Dancing On Ice star Charlie Brooks: Romance rumours with EastEnders co-star, inventing a sex toy and ex that lives above her
From Walford to the ice!
Charlie Brooks is swapping the famous Albert Square for an ice rink, as she is taking part in Dancing on Ice 2025!
Since shooting to fame in the late 1990s, soap superstar Charlie has become a telly favourite. As well as her iconic EastEnders stint playing Janine Butcher, Charlie has starred in several reality shows.
Now, she’s set to add Dancing on Ice to her list.
But how did Charlie lose weight for her best-selling weight loss DVD? Why does her ex live in the same building as her? And what’s her X-rated side hustle? Keep on scrolling to find out…
Who Dancing on Ice star Charlie Brooks is
Charlie Brooks is an actress. She became a household name thanks to her role as Janine Butcher in BBC’s EastEnders. The telly fave has played bad girl Janine on-and-off from 1999 to 2022.
As well as her EastEnders stint, Charlie has appeared in several reality shows. In 2012, she was crowned the I’m A Celebrity… champ, as well as the winner of the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special in 2011. They say good things come in threes so could she lift the DOI trophy, too?
How old Charlie Brooks is
Charlie is 43 years old, and was born on May 3 1981.
Where Charlie Brooks is from
Charlie was born in Hertfordshire, which is where EastEnders is filmed. She ended up moving to Barmouth in North Wales with her family when she was younger. However, when Charlie was 13 she persuaded her parents to let her go to drama school in London.
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Who Charlie Brooks has a child with
Charlie was previously engaged to Ibiza nightclub owner Tony Truman – and the pair share daughter, Kiki, 19. The couple split in 2007.
In 2016, Charlie opened up about her relationship with Tony, revealing that the pair have managed to stay on good terms.
“Don’t get me wrong we’ve had our ups and downs,” said Charlie on Loose Women. She added: “But Tony – Kiki’s dad – has moved into the flat above me. We get on really well, and yeah we go on holiday together.”
When asked if both she and Tony found it hard to repair their relationship following their split, Charlie shared there was “nothing dramatic” about the split.
Charlie and daughter Kiki on I’m A Celeb
Back in 2012, Charlie was named Queen of the Jungle. However, she wasn’t best pleased with the show bosses when she emerged to find out that daughter Kiki, who was eight at the time, had been involved in a task.
Kiki was part of a task which saw Charlie and Eric Bristow faced with a choice of four doors, each concealing a prize. Behind the yellow door, Kiki and Eric’s son James were waiting. However, they picked the wrong door and lost the chance to see their loved ones.
Speaking afterwards, Charlie admitted to The Sun: “I signed up for this show, but Kiki didn’t. I didn’t want her to be so upset. I had no idea this was happening. It was my lowest point. My mum gave the green light for her to be there because it was an opportunity for Kiki to see me – and I think she thought she would. I felt like I’d been kicked when I realised she had been behind that door.
“I felt so sad for both of us and I couldn’t stop thinking about it afterwards and kept picturing Kiki’s face. She would have been excited about seeing me and nervous about being on the show – and then disappointed when we failed the task.
“Afterwards I went straight up and spoke to the show bosses. They said she ‘had a moment’, but assured me she was okay after they gave her a bowl of ice cream.”
Is Charlie Brooks married?
No, Charlie is not married. After her split from Tony Trueman, Charlie struck up a romance with architect Ben Hollington in 2012. The pair met after they were introduced by mutual friends. Charlie then confirmed their relationship before she headed into the I’m A Celeb jungle.
However, in 2018, the couple split. Speaking on White Wine Question Time, Charlie praised Ben and dubbed him an “amazing” person.
Charlie shuts down EastEnders co-star romance rumours
In 2022, it was reported that EastEnders star Max Bowden, who played Ben Mitchell, had reportedly grown close to Charlie, amid his split from Shona McGarty.
“She’s been a bit of a shoulder for him to cry on too. Charlie is a great role model for Max,” a source told The Sun. “They’ve become closer than ever on set and Max knows he can always rely on her for help,” they added.
However, Charlie clarified the nature of their relationship. She told the publication: “I’ve known Max for years. He’s basically like a little brother.”
Charlie ‘signs up to kinky dating app’
These days, Charlie is believed to be single. In 2021, she told Closer Online: “I’ve been single for pretty much four years and, hand on heart, it’s been the most important time of my life.”
Back in 2023, the telly fave reportedly signed up to a rather racy dating site. According to The Sun, Charlie allegedly created a profile on Feeld, aimed at single people hoping to meet couples seeking threesomes.
The publication claimed Charlie described herself as a straight woman looking for a single match. She also reportedly set her profile to mild.
Dancing on Ice star Charlie Brooks reveals X-rated side hustle
In 2023, Charlie revealed her rather naughty side hustle: a new vibrator for women.
Appearing on This Morning, the soap star shared how she spent four years designing the sex toy – which is in a unique “U” shape.
“I woke up in the middle of the night about four years ago and went: “Why isn’t there a vibrator that surrounds the clitoris, that surrounds the vulva and doesn’t penetrate?” she told then hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.
The sex toy reportedly retails for £100.
How Charlie Brooks lost weight
Back in 2005, Charlie released a successful fitness DVD, Before & After, which revealed how she lost two stone in two months. It was a disco-based cardio workout with a Pilates cool-down. It became the UK’s best-selling fitness DVD release.
Years later, though, Charlie admitted the process left a negative impact on her self-esteem – with the transformation having serious “long-term” effects.
Charlie explained to The Sun’s Fabulous in 2024: “Years ago, I released a keep-fit video and got really tiny – that had a long-term negative impact on my body image.”
She then admitted that she brutally dubbed herself to be “disgusting” and “fat”, and felt “nothing but hatred” for herself.
Will Charlie Brooks return to EastEnders?
Charlie was last seen as Janine on EastEnders back in December 2022. She made a shock return to the BBC soap in 2021 after years away. However, just 18 months later she made the decision to quit.
Fans will recall Janine was jailed for five years after the events of Christmas Day 2022, which lead to an exit for her partner Mick Carter, played by Danny Dyer.
Earlier this year, Charlie was quizzed about a potential return. She told Metro: “I have no idea. I don’t know if the soaps will still be around in five years time – who knows what will happen? I think people are watching TV very differently these days.
“But I always say never say never with Janine. EastEnders has been a blessing for me, it was my training ground and I love going back there.”
