HOME

TheInfoList

Click Here for Items Related To - Simon Wicks

OR:

Simon Wicks on: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Amazon]

Simon "Wicksy" Wicks is a

fictional character In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, ...

from the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

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. ...

...

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 ''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 ...

'', played by

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 sing ...

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 Fowler is a fictional character in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Mark, an original regular character when the series started in February 1985, became a semi-regular after his original portrayer David Scarboro was written out of the ...

; Mark's actor,

David Scarboro David Timothy Scarboro (3 February 1968 – 27 April 1988) was an English actor, best known for portraying Mark Fowler in the British soap opera ''EastEnders'' from the programme's inception in February 1985 until that April before appearing int ...

, 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 "Every Loser Wins" is a 1986 song performed by English actor and singer Nick Berry. Written and produced by Simon May, Stewart James and Bradley James, the song was heavily featured in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' throughout the summer of ...

", which was subsequently released as a single in 1986 and reached number one in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. One of Wicksy's most prominent storylines was his adultery with

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 ...

, and a subsequent feud with Cindy's husband,

Ian Beale Ian Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Adam Woodyatt. He is the drama's longest-serving main character and, following the departure of Pauline Fowler ( Wendy Richard) in 2006, became the only one ...

(

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 W ...

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 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 ...

Storylines

Simon arrives in Walford to see the man he believes to be his father,

Pete Beale Pete Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Peter Dean (actor), Peter Dean. He makes his first appearance in the programme's first episode, on 19 February 1985. The character was introduced by Tony Holl ...

( Peter Dean). They have not seen each other for 10 years and Pete is pleased to see him. He quickly gets a job in

The Queen Victoria 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 ...

public house A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

and moves in. It is soon revealed that Simon had been in a band with

Eddie Hunter Eddie Hunter may refer to: * Eddie Hunter (footballer, born 1928) (1928–2002), Scottish footballer (Falkirk FC) * Eddie Hunter (footballer, born 1943), Scottish footballer and manager (Queen's Park) * Eddie Hunter (baseball) (1905–1967), Maj ...

(Simon Henderson) but Simon has borrowed money from loan sharks to keep the band afloat, but the band has fallen apart with Simon owing the loan sharks £1,500, which he cannot pay, and he has fled home after stealing from his mother,

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 ...

(

). Pete pays off Simon's debt. Simon attempts to form another band, but rivalry between the members prompts him to quit and go solo. He does not get very far however, and by the end of the year he gives up his dream of becoming a musician. Instead, Simon finds work as a barman in both The Queen Vic and later The Dagmar wine bar, where he frequently plays the pub

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

, singing

Cockney Cockney is an accent and dialect of English, mainly spoken in London and its environs, particularly by working-class and lower middle-class Londoners. The term "Cockney" has traditionally been used to describe a person from the East End, or b ...

favourites to the regulars Pat arrives in Walford, much to Pete's dismay, and tells Pete that he is not Simon's father. Pat had various affairs during their marriage, including one with Pete's brother

Kenny Beale The following is a list of characters first appearing in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in 1988, by order of first appearance. Sufia Karim Sufia Karim is played by Rani Singh. Sufia makes her first appearance in Walford in 1988, when sh ...

(

Michael Attwell Michael John Attwell (16 January 1943 – 18 March 2006) was an English film and television actor. He is possibly best known for his role as Kenny Beale in the television soap opera ''EastEnders''. After training at RADA (studying Stage Manage ...

). This causes a rift between Simon and his mother, a relationship already damaged due to Simon's disapproval of her nonchalant style of parenting. Pat later admits that Simon's father is Brian Wicks (

Leslie Schofield Leslie Schofield (born 12 December 1938) is an English actor who is most famous in the UK for his role as Jeff Healy in the soap opera ''EastEnders'', whom he played from 1997 to 2000. His character was famous for unsuccessfully proposing to P ...

), his supposed adoptive father. Simon visits Brian following this revelation, but his father is abusive towards him and so Simon cuts contact. Simon proves popular with women. He has flings with

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 sc ...

(

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 r ...

), Mary Smith (

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; Dav ...

) and

Naima Jeffery Naima Jeffery is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Shreela Ghosh from 19 February 1985 to 19 November 1987. Asian Naima tries to embrace Western culture, but this is not easy since her family constantly try ...

(

Shreela Ghosh Shreela Ghosh (born 25 September 1962) is a former dancer, actress and reporter, became publicly known in the United Kingdom when she was cast as Naima Jeffery in 1985, one of the original characters in the BBC soap opera, '' EastEnders''. She h ...

) among others. In 1987, he dates

Sharon Watts 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 Ju ...

(

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 ...

), but soon gets bored when she refuses to sleep with him. His first serious relationship is with caterer

Magda Czajkowski 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) girlfri ...

( Kathryn Apanowicz). They move in together, but both want different things out of the relationship and Simon eventually jilts her in 1988 on the advice of his boss

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 ...

), whose womanising he idolises. In 1988, Simon has flings with Donna and

Cindy Williams Cynthia Jane Williams (born August 22, 1947) is an American actress and producer, known for her role as Shirley Feeney on the television sitcom ''Happy Days'' (1975–1979), and ''Laverne & Shirley'' (1976–1982). Early life Williams was bo ...

(

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 ...

) at the same time. Cindy refuses to tolerate Simon's womanising and when

(

) starts wooing her, she dates him instead. Initially Cindy is only interested in making Simon jealous, but when she realises Ian is a budding entrepreneur, she agrees to marry him. Confused by Cindy, Simon reignites a relationship with Sharon. Jealous that Simon is moving on, Cindy seduces him and they have sex on the floor of The Queen Vic after closing time. This tryst culminates in Cindy falling pregnant with Simon's child. When Simon learns of the pregnancy, he refuses to have anything more to do with Cindy. Rejected, Cindy marries Ian and deceives him into thinking that her baby is his. She gives birth to

Steven Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...

(Edward Farrell) on

Boxing Day Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide (26 December). Though it originated as a holiday to give gifts to the poor, today Boxing Day is primarily known as a shopping holiday. It ...

1989. Meanwhile, Simon and Sharon's relationship continues. Sharon makes plans to buy The Queen Vic and run it with Simon. However, Simon finds this commitment daunting; he starts pining for Cindy and develops paternal feelings towards his son. Simon and Cindy resume their affair and when Ian finds out, he becomes obsessed with breaking them up and ruining Simon's life. Simon is accused of theft from The Queen Vic when marked notes are found in his pocket; however, it is Ian who planted them. When Simon loses his job he accepts Ian's offer of employment at his catering company, where Ian attempts to frame him for theft. When this fails, Ian tries to kill Simon by sabotaging the brakes of the van he is driving on Christmas Day 1990. Realising that Ian will not stop the feud, Simon, Cindy and Steven leave Walford to start a new life together the following day. In 1992, Cindy returns and reunites with Ian, stating Simon abandoned her and Steven to move abroad. Simon eventually settles in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

and in 2002, Steven, who has so far been brought up by Ian, discovers his true paternity and moves to New Zealand to be with Simon. Simon's girlfriend Miriam becomes pregnant in 2009, but their relationship suffers in 2011 when Simon reveals to Pat that while staying with him, his brother,

David Wicks David Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC TV soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Michael French. David originally appeared from 23 December 1993 to 21 November 1996. He returned to the show on 1 January 2012 and departed two weeks later ...

(

Michael French Michael French (born Michael Clark, 17 September 1962) is an English actor, known for his roles as David Wicks in ''EastEnders''; Nick Jordan, a consultant and Clinical Lead, Senior Consultant in emergency medicine in ''Casualty'' and former ca ...

), had an affair with Miriam. When Pat dies of

pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of t ...

in January 2012, David claims Simon is unable to get a flight to attend her funeral; however, Simon later arrives at his mother's graveside, alone, laying flowers and saying goodbye. In 2014,

Peter Beale Peter Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' who has been played by seven actors since being introduced in 1993. Francis Brittin-Snell portrayed the role from 1993 to 1996, followed by Alex Stevens from 1997 to 19 ...

( Ben Hardy) reveals that Steven is living in New Zealand with Simon after he plans to escape Walford after the murder of

Lucy Beale Lucy Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. The character was played by Eva Brittin-Snell (from 1993 to 1996), Casey Anne Rothery (from 1996 until 2004), Melissa Suffield (from 2004 to 2010), and Hetti Bywater ...

(

Hetti Bywater Harriet Jessica Phoebe “Hetti” Bywater (born 10 September 1994) is an English former actress. She is best known for portraying Lucy Beale in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', taking over the role from Melissa Suffield in January 2012 until ...

) (see

Who Killed Lucy Beale? "Who Killed Lucy Beale?" is a storyline from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders''. It was announced on 21 February 2014 and began on 18 April 2014, when Lucy Beale (Hetti Bywater) was discovered dead on Walford Common from a deliberately inflicte ...

). The following year, Peter goes to visit Steven and Simon in New Zealand.

Creation

Simon Wicks was introduced by creator and executive producer Julia Smith just after the show's inception in 1985, making his first appearance in October that year. According to Smith, Simon was thought up overnight as a means to restore the cast balance distorted by the unexpected departure from the serial of actor

who played the original

(who would appear on and off until the actor's suicide in 1988). Scarboro's departure meant many of his functions as the slightly eldest of the young characters would need to be taken over by another character and thus Wicksy was invented. Simon Wicks was associated with one of ''EastEnders original families, the Beales. Specifically, he was introduced as the estranged son of

( Peter Dean), born from his first marriage - events that had been written into Pete's backstory at the start of the programme. According to Smith, the producers and writers of the soap had always planned on introducing Pete's estranged son on-screen, but Wicksy's premature inclusion meant introducing him a year before it had originally been intended. Actor

was cast to play Wicksy with minimal delay. Smith has described his casting as one of the fastest on record. Berry auditioned in front of the soap's creators, Smith and

Tony Holland Anthony John Holland (18 January 1940 – 28 November 2007) was a British screenwriter, best known as a writer and co-creator (with Julia Smith) of the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders''. Early life Holland was the oldest of three children born to ...

, and was offered the part immediately. Berry was whisked into costume and make-up and given a new haircut, which Berry claimed was because the producers wanted to smarten his appearance up. Berry was already a fan of the soap at the time of his casting. He has told interviewer Dan Abramson, "I auditioned on a Wednesday and then on Friday I arrived in Albert Square and began shooting my first scenes with

Dirty Den 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 ...

, whom I had enjoyed watching on the box for some time. For my first few episodes, I walked around with a big smile on my face, grinning at everybody. It was funny." Wicksy has been described by writer

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 ...

as a major arrival during ''EastEnders first year. The character drove into ''EastEnders'' in a bright yellow sports car in episode 67. He suggested that with Wicksy's arrival, Walford gained a new pin-up.

Characterisation

Berry stated in 1986 that he modelled his portrayal of Simon on his younger brother, who was also called Simon. He commented, "he's already quite the ladies' man. He's extremely good-looking and is almost always the centre of attention wherever he goes." Author Hilary Kingsley dubbed Wicksy in 1991 as Walford's "only sexy man". She added, "there is a cheekiness about Simon Wicks that's very attractive. In his early days he was happy-go-lucky, interested only in girls and paying off his debts ..Simon put it about a bit". Kate Lock, author of ''EastEnders official book, ''Who's who?'', described Simon as a "smoothie and a charmer ..shallow, lazy and unreliable." She suggested that he graduated from the "love 'em and leave 'em school of relationships" and that he could not cope with commitment. Additionally, author Rupert Smith has suggested that, "with his blow-dried hair, rolled-up jacket and toothy grin, icksywas the apotheosis of 80s manhood. He went through the women of Walford like a dose of salts, but at the end of the day slippery Simon was a bolter". Discussing Wicksy's characterisation in 1993, Berry inferred that he was not entirely happy with the changes that producers attempted to introduce surrounding his character. Berry suggested that when Wicksy first arrived, he was "sort of the boy next door ..But then they changed it. Dirty Den had left the show

n 1989 N, or n, is the fourteenth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphabet# ...

and they chose Wicksy as the new romantic lead. I resisted that change as I never really saw Wicksy like that and you have to be consistent with these characters."

Development

The Banned

In 1986, ''EastEnders'' decided to tackle a storyline about the ups and downs of a pop group. The group featured the majority of teenage characters in the soap at the time, including Wicksy.

was musically trained, having attended London stage schools. He was initially chosen as the group's solo singer, who named themselves "The Banned" after they were banned from the Queen Victoria public house. The storyline proved to be a successful merchandising tool for the serial, as it spawned two hit

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

s in the "real world". Actor

released a ballad entitled "

" in October 1986, having previously sung the song in character on-screen (accompanied by a piano). The song was written and produced by

Simon May Simon May (born 15 August 1944) is a British composer. He has composed many British television theme tunes, including ''EastEnders'' and ''Howards' Way'', and the music for the 1988 film ''The Dawning''. Biography Born in Devizes and a pupi ...

, who famously composed the ''EastEnders'' theme tune. "Every Loser Wins" was a smash hit, reaching number 1 in the

UK singles chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

, where it stayed for three weeks, knocking

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

's " True Blue" off the top spot. It was the second biggest-selling single in the UK that year after "

Don't Leave Me This Way "Don't Leave Me This Way" is a song written by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, and Cary Gilbert. It was originally released in 1975 by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes featuring Teddy Pendergrass, an act signed to Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia Internat ...

" by

The Communards The Communards were a British synth-pop duo formed in London in 1985. The duo consisted of Jimmy Somerville and Richard Coles. They are most famous for their cover versions of " Don't Leave Me This Way", originally by Harold Melvin & the Bl ...

, and held the record as the highest climbing chart single ever until 2001, when it was eclipsed by "

It's the Way You Make Me Feel "It's the Way You Make Me Feel" is a song by British dance-pop group Steps, released as their 12th single on 1 January 2001. It is the second track to be released from their third album, ''Buzz'', and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Cha ...

" by Steps (which climbed from 72-2). "Every Loser Wins" sold over a million copies and earned composer Simon May an

Ivor Novello award The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They have been presented annually in London by the Ivors Academy (formerly the BASCA) since 1956, and over 1,000 statuettes have been a ...

. The song "also provided levity" on-screen, when it was used as

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 2 ...

's break-up song after

Michelle Fowler Michelle Fowler (also Holloway) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Susan Tully from the show's first episode on 19 February 1985 up until the character's departure on 26 October 1995. She returned on 24 De ...

had jilted him at the altar. Although the plot produced two hit singles in the real world, the actual storyline was not a great success with viewers. ''EastEnders'' creators Julia Smith and

both felt it lacked credibility and branded it an experiment that failed.

Paternity

1986 heralded the beginning of a storyline that

has described as one of the soap's most complicated, convoluted, confusing and mind-boggling: The paternity of Simon Wicks. As part of the original storyline, Wicksy's mother, Pat (

), was introduced as a major antagonist for the Beale family, when she announced that her former husband, Pete, was not Simon's biological father, as had previously been claimed. So began a long-running storyline played out throughout the year and continuing into 1988, which included other characters being implemented as the potential father of Simon, including Pete's older brother

(

). In the on-screen events, Simon was shown to bond with Kenny, despite Pat's admitting that she did not know which of the Beale brothers had fathered Wicksy. A final plot twist in mid-1988 saw Pat finally reveal what she thought was the truth, that Simon's real father was Brian Wicks (

), Pat's second husband and Wicksy's adoptive father. Despite this revelation on-screen, Colin Brake stated in an official ''EastEnders''' book in 1995 that the true parentage of Simon was still uncertain in the minds of the producers. He stated, "At various times over the years the story has been amended, until the only certainty is that we will never be certain about the actual facts." He added that, at the time of writing the book for ''EastEnders 10th anniversary in 1994, "the current producers believe that Pete was the father of imon's older brotherDavid and may have been the father of Simon."

Love triangle

Another storyline featuring Wicksy was begun in 1988 with the on-screen arrival of a love-interest,

(

). In the storyline, Cindy had a fling with Wicksy before opting to have a more serious relationship with his half brother,

(

). Colin Brake suggested that with this storyline, ''EastEnders'' were sowing the seeds of a situation that would provide much story material for years to come. In the storyline, Cindy and Simon committed to relationships with other people, but remained drawn to each other, resulting in a one-night stand and Cindy falling pregnant with Simon's baby. In a further plot twist, Cindy, rejected by Simon, married Ian and appropriated him as the father of

Steven Beale Steven Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Edward Farrell from 1989 to 1990, Stuart Stevens from 1992 to 1998, Edward Savage from 1998 to 2002, and Aaron Sidwell from 2007 to 2017. It was announced ...

, Wicksy's baby. The love triangle continued into 1990, resulting in Cindy leaving Ian for Wicksy. The episode where Ian discovered that Simon was Cindy's other man was dubbed by the script department as "the Devon Cottage Climax" and aired in September 1990. Colin Brake hailed it as the best episode of ''EastEnders'' that year. Having set up the secret that Steven was Simon's son rather than Ian's, script writers devised a way in which to reveal this secret, and according to Brake, the entire love triange storyline built up to this climax. In the on-screen events, Wicksy spent time with Steven and Cindy at her parents' cottage in Devon, but the idyll was shattered by the arrival of Ian. In his description of the episode, Brake said, "the scene was set. Debbie Cook's scripts took Pete and Ian, with his leg in plaster, to Devon for a confrontation that would contain elements of tragedy and farce. Particularly memorable was Ian furiously throwing bricks through the window of the ottgae followed by one of his crutches. This episode ended ominously with Ian finding Cindy's father's shotgun and stealing it ... Directed by Matthew Evans, these episodes not only brought the story to a good climax but also laid the roots for the next three months' worth of stories, building up to Wicksy and Cindy's final exit."

Departure and brief return

After five years playing Wicksy

quit the role in 1990 and the character was written out in December that year, Berry having been offered a lucrative deal with

...
's rival network,

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 ...

. Berry has since suggested that he left the role as he feared being typecast. When asked in interviews, Berry has refused to rule out a possible return to ''Eastenders''. In 2001, Berry commented, "Well, they never did kill off Wicksy. Maybe one day, he'll make a dramatic return through the doors of the Queen Vic? Never say never - who knows when I'll need the work..." Berry was reportedly asked to reprise the role of Simon in 2004 by executive producer

Louise Berridge Louise Berridge is a British historical fiction writer. She was previously a television producer and script editor, her most famous post being the executive producer of BBC's ''EastEnders'' between 2002 to 2004. During her tenure, the long-runni ...

, though a return at this time did not materialise. In 2007, the executive producer of ''EastEnders'',

Diederick Santer Diederick Santer (born 3 July 1969) is a British television producer and is best known for his work on the popular BBC television soap opera ''EastEnders'', a post which he assumed on 23 October 2006 and left on 1 March 2010. He was Chief Exec ...

, stated that Wicksy was the character he would most like to see return to the serial. He commented, "I'd love to see what he's like today. What is this golden boy, who had the world and the women of Walford at his feet, doing now? Has he delivered on his early promise? I loved

playing him – Simon was a likeable but complex character. Maybe I should ask him to come back…" He confirmed his desire to get the character back to website Walford Web in 2010, but added that it was not to be; he did not state whether or not Berry had been approached. On 13 January 2012 Berry made a brief one-off appearance on ''EastEnders'' in a scene that aired as part of the episode's end credits, filmed the previous day. It depicted Simon laying flowers at his mother's grave at night — having arrived from New Zealand too late to attend the funeral — and saying goodbye to her before walking off into the darkness, and did not involve any other cast members. Berry was not credited on-screen.

Reception

The character proved popular among fans and Berry became a teen pin-up during his tenure, winning Britain's sexiest man title in 1986. The single Berry released as part of a storyline in the soap reached number one in the charts and was the UK's second highest selling record that year. According to Hilary Kingsley, Berry received the most fan mail out of all the actors in the show. Kevin O'Sullivan of the ''

Sunday Mirror The ''Sunday Mirror'' is the Sunday sister paper of the ''Daily Mirror''. It began life in 1915 as the ''Sunday Pictorial'' and was renamed the ''Sunday Mirror'' in 1963. In 2016 it had an average weekly circulation of 620,861, dropping marke ...

'' said that Simon was a "cockney hero". He said his return was a "blast from the distant EastEnders past" and branded it "another dumb stunt".

References

External links

Simon Wicks
at

BBC Online BBC Online, formerly known as BBCi, is the BBC's online service. It is a large network of websites including such high-profile sites as BBC News and BBC Sport, Sport, the on-demand video and radio services branded BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds, t ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wicks, Simon EastEnders characters Fictional bartenders Television characters introduced in 1985 Male characters in television Beale family (EastEnders)