EastEnders Patrick star’s love life from famous ex to divorce that left him ‘penniless’
EastEnders star Rudolph Walker has been playing Patrick Trueman in the BBC soap for over two decades - and he has had a very interesting love life outside of the show
EastEnders Patrick star’s love life from famous ex to divorce that left him ‘penniless’(Image: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
Rudolph Walker is a stalwart of EastEnders – but what about his personal love life? The actor made his debut on the BBC soap in 2001 as Patrick Trueman, quickly becoming a beloved character among viewers. His character has been central to numerous major storylines.
From his various romantic entanglements, marrying Yolande (played by Angela Wynter) and the recent murder of his son Anthony (portrayed by Nicholas Bailey), Patrick’s stint in Walford has been anything but dull.
Off-screen, Rudolph’s romantic life has been just as eventful as that of his Walford counterpart. With three marriages under his belt and a period of homelessness following a divorce, let’s delve into the accomplished actor’s love life.
Rudolph has been married three times(Image: BBC / Jack Barnes)
Rudolph first tied the knot with Lorna Ross in 1968. The couple had two children together, a daughter named Sheona and a son named Darren, reports the Mirror.
However, in the early 90s, Rudolph and Lorna decided to part ways. Despite their split, they remained amicable, and when Rudolph found himself penniless and without a home following his second divorce, she was there to support him through the difficult period.
“Bless her. We are still extremely good friends. It didn’t take me out of what I was experiencing, but it cushioned a lot,” he shared with the Mirror.
His second wife is Dounne Alexander(Image: Getty Images)
Rudolph later found love again with Dounne Alexander, whom he married in August 1998. Dounne is the founder of Gramma’s, a range of herbal pepper sauces that have graced the shelves of prestigious stores such as Harrods and Fortnum and Mason over the years.
She was also honoured with an MBE for her work with the Joining Hands In Health campaign. However, in the mid-2010s, Rudolph and Dounne decided to part ways. The legal expenses of his second divorce had a significant impact on Rudolph, leaving him penniless and homeless for two years.
He married again in 2016(Image: BBC)
“It was painful. It was extremely difficult. I just didn’t have any financial means. I was literally starting from scratch again in my 70s, with nowhere to live. It was a time of great pain and loneliness,” he revealed.
The television personality continued: “Some days on my way to the studio, I would pull up at the side of the road, have a cry. I suppose it was a sort of double life.
“Questions of: ‘Who am I? Why am I in this position?’ There was no way the public watching me as Patrick every other night were aware that was what was happening.”
After Dounne, Rudolph embarked on a relationship with Evangeline Vincent, and they tied the knot in 2016. The couple remains together to this day.
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One.
