Hannah Waterman and Ricky Groves in marriage split

The actress, 34, is said to have told Groves that their relationship was over on New Year's Day after dramatic weight loss gave her a huge boost in confidence.

A spokesman for Groves - who played hapless mechanic Garry Hobbs in EastEnders - confirmed the break-up.

Split: Ricky Groves and Hannah Waterman

Groves, 41, who recently appeared on Strictly Come Dancing, is said to be in tears over the end of the marriage.

He asked Waterman, who recently showed off her new slimline figure by stripping off in West End theatre show Calendar Girls, to move out of their home near Huntingdon, Cambs.

Groves has been seeking solace over a few pints at his local pub, according to The Sun.

A source told the newspaper: "I guess he's lonely. She just confessed to him one day that it was over. It was completely out of the blue for him, he thought they were happy."

Another source said: "Hannah seems to have a new-found confidence with her new figure. She's been turning heads and she knows it. It seems Ricky no longer fits into her life. She's enjoying looking sexy and wants to enjoy life as a single woman."

A spokesman for Groves confirmed the split but blamed work schedules, saying: "Ricky Groves and Hannah Waterman have announced today that after much consideration they have decided to formally separate.

"Both their careers have been hugely successful, but for most of last year their work has kept them apart."

Waterman, the daughter of Minder star Dennis Waterman, played Laura Beale in EastEnders.

She shed three stone, dropping from 10st 4lb to 7st 10lb, in five months on a diet and exercise regime and has been recently promoting a new exercise DVD.

She gave no clue of the split when she gave an interview yesterday promoting the DVD.

Asked whether her husband was maintaining his trimmer physique, she said: "I think he's put on a little bit but he's still much slimmer than he was. He didn't set out to lose weight."

She joked: "Sadly it's generally known that it's much easier for men. They give up the beer for a few days and lose a stone. Women have a harder time of it."

Groves also lost almost two stone from his stint last year on Strictly Come Dancing, and even said: "We're the incredible shrinking couple!"

The couple, who first met when they starred together in EastEnders, got engaged in 2005 and married a year later.