He was the “cockney totty” who left millions of viewers in floods of tears – but 24 years after his tragic exit from EastEnders, Jack Ryder lives a very different life.

Teen heartthrob Jack, who played Jamie Mitchell between 1998 and 2002, has ditched his iconic blonde curtains for a mature salt and pepper look, leaving shocked fans branding him as completely unrecognisable.‌

He left the show dramatically in 2002 when he died in a car accident that aired on Christmas Day, much to the horror of his fans who thought the door would be left open for him to return to the show.

From his heartbreaking split with Kym Marsh to his “nepo baby” roots as the son of a chart-topping 80s legend, we look at the new life of the man once dubbed a “mini David Beckham”

Jack was blindsided by his death, and told the Mirror how he didn’t think it would be such a brutal ending, adding: “When I said he was going to leave, they said they would keep the door open. Then Louise took over as producer and they said they wanted a good exit. It didn’t really matter either way, I wasn’t planning on coming back. At the end of the day, it’s their choice. They hired me. Jamie was always having an affair or another fight with Phil and I didn’t want to be in a soap for the rest of my life”.

Despite his loyal fanbase, Jack began to feel the weighty brunt of his fame, but he had an experienced family member to confide in – his own father

Jack’s father is lead singer Jack Hues, who was in the group Wang Chung. They are best known for the song Everybody Have Fun Tonight.

They split in 1992 after more than a decade in the limelight, where they had five top 40 hits in the US and sold millions of records‌

Reflecting on his dad’s fame, Jack told The Sun: “My dad was a famous pop star in America in the 80s and we’ve (him and his dad) talked about this a lot. We’re very aligned on it. He never enjoyed fame and always found it confusing, and I think I felt much the same way.”

So despite his boyband good looks, Jack struggled being labelled as the ‘Sexiest Man Alive’, admitting: “Being a heartthrob was never something I really aligned with. I never quite understood it and I found it difficult to deal with, especially the frenzy of it all. Lucy Speed and Nadia Sawalha, who were both on the show for years, used to say to me, ‘You weren’t just an actor, you were like a pop star’. That was because of the scale of the character’s success. The show was on every week, I was constantly in magazines, on the front of Smash Hits, and my work didn’t stop on a Friday night.

“I’d go straight into a car and head off to Live & Kicking on a Saturday morning, doing shows and appearances. I was very aware that I was a product of the show.”

Jack now pens children’s books, runs a mentoring business, and directs – and is still turning heads two decades after he first made waves on the small screen.

His departure from EastEnders didn’t mark the end of his acting journey, and it wasn’t long before he caught the attention of Hear’Say singer, Kym Marsh. In her autobiography From the Heart, Kym detailed how their paths crossed, leading to their eventual marriage.

“When I spotted him I told Myleene Klass, ‘He’s quite cute – except he looks about 12’,” Kym admitted. “We chatted and he was flirting with me. I kinda liked him too. He had a very honest face and I could sense something between us.

“A few months earlier I’d been a single mum who spent her evenings ironing. Now I was being texted by the hottest soap star in the country.”

The couple tied the knot in August 2002 and made their home in St Albans, Hertfordshire. However, with Kym seeking roles in the north-west and wanting to be nearer to her family, they relocated to Manchester in 2004.

She landed the part of Michelle Connor on Coronation Street in 2006, but their relationship crumbled just two years later.

The couple announced their separation in 2008, releasing a statement confirming no third party was involved and they would “remain friends”. Yet the actress made a shocking admission of infidelity in their divorce proceedings. Jack was granted a decree nisi on the basis that the marriage had irretrievably broken down due to her affair with fellow soap star Jamie Lomas, who portrays Warren Fox on Hollyoaks.

Legal documents revealed Jack first discovered her adultery in July 2008. He stated that his wife “has admitted that she has committed adultery, which is ongoing”. When asked if she acknowledged the alleged adultery, Kym simply responded: “Yes.”

Jack’s professional trajectory remained unaffected, landing the role of Laurence in the West End’s Calendar Girls production in 2009, whilst also serving as assistant director. In 2010, he penned and helmed his own short film, before taking on the role of Associate Director for the theatrical adaptation of The Full Monty in 2013. Jack was also personally selected by Gary Barlow to serve as assistant director on his West End musical back in 2017.

Following his stint in directing, Jack returned to acting, appearing in Kay Mellor’s drama In The Club before surprising Holby City audiences when he joined the cast in 2018.

Viewers were taken aback by Jack’s striking transformation, with many saying he looked completely different from his EastEnders days. Jack turned heads again with his updated appearance during a Loose Women interview in 2020.

During the show, Jack discussed his new children’s book and shared the exciting news that his wife Ella is expecting their first child. “We are due in July. Ella and I are gushy and over the moon. I always just smile when I talk about it,” the delighted actor said. “We’re prepared as we can be, but we’ve got toys all around the place and clothes and bits and pieces. Yeah, we’re ready to go. We’re very humbled and grateful. It’s going to be an amazing journey.”