EastEnders role was a natural fit
BILL Treacher was the first actor cast in the BBC’s flagship new soap opera EastEnders in 1985 and very quickly became the most popular Cockney road sweeper in the country. Audiences seemed to instantly relate to his down-to-earth character, Arthur Fowler, and the many trials and tribulations he had with his screen wife Pauline, played by Wendy Richard, and their children Michelle (Susan Tully) and Mark (Todd Carty).
When filming started in February 1985, Treacher found himself working 12-hour days.
In his first scene he broke into a flat with “Dirty Den” Watts, played by Leslie Grantham.
Treacher’s character later went to prison for stealing Christmas Club money to help pay for Michelle’s wedding.
The actor won widespread praise for the way Fowler reacted to his son’s HIV diagnosis.
Playing an EastEnder came easily to William Charles Treacher, who was born in Romford, east London, in 1930. After National Service with the RAF, he worked as a P&O steward to earn enough money to study at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art.
He appeared in West End stage shows before breaking into TV in 1961 in ITV’s Television Playhouse.
Roles in Grange Hill, Dad’s Army, Minder and Z-Cars followed, but it with EastEnders that made him a household name.
When creator Julia Smith first approached Treacher, he was dubious. He later said: “I asked her how long it would be on for and she said 52 weeks. I said, ‘I can’t do that, I’ll never see my family.’”
He’d married Australian actress Katherine Kessey in 1971 and they lived happily in Suffolk with their children Jamie and Sophie.
After 11 years on the soap, Arthur was killed off, suffering a haemorrhage at his allotment.
By then Treacher was suffering severe migraines with stress and had developed diverticulitis, a condition causing pain and nausea.
Shortly after his exit, he said: “By the time I left even the theme music was making me feel ill. I felt depressed, wrung out. We had fun and I made some money but eventually it became a bit of a bore.”
He did resume acting, appearing in Tale Of The Mummy in 1998 and George And The Dragon in 2004, and he managed small roles in The Bill and Casualty.
In later years, ataxia left the actor wheelchair-bound. He died after suffering declining health for a number of years, and is survived by his wife and children.