I'm a Celebrity: Who is Ruthie Henshall? Singer's age, husband and when she dated Prince Edward revealed

18 November 2020, 18:13

Ruthie Henshall is one of the most prolific stars of musical theatre, and she is now a campmate in I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! for 2020.

Ruthie Henshall will be swapping the West End for the Welsh castle as she joins up with the likes of Shane Richie, Vernon Kay and Russell Watson on I'm a Celeb.

But what is Ruthie best known for and did she once date Prince Edward? Here's all the important facts:

1. Who is Ruthie Henshall?

   Ruthie Henshall is an English actress, singer, and dancer, best known for her work in musical theatre.

   She started her stage career in 1986, and made her West End debut in Cats in 1987.

   Ruthie has been nominated for an Olivier Award five times, winning the 1995 prize for Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Amalia Balash in the London revival of She Loves Me.

   Her other Olivier nominated roles were Polly Baker in the original London production of Crazy for You, Roxie Hart in the revival of Chicago and the title roles in the original productions of Peggy Sue Got Married and Marguerite.

   Ruthie made her Broadway debut in 1999 as Velma Kelly in Chicago and returned as Roxie Hart in 2010.

   More recently, she starred as Mrs Wilkinson for two years in the West End production of Billy Elliot the Musical from 2014 to 2016.

2. Ruthie Henshall age: How old is she?

   Full name Valentine Ruth Henshall, Ruthie was born on March 7, 1967. She celebrated her 53rd birthday in 2020.

   She was born in Bromley, London.

3. Who is Ruthie Henshall's husband?

   Ruthie Henshall first met actor and singer Tim Howar when he was her male co-star lead in the West End production of Peggy Sue Got Married.

   The couple married in 2004, and they have two daughters together.

   However, they announced their separation in August 2009, and later divorced in January 2010.

4. Did Ruthie Henshall date Prince Edward?

   Ruthie Henshall previously dated Prince Edward "solidly" for two years, and "on and off for five years" in the 1990s.

   Speaking to Desert Island Discs in 2008, Ruthie revealed that they broke up because she couldn't give up her career.

   She met the prince when she was in Cats.

   Ruthie later attended the wedding of Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys Jones in 1999, alongside her then-fiance, Gregory's Girl actor John Gordon Sinclair.

   She also revealed that she would go to Buckingham Palace "quite a lot... because he lived there", but would get "smuggled" in because the relationship was not public knowledge.

   "It always make me laugh, I'd sort of say 'I'm going to my boyfriend's tonight'. Nobody knew who he was."