Ronnie Hale

Ronnie Hale is Lawrence White's lover.

After learning about her parent's open marriage, Chrissie White began to doubt that her dad Lawrence was actually her biological father. Her suspicions were heightened when she found a love letter from Ronnie dated 1980, the year she was born, which ended "I feel sorry for you trapped in a marriage without love, all my love always". Chrissie tried to talk to Lawrence about the possibility of Ronnie being her biological father, but he refused to discuss the matter. After a quick internet search, Chrissie discovered Ronnie was a plumber. Chrissie's boyfriend Andy Sugden encouraged her to drop the matter as Lawrence was the man who brought her up and loved her, but despite his advice, the following week, Chrissie called Ronnie to sort out a leak at Home Farm. Chrissie was stunned to come face to face with her man she believed was her father. Ronnie fixed the leak as Chrissie asked him if he had a wife or had children. Ronnie confirmed he had neither. Chrissie later showed Ronnie a picture of her mother Ellen but Ronnie denied knowing her.

Ronnie reappeared at Home Farm the following month with an unpaid invoice. He came face to face with Lawrence for the first time in over thirty five years. Lawrence tried to pay him off but Ronnie rejected the offer and walked away. A fortnight later, a dishwasher at Home Farm broke, so gamekeeper Sam Dingle called Ronnie out to sort it. Chrissie felt awkward seeing Ronnie again and later Lawrence's wife Bernice told Ronnie that Lawrence had told her who he was an invited him back to talk things through. Lawrence wasn't pleased that Ronnie pitched up at his house, and after Bernice said Ronnie was Chrissie's biological father, Lawrence sent him packing. Later Lawrence and Ronnie met up and Lawrence asked him to stay away and they talked over the past. Ronnie threatened to expose the truth of how they were lovers, but Lawrence insisted he was glad when he left, as it gave him the opportunity to live the life he wanted.

The following day Sam gave Rakesh Kotecha Ronnie's business card as Rakesh was in urgent need of a plumber. Upon seeing how well Ronnie completed the job for the price he charged, Rakesh asked Ronnie to see over all of his building work. Whilst in the pub, Ronnie heard Bernice's half-sister Nicola King discussing the state of Bernice's sexless marriage with her friend Laurel Thomas. Lawrence was furious to see Ronnie talking to his grandson Lachlan White in the street, and confronted Ronnie about sticking around. Ronnie explained he is taking over Rakesh's conversion but Lawrence feared Ronnie was sticking around to ruin his marriage, although Ronnie told him he was doing a good enough job of that himself. A day later, Sam pointed a shotgun at Ronnie and threatened him on behalf of Lawrence. Ronnie managed to talk Sam into putting the shotgun down. Sam explained to Ronnie there were no cartridges in the gun, and he only threatened him so Lawrence would give him his job back. Sam gave Ronnie the gun and Ronnie went up to Home Farm and confronted Lawrence. Ronnie lied to Lawrence that Sam had been arrested but Lawrence knew he was lying. Ronnie gave Lawrence a dressing down, and Lawrence broke down as Ronnie questioned why he was so desperate to get rid of him. Lawrence hit Ronnie and burst his lip - he then told Ronnie he wished Ronnie were dead.

Rakesh started a fire at Mill Cottage which caused an explosion. An unconscious Nicola King was trapped inside after the house exploded, so Ronnie and Dan Spencer went in and get her out. Ronnie went back into the burning house to see if there is anyone still inside but collapsed unconscious in the kitchen. Rakesh and Carly Hope go in and get him out of the burning building. Ambulances and fire crew arrived. The ambulance crew tried to wake Ronnie up. Ronnie was hospitalised; while Lawrence thought he was in a coma, he expressed remorse and admitted he'd had feelings for him. When Ronnie woke up, he denied hearing the comments in order to keep Lawrence from getting upset. Ronnie also knew that Rakesh had caused the fire, but agreed to keep quiet if Rakesh made recompence to Nicola and Emma Barton and James Barton (who had been planning to buy Mill Cottage).

Bernice began to put the pieces of Lawrence and Ronnie's relationship together, and, wanting to test Lawrence, tricked them into being in the same hotel room. While there, Lawrence spoke fondly of their past, but told Ronnie that the aversion therapy he'd been forced to underdgo as a young man had rendered him incapable of having a relationship with anyone. Ronnie was upset, but accepted his decision. Bernice, who assumed that they'd gotten together, left the village, leading Lawrence to have a breakdown and drive everyone away from Home Farm. When Ronnie tried to help, Lawrence shot out his truck window and told him never to come back. Soon after, Lawrence was shot, and Ronnie visited him in hospital. He and Lawrence mended fences, and when Ronnie had to leave the village to tend to his injured brother, Lawrence gave him money to tide him over.