The Woolpack in Emmerdale has had a lot of owners, and it looks like it could be changing hands again with Al preparing to buy the venue from Chas and Marlon.
However, Al becomes frustrated in the soap this week, as local resident Gavin tries to convince him to offer less money for the pub.
Gavin puts the pressure on Al to drop the price, and after Chas sees how much less she is being offered, she is furious.
Will Al continue to listen to Gavin? Or will Gavin’s actions turn villainous? Viewers will have to wait and see.
Since joining the soap as Gavin in 2021, actor Ben Richards has delighted viewers in his latest soap role, following his stint as Sgt Ben Bradley in EastEnders.
However in his private life, Ben has also had his share of heartbreak and happiness, as well as an audition for another famous soap.
Audition fail
Before appearing in Hollyoaks and Emmerdale, Ben Richards auditioned for another popular soap, but sadly did not get the part.
In an interview with RTE, he revealed that he auditioned for a part in Coronation Street, but said that his northern accent was “shocking.”
He said that the casting agent told him: “Ben if ever you are in this show, we’ll have to make it a London family coming in!
“I read for a character who’s not in it anymore, I can’t remember and the lad that got it had a good nice strong Northern accent.”
However, this did not deter him, with Ben landing roles in rival soaps Emmerdale and Hollyoaks a few years later.
Life before Emmerdale
(Image: ITV)
Long before he starred as Gavin in Emmerdale, Ben Richards rose to fame as the hunky Bruno Milligan in popular ITV series Footballers Wives.
From there he landed leading roles in programmes including Holby City as Justin Fuller and PC Nate Roberts in The Bill.
He is also well known for his rival soap role as Sgt Ben Bradley in Hollyoaks, where he played the character for over two years.
(Image: BBC)
However, soap fans have been delighted to see him back on the screen as Gavin in Emmerdale for a number of episodes in 2021.
Not only is Ben a talented TV actor, he is also a famous musical theatre performer and has dazzled audiences in productions including 9-5 and The Bodyguard.
It seems that Ben will be returning back to our TV screens soon though, as he is listed as starring in a TV film called Relationships, which is currently in post-production.
Cancer heartbreak
(Image: WireImage)
In 2012, Ben Richards was diagnosed with bowel cancer after a routine visit to his doctor, as a precautionary measure he flew out to work in America.
The year before, Ben noticed that he had experienced symptoms of bowel cancer such as passing small amounts of blood when he visited the toilet, but told The Mirror: “Yet being a typical bloke, I self-diagnosed.
“I was convinced it was due to the spicy food I’d been eating in India. Besides, I was pretty healthy. I was in good shape and looked after myself.”
However, his partner at the time convinced him to get checked out at the doctors just incase, and after being advised to see a specialist, the actor was later diagnosed with a 6cm tumour in his bowel.
After the diagnosis, Ben said that his “mind was a mess”, adding: “when you hear the word cancer, you instantly think, “Well that’s it, I’m going to die,” so straight away I wanted to know what my chances were.
“Mine were pretty good, but there’s always a chance it can spread to your lymph nodes and if that happens, it’s not good at all.”
(Image: Getty Images Europe)
Ben made the crew that he was working with aware of the diagnosis and after completing his last few days of filming, he underwent six weeks of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, before having surgery to remove the tumour.
One year after he was diagnosed with bowel cancer, Ben recieved the news that he was in remission from the disease, and reflecting on his experience, he told The Mirror: “The blessing of having cancer is the way you see life afterwards.
“I appreciate my chances, have an amazing partner in Kirsty Duffy and an amazing daughter in Freja. I’m blessed but I know that now.
“I live life to the fullest for those who didn’t make it. Long may that continue.”
Famous partner and ‘miracle’ daughter
(Image: Manchester Evening News)
Away from the limelight, Ben Richards is in a relationship with another famous star, Kirsty Duffy, who is known to viewers as a presenter on Channel 5’s The Wright Stuff.
They also have a daughter together, with Ben describing her as “a miracle” as he had been told his chances of having a child were minimal, following his diagnosis and treatment for bowel cancer.
He had also suffered the heartbreak of losing seven babies, including two sets of twins, before they came full term due to a rare genetic condition carried by him and his then wife Helen Richards, who he was married to from 2003-2012.
(Image: Ben Richard/Instagram)
However in 2015, he and his partner Kirsty Duffy were delighted to welcome their daughter Freja Amelie into the world, with Ben telling Hello Magazine: “For us it’s a miracle. We love her and I’ll do everything to protect her.”
Speaking about their new daughter, Kirsty also added: “She has had such a massive effect on our lives.
“Ben and I cannot believe you’re able to love someone so much. I love Ben to pieces, but this is a different love and my heart is bursting every time I look at her.
“I am so in love with this little thing.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
