‘He’s very gentle and sweet… nothing like me!’ Rita Simons praises ‘selfless’ boyfriend Ben Harlow after revealing she suffered a breakdown during marriage split
Rita Simons has praised ‘selfless’ boyfriend Ben Harlow after revealing she suffered a breakdown following the collapse of her 14 year marriage.
The former EastEnders star has been involved with the entertainment director following a painful split from ex-husband Theo Silveston in 2018.
And Rita, 43, admits his thoughtfulness is one of the qualities that makes their relationship work.
Moving on: Rita Simons has praised ‘selfless’ boyfriend Ben Harlow after revealing she suffered a breakdown following the collapse of her 14 year marriage to hairdresser Theo Silveston in 2018 (pictured with Theo in 2017)
She told the latest edition of new!: ‘He’s lovely and he always puts everyone first. He works in a retirement home and he’s in charge of entertainment for the residents and he just cares so much. He’s very gentle and sweet – nothing like me!’
The actress is also ready to star a new chapter after completing her divorce from hairdresser Silveston, with whom she shares twin daughters Jaimee and Maiya, 15.
‘Very much so,’ she added. ‘It feels like I’ve done a weird year of mental processing and it’s been a slog. But now I’ve moved on, my divorce is through and everything is starting anew.’
Sad: The former EastEnders star has been involved with the entertainment director following her painful split from Theo (pictured)
Rita previously revealed she battled depression, anxiety and insomnia during the period as she threw herself into work following her marriage split,
Rita also credited Harlow, who she initially met while touring with Legally Blonde in 2017, for helping her, adding that she ‘wouldn’t have made it’ without him.
Reflecting on the difficult time, the star, who only announced her shock split in August, admitted that she knew during her stint on I’m A Celebrity in 2018 that her marriage was over.
Twins: Rita shares twin daughters, Jamiee and Maiya, 15 (pictured) with her ex-husband
She told OK! Magazine: ‘I had terrible insomnia for about a year. When I’m unhappy, my sleep is the first thing to go and then the knock-on is depression and anxiety.
‘I’d go as far as to say I had a nervous breakdown while working because I was so physically and emotionally finished, but I had to keep going.’
Rita added that she had already lost one stone on I’m A Celebrity, then she lost a further three-and-a-half pounds, due to the difficult period.
The actress said that at the time she was appearing on Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, she starred as Miss Hedge in 2019, adding that she ‘didn’t have a life’ as she would ‘cry, go on stage, come off, cry’.
Tough time: Rita previously revealed she battled depression, anxiety and insomnia during the period as she threw herself into work following her marriage split
Rita was able to see her psychologist during the difficult period, who she has been seeing since she was 14 due to her battle with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), as well as visit ITV’s I’m A Celebrity therapists.
The star admitted that it ‘did her head in’ having cameras on her all day during I’m A Celebrity and that she wouldn’t have ‘survived’ without the show support on hand.
She said: ‘There were days where, I wouldn’t say I was suicidal because I’ve never got to that point and I would never do it, but I was aware life could be better dead than alive because I couldn’t see my kids and I was so far from home.’