Charlie Slater
Encyclopedia
Charles "Charlie" Slater is a fictional character
from the British
soap opera
EastEnders
, played by actor Derek Martin
, making his first appearance on 4 September 2000. He is played by Jason McGregor in flashbacks broadcast in 2001. He also makes a cameo appearance in the second series of the spin-off EastEnders: E20
. He departed from EastEnders on 13 January 2011. Martin returned for a two episode guest stint on 19 and 21 April 2011.
The character of Charlie was introduced along with his family, Mo Harris
(Laila Morse
), daughters Lynne
(Elaine Lordan
), Kat
(Jessie Wallace
), Little Mo
(Kacey Ainsworth
), and Zoe
(Michelle Ryan
), plus Lynne's boyfriend, Garry Hobbs
(Ricky Groves
). Charlie is protective over his daughters, being described as a 'devoted dad'. Charlie is well known for driving a taxi, but loses his license after drink driving. In 2008, Charlie got a love interest, Brenda Boyle (Carmel Cryan
) and leaves to go to Madeira
with her but later returns with Orlenda (Mary Tamm
), a Russian woman, who is only using Charlie for his money.
In April 2010, the character was axed among five others by new executive producer Bryan Kirkwood
as part of a plan to "breathe new life into the show". The reaction to Charlie's axing was negative with Stuart Heritage from The Guardian
saying that it 'should be a national day of mourning' and Phil Daniels
who played Kevin Wicks
also criticised the axings.
Charlie's last storyline was whilst looking after Kat's newborn baby, Tommy, Charlie gets drunk downstairs, whilst he should be looking after him. Unbeknown to him, Ronnie Mitchell
(Samantha Womack), who also just had a newborn baby named James, finds James dead after dying of cot death and swaps, in a frantic moment, James with Tommy. As Charlie thinks he is responsible for 'Tommy's' death, guilt ridden, he leaves Walford to live with Lynne, after having a heart to heart with Kat. When Kat and husband Alfie
(Shane Richie
) receive Tommy back in April 2011, Charlie returns and reveals he is in a relationship with a woman named Eileen, and they are getting married, and later returns to Lynne's. His two episode return saw on the 19 April, 10.31 million people watch and on the 21 April, 8.43 million.
with his mother-in-law Mo Harris
(Laila Morse
), daughters Lynne
(Elaine Lordan
), Kat
(Jessie Wallace
), Little Mo
(Kacey Ainsworth
), and Zoe
(Michelle Ryan
), plus Lynne's boyfriend, Garry Hobbs
(Ricky Groves
). It soon emerges that Kat is actually Zoe's mother and that it has been kept a family secret until Zoe finds out. Demanding to know the identity of her birth father, Zoe and Charlie are stunned to discover that it was Charlie's brother Harry (Michael Elphick
). Zoe runs away after the revelation and when she returns, the family discover that she has been living with an old school friend Kelly Taylor
(Brooke Kinsella
) in a brothel
, where they worked as prostitutes. Soon after, Kelly arrives in Walford and Charlie agrees that she can stay with them, which she does so for two years. Little Mo, normally a timid and shy young woman, assaults her husband Trevor Morgan
(Alex Ferns
) with an iron. The family learn that Trevor has been subjecting Mo to domestic abuse. Worse comes when Little Mo is found guilty of attempted murder and sentenced to eight years in prison. The family appeal and a retrial is ordered. In exchange for Kat not pressing charges against Trevor for assaulting her, he agrees not to testify against Mo. She is released and comes back to live with her family.
Two years later Little Mo, now married to Billy Mitchell
(Perry Fenwick
), is raped in The Queen Victoria
public house
by Graham Foster (Alex McSweeney
). When Charlie finds out, he attacks Graham after locking him in his taxi. Charlie is arrested and remanded in custody for grievous bodily harm
, to which he pleads guilty but the family has to pay Graham £10,000 compensation. Charlie's cab license is revoked, but is later restored. Little Mo discovers she is pregnant and is advised by her family to have an abortion, but she refuses and leaves Walford. Lynne, now married to Garry, is expecting a baby, however, she is injured when a fairground ride collapses and she suffers a placental abruption
, meaning she needs an emergency Caesarean section
. The baby dies and Lynne is only saved by a hysterectomy
. Devastated, she leaves Walford. Charlie's great-niece Stacey Slater
(Lacey Turner
) arrives and moves in, and Charlie becomes a father figure to her, helping her curb her rebellious and wayward attitude. At the same time, he comforts Zoe after she has an abortion. Zoe eventually leaves Albert Square
, soon followed by Kat who is now married to Alfie Moon
(Shane Richie
). However, Stacey's mother Jean
(Gillian Wright
) moves in with the family. Stacey's brother Sean
(Robert Kazinsky
) also moves in to Charlie's house for a time, though Charlie dislikes him, and he soon moves out.
Charlie puts an advertisement in a lonely hearts column and becomes a member of an internet dating website, meeting and falling for Brenda Boyle (Carmel Cryan
), a Salvation Army
member from Clacton. However, their romance begins to fizzle out. After not seeing each other for several weeks, Brenda ends the relationship, telling Charlie that she and her brother are moving to Madeira
. Not wishing to end the relationship, Charlie gets approval from Stacey and Mo to go with her. He returns not long after with a Russian woman named Orlenda (Mary Tamm
). Mo is suspicious of her and follows her around. On seeing her with another man, Mo takes a photo to show Charlie. Charlie confronts Orlenda who admits that she was using Charlie for his money and he asks her to leave.
When Stacey stops taking medication for her bipolar disorder
, Charlie insists that she has to start again as she almost lost her baby Lily. Charlie asks Dot Branning
(June Brown
) to speak to Stacey as he believes that Lily's father is Stacey's deceased husband Bradley
(Charlie Clements), Dot's step-grandson. Dot then reveals that Lily is not Bradleys. Charlie asks Stacey why she has not told the truth and begs her to take her pills, trying to force one into her mouth. Stacey says she has already taken them and Charlie apologises, then walks out of the house in tears. He spends the night at Patrick Trueman
's (Rudolph Walker
) house, and invites Patrick and Jim Branning
(John Bardon
) for drinks. Later, Sam Mitchell
(Danniella Westbrook
) asks Charlie to take her to the hospital because she is worried her baby Richard is unwell, however after driving part way, Charlie tells her the symptoms are normal. As he turns around, he reverses into some boxes in front of a van, and is then stopped by a police officer (Laurence Mitchell). The next day, Mo opens a letter for Charlie and learns was caught driving over the limit. They argue as he could lose his driving licence, and Charlie later apologises to Stacey for forcing her to take her pills.
Charlie is shocked when his daughter Kat returns to Albert Square. Kat is trying to avoid some thugs to whom she owes money. They catch up with her at Charlie's house, and Kat tries to escape. In the commotion, Charlie reminds Kat that she hasn't even asked about his life or anyone else's in Walford. Kat's estranged husband Alfie then arrives and chases the thugs away. However, Charlie is then dismayed to learn that Kat is pregnant, and Alfie is not the father. Alfie and Kat reopen The Queen Victoria as landlords and give Charlie a job there as a potman. Kat gives birth to Tommy, on the same day Ronnie Branning (Samantha Womack) gives birth. Kat is rushed to hospital, leaving Tommy in Charlie's care, but he joins the New Year Eve's party instead. Ronnie's baby dies of cot death and she secretly swaps the babies. Alfie and the rest of the family then discover the dead baby, believing it to be Tommy. Charlie admits to Kat that the baby was left alone as he was drinking, so Kat blames him for the death. Charlie tries to make things right, but eventually realises it is best for him to leave. Mo begs him to stay but he refuses. Mo tells Kat and Alfie, and when Alfie says dads have feelings too, they run to the tube station. Kat forgives Charlie and he leaves to stay with Lynne.
When Kat and Alfie receive Tommy back in April 2011, Charlie visits Kat and helps her bond with her son. Kat asks Charlie to return to Walford, but he refuses as he is in a relationship with a younger woman named Eileen, and they are getting married. Soon after, he returns to Lynne's.
, where he is eating dinner in front of the television when there is a power cut, caused by Sol Levi
(Tosin Cole
) and Stevie Dickinson
(Amanda Fairbank-Hynes).
and Frank Butcher
in the 1980s and was shortlisted for both roles, but was ultimately unsuccessful. He requested to screen-test for the role of Charlie in 2000. He was successful and offered a contract with the soap for a minimum of three years, with potential for longer. Martin described playing Charlie as "comfortable", like putting on an "old coat" and stated in 2002 that he would like to stay with EastEnders until he dies. He described Charlie as an easy-going family man. The EastEnders website calls Charlie "mild mannered" and the rock that keeps the Slater family together, as well as "positive as long as his family's round him." He was also described as a 'devoted dad'.
In 2009 it was announced that Martin would take a break from the series after Charlie runs away with his new love interest, Brenda Boyle (Carmel Cryan
), but would return in a few weeks' time. The storyline involved Charlie jumping in front of a bus to stop her from emigrating to Madeira
. A spokesperson said, "Charlie's move is only temporary and that he will return soon. His heart remains in Walford."
It was reported in February 2010 that Martin's real-life knee surgery would be scripted into the show. He said, "My operation will probably be in the middle of May [2010] and then hopefully you'll see Charlie on crutches". Martin's operation was in April 2010 and Martin revealed, "I went back to EastEnders at that point and a runner followed me round with a chair and my sticks." Although Charlie was never seen on crutches, he had a limp in episodes broadcast in April 2011.
In April 2010 it was announced that the character had been axed along with five others by the new executive producer Bryan Kirkwood
as part of a plan to "breathe new life into the show". Charlie left EastEnders on 13 January 2011. Martin opined that his favourite storyline to film was finding out that Kat was raped by Harry, on which he stated "I shared some emotional scenes with Kat during that storyline." He later stated that the storyline was "very strong". In October 2010, a last minute scene was filmed involving Charlie and Patrick, focuing on George Osborne
's spending review, in which the characters discuss the impact of the Chancellor's plans. Talking about the baby swap storyline involving Kat, Alfie, Ronnie Branning (Samantha Womack) and Jack Branning
(Scott Maslen
), Martin explained that he only read his own parts of the script, so thought that Charlie simply leaves his grandson alone, gets drunk and the baby dies. On Charlie's part in the story, he said "[T]hat's terrible guilt obviously—because [he] feel[s] as though it's [his] fault that he's died. I was surprised when I saw the story come out [...] that it was a baby swap."
, "Although they've had their ups and downs, Kat deeply regrets pushing Charlie away. The pair have a tearful reunion and there won't be a dry eye in the house." Jessie Wallace said that Charlie would help Kat come to terms with the fact that her baby is still alive: "With what happened the night they thought Tommy died, things were still unresolved for them. Although they cleared the air before he left, things weren't right between them, so to have him back with her now makes it all the more special. It's also Charlie that makes Kat realise that she needs to bond with Tommy. He makes her see that she can do this." Martin returned for two episode's on 19 and 21 April 2011.
ed in the cartoon
sketch show 2DTV
. It was revealed that in July 2005 Derek Martin would appear as a guest star on the third series of Little Britain
. He played himself and was constantly referred to by the character of Marjorie Dawes as "Charlie Slater".
called Charlie "a lovely bloke" and "the embodiment of salt-of-the-earth decency and stupidity", saying one of his favourite moments in Charlie's time in EastEnders was his attack on Trevor. Grace Dent
, also from The Guardian, said that one of her favourite soap opera moments of 2008 was when an escaped tarantula crawled up Charlie's leg. The Mail said that Charlie 'was known to millions'. The episode in which he left following the aftermath of the baby swap storyline attracted 10 million viewers according to Digital Spy
. His two episode return saw on the 19 April, 10.31 million people watch and on the 21 April, 8.43 million.
criticized Bryan Kirkwood
's axings saying, By rights, this should be a national day of mourning. EastEnders has got a new executive producer – Bryan Kirkwood – and, as executive producers so often do, he's decided to spend his first few days hiding in a bush, taking out several characters with a poisoned blowpipe. This weekend it emerged that six EastEnders characters are to get the chop. Some of them are long-standing and beloved, like Charlie Slater and Minty
. He said that it was 'a tremendously bad idea'. Phil Daniels
who played Kevin Wicks
in the soap, criticised the axing of Charlie along with five other axings, as they were "good characters".
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
, played by actor Derek Martin
Derek Martin
Derek Martin is a British actor who is best known for his role as Charlie Slater in the British soap opera EastEnders which he played from 2000 to 2011.-Personal life:...
, making his first appearance on 4 September 2000. He is played by Jason McGregor in flashbacks broadcast in 2001. He also makes a cameo appearance in the second series of the spin-off EastEnders: E20
EastEnders: E20
EastEnders: E20 is a British Internet soap opera, which began airing on 8 January 2010. A spin-off from the established BBC soap EastEnders, it is set in EastEnders regular setting of Albert Square, a Victorian square in the fictional borough of Walford, in the East End of London...
. He departed from EastEnders on 13 January 2011. Martin returned for a two episode guest stint on 19 and 21 April 2011.
The character of Charlie was introduced along with his family, Mo Harris
Mo Harris
Maureen "Big Mo" Harris is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, who has been in the series since 18 September 2000, played by Laila Morse. Mo is also played by Lorraine Stanley in a soap 'bubble' Pat and Mo, delving into her past with Pat Evans, which aired in 2004...
(Laila Morse
Laila Morse
Laila Morse is an English actress, best known for playing Mo Harris in BBC series EastEnders and Janet in the 1997 movie Nil by Mouth ."Laila Morse" is an anagram of an Italian phrase for "my sister" - a name she...
), daughters Lynne
Lynne Hobbs
Lynne Marie Hobbs is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Elaine Lordan. She appeared in the show from September 2000 to July 2004...
(Elaine Lordan
Elaine Lordan
Elaine Lordan is a British actress.Lordan is most famous for her role as Lynne Hobbs in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, which she appeared in from 2000 until 2004...
), Kat
Kat Moon
Kathleen "Kat" Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jessie Wallace. She was also played by Kate Peck in a flashback in 2001. She appeared in the show from September 2000 to November 2004, then returned in May 2005...
(Jessie Wallace
Jessie Wallace
Jessie Wallace is an English actress best known for her portrayal as Kat Moon in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Early life:...
), Little Mo
Little Mo Mitchell
Maureen "Little Mo" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Kacey Ainsworth.-Storylines:...
(Kacey Ainsworth
Kacey Ainsworth
Kacey Ainsworth is an English actress, best known for playing the long-suffering Little Mo in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Life and career:Kacey Ainsworth, is the only soap actress who has won three Soap Actress awards in one single year in 2002...
), and Zoe
Zoe Slater
Zoe Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Michelle Ryan. She made her first appearance on the 18 September 2000...
(Michelle Ryan
Michelle Ryan
Michelle Claire Ryan is an English actress.She is best known for portraying the role of Zoe Slater on BBC soap opera EastEnders. In 2007, she starred in the short lived American television series Bionic Woman...
), plus Lynne's boyfriend, Garry Hobbs
Garry Hobbs
Garry Pelé Hobbs is a fictional character in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Ricky Groves. He made his first appearance on 18 September 2000...
(Ricky Groves
Ricky Groves
Richard "Ricky" Groves is an English actor best known for playing Garry Hobbs in EastEnders from 2000–09. Before his role in EastEnders he appeared in the series Burnside, a spin-off from The Bill.-Other TV work:...
). Charlie is protective over his daughters, being described as a 'devoted dad'. Charlie is well known for driving a taxi, but loses his license after drink driving. In 2008, Charlie got a love interest, Brenda Boyle (Carmel Cryan
Carmel Cryan
Carmel Cryan is a British actress, best known for the role of Brenda Boyle in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders.-Life and career:Cryan was born in London. She was married to the actor Roy Kinnear, until his death in 1988...
) and leaves to go to Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
with her but later returns with Orlenda (Mary Tamm
Mary Tamm
Mary Tamm is an English actress. She is best known for being the first actress to play the character of Romana in the science fiction television series Doctor Who, opposite Tom Baker as the Doctor, from the 1978–1979 season known collectively as The Key to Time.-Early life:Mary Tamm was born in...
), a Russian woman, who is only using Charlie for his money.
In April 2010, the character was axed among five others by new executive producer Bryan Kirkwood
Bryan Kirkwood (producer)
Bryan Kirkwood is a Scottish-born British television producer. He was the producer of teen Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks from 2006 until 2009 and has been the executive producer of the BBC soap EastEnders since 2010.- Personal life :...
as part of a plan to "breathe new life into the show". The reaction to Charlie's axing was negative with Stuart Heritage from The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
saying that it 'should be a national day of mourning' and Phil Daniels
Phil Daniels
Philip W. "Phil" Daniels is an English actor, most noted for film and television roles as "cockneys" such as Jimmy in Quadrophenia, Richards in Scum, Stewart in The Class of Miss MacMichael, Mark in Meantime, Kevin Wicks in EastEnders, DCS Frank Patterson in New Tricks and Edward Kitchener "Ted"...
who played Kevin Wicks
Kevin Wicks
Kevin Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Phil Daniels. He made his first appearance on 17 February 2006...
also criticised the axings.
Charlie's last storyline was whilst looking after Kat's newborn baby, Tommy, Charlie gets drunk downstairs, whilst he should be looking after him. Unbeknown to him, Ronnie Mitchell
Ronnie Mitchell
Veronica Elizabeth "Ronnie" Branning is a fictional character from the British BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Samantha Womack. Ronnie and her sister Roxy were introduced by executive producer Diederick Santer in July 2007; Ronnie is the "ice" to Roxy's "fire"...
(Samantha Womack), who also just had a newborn baby named James, finds James dead after dying of cot death and swaps, in a frantic moment, James with Tommy. As Charlie thinks he is responsible for 'Tommy's' death, guilt ridden, he leaves Walford to live with Lynne, after having a heart to heart with Kat. When Kat and husband Alfie
Alfie Moon
Alfred William "Alfie" Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Shane Richie. He made his first appearance on 21 November 2002, and left on 25 December 2005...
(Shane Richie
Shane Richie
Shane Richie is an English actor, comedian, singer and media personality, known for his portrayal of the character Alfie Moon in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders.-Early life and career beginnings:...
) receive Tommy back in April 2011, Charlie returns and reveals he is in a relationship with a woman named Eileen, and they are getting married, and later returns to Lynne's. His two episode return saw on the 19 April, 10.31 million people watch and on the 21 April, 8.43 million.
Storylines
Charlie, a widowed cab driver whose wife Viv Slater died in 1999, arrives in WalfordWalford
Walford is a fictional borough of east London in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. 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 East...
with his mother-in-law Mo Harris
Mo Harris
Maureen "Big Mo" Harris is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, who has been in the series since 18 September 2000, played by Laila Morse. Mo is also played by Lorraine Stanley in a soap 'bubble' Pat and Mo, delving into her past with Pat Evans, which aired in 2004...
(Laila Morse
Laila Morse
Laila Morse is an English actress, best known for playing Mo Harris in BBC series EastEnders and Janet in the 1997 movie Nil by Mouth ."Laila Morse" is an anagram of an Italian phrase for "my sister" - a name she...
), daughters Lynne
Lynne Hobbs
Lynne Marie Hobbs is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Elaine Lordan. She appeared in the show from September 2000 to July 2004...
(Elaine Lordan
Elaine Lordan
Elaine Lordan is a British actress.Lordan is most famous for her role as Lynne Hobbs in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, which she appeared in from 2000 until 2004...
), Kat
Kat Moon
Kathleen "Kat" Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jessie Wallace. She was also played by Kate Peck in a flashback in 2001. She appeared in the show from September 2000 to November 2004, then returned in May 2005...
(Jessie Wallace
Jessie Wallace
Jessie Wallace is an English actress best known for her portrayal as Kat Moon in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Early life:...
), Little Mo
Little Mo Mitchell
Maureen "Little Mo" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Kacey Ainsworth.-Storylines:...
(Kacey Ainsworth
Kacey Ainsworth
Kacey Ainsworth is an English actress, best known for playing the long-suffering Little Mo in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Life and career:Kacey Ainsworth, is the only soap actress who has won three Soap Actress awards in one single year in 2002...
), and Zoe
Zoe Slater
Zoe Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Michelle Ryan. She made her first appearance on the 18 September 2000...
(Michelle Ryan
Michelle Ryan
Michelle Claire Ryan is an English actress.She is best known for portraying the role of Zoe Slater on BBC soap opera EastEnders. In 2007, she starred in the short lived American television series Bionic Woman...
), plus Lynne's boyfriend, Garry Hobbs
Garry Hobbs
Garry Pelé Hobbs is a fictional character in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Ricky Groves. He made his first appearance on 18 September 2000...
(Ricky Groves
Ricky Groves
Richard "Ricky" Groves is an English actor best known for playing Garry Hobbs in EastEnders from 2000–09. Before his role in EastEnders he appeared in the series Burnside, a spin-off from The Bill.-Other TV work:...
). It soon emerges that Kat is actually Zoe's mother and that it has been kept a family secret until Zoe finds out. Demanding to know the identity of her birth father, Zoe and Charlie are stunned to discover that it was Charlie's brother Harry (Michael Elphick
Michael Elphick
Michael John Elphick was an English actor. Elphick was known in the UK for his trademark croaky voice and his work on British television, in particular his roles as the eponymous private investigator in the ITV series Boon and later Harry Slater in BBC's EastEnders.Robust and ruggedly good-looking...
). Zoe runs away after the revelation and when she returns, the family discover that she has been living with an old school friend Kelly Taylor
Kelly Taylor (EastEnders)
Kelly Taylor is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Brooke Kinsella. The character was introduced by executive producer John Yorke, in 2001...
(Brooke Kinsella
Brooke Kinsella
Brooke Kinsella, MBE is an English actress and author. A graduate of the Anna Scher Theatre School, Kinsella has been acting since childhood. She has had various roles on television and in film...
) in a brothel
Brothel
Brothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...
, where they worked as prostitutes. Soon after, Kelly arrives in Walford and Charlie agrees that she can stay with them, which she does so for two years. Little Mo, normally a timid and shy young woman, assaults her husband Trevor Morgan
Trevor Morgan (EastEnders)
Trevor Morgan is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Alex Ferns. He first appeared in December 2000, and became a regular cast member the following summer, after moving into Albert Square with his wife Little Mo Slater .-Storylines:Trevor is introduced as the abusive...
(Alex Ferns
Alex Ferns
Alexander "Alex" Ferns is a Scottish actor and television personality, best known for his EastEnders role as Trevor Morgan, "Britain's most-hated soap villain."...
) with an iron. The family learn that Trevor has been subjecting Mo to domestic abuse. Worse comes when Little Mo is found guilty of attempted murder and sentenced to eight years in prison. The family appeal and a retrial is ordered. In exchange for Kat not pressing charges against Trevor for assaulting her, he agrees not to testify against Mo. She is released and comes back to live with her family.
Two years later Little Mo, now married to Billy Mitchell
Billy Mitchell (EastEnders)
William "Billy" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Perry Fenwick, who made his first appearance on 2 November 1998. Billy was seen when Phil went to visit his godson Jamie. However, he didn't arrive in the Square until 2 August 1999, almost a year after...
(Perry Fenwick
Perry Fenwick
Perry Fenwick is an English film and television actor. He has one sister, Tracey, and two brothers, Faron and Lee. He is, also, the second cousin of Georgina Hagen, who played Lauren Waters in the series of Britannia High....
), is raped in The Queen Victoria
The Queen Victoria
The Queen Victoria is a fictional Victorian public house in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders. It has the fictional address of 46 Albert Square, Walford, London E20.-Appearance and development:...
public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
by Graham Foster (Alex McSweeney
Alex McSweeney
Alex McSweeney is a British actor, best known for playing Graham Foster in EastEnders from 2003 to 2004.He also played David Radford in The Bill in 2004. Amongst others, programmes he has appeared in include Silent Witness and Holby City. He also appeared in Lewis in 2007...
). When Charlie finds out, he attacks Graham after locking him in his taxi. Charlie is arrested and remanded in custody for grievous bodily harm
Grievous bodily harm
Grievous bodily harm is a term of art used in English criminal law which has become synonymous with the offences that are created by sections 18 and 20 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861....
, to which he pleads guilty but the family has to pay Graham £10,000 compensation. Charlie's cab license is revoked, but is later restored. Little Mo discovers she is pregnant and is advised by her family to have an abortion, but she refuses and leaves Walford. Lynne, now married to Garry, is expecting a baby, however, she is injured when a fairground ride collapses and she suffers a placental abruption
Placental abruption
Placental abruption is a complication of pregnancy, wherein the placental lining has separated from the uterus of the mother. It is the most common pathological cause of late pregnancy bleeding. In humans, it refers to the abnormal separation after 20 weeks of gestation and prior to birth...
, meaning she needs an emergency Caesarean section
Caesarean section
A Caesarean section, is a surgical procedure in which one or more incisions are made through a mother's abdomen and uterus to deliver one or more babies, or, rarely, to remove a dead fetus...
. The baby dies and Lynne is only saved by a hysterectomy
Hysterectomy
A hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus, usually performed by a gynecologist. Hysterectomy may be total or partial...
. Devastated, she leaves Walford. Charlie's great-niece Stacey Slater
Stacey Slater
Stacey Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lacey Turner. She made her first appearance on 1 November 2004. The character was introduced as a feisty and troublesome teenager, an extension of the already established Slater clan...
(Lacey Turner
Lacey Turner
Lacey Amelia Turner is an award-winning English actress. She is best known for portraying the role of Stacey Slater on the BBC soap opera EastEnders, a role for which she has won 33 awards...
) arrives and moves in, and Charlie becomes a father figure to her, helping her curb her rebellious and wayward attitude. At the same time, he comforts Zoe after she has an abortion. Zoe eventually leaves Albert Square
Albert Square
Albert Square is the fictional location of the BBC soap opera EastEnders. It is ostensibly located in the equally fictional London borough of Walford in London's East End. The square's design was based on the real life Fassett Square in Hackney, and was given the name Albert Square after the real...
, soon followed by Kat who is now married to Alfie Moon
Alfie Moon
Alfred William "Alfie" Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Shane Richie. He made his first appearance on 21 November 2002, and left on 25 December 2005...
(Shane Richie
Shane Richie
Shane Richie is an English actor, comedian, singer and media personality, known for his portrayal of the character Alfie Moon in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders.-Early life and career beginnings:...
). However, Stacey's mother Jean
Jean Slater
Jean Elaine Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Gillian Wright. She appeared in December 2004 briefly and in December 2005. She returned as a recurring character in June 2006 and returned again as a regular character from November 2006...
(Gillian Wright
Gillian Wright
Gillian Wright, is an English actress who is best known for portraying the role of Jean Slater on the long running BBC soap opera EastEnders...
) moves in with the family. Stacey's brother Sean
Sean Slater
Sean Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Robert Kazinsky. Sean left the Square temporarily on 27 March 2007, as Kazinsky was suspended from work for two months. He returned on 28 May 2007...
(Robert Kazinsky
Robert Kazinsky
Robert Kazinsky is an English actor and model. He is best known for his appearances as Casper Rose in Sky One drama Dream Team in 2005/2006 and Sean Slater in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders from 2006 to 2009.-Background:Kazinsky was born in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, England, the son of...
) also moves in to Charlie's house for a time, though Charlie dislikes him, and he soon moves out.
Charlie puts an advertisement in a lonely hearts column and becomes a member of an internet dating website, meeting and falling for Brenda Boyle (Carmel Cryan
Carmel Cryan
Carmel Cryan is a British actress, best known for the role of Brenda Boyle in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders.-Life and career:Cryan was born in London. She was married to the actor Roy Kinnear, until his death in 1988...
), a Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
member from Clacton. However, their romance begins to fizzle out. After not seeing each other for several weeks, Brenda ends the relationship, telling Charlie that she and her brother are moving to Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
. Not wishing to end the relationship, Charlie gets approval from Stacey and Mo to go with her. He returns not long after with a Russian woman named Orlenda (Mary Tamm
Mary Tamm
Mary Tamm is an English actress. She is best known for being the first actress to play the character of Romana in the science fiction television series Doctor Who, opposite Tom Baker as the Doctor, from the 1978–1979 season known collectively as The Key to Time.-Early life:Mary Tamm was born in...
). Mo is suspicious of her and follows her around. On seeing her with another man, Mo takes a photo to show Charlie. Charlie confronts Orlenda who admits that she was using Charlie for his money and he asks her to leave.
When Stacey stops taking medication for her bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder, historically known as manic–depressive disorder, is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or...
, Charlie insists that she has to start again as she almost lost her baby Lily. Charlie asks Dot Branning
Dot Branning
Dorothy "Dot" Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, EastEnders, played by June Brown since 1985. In a special episode entitled EastEnders: Dot's Story a young Dot was played by Tallulah Pitt-Brown in flashbacks. Dot first appeared in EastEnders in July 1985 as the mother of...
(June Brown
June Brown
June Muriel Brown, MBE is a British actress, best known for her role as the busy-body, chain-smoking gossip Dot Cotton in the long-running British soap opera EastEnders and for making other high profile television appearances on shows such as Doctor Who, Coronation Street, Minder, The Bill and...
) to speak to Stacey as he believes that Lily's father is Stacey's deceased husband Bradley
Bradley Branning
Bradley Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Charlie Clements. He made his first appearance on screen on 24 January 2006 and last appeared on 22 February 2010. Clements has won multiple awards for his portrayal....
(Charlie Clements), Dot's step-grandson. Dot then reveals that Lily is not Bradleys. Charlie asks Stacey why she has not told the truth and begs her to take her pills, trying to force one into her mouth. Stacey says she has already taken them and Charlie apologises, then walks out of the house in tears. He spends the night at Patrick Trueman
Patrick Trueman
Patrick Neville Loftus Alfonso Trueman is a fictional character from the popular British BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Rudolph Walker. He made his first appearance on 13 September 2001.-Backstory:...
's (Rudolph Walker
Rudolph Walker
Rudolph Walker, OBE is a British character actor. Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Walker came to the United Kingdom in 1960....
) house, and invites Patrick and Jim Branning
Jim Branning
James Archibald "Jim" Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by John Bardon, first appearing on 29 April 1996 and becoming a regular character in 1999 and has remained in the series right up to 2011....
(John Bardon
John Bardon
John Bardon, is an English stage and screen actor. He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Award in 1988 as 'Best Actor in a Musical' for Kiss Me, Kate, sharing the award with co-star Emil Wolk.-Acting career:Bardon is best known for playing Jim Branning in the popular British soap opera EastEnders...
) for drinks. Later, Sam Mitchell
Sam Mitchell (EastEnders)
Samantha Margaret Priscilla "Sam" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera EastEnders. The third member of the Mitchell family to be introduced, Sam entered as a 15-year-old school girl in July 1990, played by Danniella Westbrook. Westbrook quit in 1993, but was reintroduced...
(Danniella Westbrook
Danniella Westbrook
Danniella Westbrook is an English actress and television presenter. She is known for being the original actress to play Samantha Mitchell in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders from 1990–93, 1995–96, 1999–2000 and 2009–10. Away from EastEnders she has presented various shows, and was also a...
) asks Charlie to take her to the hospital because she is worried her baby Richard is unwell, however after driving part way, Charlie tells her the symptoms are normal. As he turns around, he reverses into some boxes in front of a van, and is then stopped by a police officer (Laurence Mitchell). The next day, Mo opens a letter for Charlie and learns was caught driving over the limit. They argue as he could lose his driving licence, and Charlie later apologises to Stacey for forcing her to take her pills.
Charlie is shocked when his daughter Kat returns to Albert Square. Kat is trying to avoid some thugs to whom she owes money. They catch up with her at Charlie's house, and Kat tries to escape. In the commotion, Charlie reminds Kat that she hasn't even asked about his life or anyone else's in Walford. Kat's estranged husband Alfie then arrives and chases the thugs away. However, Charlie is then dismayed to learn that Kat is pregnant, and Alfie is not the father. Alfie and Kat reopen The Queen Victoria as landlords and give Charlie a job there as a potman. Kat gives birth to Tommy, on the same day Ronnie Branning (Samantha Womack) gives birth. Kat is rushed to hospital, leaving Tommy in Charlie's care, but he joins the New Year Eve's party instead. Ronnie's baby dies of cot death and she secretly swaps the babies. Alfie and the rest of the family then discover the dead baby, believing it to be Tommy. Charlie admits to Kat that the baby was left alone as he was drinking, so Kat blames him for the death. Charlie tries to make things right, but eventually realises it is best for him to leave. Mo begs him to stay but he refuses. Mo tells Kat and Alfie, and when Alfie says dads have feelings too, they run to the tube station. Kat forgives Charlie and he leaves to stay with Lynne.
When Kat and Alfie receive Tommy back in April 2011, Charlie visits Kat and helps her bond with her son. Kat asks Charlie to return to Walford, but he refuses as he is in a relationship with a younger woman named Eileen, and they are getting married. Soon after, he returns to Lynne's.
Other appearances
Charlie makes a cameo appearance in episode 6 of EastEnders: E20EastEnders: E20
EastEnders: E20 is a British Internet soap opera, which began airing on 8 January 2010. A spin-off from the established BBC soap EastEnders, it is set in EastEnders regular setting of Albert Square, a Victorian square in the fictional borough of Walford, in the East End of London...
, where he is eating dinner in front of the television when there is a power cut, caused by Sol Levi
Sol Levi
Solomon "Sol" Levi is a fictional character from EastEnders: E20, an Internet spin-off off the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Tosin Cole. Sol is a main character in series 2, where he is joined by his older brother Asher Levi and their new friends Naz Mehmet and Stevie Dickinson...
(Tosin Cole
Tosin Cole
Tosin Cole is a British actor. He known for his roles in The Cut, EastEnders: E20 and Hollyoaks.-Career:In 2009, Cole was part of a theatre production titled Wasted!, a modern reproduction of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, produced by Intermission, a company which helps teenagers stay away from...
) and Stevie Dickinson
Stevie Dickinson
Stephanie "Stevie" Dickinson is a fictional character from EastEnders: E20, an Internet spin-off of the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Amanda Fairbank-Hynes. Stevie is a main character in series 2, where she is joined by her new friends Asher Levi , Sol Levi and Naz Mehmet...
(Amanda Fairbank-Hynes).
Creation and development
Derek Martin had previously auditioned for the roles of Den WattsDen Watts
Dennis Alan "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"....
and Frank Butcher
Frank Butcher
Francis Aloysius "Frank" Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by the late Mike Reid. Frank made his first appearance on-screen as a guest character in 1987 but, due to a positive viewer reception, he was reintroduced in 1988 as a regular. Reid took a long...
in the 1980s and was shortlisted for both roles, but was ultimately unsuccessful. He requested to screen-test for the role of Charlie in 2000. He was successful and offered a contract with the soap for a minimum of three years, with potential for longer. Martin described playing Charlie as "comfortable", like putting on an "old coat" and stated in 2002 that he would like to stay with EastEnders until he dies. He described Charlie as an easy-going family man. The EastEnders website calls Charlie "mild mannered" and the rock that keeps the Slater family together, as well as "positive as long as his family's round him." He was also described as a 'devoted dad'.
In 2009 it was announced that Martin would take a break from the series after Charlie runs away with his new love interest, Brenda Boyle (Carmel Cryan
Carmel Cryan
Carmel Cryan is a British actress, best known for the role of Brenda Boyle in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders.-Life and career:Cryan was born in London. She was married to the actor Roy Kinnear, until his death in 1988...
), but would return in a few weeks' time. The storyline involved Charlie jumping in front of a bus to stop her from emigrating to Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
. A spokesperson said, "Charlie's move is only temporary and that he will return soon. His heart remains in Walford."
In April 2010 it was announced that the character had been axed along with five others by the new executive producer Bryan Kirkwood
Bryan Kirkwood (producer)
Bryan Kirkwood is a Scottish-born British television producer. He was the producer of teen Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks from 2006 until 2009 and has been the executive producer of the BBC soap EastEnders since 2010.- Personal life :...
as part of a plan to "breathe new life into the show". Charlie left EastEnders on 13 January 2011. Martin opined that his favourite storyline to film was finding out that Kat was raped by Harry, on which he stated "I shared some emotional scenes with Kat during that storyline." He later stated that the storyline was "very strong". In October 2010, a last minute scene was filmed involving Charlie and Patrick, focuing on George Osborne
George Osborne
George Gideon Oliver Osborne, MP is a British Conservative politician. He is the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom, a role to which he was appointed in May 2010, and has been the Member of Parliament for Tatton since 2001.Osborne is part of the old Anglo-Irish aristocracy, known in...
's spending review, in which the characters discuss the impact of the Chancellor's plans. Talking about the baby swap storyline involving Kat, Alfie, Ronnie Branning (Samantha Womack) and Jack Branning
Jack Branning
Jack Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Scott Maslen. He made his first appearance on 29 October 2007. He is the youngest child of Jim and Reenie Branning and the brother of April Branning, Carol Jackson, Derek Branning, Suzy Branning and Max Branning...
(Scott Maslen
Scott Maslen
Scott Alexander Maslen is an English actor and model, best known for his portrayal as DS Phil Hunter in ITV's The Bill and now Jack Branning on the BBC's flagship soap EastEnders.-Early and personal life:...
), Martin explained that he only read his own parts of the script, so thought that Charlie simply leaves his grandson alone, gets drunk and the baby dies. On Charlie's part in the story, he said "[T]hat's terrible guilt obviously—because [he] feel[s] as though it's [his] fault that he's died. I was surprised when I saw the story come out [...] that it was a baby swap."
Return (2011)
On 2 March 2011, it was announced that Martin had recently returned to film two episodes. An EastEnders source told Digital SpyDigital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
, "Although they've had their ups and downs, Kat deeply regrets pushing Charlie away. The pair have a tearful reunion and there won't be a dry eye in the house." Jessie Wallace said that Charlie would help Kat come to terms with the fact that her baby is still alive: "With what happened the night they thought Tommy died, things were still unresolved for them. Although they cleared the air before he left, things weren't right between them, so to have him back with her now makes it all the more special. It's also Charlie that makes Kat realise that she needs to bond with Tommy. He makes her see that she can do this." Martin returned for two episode's on 19 and 21 April 2011.
In popular culture
The character of Charlie Slater has been spoofParody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
ed in the cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
sketch show 2DTV
2DTV
2DTV is a British satirical animated television show that was broadcast on ITV in the United Kingdom, directed by Tim Searle.2DTV employs the same satirical style as Spitting Image, but using animation rather than puppets. The animation was produced on computer, frequently with animators working up...
. It was revealed that in July 2005 Derek Martin would appear as a guest star on the third series of Little Britain
Little Britain
Little Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas...
. He played himself and was constantly referred to by the character of Marjorie Dawes as "Charlie Slater".
Reception
James Donaghy from The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
called Charlie "a lovely bloke" and "the embodiment of salt-of-the-earth decency and stupidity", saying one of his favourite moments in Charlie's time in EastEnders was his attack on Trevor. Grace Dent
Grace Dent
Grace Dent is an English journalist, author, and broadcaster. Dent writes mainly for The Guardian, where she has a weekly column on television, 'Grace Dent's TV-OD'. She also writes for magazines such as Tatler and Marie Claire. She writes a restaurant review column for the London Evening...
, also from The Guardian, said that one of her favourite soap opera moments of 2008 was when an escaped tarantula crawled up Charlie's leg. The Mail said that Charlie 'was known to millions'. The episode in which he left following the aftermath of the baby swap storyline attracted 10 million viewers according to Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
. His two episode return saw on the 19 April, 10.31 million people watch and on the 21 April, 8.43 million.
Departure
Christopher Hooton from the Metro newspaper negatively reviewed Charlie's exit scenes, saying, "Unfortunately the long-time cast member's exit felt a little rushed. [...] As EastEnders characters' last hurrahs go, Charlie Slater's will not be going down in TV history." Stuart Heritage from The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
criticized Bryan Kirkwood
Bryan Kirkwood
Bryan Kirkwood may refer to:*Bryan Kirkwood , Scottish television producer for British soap operas Hollyoaks and EastEnders *Bryan and Denny Kirkwood, one of a pair of identical twin American actors...
's axings saying, By rights, this should be a national day of mourning. EastEnders has got a new executive producer – Bryan Kirkwood – and, as executive producers so often do, he's decided to spend his first few days hiding in a bush, taking out several characters with a poisoned blowpipe. This weekend it emerged that six EastEnders characters are to get the chop. Some of them are long-standing and beloved, like Charlie Slater and Minty
Minty Peterson
Richard "Rick" Peterson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Cliff Parisi. He made his first appearance on 11 March 2002. His nickname was given to him because he was always late for work, turning up "after eight" when he was an apprentice mechanic...
. He said that it was 'a tremendously bad idea'. Phil Daniels
Phil Daniels
Philip W. "Phil" Daniels is an English actor, most noted for film and television roles as "cockneys" such as Jimmy in Quadrophenia, Richards in Scum, Stewart in The Class of Miss MacMichael, Mark in Meantime, Kevin Wicks in EastEnders, DCS Frank Patterson in New Tricks and Edward Kitchener "Ted"...
who played Kevin Wicks
Kevin Wicks
Kevin Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Phil Daniels. He made his first appearance on 17 February 2006...
in the soap, criticised the axing of Charlie along with five other axings, as they were "good characters".