EastEnders’ Billy Mitchell has had his fair share of romantic woes on the show

– from a failed marriage to Little Mo Slater to an on-again-off-again relationship with Honey.

However, what some fans might not know is that actor Perry Fenwick, who plays Billy, has faced his own love life challenges off-screen.

The 62 year old actor was once married to former Coronation Street star Angela Lonsdale, who portrayed Emma Watts on the ITV soap. The pair met when they were both budding actors and their romance blossomed alongside their careers.

Perry joined the EastEnders cast as the troubled Billy Mitchell in 1998, while Angela landed her role as police officer Emma Taylor on Corrie in 2000. She left the show in 2003.

In 2005, the soap world was abuzz when Perry and Angela tied the knot. The couple went on to have three children together: Lucy, Jayden, and Isabella.

After leaving Coronation Street, Angela took on roles in Holby City, The Bill, and Doctors during her marriage to Perry. They were seen as one of the strongest couples in showbiz, so it came as a shock when they announced their separation in 2010, reports the Mirror.

A representative for the couple stated at the time: “Perry Fenwick and Angela Lonsdale have sadly separated after five years of marriage,” adding, “They will not be making any further comment.”

According to a pal who spoke with Mirror, “They just ran out of love. They had a series of heart-to-hearts and decided to call it a day. No one else is involved. They are determined to stay friends. It’s sad but they are trying to stay positive and their families are rallying around.”

Perry continues to portray his well-known character Billy in EastEnders. Last week, viewers saw a worrying Stevie Mitchell twist as his estranged son Billy was left concerned by an apparent memory lapse, when he called Billy the wrong name. And there more worry for the Mitchell family as it was revealed that Billy’s son Will was being blackmailed, with him resorting to desperate measures to pay up.

On the other hand, Angela has had roles in The Royal, Our Girl, Vera and Hollyoaks. In 2016, Angela revealed plans to wed session guitarist Jonny Davies with her bestie Denise Welch officiating the wedding after becoming an ordained minister.

Even though no wedding announcement has been made, rumours suggest Angela and Jonny are still together. While Perry appears to be single.

Angela potentially returning to Corrie isn’t completely off the table as she commented back in 2016: “Never say never. I would love to go back I’m still very much in touch from everybody.”