Former EastEnders star Declan Bennett, who starred on the BBC soap as Charlie Cotton until 2015, has married his partner, Irish actor Fra Fee, in a stunning ceremony
An EastEnders star has tied the knot in a stunning ceremony attended by his Hollywood actor friend. Declan Bennett, famous for his role as Charlie Cotton, has said “I do” to fellow actor Fra Fee in a glamorous ceremony in Castletown, Ireland, that saw Dracula Untold star Luke Evans among the guests. The groom, 43, looked sharp in a blue suit, while his partner, 37, donned a striking maroon ensemble.
Taking to Instagram, Luke’s partner Fran Tomas shared a heartfelt congratulatory message along with sweet snaps and lively videos of the celebrations. One video showed the newlyweds dancing and singing with their guests as they walked down the aisle after saying “I do”.
He said: “Yesterday was a beautiful wedding; an emotional day full of love, laughter and MUSIC. Like a live musical! Congratulations Declan and Fra.”
Living in Oxfordshire, Declan and Fra have been together since 2020. Before Declan became a soap star, he had his sights set on music stardom. In 1999, he got his break when he was chosen to sing live on ITV’s This Morning as part of a search for a boy band. This TV appearance caught the eye of Point Break – a band featuring Byker Grove stars Brett Adams and David Oliver. The group were looking for a third member and were signed to Warner Music at the time.
Point Break went on to release five singles, four of which made the UK top 20, as well as an album, which reached number one in three countries. However, Declan decided to quit the band in 2000 and began focusing on other projects. Declan landed a role in Boy George’s West End show Taboo in 2002, which proved to be a huge opportunity for him. He later took over one of the lead roles in the production, going on to tour with the show until 2004.
In 2005, Declan, who hailsl from Coventry, opted to return to music but as a solo artist. His first solo album, released under the pseudonym Sumladfromcov, was released on his own record label, Covboy records. A limited-edition EP, The Kitchen, then followed in May 2006. He continued to release solo material – later under his own name – until 2013.
Declan found huge success on stage and in 2014 he landed a huge TV role. He joined the cast of EastEnders as Charlie Cotton – the son of villain Nick Cotton (John Altman). His stint on the soap included some big storylines, including marrying Ronnie Mitchell (Sam Womack) and having an affair with Ronnie’s sister Roxy (Rita Simons). He exited EastEnders in 2015 before briefly returning in 2017.
