Eastend Pete pint wasn’t ale it seemed

EASTENDER legend Peter Dean – fruit and veg trader Pete Beale – has revealed his tankard at the Queen Vic was full – of lemonade.

The star, 79, whose screen wife Kathy was played by Gillian Taylforth, 63, didn’t drink alcohol and is now a Buddhist.

He said of his character: “He could usually be found on his stall shouting his catchphrase ‘Alright treacle,’ at home with his wife or in the pub drinking from his pewter tankard.

“It was always filled with lemonade as I don’t drink.”

He played Pete from the soap’s 1985 launch to 1993.

He added: “I became a Buddhist 25 years ago.

“It plays an important role in my life. It’s the reason I’m here and made me more aware of the environment around me.”