Sid Owen | |
|---|---|
| Born | David John Sutton (1972-01-12)12 January 1972 (age 53) |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, television presenter, singer |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Partner(s) | Carty Hubbard (1999–2003) Polly Parsons (2006–2012) |
| Children | 1 |
Sid Owen (bornDavid John Sutton; 12 January 1972) is a British actor, television presenter and former singer fromLondon, who playedRicky Butcher in theBBC soap operaEastEnders (1988–2000, 2002–2004, 2008–2012, 2022–2023). He also appeared in thetenth series ofStrictly Come Dancing and made a cameo performance in the British cult showHow Clean is Your House in 2005.
Prior to his role inEastEnders, he had a role in the filmRevolution in 1985, in which he appeared alongsideAl Pacino andDonald Sutherland. In 1988, he was cast in the BBCsoap operaEastEnders asRicky Butcher, son of characterFrank Butcher. His character's relationships withSam Mitchell (Danniella Westbrook) andBianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer) became popular in the 1990s. He appeared regularly on the show until April 2000 when he decided to leave the show and tried his hand at pop music releasing hiscover version ofMichael Jackson's 1972 song, "We've Got a Good Thing Going" onMushroom Records. The song reached No. 14 in theUK Singles Chart in June 2000.[1] A follow-up single was recorded but never released.[2] He had earlier released a 1995Children in Need single withPatsy Palmer, "You Better Believe It". That track reached No. 60 in the UK chart.[1]
He returned toEastEnders in 2002, first appearing in a spin-off episodeRicky and Bianca which aired in May 2002 which saw his character reunite with his ex-wife Bianca. He returned to the show as a regular later in the year and was axed in 2004 due to lack of storylines. Returning to television work, Owen appeared on an episode ofLily Savage's Blankety Blank in 2001,[3] and took part in the fifth series ofI'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! in 2005, where he carried out the firstbushtucker trial withDavid Dickinson. He finished third in the series. He also took part in a celebrity boxing match withBen Fogle, forSport Relief, which Fogle ultimately won. Owen also starred in ITV1's prison dramaBad Girls in 2006, during the shows eighth and final series. His character fell for prisoner Janine Nebeski, played by his ex-EastEnders co-star,Nicola Stapleton.[4] Owen appeared inThe Bill on 6 November 2007.[5]
On 30 October 2007, it was confirmed that Owen would make his return toEastEnders in 2008. This news came 24 hours after the announcement thatPatsy Palmer, his on-screen wife, was also returning to the show.[6] In February 2011 he announced that he was taking a break from the show. Of his decision Owen said, "I will be taking a break from EastEnders so that I can dedicate more time to Drop 4 Drop, a charity to help alleviate the global water crisis in the developing world. Ricky will definitely be returning to Walford at some point next year."[7] He appeared inSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs from December 2007 to January 2008 at The Beck Theatre,Hayes, Middlesex as Prince Charming.[8] He also presented series 8 ofTo Buy or Not to Buy withMelinda Messenger.[9] In January 2012, Owen once again leftEastEnders after four years back in the role. He returned for a few weeks in June 2012, before leaving again to run a restaurant in France[10][11]
On 10 September 2012, it was announced that Owen would be a contestant for thetenth series ofStrictly Come Dancing. He was partnered withOla Jordan. He and Jordan were the third couple to be eliminated, losing out in the dance-off againstColin Salmon.
Owen took part in the 2016 series ofThe Jump on Channel 4. In 2016, Owen signed a contract with the BBC and opined that he should return toEastEnders to "finish the storyline or go back for a length of time."[12] In August 2022, it was confirmed that he would reprise his role as Ricky for a brief stint.[13]
Owen participated in 2023 in the Channel 4 reality simulation of jail lifeBanged Up, saying that "he's the first member of his family not to go to jail for real, so he's keen to see what it's like."[14]
Owen has four brothers, his father David was an alcoholic who left home when he was six years old; his mother, Joan, died frompancreatic cancer when he was eight.[15] He then attendedAnna Scher Theatre school. Sid's favourite hobby is football, playing in many celebrity matches in the process and is anArsenal supporter.[16] In 2000 to 2003, he was engaged to Carty Hubbard.[15] In October 2006, he began a relationship withGenie in the House actress,Polly Parsons. In April 2012, Owen told the Sunday Mirror that they were still good friends but not together any more and that he was single.[17] Owen had a daughter in 2022.[18]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Jury | Barry Thompson | 1 episode |
| 1984 | Weekend Playhouse | Patrick | 1 episode |
| 1984 | Bottle Boys | Boy | 1 episode |
| 1987 | William Tell | Orphan Child | 1 episode |
| 1988–2000, 2002–2004, 2008–2012, 2022–2023 | EastEnders | Ricky Butcher | Series regular |
| 1985 | Revolution | Young Ned | Film |
| 2000 | Cat Burglar | Tom | Film |
| 2004 | Sport Relief | Himself | Contestant |
| 2005 | I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! | Himself | Contestant |
| 2006 | Bad Girls | Donny Kimber | Main role |
| 2007 | The Bill | Trevor Jones | 4 episodes |
| 2008 | To Buy or Not to Buy | Himself | Presenter |
| 2010–2011 | EastEnders: E20 | Ricky Butcher | 4 episodes |
| 2012 | The Real Hustle | Himself | 1 episode |
| 2012 | Strictly Come Dancing | Himself | Contestant |
| 2016 | The Jump | Himself | Contestant |
| 2023 | Banged Up | Himself | Reality show[19] |
| Year | Single | UK Singles Chart[1] |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | "Better Believe It (Children in Need)" Sid Owen andPatsy Palmer | 60 |
| 2000 | "Good Thing Going" Sid Owen featuring Chukki Starr | 14 |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
