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Lofty Holloway
George "Lofty" Holloway is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Tom Watt. Lofty is one of the serial's near-original characters, making his first appearance in the third episode, which was first broadcast on 26 February 1985. Lofty is generally depicted as a meek, luckless and hapless victim. A long-running storyline concerns his relationship with the character Michelle Fowler (Susan Tully). Lofty departed in episode 334, first broadcast on 19 April 1988. Watt reprised his role in 2018 for the funeral of Harold Legg (Leonard Fenton). Lofty appears in episode 5871, originally broadcast on 19 February 2019. He reprised the role again in 2022 for the funeral of Dot Cotton (June Brown); Lofty appears in episode 6608, first broadcast on 12 December 2022. Storylines George Holloway, nicknamed "Lofty" due to his above average height, serves in the army but has to leave because he suffers with chronic asthma; he settles in Walford and gets a job as a ba ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tom Watt (actor)
Thomas Erickson Watt (born 14 February 1956) is an English actor, writer and broadcaster, known for portraying the role of Lofty Holloway in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders''. He is also known for his appearances on the BBC radio show ''Fighting Talk'' and his documentary films for BT Sport. Career Acting Born in Wanstead, Watt studied drama at Manchester University where he directed several stage productions. One of his first television roles was in the comedy series ''Never the Twain'' in 1981, but his big break came in 1985 when he was cast as one of the original characters in the BBC One soap opera, ''EastEnders''. Watt portrayed the role of Lofty Holloway, the barman of The Queen Vic from the show's inception until 1988. Other acting credits have included roles in the BBC drama ''South of the Border'', a South London detective show; the role of Norman in the 1990 film for ITV called ''And the Nightingale Sang'', a love story set during the war; ''Boon'' 1992, with Mi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Walford
Walford is a fictional borough of east London in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. It is the primary setting for the soap. ''EastEnders'' is filmed at Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, towards the north-west of London. Much of the location work is filmed in nearby Watford, which was chosen for many of the exterior scenes due to its close proximity and the town's name being so similar to Walford. Thus, any stray road signs or advertising boards which are accidentally filmed in the back of shots will appear to read Walford. Locations used in Watford include most interior and exterior church scenes of various churches, the snooker club, the County Court and Magistrates' Courts courtrooms, and the cemetery (where most of the deceased characters are interred). The name Walford is both a street in Dalston where one of the series' creators, Tony Holland, lived and a blend of Walthamstow, where Holland was born, and Stratford. The suffix 'ford' is also found throughout Britain, for examp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Martin Fowler (EastEnders)
Martin Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. The character was played by Jon Peyton-Price from the character's introduction 1985 until 1996, and by James Alexandrou from 1996 until 2007. When Alexandrou took over the role, the character was seen more regularly and was featured in prominent storylines such as sleeping with his neighbour Sonia Jackson (Natalie Cassidy) and getting her pregnant with their daughter Bex (Jade Sharif/Jasmine Armfield); developing a romantic crush on Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan), which is not reciprocated, accidentally killing his friend Jamie Mitchell ( Jack Ryder) after running him over in his car, which results in Martin being imprisoned for Jamie's death and subsequently feuding with the latter's godfather Phil (Steve McFadden); enduring a problematic marriage with Sonia after their wedding; and coping with the deaths of both his brother Mark (Todd Carty) and their mother Pauline (Wendy Richard). Alexandrou quit th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gillian Taylforth
Gillian Taylforth (born 14 August 1955) is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Kathy Beale on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', and has also appeared as Jackie Pascoe/Webb on ITV's ''Footballers' Wives'' (2002–2006), and as Sgt. Nikki Wright in ITV's ''The Bill'' (2006–2008). She has also appeared in film during her early career, has presented on ITV's ''Loose Women'' and appeared as a celebrity contestant on ''Strictly Come Dancing'' in 2008. In January 2013, she was a contestant in ''Celebrity Big Brother''. From May 2013 she played Sandy Roscoe on Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', but left in Summer 2014, and returned in December to again leave with Joe Roscoe in January 2015. Despite her ''EastEnders'' character being presumed dead after being killed off-screen in 2006, Taylforth made a shock return to the show in February 2015 as part of the 30th anniversary episode. The BBC later confirmed that she would reprise the role of Kathy permanently later ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kathy Beale
Kathy Beale (also Mitchell and Sullivan) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Gillian Taylforth. Portrayed as "an attractive, bright, caring and highly moral woman", Kathy is one of the serial's original characters, appearing in the first episode of ''EastEnders'' on 19 February 1985. Taylforth was originally dismissed for the role of Kathy due to her young age, but was reconsidered when she impressed show bosses. Kathy remained in a prominent role throughout her original stint on the serial, featuring in high-profiled storylines involving her rape at the hands of James Willmott-Brown (William Boyde) and the discovery of a long-lost daughter, Donna Ludlow (Matilda Ziegler), after she was sexually assaulted as a teenager. In 1993, after the character's marriage with her husband Pete ( Peter Dean) ended with the latter's departure from the square, Kathy developed a romance with Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) and they later had a son - Ben, who ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Letitia Dean
Letitia Jane Dean (born 14 November 1967) is an English actress. She is known for her portrayal of Sharon Watts in the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders''. An original cast member from 1985 to 1995, she reprised the role from 2001 to 2006, and again from 2012 onwards. Her other television roles include ''Grange Hill'' (1983–1984), ''Brookside'' (1984), ''The Hello Girls'' (1996–1998), and ''Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married'' (1999–2000). In 2007, she participated in the fifth series of the BBC dance competition ''Strictly Come Dancing'', finishing fourth. On stage, she starred in the West End production of ''High School Musical'' in 2008, and in the UK touring production of ''Calendar Girls'' in 2010. Early life Dean was born in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire to parents Leslie (a tailor) and Ellie Dean, in a cottage rented on the estate of English romantic novelist Barbara Cartland, known as Camfield Place. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sharon Mitchell (EastEnders)
Sharon Watts (also Rickman, Mitchell and Beale) is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Letitia Dean. Sharon is one of ''EastEnders'' original characters conceptualised by creators Tony Holland and Julia Smith. She first appeared in the first episode broadcast on 19 February 1985 as the teenage adopted daughter of pub landlords Den (Leslie Grantham) and Angie Watts ( Anita Dobson). The character became prominent in the 1990s due to her becoming the landlady of The Queen Victoria public house, her romantic pairings with brothers Grant ( Ross Kemp) and Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) and a feud with their younger sister Sam ( Danniella Westbrook/ Kim Medcalf). In a storyline dubbed '' Sharongate'', Sharon married to Grant, has an affair with Phil, climaxing in 1994 with Grant's discovery of the affair, which remains one of ''EastEnders'' highest viewed episodes - the storyline was reinvented in 2018 when Sharon began an affair with P ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Linda Davidson
Linda Davidson (born 18 June 1964 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian-British former actress and writer. She played the wayward punk Mary Smith in the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders''. Mary was one of the serial's original characters; Davidson played her from March 1985 to May 1988 and again for one episode in 2019. Away from ''EastEnders'', Davidson appeared in various television programmes and on stage. However, she stopped performing in the late 1990s. She went on to work in digital media for the BBC and Channel 4, and later joined Discovery Communications. Career Performing Davidson began as an actress and dancer. She attended drama school, the Italia Conti Academy in London, and moved into television acting. Her big television break came in 1984, when she secured the role of Mary Smith, in the fledgling BBC serial drama, ''EastEnders''; she first appeared on-screen as Mary in March 1985. During Davidson's time on the show her character was involved in storylines about ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mary Smith (EastEnders)
Mary Smith, also known as Mary the Punk, is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Linda Davidson, from 5 March 1985 to 26 May 1988. Punk Mary is Walford's original wild child. She often makes life difficult for herself due to her stubborn, defensive nature and she tends to feel that everyone around her is out to get her. In fact, Mary is her own worst enemy and most of her misfortune is down to her irresponsible behaviour and her inability to heed good advice. Davidson's return to the soap for a single episode was announced in December 2018. She returns for the funeral of Doctor Legg (Leonard Fenton) in episode 5871, originally broadcast on 19 February 2019. Davidson reprised the role of Mary again in 2022 for the funeral of Dot Cotton (June Brown). Storylines Mary arrives in Walford in March 1985 when she is housed in Reg Cox's (Johnnie Clayton) old council flat (23b Albert Square), following his death, bringing her daughter, Annie Smith. Mar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dot Branning
Dorothy "Dot" Branning (also Cotton) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, '' EastEnders'', played by June Brown. In a special episode entitled ''EastEnders: Dot's Story'' (2003) a young Dot was played by Tallulah Pitt-Brown in flashbacks. A tragicomic character, Dot was known for her devout Christian faith, gossiping, chain smoking, hypochondria, and motherly attitude to those in need. Dot first appeared in ''EastEnders'' in July 1985 as the mother of notorious criminal and original character Nick Cotton ( John Altman). The character worked as a launderette assistant for most of that time, along with original character Pauline Fowler (Wendy Richard), and was close friends with original characters Ethel Skinner (Gretchen Franklin) and Lou Beale (Anna Wing). Dot moved away with her son and his family in 1993. In reality, Brown left the show in 1993, unhappy with the development of her character. Brown returned to the role in April 1997, and on 28 April 2017, Dot ov ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council was abolished in 2009. Bedfordshire is bordered by Cambridgeshire to the east and north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east and south. It is the fourteenth most densely populated county of England, with over half the population of the county living in the two largest built-up areas: Luton (258,018) and Bedford (106,940). The highest elevation point is on Dunstable Downs in the Chilterns. History The first recorded use of the name in 1011 was "Bedanfordscir," meaning the shire or county of Bedford, which itself means "Beda's ford" (river crossing). Bedfordshire was historically divided into nine hundreds: Barford, Biggleswade, Clifton, Flitt, Manshead, Redbornestoke, S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leslie Grantham
Leslie Michael Grantham (30 April 1947 – 15 June 2018) was an English actor, best known for his role as "Dirty" Den Watts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. He was a convicted murderer, having served 10 years for the killing of a West German taxi driver, and had significant press coverage resulting from an online sex scandal in 2004. Early and personal life Grantham was born in Camberwell, London, the son of Adelaide (''née'' Flinders) and Walter William Grantham (1915–1998). He enlisted in the Royal Fusiliers regiment of the British Army in 1965, at the age of 18. Grantham married Australian Jane Laurie in 1981. The couple had three sons and divorced in 2013. His son Daniel Laurie is also an actor, and plays Reggie Jackson in ''Call the Midwife.'' Murder conviction Having joined the Army (The Royal Fusiliers), Grantham was soon posted to West Germany, where he quickly found himself in debt to army colleagues. He resorted to criminal activities in his attempt to clea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
