Lucy Benjamin bravely opened up about her split from husband Richard Taggart (Image: Getty Images)Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxMore Newsletters SubscribePlease enter a valid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.More NewslettersWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More infoThank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow me See OurPrivacy Notice See OurPrivacy Notice×Group 28 Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxInvalid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.Sign UpNo thanks, closeWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info×Group 28Thank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow MeNo thanks, closeSee our
Privacy Notice She’s best known for playing loveable rogue Lisa Fowler, who has been destined to cause trouble in Albert Square since arriving as a trainee market inspector in EastEnders back in 1998. Now Lucy Benjamin, 53, is on the big screen, starring in her new movie, Look To The Light , which explores the dark side of reality TV and chasing fame. It’s something the actress knows all about – she’s been in the industry for 40 years, after landing her first big role in Doctor Who as a child, in 1983. While she’s enjoyed the highs of her long and fruitful career, having become an EastEnders icon and starring on shows like I’m A Celebrity and The X Factor: Battle Of The Stars (which she won), Lucy admits the lows of fame can be tough. Despite her celebrity status, she’s never been a fan of reading stories about herself. But she recently made headlines again when it was reported that she and her businessman husband Richard Taggart had split after 17 years of marriage. It’s a topic Lucy tells us she is finally ready to address for the first time, as she shares how her busy work schedule – which included reprising her role as Lisa Fowler last year – has been a “lifeline”. And when she’s not working, the actress says her full focus is on being a full-time mum to their two daughters, Bessie, 17, and Rosie, 13, as she navigates a new co-parenting relationship with her ex…
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Hi, Lucy. We’ve seen reports that you and Richard have separated. Is that correct? It is true, I have separated from my husband and it was actually in January 2023. So, it’s been quite a long time. We’re both friends and co-parenting the kids, so it’s as nice as it can possibly be. We’ll always have a connection because of the kids. But yeah, it’s moving on to the next chapter now, really. It’s about making sure that the kids are happy and safe and they’re dealing with all of it as both Rich and I are. I haven’t really spoken about it. It was weird the way it just came out as it was quite a long time after we’d actually separated. But people didn’t really pressure us and there was no big shebang about it. We were kind of left alone, which was lovely. Work must be a pleasant distraction… Work has always been a comfort for me, even when my own parents split up. I was working even then as a kid, so I’ve always had it as a bit of a lifeline when times are tough. I love nothing more than doing what I do; I wouldn’t know how to do anything else. So thankfully, I’ve been relatively lucky with having a steady flow of work. But life goes on. I think Richard’s alright. We do the kids together and it’s great to have that team aspect. We’re very much similar when it comes to the kids. Hopefully, we’ll never change; we will always be their mum and dad.
Lucy says the couple have been largely ‘left alone’ to deal with their split
(Image: Alan Davidson/REX/Shutterstock)
Your new film Look To The Light is out now. Tell us a bit more about your character… I play Elaine Reynolds, the mother of the main protagonist in the film. She is a bit of a tyrant. She’s a pushy mum who thinks her son is just the most fabulous thing since sliced bread. She thinks he’s massively talented for no apparent reason. She wants the world to see how fabulous he is. Hence her encouraging him to go down this route of being a celebrity and going on to reality TV. I suppose it’s a tale about being careful what you wish for. She thinks she’s doing things for the good of her son and her family. But she would like to be a celebrity as well, so wants to live vicariously through her son. The decisions that are made along the way are bad ones, and ultimately, they lead to tragedy. The film explores the dark side of fame. Is that something you have experienced? In the height of my EastEnders days, it seemed every other week there would be some sort of story running on you. As much as you try to be strong and pick yourself up, there can be nightmarish days. I had to dust myself off and just carry on because I knew what I wanted to do and there was longevity in it. People just see the glamour and think it’s exciting. It’s not always like that.
Lucy enjoyed some dramatic scenes in one of her first roles in Press Gang
(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
You returned to EastEnders briefly in 2023. What was that like? I love going back. It’s always going to be lovely going back to somewhere you know so well. I’ve played Lisa since 1998, so I know her inside out. Every time I go back something else happens with her and she goes and causes more trouble and then leaves again. I can go back, see everyone, cause a bit of trouble, go away and then do lots of other lovely things. And you just finished filming a new show called Curfew, which sees a lot of soap icons come together. Bobby Brazier, Anita Dobson and Larry Lamb are involved… It’s been lovely! I’ve worked with Larry but separately from EastEnders. I bumped into Bobby Brazier when I was back at EastEnders and Anita Dobson I just know from watching her growing up and her being iconic.
Lucy’s daughters who she says mean she’ll ‘always have a connection’ with her ex
What’s Bobby like in real life? My girls love him! Our paths crossed one day when we had a quick chat outside my dressing room. He was saying to me, “Oh, hello. I’ve not met you and who do you play?” Because he’s so young he obviously hadn’t watched EastEnders when I was in it back in 1998, but he was charming, very sweet and affable. I can see why he’s a big hit! EastEnders, Curfew and a movie. How are you fitting this all in? Bring the kids into that scenario and I’m pretty run ragged! In my downtime, there are school runs, netball runs and piano lessons. I embrace being that full-time mum. I think that keeps you grounded. It’s important to have a life outside of the business because I think it keeps you sane. I’m pretty much a full-time mum when I’m not busy and I love it. Who is your favourite character that you have played? I loved playing Elaine in this film [Look To The Light] because she’s such a tyrant and she’s not very likeable. She was very real. It was a real insight into how people really are behind closed doors, and I didn’t shy away from that. How husbands and wives speak to each other, I didn’t sugar-coat it. I loved playing Maggie in Detectorists , which is when I played Toby Jones’ wife on BBC Four. And I loved playing Velma Von Tussle in Hairspray . I’ve played so many fabulous different parts and I feel very lucky. Look To The Light is on UK digital platforms now, and will be screening at Chiswick Cinema, London from 14 JuneStory SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnDoctor WhoEastEnders
