Donna Ludlow
Donna Ludlow is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Matilda Ziegler. She appears between episodes 265 and 437 of ''EastEnders'', originally appearing on screen from 27 August 1987 to 13 April 1989. Donna was scripted as a troubled individual, desperate for attention, but shunned by almost all who encountered her. In her storyline, after finding out she was conceived from rape and then rejected by her mother, Donna sets herself on a path of self-destruction. She turns to manipulation, blackmail and prostitution to fund her drug-habit, before choking to death on her own vomit in 1989. Storylines Donna's godmother, June Watkins (Madaline Blakeney), visits Donna's mother, Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth), who gave Donna up for adoption because she was raped at the age of 14 by a man called Marcus Duffy. Donna hopes to meet Kathy and June tells Kathy this and about her life. Kathy refuses but will not say why. Undeterred, Donna moves to Walford to be ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Matilda Ziegler
Matilda Ziegler (born 23 July 1964) is an English actress, best known for her roles as Donna Ludlow in ''EastEnders'', Irma Gobb in ''Mr. Bean'', and Pearl Pratt in ''Lark Rise to Candleford''. Television and film career Ziegler's first screen role was in her early twenties, during 1987–89; she appeared in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'', playing Donna Ludlow, the illegitimate daughter of series regular Kathy Beale. Donna contended with prostitution, an attempted gang rape, heroin addiction and finally suicide (dying of a heroin overdose). The final death scenes of Ziegler's character, who had choked to death on her own vomit, have been hailed as one of the most powerful anti-drug images ever screened on the programme. She left ''EastEnders'' in April 1989. In the early 1990s, Ziegler starred in the ITV (TV network), ITV comedy, ''Mr. Bean'', where she played multiple characters, especially a three-episode stint as Irma Gobb, the title character's long-suffering girlfrien ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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June Watkins
The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 1987, by order of first appearance. Tina Hopkins Tina Hopkins, played by Eleanor Rhodes, is introduced as Ian Beale's (Adam Woodyatt) girlfriend in February 1987. Ian's friend Kelvin Carpenter ( Paul J. Medford) takes a romantic interest in Tina and makes advances towards her, which she shuns. Tina gets a job working at Naima Jeffery's (Shreela Ghosh) grocery store, the First til Last, and by May 1987 she and Ian decide that they want to move in together. They manage to persuade Kelvin to rent them one of his father's flats. Tina and Ian get the required consent from their parents and although their parents are unhappy with it, they move in together. Tina and Ian struggle to pay the rent and when money goes missing from Tina's workplace, Naima accuses her of stealing it, when in fact it was a friend of Mary Smith's (Linda Davidson) named Sandra. Rod Norman ( Christopher Mc ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Michelle Collins
Michelle Danielle Collins (born 28 May 1962) is an English actress and TV presenter, best known for her roles in the British soap operas ''EastEnders'' and ''Coronation Street''. Collins played Cindy Beale in the BBC soap ''EastEnders'' from 1988 to 1998, with a two-year break between 1990 and 1992. She played Stella Price in the ITV soap ''Coronation Street'' from 2011 to 2014. Her other notable TV roles include the BBC dramas ''Real Women'' (1998–1999), ''Sunburn'' (1999–2000) and ''Two Thousand Acres of Sky'' (2001–2003). Early life and education Collins was born at Hackney South East Hospital in Hackney, east London, to a Welsh mother, Mary, and a father of English and Flemish heritage. Her Flemish grandfather was Belgian from Antwerp and had emigrated to the UK in 1915 when aged five. She and her elder sister Vicki were brought up by their mother Mary in Highbury, London. When Collins was 14, her mother went back to university to obtain a law degree. In the 1970 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Cindy Beale
Cindy Beale (also Williams) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Michelle Collins. She first appeared 10 May 1988 and originally departed on 27 December 1990, before returning as one of the show's central antagonists from 13 October 1992 until her exit episode on 10 April 1998; the character died off-screen of childbirth on 5 November 1998. During her time on the show, Cindy embarked on a prolonged relationship with her would-be husband Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt). Their marriage soon deteriorated, however, due to Cindy's selfish streak that shows the character becoming unfaithful to Ian and growing more concerned about her own needs than their own children. She lies and schemes to ensure that she gets what she wants. Storylines Cindy Beale first arrives at Albert Square in May 1988, wherein she begins working on her mother's market stall selling hats. She dates barman Simon Wicks (Nick Berry), who is also seeing Donna Ludlow (Matilda Ziegl ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Nick Berry
Nicholas Berry (born 16 April 1963) is a retired English actor and pop singer. He is best known for his roles as Simon Wicks in ''EastEnders'' from 1985 to 1990, and as PC Nick Rowan in '' Heartbeat'' from 1992 to 1998. He sang UK chart singles with "Every Loser Wins" in 1986, which went to number one, and the theme song from ''Heartbeat'', a cover of the Buddy Holly song " Heartbeat", in 1992. Career Berry started acting at the age of eight. After attending the Sylvia Young Theatre School in London he played minor parts on television, film, and stage until his big break playing Simon 'Wicksy' Wicks in the popular BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', joining the series shortly after its inception in 1985 and staying until the end of 1990. Berry's character was thought up overnight and had been scheduled to appear later. However, he was introduced to restore the cast balance distorted by the unexpected departure of actor David Scarboro who played the original Mark Fowler. Scarboro' ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Simon Wicks
Simon "Wicksy" Wicks is a fictional character from the British BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Nick Berry between 1985 and 1990. Wicksy was introduced to take on some of the more adult storylines that had been scripted for another character, Mark Fowler; Mark's actor, David Scarboro, had left the serial prematurely due to personal problems. Wicksy was the soap's first male pin-up. An early storyline saw Wicksy perform a song in the serial, "Every Loser Wins", which was subsequently released as a single in 1986 and reached number one in the UK Singles Chart. One of Wicksy's most prominent storylines was his adultery with Cindy Beale, and a subsequent feud with Cindy's husband, Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt). Nick Berry quit the role in 1990, fearful of typecasting, and after five years on-screen, Wicksy departed on 27 December that year. On 13 January 2012, Simon made a one-off cameo for the funeral of his mother, Pat Evans (Pam St Clement). Storylines Simon arrives in Walfor ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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William Boyde
William Boyde (born March 1953) is a British actor, best known for his work on the British soap opera ''EastEnders'' (1986–1989, 1992, 2017). He was educated at Cheltenham College where he appeared as an extra in the film If...which was filmed at the school. His character James Willmott-Brown became one of the soap's most renowned villains after raping barmaid Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth) in 1988, and then terrorizing her in 1992. In September 2017, Boyde made an unannounced return to ''EastEnders'' and eventually departed on 28 December at the conclusion of his storyline - in which he was revealed as the boss of Max Branning (Jake Wood) in their vengeful plot to destroy the square. Boyde has also appeared in ''Just William'' (1977); the BBC drama '' Secret Army'' (1978); '' Bergerac'' (1981) and the detective series ''Dempsey and Makepeace'' (1985). In 2001 Boyde played Tim the pub landlord in the Johnny Vaughan cult sitcom '' 'Orrible''. In 2004 Boyde guest starred in the ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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James Wilmott-Brown
James Willmott-Brown (also credited as Willmott-Brown and Mr Willmott-Brown) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by William Boyde. The character originally appeared in Albert Square from 1986 to 1989, where he established the square's second pub – "The Dagmar" – and instigated a feud with his business rival Den Watts (Leslie Grantham). Willmott-Brown then developed a romantic obsession with his employee Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth), which sparked the events of the character raping her in 1988. Following his imprisonment for Kathy's rape, Willmott-Brown made a brief comeback in 1992 after he moved back into Albert Square; however, he was forced to leave by Kathy's former husband Pete ( Peter Dean) just weeks later. After an absence of 25 years, Willmott-Brown returned on 22 September 2017 as the show's hidden main antagonist upon being revealed to be the boss of Max Branning (Jake Wood) in their vengeful plot to destroy the square; with ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Peter Dean (actor)
Peter Dean (born 2 May 1939) is a British actor, best known for his roles as Pete Beale in ''EastEnders'', Jeff Bateman in ''Coronation Street'' and Sergeant Jack Wilding in '' Woodentop''. Early life and education Dean was born in Hoxton, East London, and was an acquaintance of the Kray twins while he was growing up. He went to primary school in Holloway and technical school at King's Cross, where he learned plumbing and bricklaying. He began drama lessons at 14 when his grandmother, the music hall artist Lilly Randall, realised that he was dyslexic. As a boy, Dean worked on a fruit and veg stall in Chapel Market in North London. Career Dean decided on a career in acting after actress Prunella Scales witnessed him rehearsing Shakespeare in Petticoat Lane Market and advised him to take drama classes. Aged 16 he studied under Joan Littlewood and has been an actor since he was 18. Dean's breakthrough performance was playing criminal 'Jack Lynn' in ''Law And Order'' (1978). He w ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Pete Beale
Pete Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Peter Dean. He makes his first appearance in the programme's first episode, on 19 February 1985. The character was introduced by Tony Holland, one of the creators of ''EastEnders''; he was based on a member of Holland's family. Pete is featured in the soap for eight years as the local fruit and veg trader of Albert Square; he is a member of the original focal clan in the serial, the Beales and Fowlers. Pete is portrayed as a macho and somewhat insensitive individual who struggles to cope with emotion. Pete was axed from the soap in 1993 and departed in May that year after over eight years on-screen. The character was killed off-screen later that year following Peter Dean's public criticism of the BBC. Storylines Backstory Pete and his twin sister, Pauline (Wendy Richard), were born to Albert (Gary Olsen) and Lou Beale (Anna Wing). They were born and raised in number 45 Albert Square. Albe ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Daily Mirror
The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print circulation of 716,923 in December 2016, dropping to 587,803 the following year. Its Sunday sister paper is the '' Sunday Mirror''. Unlike other major British tabloids such as '' The Sun'' and the '' Daily Mail'', the ''Mirror'' has no separate Scottish edition; this function is performed by the '' Daily Record'' and the '' Sunday Mail'', which incorporate certain stories from the ''Mirror'' that are of Scottish significance. Originally pitched to the middle-class reader, it was converted into a working-class newspaper after 1934, in order to reach a larger audience. It was founded by Alfred Harmsworth, who sold it to his brother Harold Harmsworth (from 1914 Lord Rothermere) in 1913. In 1963 a restructuring of the media interests of the Ha ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Adam Woodyatt
Adam Brinley Woodyatt (born 28 June 1968) is an English actor. He is known for his role as Ian Beale in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', which he played between 1985 and 2022. Early life and education Woodyatt was born on 28 June 1968 in Walthamstow, and grew up in east London. He was educated at two independent schools: Forest School, on the edge of Epping Forest, in Walthamstow in north east London, where he shared classes with comedy writer Sharat Sardana and cricket captain Nasser Hussain; and the Sylvia Young Theatre School. He also attended Llanidloes High School, Llanidloes, Wales. Career Aged 13, Woodyatt appeared on stage at the National Theatre in Tom Stoppard's play '' On the Razzle''. Following the completion of his studies at the Sylvia Young Theatre School, Woodyatt appeared in the BBC's children's drama series ''The Baker Street Boys'' (1983). He then put his acting career on hiatus and worked as a butcher in Wales for a brief period, before joining the ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |