EASTENDERS IS 35!
Over 13 million of us tuned in on 19 February 1985 to watch the first episode of a brand-new soap. Since then, EastEnders – set in the fictional London borough of Walford – has delivered jaw-dropping storylines and nail-biting cliffhangers accompanied by its iconic theme tune, whose last few notes are affectionately known as the ‘duff-duffs’. In the past 35 years the show has featured a staggering 51 births, 131 deaths, 19 Queen Vic landlords – and the drama is showing no signs of stopping. The anniversary episodes starting next week are set to be anything but plain sailing as the residents of Walford go on a boat party – be prepared for a birth, a death and even a few laughs along the way. To celebrate the special anniversary of this much-loved soap, we’ve brought you 35 fascinating facts from the show’s history...
1
Jonathan Ross’ mum Martha was an extra on the show for 21 years but was fired in 2006 after telling her son Paul a secret Christmas storyline – which he then leaked on his radio show.
2
Ian Beale and Phil Mitchell stand as the Square’s most married men: each have been hitched four times.
3
In 2008, Dot Cotton (June Brown) was the first-ever soap character to do an entire episode solo.
4
Ian Beale is the longest serving character, having been there since the start. He was meant to be 14 but licensing rules meant he had to be played by someone older – so 16-year-old Adam Woodyatt got the part.
5
Bianca was almost played by a Spice Girl! Emma Bunton auditioned for the role.
6
Spandau Ballet star Martin Kemp, who played villain Steve Owen for over three years, still channels his character.
“Even today there’s a bit of Steve I keep with me if I ever need a bit of confidence,” he admits.
7
The crisps in the Queen Vic have to be put in special packets with a made-up name because of the BBC’s branding rules – and the cast aren’t meant to eat them because they cost a lot to produce. Packet of Glovers, anyone?
8
Twenty six years after Sonia Jackson’s first appearance, actress Natalie Cassidy still gets asked about a certain prop. She says, “The odd white-van man hollers, “Oi Sonia, where’s your trumpet?”
9
Den, Angie and Sharon Watts were originally called Jack, Pearl and Tracey.
10
There’s a step behind the bar of the Queen Vic which was put there when 4ft 11 Barbara Windsor played landlady Peggy Mitchell.
11
As Den Watts, actor Leslie Grantham uttered the soap’s first words, “Cor, stinks in ’ere, dunnit?”
12
Dot wears the same dress every Christmas. The oldest item in the wardrobe department, it’s almost as old as EastEnders itself!
13
Because the show is filmed up to 12 weeks in advance, fake leaves are added to trees and plastic daffodils are used to make it look like spring.
14
Robbie Jackson’s “male” dog Wellard was mostly played by female dogs…
15
The 1986 Christmas Day episode is the highest rated episode in UK soap history – Den handing divorce papers to wife Angie was watched by 30.15 million viewers.
16
Real-life romances over the years include Steve McFadden and Lucy Benjamin (1999-2003), and on-screen brother and sister Joe Swash and Kara Tointon, who dated for two years.
17 18
All the fruit and veg on the market stalls is real.
Nigel Harman won four Sexiest Male awards from 2003-2005 for playing “Mini Den” Dennis Rickman.
19
Jessie Wallace and Shane Richie, otherwise known as Kat and Alfie Moon, didn’t speak for five years due to the phone-hacking scandal. They each suspected the other of selling stories to the press. “That impacts a lot on shows like EastEnders, where you work so closely,” says Shane. “You end up not trusting each other.”
20
Laila “Big Mo” Morse’s real name is Maureen Oldman. “Laila Morse” is a nickname given to her by her Oscar-winning brother Gary Oldman’s ex-girlfriend, actress Isabella Rossellini, and is an anagram of “my sister” in Italian.
21
The outdoor Albert Square set was built on the same plot as the building site of ’80s comedy-drama
Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.
22
In 2001, the UEFA
Cup semi-final was postponed by 15 minutes because of the Who Shot Phil? storyline.
23
EastEnders was almost called “Square Dance”.
24
When Lacey Turner auditioned for the part of Demi Miller, she impressed producers so much they created the character of Stacey Slater just for her.
25
Susan Tully, who played Michelle Fowler for ten years, is now a successful TV director, working on shows such as Line Of Duty.
26
The picture of Mick and daughter Nancy in the Queen Vic is actually of Danny Dyer and his daughter Dani as a toddler.
27
In 1990, Den was shot dead. Except he wasn’t. He’d fled to Spain, returning to the Square in 2003, only to be killed off by wife Chrissie in a episode watched by a third of the UK population.
28
Tamzin Outhwaite, who starred as Mel Healy/ Owen/Beale twice in the soap, is related to TV royalty Holly
Willoughby – whose husband Dan Baldwin is Tamzin’s cousin.
29
One of the first things the cast do when they get their scripts is turn to the back page to see who’s got the “duff duff” – the drumroll at the end of each episode.
30
Jo Warne, the actress who first played Peggy Mitchell, featured in 10 episodes in 1991. Three years later, producers hired Barbara Windsor.
31
The exterior buildings were built in 1984 so were chipped with pickaxes to make them look older.
32
Pat Butcher (Pam St Clements) had 125 pairs of earrings for her character.
33
Patsy Kensit, Cheryl Baker and Joanna Lumley were all in the running to play Chrissie Watts. The part went to Tracy Ann Oberman.
34
Danny Dyer says the first time he saw the set for Mick and Linda’s bedroom, he wondered why the wallpaper had a pattern of prawns. It is, of course, pink flamingoes!
35
Walford is a combination of London boroughs Walthamstow and Stratford.