Star Lucy Benjamin breaks up with acrobat

By Dan Evans

FED-UP Lucy Benjamin has told her acrobat fiancé to take a running jump after he lost his nerve about making her his bride.

The former EastEnder wanted her tumbler toyboy Bobby Hanton, 20, to bend over backwards to march her up the aisle.

He was less keen—so she gave him an ultimatum: "We marry this summer or it's over."

A source close to Lucy, 34, said: "They were arguing like cat and dog over the wedding.

"Lucy was desperate to tie the knot this summer but Bobby wanted to wait another year or two, and as far as she was concerned that was never in the script. She wasn't prepared to wait."

Bobby had to move out of the flat they shared in London and is staying in a hotel. On Thursday he went back to the flat to collect his belongings.

The romance began a year ago while they were in panto together. Bobby comforted Lucy over her real-life break-up with Steve McFadden, who played her soap partner Phil Mitchell in Enders.

Lucy seemed smitten with her hunky six-foot lover, purring: "He's gorgeous—a great ad for dating younger men." But money and the age gap soon became issues. He has struggled to find work since his short-term contract as a tumbler at Legoland Windsor ended last year.

Our source said: "Lucy wanted Bobby to pay his way more." Her closeness to Bobby's mum Jane also worried the gymnastics champ. At 41, she was nearer Lucy's age than him.

Love

A pal said: "He adores Lucy but the age difference did play on his mind. He got paranoid that people thought that he was with his mother."

Last night Lucy refused to comment, but Bobby admitted: "We have split. I still love her—but I don't want to talk about it."