Former EastEnders actor Joseph Millson separated from his wife of 12 years in 2024 and is now preparing to marry his girlfriend, Lilli Fichter, after proposing to her.
A well-known soap actor is preparing to remarry just one year after finalising his divorce.
Former EastEnders and Holby City star Joseph Millson, 51, has proposed to his girlfriend, Lilli Fichtner, 32. Although he asked her to marry him at Christmas, he chose Valentine’s Day to share the happy news publicly.
The actor confessed he never expected to find love again, admitting he had doubts after his marriage ended. However, he was completely captivated by Lilli, who will become his third wife. Posting a selfie of the pair on Instagram, he wrote: “‘Surprised by joy,’ as Wordsworth would say… Not long ago, I was convinced my old heart was too battered and bruised to fall in love again.
“It would have taken someone truly remarkable to bring it back to life. Then I met Lilli — a woman defined by kindness, intelligence, talent, beauty, patience, humour and humanity.”
“So while the world splashes out on commercial nonsense, I prefer to think about St Valentine himself — the so-called martyr who risked everything to conduct secret marriages in a frightening Roman era. Love demands bravery. I’m all in.”
The engagement comes just a year after Joseph finalised his split from Sarah Jane Potts, his wife of 12 years. The pair tied the knot in 2013 after meeting on Holby City, where Joseph portrayed Luc Hemingway.
They went their separate ways in 2024 and officially divorced in 2025. Sarah was Joseph’s second wife; he had previously been married to actress Caroline Fitzgerald. Their marriage lasted from 1999 until 2011, and they share two children together.
It is unclear how long Joseph and Lilli — who also works as an actress in German films — have been in a relationship. However, they first began sharing photos of one another on social media in April 2025.
Joseph previously appeared in EastEnders as Jason James, who was engaged to Lynne Hobbs in 2002. He has also featured in the James Bond movie Casino Royale.
Meanwhile, Joseph isn’t the only EastEnders star heading down the aisle. Natalie Spence recently married her Home and Away actor boyfriend, Ryan Brown, in January. Natalie portrayed Beth in the BBC soap back in 2021.
The couple tied the knot at Sydney’s picturesque harbour in Australia, celebrating their big day surrounded by friends from the soap world. Natalie dazzled in a white mini bridal dress with a corset-style bodice, paired with stilettos.
Beaming with joy, she lifted her bouquet high while posing beside Ryan, also 31, who looked sharp in a white suit. The newlyweds embraced as they marked the beginning of their married life together.
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