EastEnders’ Sid Owen says he’s ‘proud to still be alive’ after wild partying past

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Former EastEnders star Sid Owen has admitted he's "proud to still be alive" after his wild partying days.

The 49 year old actor rose to fame as he played Ricky Butcher on the BBC soap from 1998 until 2000.

Sid's character Ricky returned to Albert Square in 2002, and made on and off appearances until 2012.

Years after leaving the soap, the Ricky Butcher actor has opened up on his wild partying days, which ended up in a rehab stint to help him beat a £200-a-night cocaine habit.

Sid, who's return to the soap has reportedly been halted, opened up on how his cocaine use turned into a habit.

He has told The Sun: "It’s recreational then all of a sudden it’s like, 'Hang on, I’ve got to get through pages of scripts, and then go to work'.

"You think you can do it and get away with it. I thought I could juggle the two, but I soon realised it was a silly idea."

Sid also admitted he once drove to the studios "coked up to my eyeballs and way over the drink-drive limit".


But, with professional help, Sid managed to kick his use of the drug as he said: "It worked. Drugs are a life experience that luckily I’ve put behind me."

The actor, who recently showed his horrific injuries after a golfball shattered his jaw, added he used "lots of therapy" to get his life back.

And, the Ricky Butcher actor now swims and runs up to six days a week. When asked if he still drinks alcohol, he said: "Not really. Not so much now. I’m into my fitness."

Sid's huge fame in the '90s meant he wasn't short of love interests. And he dated ex-EastEnders' pal Nick Berry's sister Amanda.

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But, after they split the actor enjoyed female attention.

He said: "There were (women throwing themselves at him). Amanda kept me on the straight and narrow. But the times I was single, I lapped it up. Every bloke that’s single would do it.

"You do get that sense of insecurity of asking if someone is with me because I’m on TV or famous.

"Then you go through the other side and think, 'Well, I don’t really give a s*** because I’m having fun — so two can play at that game'."

Looking back on his womanising ways, Sid admitted: "I’ve no regrets, not even sex in Tesco."

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