Inside EastEnders’ Ricky Groves’ life as he returns as Garry Hobbs after 16 years
EastEnders has welcomed back another two familiar faces to Walford ahead of the 40th anniversary celebrations in the form of legends Garry Hobbs and Minty PetersonTVAngie Quinn06:35, 12 Feb 2025EastEnders legend Ricky Groves has made a sensational return to the BBC soap.During Wednesday’s (February 12) episode, which is available to watch on BBC iPlayer, Garry Hobbs arrived at The Queen Vic alongside best pal Minty (Cliff Parisi) as the pair attended Billy Mitchell’s (Perry Fenwick) stag-do.The 56-year-old star became a household name when he arrived in Walford as mechanic Garry Hobbs in 2000, remaining on the show for an impressive nine years.During his tenure in Albert Square, Gary was involved in some huge storylines, including his on-off relationship with Lynne Slater (Elaine Lordan), which ended when their baby Vivienne was sadly stillborn after being born by an emergency caesarean following a fairground accident.After the heartbreaking loss, he had a near-fatal suicide attempt, only to be rescued by his close pal Minty. In 2009, Garry’s exit from the Square came when he and Dawn Swann (Kara Tointon), got together and decided to start a new life elsewhere, leading to their characters being written off.Ricky Groves arrived as Gary Hobbs in EastEnders back in 2000 (Image: More