Garry Hobbs

Garry Hobbs
Duration	2000–2009
First appearance	18 September 2000
Classification	Present; departing
In-universe information Occupation Mechanic Mother Hazel Hobbs Wife Lynne Slater (2001–2004) Daughters Vivienne Hobbs

Garry Pelé Hobbs is a fictional character in BBC soap opera EastEnders. He is played by Ricky Groves, and 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, will be written out of the soap and will depart later in the year.

Storylines

File:Lynne Garry.jpg

Garry realises Lynne cheated on him on his wedding day

Garry arrived in Walford on 18 September 2000 along with his girlfriend Lynne Slater and the rest of her family. Always thinking himself a big hit with the ladies, Garry flirted with barmaid Melanie Healy upon arrival, and kissed both Lynne's sister Kat and the married Laura Beale. Originally Garry was unwilling to settle down with Lynne, but eventually they got engaged and on 7 December 2001 they married, in a ceremony where he revealed his unusual middle name, despite finding out that Lynne had had a brief fling with Beppe di Marco. Beppe declared his love for Lynne on their wedding day, but she chose Garry in the end.

Garry found work as a mechanic at the Arches and lived happily with Lynne and the rest of the Slater family at 23 Albert Square. However Lynne had an affair with her former fiancé Jason James, which left Garry devastated. The couple pulled through and decided to try for a baby.

In November 2002 Garry had a drunken one-night stand with Laura at the funeral of Tom Banks, and was left stunned when she informed him on Christmas Day that she was pregnant with his baby. Her husband Ian had discovered her infidelity as he had secretly had a vasectomy before Laura conceived and after forcing her to reveal Garry as the father he threw her out. Lynne took pity on Laura and put her up at the Slater's, much to Garry's horror. Eventually it was revealed that Garry was the father of Laura's baby after Ian disclosed the information to a packed Queen Vic. Lynne was distraught at the news, but eventually forgave Garry. However the couple separated in July 2003 after Garry missed a date with his wife in order to be with Laura, who had gone into labour.

After being thrown out by the Slaters', Garry began living with Laura at a bedsit she had recently started renting out and they named their son Bobby, in honour of Garry's favourite footballer Bobby Moore. However after Bobby needed a blood transplant Laura discovered that Garry was in fact not Bobby's father as their blood types were not compatible, which led to the discovery that Ian's vasectomy had not been successful. However after all attempts of a reconciliation with Ian, who was unaware that Bobby was his son, were dashed, Laura kept the information to herself in order to provide her son with a stable father figure. Eventually Laura began using Garry for sex when she began to feel lonely, but Garry was still in love with Lynne. Lynne initially rejected his offers of a reconciliation, resulting in Garry having a fling with Lynne's sister Belinda Peacock when she made a pass at him in November 2003. Garry and Lynne also began an affair, which resulted in Lynne falling pregnant by him. Upon discovering the news Garry decided to leave Laura and reconcile with his wife, but before he could do this Laura discovered Garry and Lynne in bed together and threw him out just after Christmas.

Laura died in a fall down the stairs on 30 April 2004, and Bobby came to live with Garry. After a while, even Lynne accepted Bobby as part of the family and when she became pregnant, she looked forward to having a brother or sister for Bobby, but then Pat Evans found Bobby's birth certificate naming Ian as the father. Garry had become attached to Bobby and loved him as his own but was forced to hand him over to natural father Ian. Bobby now lives with Ian, wife Jane and his half-siblings Peter and Lucy Beale.

Garry looked forward to the birth of his and Lynne's child. They knew it was a girl and named her Vivienne, after Lynne's mother.

When a funfair ride fell down on a summer day, the stress caused Lynne to suffer a late miscarriage eight months in. On the day of the baby's funeral, Lynne moved away and divorced Garry.

Garry was so devastated, he tried to take his own life only to be saved by best friend Minty Peterson. Garry then lived with Minty and Naomi Julien. Garry and Minty work as mechanics at the Arches. Their boss used to be Ian, once Garry's sworn enemy, but Phil Mitchell has since taken over.

Garry was sceptical about Minty's new found friendship with newcomer SJ Fletcher, who he thought was a gold digger. This caused many arguments between the friends, and resulted in Minty moving out. Eventually Minty saw sense when Garry led Minty to SJ who was in bed with Sid Clarke. SJ left with Sid and Minty returned to live with Garry and Naomi.

When Garry appeared distant and twitchy, naturally Minty and Naomi were worried about him, especially when they found out his ex-wife, Lynne, had got engaged to another man. Finding an empty ring box, they wrongly assumed he was eloping. In fact, he was attending the wedding of his mother, Hazel, in order to give her away - he'd only put his wedding ring on to pretend all was well between him and Lynne, despite already knowing of her engagement. After Hazel decided not to marry her fiancé, Gerald, due to his abundance of nasal hair, she and Garry rushed back to Gerald's house to collect her belongings, but Gerald came home while they were still there, and, thinking Garry was Hazel's toyboy, smacked him on the nose. He got another smack on the nose pretty soon after, when he wrongly accused Minty and Hazel of sleeping together, even though there appeared to be some chemistry between the two. He then had a good talk with his mother, before making up with Minty, referring to him as Rocky instead.

Garry has recently been helping Dawn Swann after her ordeal with Rob Minter and May Wright, in which they attempted to steal her unborn baby. Garry took Dawn and Summer on a trip to Brighton where he proposed. She turned him down, but the pair have remained friends, although it is evident he still has feelings for her. When Dawn was on a date with Jase Dyer, Garry came over and suggested Dawn should join him at his table, but when she politely turned the offer down he invited himself to sit at her table with her and Jase. He was clearly bitter towards Jase and was both hurt and annoyed when Jase suggested he and Dawn go somewhere else, which they did. Later Keith and Mickey arrived and told him they were at their house and Jase had bribed them to leave. Garry was devastated.

On 29 August 2008, Garry found out about Jase's death and told an excited Dawn the bad news. To her horror, she thought he was trying to stop the wedding but the police also found her and also revealed the tragic news.

After the events of Jase's death, Garry tries to comfort Dawn, but when he comes home - to his horror, she had stripped her clothes off in order to have sex with him, but a tempted Garry turns her down leaving a devastated Dawn.
Eventually, Jase's funeral was organised for 7 October 2008. Garry along with Minty, Dawn, Jay Brown, Billy Mitchell and Darren Miller all attended the funeral.

When Callum Monks, Vinnie's son moved into Minty and Garry's flat, Garry was instantly jealous when Callum was flirting with Dawn. This made him feel insecure and decided to put a deposit for Callum at Ian Beale's flat 89 George Street, where Dawn previously lived with Jase.

After a second proposal to Dawn was knocked back, Garry ran away and later his car and possessions were found in a popular suicide spot in Dover, prompting the police and the other inhabitants of Walford to assume he had died. However, it was later revealed that he was in fact alive in France.

On the 17th of February, Garry stumbled back in to The Square looking for Dawn. He then noticed a sign saying that a celebration to remember the life of Garry would be held in the Queen Vic. He went there and listened to tributes to himself where Dawn said that she loves him and was sorry that she did not tell him whilst he was 'alive'. He then stepped out and said "rewind, you love me?" revealing that he actually was alive. Everyone was shocked but mostly Dawn and Minty.

On the night Garry came "back from the dead" he told Dawn she had till to the end of the night to decide wether she wanted to be with him or not and if she didn't then he will leave Walford the next day. Dawn eventually decided she wanted to be with Garry as she did indeed love him.

On the 18th of February, Garry and Dawn woke up after spending the night together. Garry then started telling everyone who would listen that he was now together with Dawn and that they were happy. From then on Garry and Dawn have been happy together with baby Summer.

External links

• Garry Hobbs at BBC Online