EastEnders star Gillian Taylforth calls off wedding over ‘cheating’ suspicions after a five-year engagement
Gillian returned to Albert Square in 2015 after storyline revealed Kathy Beale had not in fact died in a car crash in 2000
EASTENDERS star Gillian Taylforth has called off her engagement, The Sun on Sunday can reveal.
The actress – who plays Kathy Beale in the BBC1 soap - was due to marry boyfriend of five years Dave Fairbairn after he proposed to her in 2013.
But a source close to Gillian, 61, revealed the wedding is now off after the pair clashed over her suspicions he was cheating on her.
And they told how their future together is now “hanging by a thread.”
The source said: “This has been a very difficult time for Gill."
“She and Dave have been together for many years now, and she felt sure her future was with him.
“But neither of them have been happy for a while.
“There have been a lot of very fiery rows between them.
“And recently Dave’s behaviour has lead Gill’s friends to question if there is someone else.
“That has obviously led to serious tension between them, and yet more rows."
“The engagement has now been totally discarded, and their future is hanging by a very thin thread.
“For the moment, they are still together – just about.
“But it is incredibly hard to see how they will get through this.”
Gillian, who left EastEnders in 2000, returned in 2015 when a bombshell storyline revealed that she had not died in a car crash, as son Ian had thought.
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And her dramatic love life has given the soap’s storylines a run for their money.
She spent 23 years with abusive ex Geoff Knights – the father of her two children - before they separated in 2009 after a series of violent arguments.
Years later she was devastated when he was diagnosed with stomach cancer and died months later.
She went on to find love again with Dave, 61, who was jailed for 15 years in 2001 for plotting to import and supply drugs.
And she stood by him as he battled prostate cancer, before getting the all-clear in 2015.
But the disease has since returned.
The source added: “Dave’s illness has taken a heavy toll on both of them, and has definitely contributed to the relationship breaking down."
“But it is far from the only issue.
“They still love each other, but are coming to the realisation that being together is harder than either imagined.
“No one close to Gill would be surprised to see her walk away.”