Dancing on Ice star Ricky Norwood’s EastEnders axe – from cannabis video to ‘sex act’
As former soap star Ricky Norwood continues to wow fans with his incredible dance moves on Dancing on Ice, Daily Star has taken a deep dive inside the reason behind his BBC exit
He has quickly become a fan favourite on the ice after he threw on his skates for the first time last week.
Now, viewers are begging to see Ricky Norwood, 40, return to EastEnders after he showcased his impressive dance moves in the rink. Fans of the BBC One soap remember his cheeky character Arthur ‘Fatboy’ Chubb, but his time on Walford ended in scandal.
The loveable favourite – who delighted viewers in Walford from 2010 to 2015 – couldn’t help but cause chaos in Albert Square. During his time on the soap, his character dated Mercy Olubunmi, Whitney Dean and Poppy Meadow.
He also had a close bond with Dot Branning, with the hunk even moving in with the late laundrette manager, cementing their friendship. But in 2015, Arthur found himself embroiled in the middle of Vincent Hubbard’s feud with the Mitchells.
When Ronnie ordered a hit on Vincent, the hitman accidentally mistook Arthur for Vincent and crushed to death in the boot of a car on Christmas Eve. Since then, the has made a few minor appearances on the show, including in a dramatic flashback that was part of Cindy Beale’s comeback last year.
But what viewers may not know is that the beloved actor was reportedly fired from the soap after he was reportedly caught smoking cannabis and performing a sex act online. During his final year on the soap, his clean reputation was tainted.
In March 2014, the soap star reportedly appeared in a video where he could be seen smoking cannabis and performing a sex act. The alleged clip came from a Skype chat and was captured by a woman the actor met online.
Following the claims and a meeting with BBC bosses, Ricky was suspended from the soap in April for two months. It was then announced in October 2015 that he had been axed from EastEnders and his character was swiftly written out of the show.
An EastEnders spokesperson said at the time: “Ricky Norwood has been suspended from the show for a period of two months with immediate effect. In addition, Ricky would like to apologise to EastEnders’ viewers for any offence caused and for bringing the show into disrepute.”
In July 2016, the actor took part in Celebrity Big Brother where he finished as a runner up behind Stephen Bear. He opened up about how the EastEnders scandal affected him while on the show, telling housemate Renee Graziano that a “particular woman” had “sold him out”.
Ricky explained: “I went into deep depression, I didn’t want to leave my house. I got suspended from my job for two months; I help my hands up.
“When it came to the end of the contract, it was the end of the contract. Normally I’d get a renewal.” Luckily, the actor has moved on from the awkward incident, and added that he was “happy” regardless of the outcome.
He went on: “I was only supposed to be there for three months, I was there just under six years…” Despite his soap exit, it certainly wasn’t the end of Ricky’s acting career.
He has since featured as Reggie in the popular Netflix Christmas films The Princess Switch: Switched Again and The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star. Despite ending things on a less than desirable note, the actor confessed that if BBC bosses wanted him to return to the soap, all they would need to do is give him a call.
Speaking to Daily Star and other press ahead of his Dancing on Ice debut, he said: “If they wanted Fatboy back, they just need to give me a call because it’s a beautiful place to work and there really are some really talented actors, really talented directors and awesome writers right now.
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“I love EastEnders with all my heart and if they ever want me, just give me a call, I’ll always come back and bring Fatboy back to life. Why not?” Viewers will need to stay tuned to see how the actor performs on the ITV skating competition and whether he will ever return to the BBC One soap.
