EastEnders fans are in for a nostalgic treat as Ricky Groves and Cliff Parisi return to Walford to mark the show’s 40th anniversary. The beloved duo, known for their iconic roles as Garry and Minty, are back together, and it’s like they never left.
Ricky shared his excitement about stepping back into Albert Square: ‘A privilege. An absolute privilege. It was a lovely day. It felt weird because I hadn’t been there for fourteen years, so it was great to see my old buddies and meet some of the newer cast. Only wish I was there for more.’
Reflecting on Garry’s current situation, Ricky laughed, ‘I don’t know where they came up with that idea, but we were always a double act towards the end. Garry and Minty were the Laurel and Hardy of the 2000s.’
Cliff echoed the sentiment, saying, ‘It was great fun, I really enjoyed it. It was like going back to an old house that you used to live in but the furniture has been moved around a bit.’ Despite the time away, he found that not much had changed: ‘Lots of new faces, which was nice. I met quite a lot of the new guys there. What I love about the show is the collaboration you can have. It was great!’
When it came to rekindling the Garry and Minty magic, Ricky admitted, ‘It was because I don’t think it ever went away. We still keep in touch and it came very naturally. It’s kind of like putting on a pair of old shoes. The chemistry came back within minutes.’
Cliff added, ‘Ricky is great fun and he really made me laugh on the day we were filming. He just has these faces that he pulls as his character is always in shock about something, and it really makes me laugh. It felt like going home.’
EastEnders continues at 7.30pm on BBC One tomorrow
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