‘King of freebies’ Dean Gaffney desperate for EastEnders return after wild summer antics in Ibiza with Wayne Lineker

HE spent his teens sweeping up the streets of Walford with his beloved companion Wellard in EastEnders. But in recent years, soap legend Dean Gaffney has swapped his sweeping brush for a selfie stick, acquiring a reputation for scouring the clubs of Ibiza with bikini-clad beauties. Dean Gaffney, 48, has spent the summer posting pics from Ibiza but his pals says he wants to return to acting Credit: Louis Wood News Group Newspapers Ltd Dean rose to fame in 1993 as the lovable Robbie Jackson in BBC soap EastEnders, often accompanied by his on-screen companion Wellard Credit: BBC Yet, behind the endless cocktails and sun-soaked selfies with his Ibiza wingmen Tony Truman and Wayne Lineker, reality is starting to bite for the acting veteran. According to pals, the lothario is skint – and he is desperately hoping BBC bosses will throw him a bone and welcome him back to Albert Square. Dean has been living it up on the party isle all summer, practically taking up residency at Truman and Lineker’s infamous O Beach club. The 48-year-old has fully embraced his bachelor lifestyle, pictured with a string of reality stars, influencers, and, ever present, party girls. While his businessmen friends help him out – even dubbing Dean “king of the freebies” – the actor’s lifestyle doesn’t come cheap. Not helping his dwindling bank account is his stalled acting career, which has hit the buffers since he was axed from EastEnders in 2019. “Dean is loving life in Ibiza, but it’s no secret that his pockets are pretty empty right now. He’s very open about the fact that he is not as well off as his mates,” an insider revealed. “Tony and Wayne look after him, of course, but the lifestyle takes its toll financially. You can’t live like a millionaire playboy on a small income forever. “He knows the party has to stop at some point, and he is desperately putting the feelers out for more acting gigs.” And, according to sources, there is only one place Dean truly wants to call home, Walford. Since bursting onto our screens as the hapless but lovable Robbie Jackson in 1993, Dean cemented himself in British pop culture history. Alongside his trusty sidekick, Wellard the dog, Robbie quickly emerged as a fan favourite alongside his half-sisters Biana and Sonia. After an initial ten-year stint, Dean was written out in 2003, only to make a string of highly-publicised returns over the years. But his last major stint ended in disaster when he was unceremoniously axed by EastEnders producers after his off-screen antics – which included allegations of suggestive online messages to a female fan – finally became too much for the national broadcaster. Bosses pulled the plug on his contract and Dean was forced to pack up his dressing room and wave goodbye to his steady BBC paycheck. When the soap work dried up, Dean wasn’t too proud to hit the reality TV circuit. He gave viewers television gold with his terrified, screaming performance on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! back in 2006, and later returned for the South Africa all-stars spin-off in 2023. He even put his chaotic love life on full display on Celebs Go Dating. But while reality TV pays the immediate bills, it is not something Dean enjoys doing. His pal insists: “Dean has said a lot more noes than he has yeses to reality TV. “He’s got his principles and doesn’t want to do a load of reality TV shows like some of his colleagues. He’s always said no to the likes of Celebrity Masterchef and Strictly.” Dean Gaffney and a pal in Ibiza with Wayne Lineker and Ivan Toney Credit: Instagram @waynelineker In previous years, the actor has posed alongside Katie Price and Jamie O’Hara in Ibiza Credit: Instagram/deangaffney1 “Acting is his first love, and that is what Dean wants to be doing. “Yes, he made a stupid mistake, but he misses the routine, he misses the cast, and quite frankly, he misses the money. He looks back at his time on the Square as the golden years.” Since leaving EastEnders in 2019, he has not exactly been rushed off his feet with work. Aside from the almost compulsory annual panto for former soap stars, Dean has done very little. That was until this year when he landed a role opposite Vinnie Jones, in the action-crime film Reckless. “It really loved being back in front of the cameras and he is determined to get more work on-screen, even if EastEnders bosses don’t welcome him back,” said our insider. The father-of-two has made no bones about his financial situation, and admitted he couldn’t afford his party lifestyle if it wasn’t for his generous pals. He said earlier this year: “I think people have this misconception about me. “When they see me in Dubai or Ibiza, they think I’m some millionaire living a big flashy lifestyle. “The truth is, wherever I go, I’m usually staying for free because my friends have a villa or businesses out there. “I wouldn’t be able to afford going to places like Dubai four times a year if I didn’t have friends who run beach clubs, restaurants, or hotels. They make it much easier to go away.” Speaking of Ibiza legend Tony Truman, he added: “Tony is one of my best friends and, funnily enough, he was with Charlie Brooks, who played Janine on EastEnders. “They had a daughter together, Kiki, who’s now 21. Tony owns a beach club and a hotel in Ibiza and lets me visit whenever I like.” In fact, the lothario is currently at Tony’s O Beach resort where he has enjoyed being treated like soap legend and posing for selfies with fans. Dean’s private life has almost been as dramatic as the former soap he starred in. After splitting from Sarah Burge, his childhood sweetheart and the mother of his twin daughters, Chloe and Charlotte, Dean’s dating history has been hectic. He has also dated stunning blonde model Rebekah Ward, who was 16 years his junior, before embarking on a romance last year with bookish Harvard graduate Kate Black, 31, also 16 years his junior. Dean Gaffney with then girlfriend Rebekah Ward in 2018 Credit: Instagram Dean Gaffney and daughters Chloe and Charlotte Credit: Instagram/deangaffney1 But The Sun can reveal that the pair have since split and the stunning brainbox has unfollowed the soapstar on Instagram – meaning Dean is back on the market. In 2021, the acting legend officially became a grandfather aged 43 when daughter Chloe gave birth to a gorgeous baby girl named Mimi. “Dean absolutely dotes on his granddaughter, but becoming a grandad hasn’t exactly slowed him down,” laughs a close pal. “If anything, he’s partying harder than ever this summer. He refuses to grow old gracefully. “But he definitely wants to get back to work and be able to always provide for his family.” For now, the star will be treading the boards in December, playing the Wizard of Oz in the 2026 pantomime production of the musical at The Woodville theatre in Gravesend. As he prepares to step into the Wizard’s shoes this Christmas, Dean will undoubtedly be hoping for a little magic of his own to secure a return to Albert Square. Dean Gaffney’s representatives were contacted for comment.