Ricky Butcher

Ricky Butcher is a fictional character from the <a href="/facts/BBC/qFateIz8">BBC</a> <a href="/facts/Soap_opera/oddx9g1n">soap opera</a> <a href="/facts/EastEnders/z6g4tebu">EastEnders</a>, played by <a href="/facts/Sid_Owen/RQjtLYes">Sid Owen</a>. Introduced as a school boy in 1988, Ricky is one of the longest-running male protagonists to feature in <a href="/facts/EastEnders/z6g4tebu">EastEnders</a>. Owen originally left the role in 2000 to pursue a music career. However, he reprised the role in 2002 before being axed by producer <a href="/facts/Louise_Berridge/D382LYVT">Louise Berridge</a> in 2004. In 2008, executive producer <a href="/facts/Diederick_Santer/RUUPAP68">Diederick Santer</a> introduced the character for a third time, along with his wife <a href="/facts/Bianca_Jackson/oBzxoKsD">Bianca Jackson</a> (<a href="/facts/Patsy_Palmer/2gUKuI2o">Patsy Palmer</a>). Ricky is portrayed as unintelligent, simplistic, easily led and bossed around by dominant <a href="/facts/Personality_psychology/AWhpI44I">personalities</a>. On 26 February 2011, it was announced that Owen would take a temporary break from the show. The character exited on 19 July 2011, returning five months later on 13 December 2011. Ricky left EastEnders on 17 January 2012. Ricky returned to EastEnders on 20 June 2012 for the wedding of his sister, <a href="/facts/Janine_Butcher/w3XknmBa">Janine Butcher</a> (<a href="/facts/Charlie_Brooks/1wzJBt7d">Charlie Brooks</a>), before departing for the final time on 29 June 2012. In April 2016 he had voiced his interest in returning to EastEnders during an appearance on <a href="/facts/Celebrity_Juice/MUMfdToB">Celebrity Juice</a>. He reprised his role as Ricky for an eight-week stint to tie in with the departure of his sister <a href="/facts/Janine_Butcher/w3XknmBa">Janine Butcher</a>. Ricky was onscreen from 1 December 2022 to 26 January 2023.

Ricky Butcher open-in-new

Ricky Butcher