Michael Reid (19 January 1940 – 29 July 2007) was an English comedian, actor, author and occasional television presenter. He played the role of

Frank Butcher Frank Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Mike Reid (actor), Mike Reid. Frank makes his first appearance on-screen as a guest character in 1987, but due to a positive viewer reception, he is reintr ...

in the soap opera ''

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...

'' and hosted the children's game show '' Runaround''. He was known for his gravelly voice and strong London accent.

Personal life

Michael Reid was born in Hackney in 1940, the son of Ellen Louvian ( Ives) and Sidney Reid.

The Blitz The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'. The Germa ...

caused his family to move to

Tottenham Tottenham () is a town in North London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, bordering Edmonton to the north, Waltham ...

where he attended Rowland Hill School. In 1958, he married his first wife, Sheila Axe, they had a son and a daughter together, their son died as an infant from a mouth infection. The couple divorced in 1967. Later he married his longtime live-in partner Shirley (née Allder) in 1971; they had twin sons Mark and Michael. In 1990 he suffered tragedy when his son Mark committed suicide by dousing himself with petrol after years of suffering with mental health problems. Just four months after Mark's death, Mark's daughter, died from cot death. Reid coped by ploughing himself into work, but he said years later "People must see me on the TV or in cabaret laughing, singing, cracking gags and imagine that time has healed the pain and the scars. If only they knew. My son is locked away (inside) - not forgotten, just hidden away in what part we keep our private grief. Otherwise I couldn't function." Reid was known to be opposed to plans to introduce blasphemy laws, for the effect this would have on satire, comedy and free speech. Reid was a friend of fellow actor and stand-up comedian

Freddie Starr Freddie Starr (born Frederick Leslie Fowell; 9 January 1943 – 9 May 2019) was an English stand up comedian, impressionist, singer and actor. Starr was the lead singer of Merseybeat rock and roll group the Midniters during the early 1960s, an ...

: together they introduced their sometime

bodyguard A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects a person or a group of people — usually witnesses, high-ranking public officials or officers, w ...

, the bareknuckle fighter Lenny McLean, to acting. McLean went on to appear in ''

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels ''Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels'' is a 1998 British black comedy crime film written and directed by Guy Ritchie, produced by Matthew Vaughn and starring an ensemble cast featuring Jason Flemyng, Dexter Fletcher, Nick Moran, Steven Mackinto ...

''. During the 1970s, Reid was president of

Chelmsford City Chelmsford City Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Chelmsford, Essex, England. Currently members of they play at the Melbourne Stadium. History Chelmsford Chelmsford Football Club was established in 1878 by members of ...

Career

Reid's first work in entertainment was as a stand-up comedian in clubs and aboard cruise liners in the early 1960s. He then became an extra playing uncredited roles in television series such as ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

'' (in the story ''

The War Machines ''The War Machines'' is the ninth and final serial of the third season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in 4 weekly parts from 25 June to 16 July 1966. The serial is set in 1960s London ...

''), ''

The Saint The Saint may refer to: Fiction * Simon Templar, also known as "The Saint", the protagonist of a book series by Leslie Charteris and subsequent adaptations: ** ''The Saint'' (film series) (1938–43), starring Louis Hayward, George Sanders an ...

'' and '' Department S''. He was fired from working as

Roger Moore Sir Roger George Moore (14 October 192723 May 2017) was an English actor. He was the third actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond in the Eon Productions film series, playing the character in seven feature films between 19 ...

's underwater stunt double in ''

'' after drawing attention to Moore's thinning hair. He also worked as a

stunt A stunt is an unusual and difficult physical feat or an act requiring a special skill, performed for artistic purposes usually on television, theaters, or cinema. Stunts are a feature of many action films. Before computer generated imagery spec ...

man for films such as '' Casino Royale'' (1967) and ''

The Dirty Dozen ''The Dirty Dozen'' is a 1967 American war film directed by Robert Aldrich and starring Lee Marvin with an ensemble supporting cast including Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes, Richard Jaeckel, George Kennedy, Ralph M ...

'' (1967). He then became one of the original stars of '' The Comedians'', a popular TV series of the 1970s produced by

Johnnie Hamp Johnnie Hamp (sometimes referred to as John Hamp, or Johnny Hamp) is a British television producer, now retired. He is responsible for the early British television appearances of such acts as the Beatles, Burt Bacharach, Cannon and Ball, Paul Dan ...

for the

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

-based

Granada Television ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire but only on weekdays as ABC Weekend Television was it ...

, which consisted entirely of short slots by mature comedians. Being the only obviously London comic in a line-up made up predominately of Northern English and

Northern Irish Northern Irish people is a demonym for all people born in Northern Ireland or people who are entitled to reside in Northern Ireland without any restriction on their period of residence. Most Northern Irish people either identify as Northern ...

comedians, Reid stood out. As a comedian, Reid's well-known catchphrases included 'Terrific' (pronounced with the emphasis on each syllable), 'Turn It In' and 'Move Yer Arris'. Mike Reid on a Brighton House

He capitalised on his initial success with a one-off hit record, a novelty version of ''

The Ugly Duckling "The Ugly Duckling" ( da, Den grimme ælling) is a Danish literary fairy tale by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875). It was first published on 11 November 1843 in ''New Fairy Tales. First Volume#New Fairy Tales. Fir ...

'' recorded on Pye records. In 1975 it reached number 10 in the UK singles chart. In 1975 he also became the host of the

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

children's TV quiz show '' Runaround''. ''Runaround'' ended in 1981. In 1987, he joined the cast of popular BBC television soap opera ''

'' as

, for which he gained much popularity over the years. He initially joined the series as a semi-regular character, first appearing in September of that year, but was so popular that during 1988 he became a full-time cast member as his character became landlord of the Queen Vic pub, buying it from

Den Watts Dennis "Den" Watts is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by actor Leslie Grantham. He became well known for his tabloid nickname, "Dirty Den". Den was the original landlord of The Queen Victoria public house ...

(

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 Germ ...

) during 1988. The part of Butcher earned Reid the public persona of being pessimistic that he enjoyed acting against, for instance in television adverts for the soft drink Oasis. His character was involved in many popular storylines over the years and the most famous of these storylines was his character's long turbulent relationship with

Pat Wicks Pat Evans (also Beale, Harris, Wicks and Butcher) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders''. She was played by Pam St Clement from 12 June 1986, just over a year after the show first aired, until her departure on 1 January ...

(played by

Pam St. Clement Pamela Ann Clements (born 11 May 1942), known professionally as Pam St Clement, is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Pat Butcher in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' from June 1986 until January 2012, with a guest appe ...

) and later his short-lived marriage to

Peggy Mitchell Margaret Ann "Peggy" Mitchell (also Butcher) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Peggy was initially played by Jo Warne when she first appeared in the episode broadcast on 30 April 1991, featuring in 10 episodes. ...

(played by

Barbara Windsor Dame Barbara Windsor (born Barbara Ann Deeks; 6 August 193710 December 2020) was an English actress, known for her roles in the ''Carry On'' films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera, ''EastEnders''.EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...

'' actors

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...

'' Pussy in Boots'', a spin-off of ''

Puss in Boots "Puss in Boots" ( it, Il gatto con gli stivali) is an Italian fairy tale, later spread throughout the rest of Europe, about an anthropomorphic cat who uses trickery and deceit to gain power, wealth, and the hand of a princess in marriage for hi ...

'' where Reid played the main role of 'Big Dick'. Also in 1994, he provided a voiceover for one of the cows in the

Anchor butter Anchor is a brand of dairy products that was founded in New Zealand in 1886, and is one of the key brands owned by the New Zealand based international exporter Fonterra Co-operative Group. In Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan, Fonterra uses the F ...

adverts. The advert was called ''"Anchor: Never Seen Anything Like It"''. His return to ''EastEnders'' was aired on Christmas Day 1995. He was initially reintroduced as a recurring character and after several brief stints on the show, he returned as a full-time character in May 1998. His character was part of many big storylines over the next two years. At the beginning of 2000 it was reported that Reid was suffering from heart problems. In May 2000 he announced that he would be leaving the soap for good due to exhaustion from the long filming schedules. He was persuaded to stay on the show for a further five months to give his character a dramatic exit. His departure was aired on 2 November 2000 when he famously departed after his affair with ex-wife Pat Evans was discovered by his current wife

. Also in 2000, he appeared in the popular British gangster film '' Snatch'' playing crooked diamond trader Doug "The Head" Denovitz. He went on to appear in several low-budget British films over the next few years such as ''Hey Mr DJ'' (2005), ''Moussakka and Chips'' (2005) as well as a Spanish film titled ''Oh Marbella'' (2003). Soon after his exit from EastEnders, BBC bosses persuaded him to make a brief comeback to the show. He made brief returns to ''EastEnders'' in late January 2002 to appear in three episodes filmed in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, followed by a spin-off special episode titled "Perfectly Frank" in 2003 and made his final comeback to ''EastEnders'' for a few episodes in late 2005. In early 2006, he appeared on ''

The Paul O'Grady Show ''The Paul O'Grady Show'' is a British comedy chat show presented by comedian Paul O'Grady, first shown on 11 October 2004. The programme is a teatime chat show consisting of a mixture of celebrity guests, comic stunts, musical performances, an ...

'' and made it clear that he had no interest in any possible future re-appearances in EastEnders, and later that year he rejected another offer to return to the series. He was semi-retired from show business by this time, and lived in a villa in Spain. He returned to acting in early 2007, appearing in two episodes of the long-running

police drama series ''

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 on ...

'' where he played the part of corrupt businessman Brian Stevens. This was his last broadcast television appearance at that time, though he had filmed a reality series for ITV entitled ''The Baron'' before his death; the network was undecided as to whether it would be aired but the programme started airing on 24 April 2008 on

ITV1 ITV1 (formerly known as ITV) is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the British media company ITV plc. It provides the Channel 3 public broadcast service across all of the United Kingdom except for t ...

. Reid was the eventual winner, facing off against

Suzanne Shaw Suzanne Christine Crowshaw (born 29 September 1981), known as Suzanne Shaw, is an English actress, singer and television personality, who rose to fame after winning the talent contest ''Popstars'' and subsequently being a member of the band Hear' ...

after the departure of the other contestant Malcolm McLaren. Reid was thus bestowed with the title of Baron of Troup, a genuine and hereditary barony, though one conveying no privilege aside from the use of the title itself. Reid had also completed filming as a gangster in the independent British film '' Jack Says'' four days before his death. The film was released on DVD on 22 September 2008. His character, "The Guv'nor", also features in the graphic novel prequel ''

Jack Said ''Jack Said'' is a 2009 British thriller film, the prequel to '' Jack Says''. It is written by Paul Tanter, and based on his graphic novel, illustrated by Oscar Alvarado. It stars Danny Dyer, David O'Hara, Simon Phillips, Ashlie Walker, Ter ...

''.

Stand-up routines

Throughout his career, Reid performed at many venues, but only a few shows were recorded for release on VHS and/or DVD. These titles are: * ''Mike Reid Live & Uncensored'' (Only available on VHS) (1992) * ''Mike Reid Live & Uncensored 2'' (Only available on VHS) (1994) * ''Live at the

London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in the famous area of Soho. The theatre holds 2,286 seats. Of the roster of stars who have played there, many have televised performances. Between 1955 an ...

'' (Available on VHS & DVD) (1997) * ''Some of That'' (Only available on VHS) (1997) * ''Pussy in Boots – An Uncensored Live Adult Show'' (with

Barbara Windsor Dame Barbara Windsor (born Barbara Ann Deeks; 6 August 193710 December 2020) was an English actress, known for her roles in the ''Carry On'' films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera, ''EastEnders''.Queen Vic The Queen Victoria (more often referred to as The Queen Vic or The Vic) is the Victorian public house in the BBC soap opera, '' EastEnders''. It has the fictional address of 46 Albert Square, Walford, London E20. Appearance and developmen ...

'' (Only available on VHS) (2002) * ''Being Frank – The Guvnor's Last Stand'' (Available on VHS & DVD) (2008) Reid recorded many cover versions of classic songs. In 2006, his version of

Adriano Celentano Adriano Celentano (; born 6 January 1938) is an Italian musician, singer, composer, actor, and filmmaker. He is dubbed "''il Molleggiato''" (the springy one) because of his dancing. Celentano's many albums frequently enjoyed both commercial and ...

's nonsense song ''Prisencolinensinainciusol'' enjoyed a renaissance, spurred by a campaign group on social-networking website Facebook in 2010.

Death

Reid died in

Marbella Marbella ( , , ) is a city and municipality in southern Spain, belonging to the province of Málaga in the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is part of the Costa del Sol and is the headquarters of the Association of Municipalities of the r ...

, Spain, on 29 July 2007, aged 67. A heavy smoker, he was suspected of having suffered a heart attack. Two weeks before he died, he had received a full medical examination and been given a clean bill of health. The 30 July 2007 ''EastEnders'' episode featured a dedication to him following the end credits. Reid's funeral was held on Tuesday 14 August 2007 at

Little Easton Little Easton is a village and civil parish in Essex, England. The village is situated approximately east from the town of Bishop's Stortford, and north-west from the county town of Chelmsford. Little Easton parish is defined at the west by ...

Parish Church,

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...

, and was attended by over 250 people, including his former ''

'' co-stars

Pam St Clement Pamela Ann Clements (born 11 May 1942), known professionally as Pam St Clement, is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Pat Butcher in the BBC One, BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from June 1986 until January 2012, with a gu ...

Sid Owen Sid Owen (born David Sutton; 12 January 1972) is an English actor, television presenter and former singer, who played Ricky Butcher in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' on and off since 1988. He also appeared in the tenth series of ''Stric ...

, Michael Greco,

Bobby Davro Robert Christopher Nankeville, known professionally as Bobby Davro (born 13 September 1958), is an English actor and comedian. He made his television debut in 1981 followed by breakthrough in ''Live from Her Majesty's'' (1983); this was follow ...

June Brown June Muriel Brown (16 February 1927 – 3 April 2022) was an English actress and author. She was best known for her role as Dot Cotton on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (1985–1993; 1997–2020). In 2005, she won Best Actress at the '' ...

Barbara Windsor Dame Barbara Windsor (born Barbara Ann Deeks; 6 August 193710 December 2020) was an English actress, known for her roles in the ''Carry On'' films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera, ''EastEnders''.Chelmsford Chelmsford () is a city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Southend-on-Sea and Colchester. It is located north-east of London a ...

Crematorium, and his ashes were later buried in the graveyard of St Mary the Virgin Church at

, in Essex. Reid's family decided to allow fans to attend his funeral, and his widow Shirley also invited them to speak. Reid's former co-stars in ''EastEnders'' were all given the day off work to attend his funeral.

Posthumous events

In November 2007, just over three months after Reid's death, the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

announced that his ''

'' character

would be killed off in April 2008. The week had been dubbed "Frank Week". In the ''EastEnders'' episode on 1 April 2008, Frank's funeral was held. Frank's children, Ricky, Diane and Janine also made a comeback. In the episode in which Frank's funeral took place, Reid appeared in previous scenes which had aired years earlier, in flashbacks in Pat Butcher's head. He was also heard saying "Take care of yourself, babe", to Pat at the very end of the episode, a flashback of the words Frank had spoken, taken from the end of the last-ever scene Reid performed in ''

'', which originally broadcast in December 2005.

Selected filmography

*''

'': ''

'' episode (1966) .... Soldier (uncredited) *''

'' (1966) .... Secret police officer (uncredited) *''

Mister Ten Per Cent ''Mister Ten Per Cent'' is a 1967 British comedy film directed by Peter Graham Scott and starring Charlie Drake, Derek Nimmo and Wanda Ventham. It was shot at Elstree Studios and on location in London. It was the last in a series of four films ...

'' (1967) .... Doorman (uncredited) *''

'' (1967) .... Sergeant at War Games HQ (uncredited) *''

Up the Junction ''Up the Junction'' is a 1963 collection of short stories by Nell Dunn that depicts contemporary life in the industrial slums of Battersea and Clapham Junction. The book uses colloquial speech, and its portrayal of petty thieving, sexual encoun ...

'' (1968) .... Policeman outside court (uncredited) *''

The Champions ''The Champions'' is a British espionage thriller/science fiction/occult detective fiction adventure television series. It was produced by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment production company, and consists of 30 episodes broadcast in the UK on ITV ...

'' (1969).... Security guard (uncredited) *''

The Looking Glass War ''The Looking Glass War'' is a 1965 spy novel by John le Carré. Written in response to the positive public reaction to his previous novel, ''The Spy Who Came in from the Cold'', the book explores the unglamorous nature of espionage and the da ...

'' (1969) .... Policeman Guarding Leiser (uncredited) *''

The Adding Machine ''The Adding Machine'' is a 1923 play by Elmer Rice; it has been called "... a landmark of American Expressionism, reflecting the growing interest in this highly subjective and nonrealistic form of modern drama." Plot The author of this play ta ...

'' (1969) .... Yard guard *'' Department S'' (1969) .... ''The Trojan Tanker'' French driver (uncredited) *'' The Comedians'' (1971) .... Presenter *''

Steptoe and Son ''Steptoe and Son'' is a British sitcom written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson about a father-and-son rag-and-bone business in 26a Oil Drum Lane, a fictional street in Shepherd's Bush, London. Four series were broadcast by the BBC in black and ...

'' (1972) .... Compere *'' Runaround'' (1975–1976, 1978–1981) .... Presenter *''Noah’s Castle (1979) *''

Worzel Gummidge Worzel Gummidge is a scarecrow in British children's fiction, who originally appeared in a series of books by the English novelist Barbara Euphan Todd.

'' (1980) .... Fairground Owner *''

Minder A minder is the person assigned to guide or escort a visitor, or to provide protection to somebody, or to otherwise assist or take care of something, i.e. a person who " minds". Government-appointed persons to accompany foreign visitors are of ...

'' (1982) .... Vernon *'' Big Deal'' (1986) ... Peter Davis *''

'' (1987–2000, 2002, 2005) ....

(780 episodes) *''

Big Break ''Big Break'' is a British television game show, created by Roger Medcalf, Mike Kemp and Terry Mardell, presented by comedian Jim Davidson and snooker commentator John Virgo, and broadcast on BBC One between 1991 and 2002. Inspired by ITV's '' ...

'' (1990) .... Presenter *'' Pussy in Boots'' (1994) ..... Big Dick *'' Cracker'' (1994) .... Jimmy Jukes *'' The Detectives'' (1995) .... Ronnie Richardson *'' Snatch'' (2000) .... Doug 'The Head' Denovitz *'' EastEnders: Perfectly Frank'' (2003) .... Frank Butcher *''

The Secret Show ''The Secret Show'' is a British animated television series produced by Collingwood O'Hare and commissioned by BBC Worldwide in partnership with BBC Children's. The series premiered on 16 September 2006 during TMi on BBC Two. The series pre ...

'' (2006) .... Mr Atom (Voice) *''

'' (2007) .... Brian Stevens *'' Jack Says'' (2008) ... The Guv'nor (final film role)

References

External links

* *BBC Have Your Say
Mike Reid: Your tributes
. {{DEFAULTSORT:Reid, Mike (Entertainer) 1940 births 2007 deaths 20th-century English comedians 21st-century English comedians 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors 20th-century English singers 20th-century British male singers English autobiographers English expatriates in Spain English game show hosts English male film actors English male singers English male soap opera actors English stand-up comedians English television presenters Male actors from London People from Hackney Central Chelmsford City F.C. non-playing staff