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Celestine and Etta Tavernier are fictional characters from the

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soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

'' EastEnders'', played by Leroy Golding and

Jacqui Gordon-Lawrence Jacqui Gordon-Lawrence is a British former actress, most famous for playing the role of Celestine and Etta Tavernier, Etta Tavernier in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. She no longer acts and as of 2008 works in criminal law. Career She train ...

respectively. Both appear primarily in the serial as a married couple between 1990 and 1992. Celestine makes a further guest appearance in 1993, while Etta makes a guest appearance in 1994, both visiting remaining members of the Tavernier family. Celestine is portrayed as a strict disciplinarian and a devout Christian who expects everyone in his family to show similar dedication to the church and abide by his rules. His unwavering demand for respect often alienates his children and almost causes the breakdown of his marriage. Also religious, Etta is portrayed as a career woman; her most prominent storylines concern marital problems and crises of faith.

Storylines

Backstory

Celestine and Etta were born in

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...

. Celestine was raised by his grandmother after his mother died and his father left to find work in

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

. He came to Britain in 1966, recruited by London Transport, with the intention of studying at evening classes for a white-collar job. It was a time when most West-Indians were expected to work on the buses or in hospitals and not to be too ambitious. However, he achieved his ambition, conformed and worked hard and eventually got promoted to manager at Walford

Department of Social Security The Department of Social Security (DSS) was a governmental agency in the United Kingdom from 1988 to 2001. The old abbreviation is still often used informally. Advertisements for rented accommodation used to describe prospective tenants who wou ...

(DSS). Celestine married Etta in Jamaica and after the birth of their first son in 1968 she joined Celestine in England, later having two more children. Etta decided to train for a job that she knew she could do well - teaching.

1990–1994

Celestine and Etta and their three children,

Clyde Clyde may refer to: People * Clyde (given name) * Clyde (surname) Places For townships see also Clyde Township Australia * Clyde, New South Wales * Clyde, Victoria * Clyde River, New South Wales Canada * Clyde, Alberta * Clyde, Ontario, a tow ...

(

Steven Woodcock Steven Woodcock (born 23 February 1964) is an English actor, best known for his role as Clyde Tavernier in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''; a role that he played from July 1990 to July 1993. Other television credits include ''Grange Hill'' ( ...

), the oldest, and twins

Hattie Hattie or Hatty may refer to: People *Hattie Alexander (1901–1968), American pediatrician and microbiologist *Hattie Helen Gould Beck, birth name of burlesque dancer Sally Rand (1904–1979) *Hattie Bessent (1908–2015), American psychiatric ...

(

Michelle Gayle Michelle Patricia Gayle (born 2 February 1971) is a British singer, songwriter, actress and writer. Gayle had success as a soul and R&B singer in the 1990s, having achieved seven top 40 singles in the UK Singles Chart. These include "Sweetness" ...

) and Lloyd ( Garey Bridges), move to

Albert Square 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 ...

along with Celestine's father

Jules Jules is the French form of the Latin "Julius" (e.g. Jules César, the French name for Julius Caesar). It is the given name of: People with the name * Jules Aarons (1921–2008), American space physicist and photographer *Jules Abadie (1876–19 ...

(

Tommy Eytle Thomas Daniel Hicks Eytle (16 July 1926 – 19 June 2007)Wilmer, Val"Tommy Eytle" (obituary) ''The Guardian'', 27 July 2007. Retrieved 3 March 2017. was a Guyanese calypso musician and actor. Although born in Guyana, Eytle's career was based in ...

), when they are rehoused by the council in 1990 after Etta acquires a new job

teaching Teaching is the practice implemented by a ''teacher'' aimed at transmitting skills (knowledge, know-how, and interpersonal skills) to a learner, a student, or any other audience in the context of an educational institution. Teaching is closely ...

at Walford Primary School. Celestine is put in an awkward position in 1990 when he discovers that

Arthur Fowler Arthur Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Bill Treacher from 1985 to 1996. The father of the Fowler family, Arthur was essentially a good man but made some foolish choices that he always ended ...

(

Bill Treacher William Charles Treacher (4 June 1930 – 5 November 2022) was an English actor. He was best known for portraying the role of Arthur Fowler in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 1985 to 1996, having been the first person to be cast for ...

) is working and signing on for dole money at the same time. He eventually decides that he cannot 'turn a blind eye' to Arthur's fraudulent behaviour and turns him in to the authorities at his work, but his self-righteous attitude earns him few friends on the square. Celestine is unwavering with his expectations of his offspring. He demands respect and adherence at all times, and because of this he finds it extremely difficult to relate to his children, who often feel that his strict rules are harsh and unfair. Celestine has a tempestuous relationship with Clyde in particular. Clyde feels that his father has 'sold out' by accepting the prejudices of his bosses who are slow to promote him, whilst Celestine cannot relate to Clyde's lack of ambition. He is also regularly accused of turning his back on his roots by his father Jules and because Jules never went through Celestine's struggles for acceptance in a white community, he doesn't really understand his son. Celestine is a dedicated

Church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...

-goer and spends most of his spare time performing religious readings and educating 'young disciples' in the teachings of the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts ...

. Etta is also a devout Christian and a dedicated mother, but the big love of her life is teaching, so she is thrilled when she gets promoted to 'acting head' at Walford primary in 1991. However, Celestine blights what should have been a happy time for Etta by continuously arguing with her about her new job. Celestine, is unhappy about Etta's promotion as he feels threatened by her higher status and earning power and believes that she has deliberately set out to undermine his status as the head of the household. The rift between them nearly drives Celestine into the arms of another woman whom he had been

mentor Mentorship is the influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the personal and p ...

ing in bible studies. The woman, Yvonne (

Pamela Nomvete Pamela Nomvete (born 1963) is an Ethiopian-born South African/British actress. Life Pamela Nomvete was born in Ethiopia to South African parents. She spent her childhood in many different countries, and attended boarding school in the United Kin ...

), wants more than friendship from Celestine and propositions him one night following a row with Etta. It is a testing time for Celstine, but the sanctity of marriage is more important to him and he manages to resist the temptation. Their marriage is tested again later in 1991 when Etta decides that she wants to undergo sterilization in order not to pass on her

Sickle-cell Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a group of blood disorders typically inherited from a person's parents. The most common type is known as sickle cell anaemia. It results in an abnormality in the oxygen-carrying protein haemoglobin found in red blo ...

gene In biology, the word gene (from , ; "... Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a b ...

to any future children (their youngest son Lloyd has already inherited the gene and his life has been severely limited because of this). Celestine refuses to entertain the idea, however, as he feels that such an act goes against their religious principles. Etta decides to go ahead with the sterilisation anyway, only to discover that she is already pregnant and that her unborn child is carrying a double dose of the sickle-cell gene. Upon realising this Celestine is forced to reappraise his priorities and to agree, unwillingly, to a

termination Termination may refer to: Science *Termination (geomorphology), the period of time of relatively rapid change from cold, glacial conditions to warm interglacial condition *Termination factor, in genetics, part of the process of transcribing RNA ...

. It is a traumatic time for the Taverniers, but the ordeal eventually manages to bring them closer and they emerge from it a much stronger couple. In 1992 Etta is offered a permanent role as

head teacher A head master, head instructor, bureaucrat, headmistress, head, chancellor, principal or school director (sometimes another title is used) is the staff member of a school with the greatest responsibility for the management of the school. In som ...

at Walford primary and Celestine proves that he has learnt from his past mistakes by showing genuine happiness for Etta's success. However, in June of that year Celestine is offered a promotion in

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...

. Etta is unwilling to move but after Lloyd gets into trouble with the

police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and th ...

for joy-riding, she decides that a fresh start for the family might be best. So the couple leave Walford for a new start. Celestine returns briefly in July 1993 when he finds out that his daughter is planning on marrying Steve Elliot (

Mark Monero Mark Monero (born 1968) is a British actor and musician. He has had various roles including parts in ''Babylon'', ''Wilt'', ''Prayer for the Dying'', ''Sid and Nancy'' and remains best known for his role as Steve Elliot in the BBC soap opera ...

) and is extremely shocked to find out that she is pregnant. Celestine is also shocked to meet his previously unknown of niece,

Gidea Thompson The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 1993, by order of first appearance. 1994 was a historic year for ''EastEnders'', as in April, a third weekly episode was introduced. Due to the p ...

(Sian Martin), and he is appalled to find out that his father, Jules, had abandoned Gidea's grandmother - who at the time was pregnant with Gidea's mother - many years earlier. Etta returns briefly in February 1994 to stop Steve (Hattie's ex-boyfriend) from attempting to contact her daughter when he arrives in Norwich and the following week she visits Walford to try to persuade her father-in-law, Jules, to come and live with them following his mugging. Jules declines and says he is happy in the square.

Creation and development

In the latter part of 1989 ''EastEnders'' acquired a new executive producer named Michael Ferguson, who took over from

Mike Gibbon John Michael Gibbon (born 27 January 1942) is an English television producer and director. He directed and produced the BBC televised soap opera, ''EastEnders''. He began directing the programme in 1985 and began producing the programme in 1988 ...

. Ferguson had previously been a producer on ITV's ''

The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983. The programme focused o ...

'' — a hard-hitting, gritty and successful police drama, which seemed to be challenging ''EastEnders'' in providing a realistic vision of modern life in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. Due to his success on ''The Bill'',

Peter Cregeen Peter Cregeen (born 28 January 1940 in London, England) is a British television director, producer and executive. He was the original director of ITV's successful police drama, ''The Bill'', and made a substantial contribution to the series th ...

, the Head of Series at the BBC, poached Ferguson to become executive producer of ''EastEnders''. Following a relatively unsuccessful inclination towards comic storylines throughout 1989, Ferguson decided to take the soap in a new direction in 1990. Big changes were implemented both off-screen and on-screen. Ferguson altered the way the episodes were produced, changed the way the storylines were conceptualised and introduced a far greater amount of location work than had previously been seen. ''EastEnders'' scriptwriter

Colin Brake Colin Brake (born 1962) is an English television writer and script editor best known for his work for the BBC on programmes such as '' Bugs'' and '' EastEnders''. He has also written spin-offs from the BBC series '' Doctor Who''. He lives and w ...

has said that it was a challenging period, but "the results on-screen were a programme with a new sense of vitality, and a programme more in touch with the real world than it had been for a while". As a consequence of these changes, a large number of characters were axed in early 1990 as the new production machine cleared way for a new direction and new characters. Among the new characters were the Jamaican Tavernier family, who collectively arrived on-screen in July 1990, composed of grandfather

(

), his son and daughter-in-law Celestine ( Leroy Golding) and Etta (

), their eldest son

(

), and their twins Lloyd ( Garey Bridges) and

, played by

. Colin Brake has described the Taverniers as the major new additions that year, and it heralded the first time that an entire family had joined the serial all at once. Their introduction has also been described as a well-intentioned attempt to portray a wider range of black characters than had previously been achieved on the soap. Etta was Gordon-Lawrence's first television role. Golding, a relatively inexperienced actor at the time of his casting, was sent to audition for the part of Celestine as a means of getting him used to the audition process. He was awarded the part and claims that his inexperience helped rather than hindered the Tavernier family to gel together as it created a sense of "camaraderie" among them; he suggests that he and his screen wife Gordon-Lawrence "played very well off each other". The Taverniers backstory scripted them as Trinidadian immigrants, who came to the UK in the 1960s and battled their way through a racist society to achieve. Kingsley describes Etta as "the real boss at home, clever enough to let Celestine and Jules believe they were the heads of the household" Meanwhile, Celestine has been described "as someone so straight and upstanding that he'd have to be given a surgical procedure in order to have an unclean thought." Author Hilary Kingsley suggests that Celestine was the "most upright, law-abiding citizen of Albert Square ..but he doesn't get much thanks for it." She goes on to say that Celestine is "not a happy man, though. He knows his father thinks he has lost his roots. His older son Clyde thinks he has 'sold out' and accepted the prejudices of his bosses who've been slow to promote him. His twins wish he'd loosen up and get excited about something other than their school reports and the cricket results." Kingsley suggests that it was Celestine's relationship with Etta that proved most problematic for him however, stating that "He loves ttaand has always been loyal. but when she decided to push ahead in her career he began to feel slighted." Celestine and Etta's most prominent storylines concerned marital difficulties. Kingsley suggests that Etta's independence and decision to undergo sterilisation and have an abortion, wounded Celestine's male pride and plunged their marriage into turmoil. However, the Taverniers marriage remained intact when "Celestine realised he had to change or he'd be the loser". Half the Tavernier family, including Celestine, Etta and Lloyd were written out of the serial in 1992. On-screen Celestine was given a promotion in Norwich and left Walford. However, Celestine appeared again in 1993 and Etta in 1994 as part of storylines that were focusing on the remaining characters of the Tavernier family, Jules, Hattie and Clyde.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tavernier, Celestine and Etta EastEnders characters Television characters introduced in 1990 Male characters in television Female characters in television