From Pirates of the Caribbean to Little Britain and Nickelodeon – where the original EastEnders cast are now
WHEN the BBC launched its first soap on February 19, 1985, the original cast members had no idea that it would become such a hit.
In just eight months EastEnders reached No1 in the TV ratings and its actors became household names.
Amazingly, four decades on, three of the stars are still on the show today.
But sadly, more than a third are no longer alive.
Here we pay tribute to its late stars and take a look at the careers of the original line-up.
DIED
Pauline Fowler (Wendy Richard): The feisty matriarch ruled the roost until 2006 when Pauline was found dead in the snow after being hit over the head with a frying pan.
Wendy died from breast cancer three years later at 65.
Arthur Fowler (Bill Treacher): After being warned by doctors that the gruelling filming schedule would kill him, Bill quit and Arthur was killed off in 1995.
He later got a film role in George And The Dragon with Patrick Swayze.
Bill died aged 92 in 2022.
Den Watts (Leslie Grantham): The infamous landlord had two stints in Walford from 1985-1988 and then again from 2003-2005.
Leslie was axed from the show after an internet sex scandal in 2004.
He died of lung cancer, aged 71, in 2018.
Dot Cotton (June Brown): The actress made her last appearance in 2020.
The BBC insisted that the door remained open and her dressing room was reportedly left intact, but June died in 2022, aged 95.
Dr Legg (Leonard Fenton): After leaving in 1997, Leonard continued to bob in and out for the next 22 years.
He worked as an artist and director and performed radio plays.
His final appearance was in 2019 when Dr Legg passed from pancreatic cancer.
Leonard died in 2022, aged 95.
Lou Beale (Anna Wing): The formidable head of the Beale family was killed off in 1988.
She worked alongside Orlando Bloom in 2004 film The Calcium Kid and was still acting at 97.
She died in 2013, aged 98.
Ethel Skinner (Gretchen Franklin): She was the Walford gossip queen for three years until her character moved to an old folks’ home.
She made brief returns until her final appearance in 2000.
Gretchen died in 2005, aged 94.
Andy O’Brien (Ross Davidson): Ross made EastEnders history as the first main character to be killed on the soap, in a road accident in 1986.
He also appeared in Brookside and Hollyoaks.
He died from brain cancer in 2006, aged 57.
Sue Osman (Sandy Ratcliff): Sue was written out of the show in 1989.
After battling a heroin addiction, she re-trained and worked as a counsellor.
She died in 2019, aged 70.
Willy the pug: Ethel’s dog Willy was put down in heart-breaking scenes in 1992 and, just two weeks later, the dog that played him also died.
Roly the poodle: Sharon Watts’ dog Roly (also his real name) lived with creator Julia Smith.
In 1993, when Roly got too old to be on screen, his character was run over.
Real-life Roly died two years later.
RETIRED FROM ACTING
Simon Wicks (Nick Berry): After playing Walford heartthrob Simon Wicks for five years, Nick dabbled in music and played a policeman in Heartbeat.
He quit acting in 2003 to run his own production company.
At 61, he’s now retired.
Lofty Holloway (Tom Watt): After playing barman Lofty, Tom became a sports journalist.
He was the ghostwriter for David Beckham’s 2003 autobiography.
Tom, 68, is now a consultant for EA Sports.
Michelle Fowler (Susan Tully): After joining the show as a teen, Susan quit in 1995, to work behind the camera.
At 57, she has a successful career, having directed episodes of Silent Witness and Line Of Duty.
Mary Smith (Linda Davidson): The Square’s resident punk left in 1988.
She quit acting in the mid-90s to run the BBC’s drama websites.
Linda, 60, went on to work as Digital Director for the Jamie Oliver Group.
Tony Carpenter (Oscar James): The first black actor to appear in EastEnders, Oscar stayed for two years.
He has appeared in everything from Charlie And The Chocolate Factory to Shakespeare.
Now 82, he is retired.
Debbie Wilkins (Shirley Cheriton): Having played posh Debbie, Shirley left in 1987 and starred in Grace & Favour.
Now 69, she last appeared on TV in the 2009 series FM.
STILL WORKING
Angie Watts (Anita Dobson): Bosses pleaded with Anita to return as the long-suffering Queen Vic landlady when she quit after three years.
She refused and Angie died off-screen from alcoholic poisoning in 2002.
Anita, 75, is one of the most successful EastEnders cast members, having worked constantly on TV and in theatre.
Nick Cotton (John Altman): Villainous Nick returned to Walford six times, but died from a drugs overdose in 2015.
Actor John, 72, has appeared in The Real Marigold Hotel and horror, The Last Grail Hunter.
Pete Beale (Peter Dean): The fruit and veg seller was killed in an off-screen car crash in 1993 after Peter publicly criticised bosses.
Now 85, he has appeared in Little Britain, The Real Marigold Hotel and Bo’ Selecta.
Kelvin Carpenter (Paul J Medford): After leaving in 1987, he appeared in stage productions.
Since 2019, Paul, 57, has been employed as a vice-president at children’s TV channel Nickelodeon.
Ali Osman (Nejdet Salih): After leaving in 1989, Nej had a few small TV parts before getting a role in two Pirates Of The Caribbean films.
Now 66, he still acts.
Saeed Jeffrey (Andrew Johnson): Andrew, 70, only spent ten months as shopkeeper Saeed.
He moved to Hollywood and had minor parts in Murder She Wrote and Inspector Morse.
His last role was five years ago, playing a thug in The Bold And The Beautiful.
STILL IN THE SQUARE
Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean): The teenage daughter of Den and Angie, she stayed in Walford until 1995.
Letitia, now 57, returned from 2001-2006 and then re-joined for a third time in 2012.
She has remained in the Square since.
Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt): The show’s longest-serving main character, Adam was only 17 when he was offered the role of Ian.
Adam, 56, left in 2020, made a brief return two years later for the funeral of Dot Cotton, and has been back in Walford since 2023.
Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth): Gillian was reportedly upset when her character was killed off-screen in a car crash in South Africa in 2006.
But she needn’t have worried.
Kathy miraculously returned nine years later, having faked her death as part of an insurance scam.
Now 69, she is still in the Square.
Who’s who?
1. Andy O’Brien (Ross Davidson)
2. Debbie Wilkins (Shirley Cheriton)
3. Lofty Holloway (Tom Watt)
4. Dr Legg (Leonard Fenton)
5. Nick Cotton (John Altman)
6. Mary Smith (Linda Davidson)
7. Den Watts (Leslie Grantham)
8. Saeed Jeffery (Andrew Johnson)
9. Dot Cotton (June Brown)
10. Pauline Fowler (Wendy Richard)
11. Lou Beale (Anna Wing)
12. Arthur Fowler (Bill Treacher)
13. Michelle Fowler (Susan Tully)
14. Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean)
15. Angie Watts (Anita Dobson)
16. Kelvin Carpenter (Paul J Medford)
17. Sue Osman (Sandy Ratcliff)
18. Ali Osman (Nejdet Salih)
19. Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth)
20. Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt)
21. Simon Wicks (Nick Berry)
22. Pete Beale (Peter Dean)
23. Ethel Skinner (Gretchen Franklin)
24. Willy the pug
25. Tony Carpenter (Oscar James)
26. Roly the poodle
WALFORD WONDERS
FROM the Spice Girl who appeared in Walford before finding fame, to why the show was almost called Square Dance, over the next three pages we reveal amazing facts you never knew about the soap . . .
BANGERS AND STASH ON SET
DEAN GAFFNEY, who played hapless road sweeper Robbie Jackson for 12 years, always kept some chipolata sausages in his pocket to reward his on-screen pet dog, Wellard, during filming.
THE CORRIE CONNECTION
THE show was created by TV producer Julia Smith and writer Tony Holland.
Since Tony came from a large East End family, he based the show around several strong families.
Incredibly, Julia was given unrestricted access to Coronation Street for a month, so she could find out how a continuing drama was produced.
JUST TOO MUCH BLOODY, MARY
EASTENDERS had been on air for less than a year when it received a complaint from clean-up TV campaigner Mary Whitehouse.
She was unhappy about the show’s use of “bleeding”, “bloody hell”, “bastard” and “kick in the crutch”.
NO ENDER NAMES
OTHER names considered for the soap, included Square Dance, Round The Square, Round The Houses, London Pride and East 8.
They settled on its title after Julia rang acting agents, asking: “Do you have any real EastEnders on your books?”
PLASTIC DAFFS
AS the show is filmed six to 12 weeks in advance, fake leaves are added to trees and plastic daffs placed in the ground to make it look more like spring than winter.
A BOOZE-WHO OF THE QUEEN VIC
REAL beer is served in the Queen Vic, as non-alcoholic beer doesn’t come out of the pumps as well.
Water is used instead of vodka and gin, while burnt sugar is added for whisky.
Diluted apple juice replaces white wine.