EastEnders legend Sid Owen is said to be ‘so angry’ and blaming the previous owners of his £30k boat for the vessel’s ‘write-off’ in a ‘drunken mishap’ – as it has been pictured submerged for the first time.
On Tuesday, it was revealed the star, 54, had managed to write off his boat, named Rolling On The River, and scuppered his latest business venture in a drunken incident, however he has now staunchly denied that he was inebriated.
New images show the boat dramatically slumping under water level on the bank of the Thames.
The soap star, best known for playing the role of Ricky Butcher in the long-running BBC show, had grand plans to host VIP tours along the stretch of the River Thames near his London home after investing in a second-hand pleasure cruiser.
He is alleging a ‘dodgy fan belt’ was to blame for crashing the boat into an overhanging tree and tearing a hole in the hull at a marina in West London and says he only fled the scene to help his elderly pal escape danger.
Sid is insistent the damage to the boat, which would be worth around £115k new, is what caused the crash, with sources telling The Sun: ‘He’s trying to blame the previous owner for what’s gone on but it appears there may be more to this’.
EastEnders legend Sid Owen is said to be ‘so angry’ and blaming the previous owners of his £30k boat for the vessel’s ‘write-off’ in a ‘drunken mishap’
New images show the boat dramatically slumping under water level on the bank of the Thames
It has been claimed that Sid and his business partner will face a large bill to remove their boat from the water before they rack up fines from the Environment Agency.
An Instagram account advertising the boat’s VIP tours shows photos of the vessel’s interiors and of it moored up at a marina with instructions to ‘DM for prices and dates’.
After the crash, it was revealed that Sid was blaming the previous owners and was not in fact drunk despite having been drinking in a pub in Surbiton six miles away.
A source told The Sun: ‘Sid is insisting that the boat broke down due to a dodgy fan belt before drifting into the riverbank. He says he only fled the scene because his friend is elderly and he wanted to get him off the boat as quickly as possible.
‘He’s trying to blame the previous owner for what’s gone on but it appears there may be more to this than he is trying to suggest.’
A representative for Sid has been contacted by Daily Mail for comment.
Sid’s acting career took off in 1988 when he joined EastEnders, before he first left in 2012, after his character broke up with Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer).
Images show the submerging boat
Pictures show the captured the vessel taking on water and slipping beneath the surface
The boat is seen submerged in the Thames
It has been claimed that Sid and his business partner will face a large bill to remove their boat from the water before they rack up fines from the Environment Agency
An Instagram account advertising the boat’s VIP tours shows photos of the vessel’s interiors and of it moored up at a marina with instructions to ‘DM for prices and dates’
The boat will have to be recovered from the water
New images show the boat sinking
He made a comeback for guest appearances in 2022 and 2023 after a whole decade away and reprised his role as the mechanic, before leaving screens again in 2023.
His last acting job aside from EastEnders was in the short film Angels And Cowboys, which premiered back in 2016.
He has made a number of reality TV appearances over the years on shows such as Celebrity MasterChef and Channel 4’s Banged Up.
