Former Emmerdale star Ben Freeman has been left heartbroken after splitting from his girlfriend.
Ben had been dating 32-year-old actress Sophie Ladds for a year, and the pretty blonde stuck with him throughout his rape trial in Barbados last year.
But the soap favourite has revealed the relationship "broke down", saying the romance "wasn't meant to be."
Ben, 29, said: "I have been single for six weeks now.
"In the end things just broke down, not everything is meant to be and unfortunately it was one of those things.
"I haven't had a chance to be single because I've been working every evening - at the moment I don't really feel single.
"I have a had a lot of things happen to me and that has helped me become a stronger, more aware person.
"I have changed quite a lot.
"I'm not looking for Miss Right, but I'm not looking for Miss Wrong either.
"I think everything that has happened to me has made me concentrate more on my career.
"One thing I've taken out of everything recently is the desire to focus on my career.
"Other things were starting to take over, but life is great now, a lot better than it ever was before."
Ben has also said he would love to make a return to Emmerdale, but reckons he's yet to receive an official offer from bosses.
He added: "Emmerdale is an absolutely massive part of my life, it has been very good to me.
"I did it for ten years and it has opened up doors for me.
"I haven't been approached officially, but I talk to everyone behind the scenes so it's something that could happen but that is for my agent to sort out.
"I'd been on the soap since I was 18-years-old and I made a lot of friends, I love every single person there.
"It's a definite possibility."
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