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Rita Simons put on a leggy display when she joined singer Michael Ball for lunch on Saturday.
Wearing a pair of black shorts teamed with a black top and a sweeping leopard print coat, the former EastEnders star – who stars alongside Michael, 58, in Hairspray – looked stylish as she stepped out in the capital.
Rita, 44, wore her sandy blonde hair loose and appeared transfixed by something on her phone, leaning over the table to better show her West End co-star.
Lunch: Rita Simons, 44, put on a leggy display when she joined singer Michael Ball, 58, for lunch on Saturday
Michael made the most of London’s balmy weather in a pair of pink shorts teamed with a navy T-shirt.
Both Rita and Michael wore trainers with the former keeping her belongings safe in a chic leather rucksack.
The stage stars enjoyed bottles of water, an iced coffee and small snacks while dining outside.
In February, Rita revealed that she had a ‘nervous breakdown’ after splitting from her ex-husband Theo Silveston following 14 years of marriage.
Stylish: Wearing black shorts and a sweeping leopard print coat, the star – who stars alongside Michael, 58, in Hairspray – put on a stylish display as she stepped out in the capital
Balmy weather: Michael made the most of London’s balmy weather in a pair of pink shorts teamed with a navy T-shirt
Trainers: Both Rita and Michael wore trainers with the former keeping her belongings safe in a chic leather rucksack
Labelling it as ‘one of the worst times of her life’, the actress, who has since finalised her divorce after two-and-a-half-years, said she battled depression, anxiety and insomnia during the period as she threw herself into work.
Rita credited her new partner Ben Harlow, who she initially met while touring with Legally Blonde in 2017, for helping her, adding that she ‘wouldn’t have made it’ without him.
Reflecting on the difficult time, the star, who only announced her shock split in August, admitted that she knew during her stint on I’m A Celebrity in 2018 that her marriage was over. She shares twins Jaimee and Maiya, 15, with her ex.
Having fun: Michael put on an animated display throughout his and Rita’s al-fresco lunch hinting at the lively conversation
Something wrong: At one point Michael raised his hands to his head while chatting to former soap star Rita
Standing up: Rita stood up while continuing to talk to Michael, who was holding a vape in his right hand
Rita, who is now the ‘happiest she has ever been’, told OK! Magazine: ‘I had terrible insomnia for about a year. When I’m unhappy, my sleep is the first thing to go and then the knock-on is depression and anxiety.
‘I’d go as far as to say I had a nervous breakdown while working because I was so physically and emotionally finished, but I had to keep going.’
Rita added that she had already lost one stone on I’m A Celebrity, then she lost a further three-and-a-half pounds, due to the difficult period.
What’s on the phone? Rita appeared very interested in something on her phone, holding the device up
A closer look: Michael moved in closer to Rita so that he could get a better look at her mobile phone
Mask off: While walking through the sunshine to their table Rita removed her blue face mask
Natural: The doting mother opted for natural look glam when she stepped out during the weekend
The actress said that at the time she was appearing on Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, she starred as Miss Hedge in 2019, adding that she ‘didn’t have a life’ as she would ‘cry, go on stage, come off, cry’.
Rita was able to see her psychologist during the difficult period, who she has been seeing since she was 14 due to her battle with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), as well as visit ITV’s I’m A Celebrity therapists.
The star admitted that it ‘did her head in’ having cameras on her all day during I’m A Celebrity and that she wouldn’t have ‘survived’ without the show support on hand.
Quick smoke: Michael appeared to switch between a vape and a cigarette as he strolled alongside his friend in the sunshine
Chatting away: Rita and Michael could barely stop chatting as they spent a leisurely Saturday together
Friends: The pair – who are currently starring in the West End run of musical Hairspray – have become close friends
Cast: Rita and Michael star alongside Paul Merton, Lizzie Bea and Marisha Wallace (pictured together)
Rita said: ‘There were days where, I wouldn’t say I was suicidal because I’ve never got to that point and I would never do it, but I was aware life could be better dead than alive because I couldn’t see my kids and I was so far from home.’
Reflecting on the ‘scary’ and ‘dark’ time, the star said that during the production of Peter James’ The House on Cold Hill in 2019, she often thought about ‘accidentally’ falling from the stairs on stage so she could be ‘looked after in hospital’.
Rita said that she kept the troubled times and divorce quiet, throwing herself into work and being her ‘bubbly’ self to co-stars.
Talking about why she decided to split from her ex-husband, Rita said they met aged 19 and that they had ‘just changed’.
Rita admitted she had to be ‘brave’ and it was ‘horrific’, especially as Theo, who only moved out in March 2020 before lockdown, ‘didn’t agree at first but understood at the end’.
After their divorce was finalised earlier this year, the star said that she didn’t get emotional due to all her past tears and she was ‘relieved’.
Difficult time: Rita revealed that she had a ‘nervous breakdown’ after splitting from her ex-husband Theo Silveston following 14 years of marriage (pictured in 2017)
Moving on: Rita credited her new partner Ben Harlow, who she initially met while touring with Legally Blonde in 2017, for helping her (pictured on stage in 2018)
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