Rita Simons, the actor best known for playing Roxy Mitchell on BBC soap EastEnders, married West End performer Ben Harlow on Tuesday at Hidden River Barn in Cumbria. Singer Duncan James, of the pop group Blue, both performed at the ceremony and accompanied Simons as she was given away.
The couple, who began dating in 2020 after meeting while appearing in the musical Legally Blonde in 2017, celebrated their vows with family, friends and industry colleagues who traveled to the venue from across the world. Simons said her twin 18-year-old daughters served as bridesmaids, and she had invited former EastEnders co-stars including Samantha Womack and Larry Lamb.
Simons posted on Instagram after the ceremony, writing that she had "married my best friend @benjyharlow" and thanking guests and the wedding planners. In the post she described the day as "so special" and said she and Harlow were surrounded by "the most incredible bunch of humans who love us unconditionally." She also thanked James, writing, "Thank you my darling @mrduncanjames for giving me away, I love you forever."
The reception entertainment included a live performance by The Rockets Collective, whom Simons singled out in her message. She said more photographs and footage from the event would follow and apologised in advance for a forthcoming flood of images.
Simons and Harlow's relationship dates back to their time in West End productions; they met in 2017 and maintained a friendship before becoming romantically involved in 2020. Simons was previously married to hairdresser Theo Silveston for 14 years; the pair separated in 2018 and share the twins. In interviews in recent years she has spoken publicly about struggling with depression and insomnia following that split, and about experiencing a nervous breakdown while performing in a 2019 stage production.
Her career spans television and theatre. Simons played Roxy Mitchell in EastEnders for a decade and has appeared in multiple West End shows, including Everybody's Talking About Jamie and Legally Blonde, where she and Harlow crossed paths. In interviews she has credited her current relationship with providing stability and perspective after a difficult period.
The wedding at Hidden River Barn adds to a recent trend of high-profile stage and television performers holding private country ceremonies; Simons's post-wedding messages emphasised family and close friendships as central to the day. Further images and details of the ceremony and reception are expected to be shared by the couple and professional photographers in the coming days.