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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Daniel Bird

EastEnders' Kacey Ainsworth SPLITS from husband after 18 years and finds love with actor

EastEnders star Kacey Ainsworth has split from her husband of almost two decades and had reportedly found love once more.

Reports claim that the star who is best known as 'Little Mo' on the BBC One soap has moved on with fellow actor Liam Tobin.

While it's unclear when the 54-year-old and her husband Darren Hales split, it's believed that they decided to part ways during lockdown.

It's claimed that Kacey met her new beau Liam while they were starring in Then And Now together back in 2020.

Kacey has previously gushed over her new boyfriend after going Instagram official for his 50th birthday back in 2021.

Sharing a snap of the pair, she wrote: "So Our Liam is 50. What a blast of a party... so many thanks on behalf of us all, including everyone who made it there to celebrate with the lovely fella. Like attracts Like I guess."

Kacey and her former husband Darren share children Blossom, 18, and Elwood, 14, but decided to limit her workload after Elwood was confirmed to be on the autism spectrum when he was six.

Kacey Ainsworth has split from her husband of almost two decades, Darren Hales (Getty Images)
The former EastEnders star is said to have found love again (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Speaking about her decision, she explained that her hectic work schedule would be "too chaotic" for Elwood.

Kacey also revealed that she had no idea Elwood was on the spectrum until it was mentioned by a nursery teacher when he was three-years-old.

She told the Mirror: "I was really shocked, he went to our local communication disorder clinic and I sat behind glass and watched my child being assessed by an ­educational psychologist, speech therapist and a child psychologist. It was ­excruciating.

"It was a sad day because you have a baby and you want things to be normal, you have to go through that grieving process where you think – this isn’t what I'd set out for."

While fans may be hopeful that Kacey may return to EastEnders following the arrival of her son, Freddie Slater, she isn't too convinced it will happen.

Speaking on Loose Women, the star who last appeared on the soap in 2006 said: "It's always the same thing, it's a never say never.

"I literally don't have any time at the moment."

But fans still recognise the actress as Little Mo Slater and often heckle her in the street, which Kacey loves and finds amusing when people say they watched her on screens when they were younger.

The Mirror has approached Kacey's reps for comment.

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