Rita Simons has married West End performer Ben Harlow in a ceremony at Hidden River Barn in Cumbria, the actress announced on social media. Singer Duncan James, best known as a member of the pop group Blue, both performed at the wedding and gave Simons away.
Simons, who played Roxy Mitchell on the BBC soap EastEnders for a decade, posted celebratory messages on Instagram after the event, writing in part, "Well this happened yesterday! I married my best friend @benjyharlow." She thanked guests and her wedding team, adding that friends and family had travelled from "all over the world to share our day." Simons also singled out James, writing, "Thank you my darling @mrduncanjames for giving me away, I love you forever."
Simons and Harlow met while performing in the musical Legally Blonde in 2017 and began their relationship in 2020. The couple celebrated their vows with a reception that, according to Simons, featured live music from The Rockets Collective and was attended by a close circle of friends and family. Simons indicated in earlier interviews that her twin daughters, Jaimee and Maiya, would serve as bridesmaids, and that former EastEnders colleagues including Samantha Womack and Larry Lamb had been invited.
Simons was previously married to hairdresser Theo Silveston; the pair were together for 14 years before separating in 2018. She has spoken publicly about the mental health struggles that followed the end of that marriage, saying the stress and heartbreak contributed to severe insomnia, depression and a nervous breakdown while she was working in theatre in 2019. In interviews she described experiencing intense periods of anxiety and physical illness, and has credited later relationships and support with helping her recovery.
The wedding marks Simons’s second marriage. Harlow is a West End performer whose relationship with Simons developed from colleagues to partners over several years. Simons’s profile rose through her long-running soap role and subsequent stage work, and she has continued to perform in the West End since leaving EastEnders.
Simons’s Instagram post announcing the wedding described the day as "special" and promised more photographs to follow. She expressed gratitude to those who attended and to the team that organised the event. Duncan James’s participation drew attention after he not only sang for the bride but was also involved in the ceremonial moment of giving her away.
Public details about the service beyond remarks shared by Simons and images posted on social media are limited. Representatives for Simons and Harlow did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Simons’s account of her past struggles and her public celebration of the wedding reflect a broader pattern of actors speaking about mental health and recovery after periods of public hardship. Her career continues to include stage and screen work, and she has previously discussed the role that close personal relationships and professional focus have played in her recent wellbeing and creative activity.