I’m A Celebrity star Larry Lamb’s secret agony over the daughter he hasn’t seen in 46 years
I'M A Celebrity star Larry Lamb has been tormented by a devastating family secret as he has a daughter he hasn't seen in 46 years.
The former EastEnders actor had a little girl named Vanessa with his first wife Anita, but he only ever met her once.
Larry, now 69, became a dad after marrying Anita when he was just 21.
They met while he was working abroad in Germany and they walked down the aisle in London following a whirlwind romance.
She fell pregnant and Larry later admitted he felt marrying her was "the right thing to do".
However, the marriage crumbled and she moved back to Germany without him.
Larry has not seen Vanessa in 46 years and only met her once, when she was seven months old.
A source told The Mirror: "Larry only ever saw his daughter once and has never taken responsibility for her. It is very sad.”
Larry has previously revealed that he lost touch with his daughter after Anita became involved with a new partner.
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He explained: "Of all the things in the world I didn’t want, I certainly didn’t want to be married. But it seemed the right thing to do...
"Anita remarried when Vanessa was three. So I wasn’t included because she had a stepdad. I don’t even know if she knows I’m her father...
"It’s not for me to go delving into her life. But the thought that she might have already made me a grandfather has often crossed my mind...
"Her birthday is so close to mine that every year I think, ‘She’s another year older.’ It’s just one of those sadnesses."
Larry added of his one-time meeting with Vanessa: “I sat for an hour with this little piece of me in my arms. My guilt, my sadness, my fears all turned over.
"I knew that this tiny being was there because her mum wanted her there. I’d made my decision and I’d walked away.
"I’ve never set eyes on my daughter since that day. But I’ve never forgotten that hour I spent with her."
Larry previously revealed he was a "rampant" womaniser in his youth.
After divorcing Anita, Larry went on to marry his second wife Linda Martin, the mother of his son George, now 36.
That marriage also fell apart, and he is now in relationship with Clare Burt, 49.
The couple are parents to two daughters, Eloise, 17, and Eva, 13.
Larry is currently competing in I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! with stars including Scarlett Moffatt, Carol Vorderman and Ola Jordan.