EastEnders character
Garry Hobbs
Portrayed by	Ricky Groves
Duration	2000–09
First appearance	18 September 2000
Last appearance	27 August 2009
Classification	Former; regular
Profile
Date of birth	7 March 1971
Home	Outside Walford
Occupation	Mechanic
Family Wife Lynne Slater (2001–04) Mother Hazel Hobbs Daughters Vivienne Hobbs First cousins  once removed Reg Hobbs

Garry Pelé Hobbs is a fictional character in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Ricky Groves. He made his first appearance on 18 September 2000. It was announced on 26 March 2009 that Groves and co-star Kara Tointon, who plays Dawn Swann, would be written out of the soap,^[1] and he made his final appearance on 27 August 2009.

[edit] Creation and development

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Garry was introduced in 2000 as part of the new Slater family, a replacement for the di Marco family. The Slaters were said to cause ructions among the already-established characters. Garry was described as having "a roving eye".^[2]

[edit] Storylines

Garry realises Lynne cheated on him on his wedding day

Garry comes to Walford on 18 September 2000, along with his girlfriend, Lynne Slater (Elaine Lordan), and her family. Thinking himself a big hit with the ladies, Garry flirts with numerous women and is unwilling to settle down. Eventually he and Lynne get engaged and, on 7 December 2001, marry despite discovering Lynne's brief fling with Beppe di Marco (Michael Greco). Beppe declares his love for Lynne on her wedding day, but she marries Garry in the end. He finds work as a mechanic and lives with the Slaters. However, Lynne has an affair with her ex-fiancé, Jason James. The couple pull through and decide to try for a baby.

In November 2002, Garry has a drunken one-night stand with Laura Beale (Hannah Waterman) and is stunned when she tells him on Christmas Day that she is expecting his baby. Her husband, Ian throws her out, assuming she has been unfaithful. Lynne takes pity on Laura, allowing her to move in, much to Garry's horror, until Ian tells her that Garry is the father of Laura's baby. Lynne is distraught but eventually forgives Garry. However, the couple separate in July 2003 after Garry misses a date with Lynne in order to be with Laura while she was in labour.

After being thrown out by the Slaters, Garry and Laura lived together, naming their son, Bobby (Alex Francis), in honour of Garry's favourite footballer Bobby Moore. However, Bobby needed a blood transfusion, leading Laura to discover that Garry isn't Bobby's father, due to incompatible blood types, meaning Ian is Bobby's father. On her return from hospital, Laura tried to get Ian interested in her new baby and failed so she kept quiet about Bobby's paternity, wanting him to have a father. Garry and Laura's new relationship didn't last as he was still in love with Lynne and they eventually reconciled after Garry had a fling with Lynne's sister, Belinda Peacock (Leanne Lakey), in November 2003, making Lynne realise that she still loved Garry. Lynne later became pregnant with his child.

On Laura's death on 30 April 2004, Bobby moved in with Garry and Lynne. Lynne struggled to accept him but was shocked when Pat Evans (Pam St. Clement) revealed that Ian was Bobby's father, not Garry, as believed. Garry was persuaded to give Bobby to Ian, devastating him and further upset occurred when Lynne, unconscious after a fairground accident, needed an emergency caesarean. Lynne survived but their baby daughter, Vivienne, did not. Unable to forgive Garry for consenting to the operation, she left him and Walford after Vivienne's funeral. Devastated, Garry tried committing suicide but was saved by Minty Peterson (Cliff Parisi). Garry moves in with Minty and they become good friends, surviving Garry's dislike of Minty's girlfriends, including Minty's brief engagement to his mother, Hazel, (Kika Mirylees).

Garry becomes infatuated with Dawn Swann (Kara Tointon), but his attempts to make her notice him are rebuffed. Dawn dates other men and uses Garry's generosity on various occasions. Garry supports Dawn after the death of her fiance, Jase Dyer (Stephen Lord), and believing she has romantic feelings for him, proposes. When Dawn refuses, he stormed off, terrifying the locals when his car is found at a popular suicide spot in Dover. Fearing Garry has killed himself, Dawn realises her true feelings for him and tells a crowded Queen Vic that she loves him, only for Garry to enter and overhear. Despite her initial shock, Dawn and Garry begin a relationship, eventually becoming engaged. However, in July 2009, Dawn has an affair with Garry's boss Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden). Minty discovers the affair and tells Garry, who punches Phil and decides to leave Walford on his and Dawn's wedding day. He goes to a canal and boards the boat he and Minty have been keeping and as he is sailing away, Dawn arrives and runs alongside, telling him how much she loves him. He docks the boat, letting Dawn and her daughter, Summer, onboard and they sail away together.

[edit] External links

• Garry Hobbs at BBC Online

[edit] References