floppy blonde Leonardo DiCaprio locks to his love of bomber jackets and hoop earrings - we all had the BIGGEST crush.
However, our hearts were smashed to pieces when Jamie, who was played by Jack Ryder, died before our eyes when he was run over by a car driven by love rival Martin Fowler in 2002. We're still not over it.
Fans are still desperate for Jamie to return to Walford over 20 (yes, TWENTY) years on, although it doesn't seem likely that it will happen any time soon. Not only is Jamie dead (although it wouldn't be the first time an EastEnders legend has returned from the dead), but actor Jack recently teased "new beginnings".
The actor, director and author revealed he had moved to Wiltshire last month as he shared a picture of him on top of a hill with the caption, "Home."
But despite his move the countryside, Jack's followers have been begging for him to make an EastEnders comeback no matter what it takes.
"I think you should go back as a new character 😊," one commented on a recent post Jamie shared of a Best Newcomer award he received back in 1999.
"I'm watching the old ones at the mo with you in it. Love those days," added another.
Even BBC drama boss Russell T Davies commented on the post, simply adding, "Ahh ❤️."
Jamie Mitchell was a character in the BBC One soap from 1998 to 2002. Following his EastEnders departure, Jack got married to Hear 'Say singer and Coronation Street star Kym Marsh. Their marriage ended in 2008, and Jack kept something of a low profile, staying away from the small screen, and instead becoming well-known on the stage.
Now 41, he now writes children's books but is still as handsome as ever.
Taking to Instagram on World Book Day last year, Jack looked incredible in a hat as he promoted his book Wish.
Fast forward to 2023 and - YEP - he's still got it. Be still our beating teenage hearts and middle aged pants.
Jack appeared on Loose Women in 2020 to promote his books, and the panel were taken aback by his good looks, with fellow former EastEnders star Nadia Sawalha, who played Annie Palmer, saying, "I used to think when you first came on set 'what a gorgeous young boy!' and now look, that was so long ago."
![jack-ryder-loose-women](https://images.bauerhosting.com/legacy/media/6222/109e/92ff/e984/f5fa/45bb/jack-rdyer.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80)
In 2014, Jack's ex Kym revealed that despite their split, Jack has made an effort to still be involved in her daughter Emilie's life, who was just 11 when they first got together.
She told a radio station at the time, “To be honest we’re not really in contact but nothing’s bad between us, we didn’t leave things in a bad way.”
“We don’t have any contact but he is in contact with my daughter, Emilie.”
Jack is now dad to a little girl named Marnie who was born in 2020.