Jane Collins
Encyclopedia
Lesley Jane Beale is a fictional character
from the BBC
soap opera
EastEnders
, played by Laurie Brett
since her first appearance on 22 June 2004. Brett took maternity leave in 2011 and departed on 19 May. Brett returned on 8 November the same year but on a temporary basis for three months. She will therefore depart in 2012. However, Brett said that she could return again.
, working on a candy floss stand at the funfair in Albert Square
. She and Ian Beale
argue but she helps out when the funfair collapses, moving to the Square and becoming good friends with Ian. She reveals that her husband of twelve years, David (Dan Milne
), is suffering from Huntington's Disease
. David dies, and Jane and Ian start a relationship. She moves in with him and his three children, Lucy
, Peter
and Bobby. Jane and Grant Mitchell
(Ross Kemp
) agree to handle Ian and Grant's brother Phil
(Steve McFadden
) when a feud erupts between them, leading to Jane and Grant kissing. Grant pesters her about her feelings but she denies being in love with him. Following an argument with Ian, she goes to Grant and they have a one-night stand, though Jane ends their affair and Grant leaves Walford. Ian discovers the affair when Phil tells him. He proposes to Jane but plans to humiliate her at the wedding. Jane discovers Ian plans on the wedding day. She disappears, and Ian later finds her in the rain in her wedding dress. They fight but then realise they love each other and want to be together. They marry in secret, witnessed only by Heather Trott (Cheryl Fergison
) and her friend.
Ian's stepson Steven
returns to Walford and takes Ian hostage, locking him up in a flat. The family eventually learn of Ian's whereabouts and try to rescue him. Steven holds a gun, and in the ensuing scuffle, Jane is shot. She is rushed to hospital, where she is told that she needs an operation to stop the internal bleeding and she and Ian decide to try for a baby when she recovers. However, the surgeon has to perform an emergency hysterectomy
, leaving Ian and Jane devastated. Depressed by her inability to have children, she is unable to hold Tanya Branning
's (Jo Joyner
) newborn son Oscar, but she accepts Tanya's proposal to be his godmother. Jane starts going to a stand-up comedy, telling Ian she is attending gym classes. He discovers it is a lie and Tamwar Masood
(Himesh Patel
) takes him to the club where she is on stage. He is amused at first but is hurt by her jokes about him and their sex life. He gives her an ultimatum – give up her hobby or their marriage. However, after she is accepted by a talent scout, Jane is shocked to find Ian has become her agent. Ian's enthusiastic interfering take the fun out of comedy, and Jane gives up the pursuit.
After Ian invests in Masala Masood, the curry business run by Masood Ahmed
(Nitin Ganatra
) and his wife Zainab Masood
(Nina Wadia
), the Masoods and Beales go into business together. Jane has a flirtatious relationship with Masood. Jane decides she wants children of her own. After Ian says he does not want any more children, Masood comforts Jane and they kiss. She returns home, and Ian agrees to an adoption, but Jane can see it is only for her sake, and leaves in a Walford. Ian finds Jane, and she refuses to come home. However she turns up when Bobby temporarily goes missing, and eventually she moves back in with Ian and the family. Jane's brother Christian Clarke
(John Partridge
) tells her he has fallen in love with Masood's son Syed
(Marc Elliott
) who is engaged to be married. Jane is angry that Christian would jepordise the family business. Zainab, finds out about the affair from Syed but urges him to marry anyway. This upsets Jane and a feud between the two women commences. In anger, Zainab plays Jane an audio recording of Ian having sex with Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks
). Ian explains that he was set up and blackmailed into signing a loan over to Archie Mitchell
(Larry Lamb
) and Janine. He also admits he stole Archie's laptop on Christmas Day, the day he was murdered, to retrieve the recording. Ian is subsequently arrested, with Janine implicating Ian in Archie's death to the police, however the charges are eventually dropped.
Lucy reveals to Jane that she is pregnant. Jane tells Lucy she should consider having an abortion and Ian would never have to know. Lucy then proposes to Jane that she and Ian can adopt the baby. Jane gives it some thought and accepts Lucy's proposal. Lucy and Jane tell Ian that Lucy is pregnant, and he reacts badly, attempting to book an abortion. When Jane and Lucy tell Ian their plan, he initially says they are mad, but then Ian reluctantly agrees. Lucy soon feels she cannot go through with the plan and tells Ian she wants an abortion. After the abortion, Ian tells Jane that Lucy had a miscarriage. Jane is upset but looks after Lucy and tells Ian she was not meant to have a baby. Peter soon finds out that Lucy had an abortion, not a miscarriage. Fearing that Jane will discover the truth from the Square's gossips, Ian arranges for Jane to visit her mother Linda (Lynda Baron
) in Florida. Jane is highly suspicious that something is going on but Lucy manages to convince Jane to go. That night, Masood reminds her of their kiss and asks to come to Florida with her as he has had a falling out with Zainab. The next day Masood reveals he has bought a ticket to Florida, but Jane goes alone as Masood's son Syed has attempted suicide. Jane returns to Walford after a three week holiday, but is still unaware of Ian and Lucy's deception.
When Lucy and Peter get their exam results, the family are told there are inconsistencies and the exam papers will have to be investigated. Lucy denies cheating, but later confesses to Jane that she did. Annoyed that Lucy lied to her, Jane speaks to Lucy's classmate Zsa Zsa Carter
(Emer Kenny
), who makes a joke about Lucy cheating. Jane says she is not upset that Lucy cheated but that she lied. Zsa Zsa misunderstands and reveals Lucy's abortion to Jane. The next day, Lucy promises Jane that she is not hiding anything else from her. Jane then finds out Ian knew Lucy was planning on cheating, but thought she changed her mind, and during an argument, Jane realises that Ian knows Lucy had an abortion. Peter later confirms this to be true, and Jane decides to pack her bags. However, she changes her mind saying when she leaves, it will be with what she is owed. She opens another bank account and plans to secretly transfer funds before leaving. Jane tells Ian he no longer wants to adopt a child, but Ian then makes plans to have Jane adopt Bobby, which she agrees to. She tells her friend Denise Johnson (Diane Parish
) of her plan, saying that once she has adopted Bobby, she can fight for access to him. A letter from the bank arrives for Jane to Denise's address, and Jane tells Denise to keep it as the bank were not supposed to send anything. Ian tells Jane she can now adopt Bobby, leaving her in two minds. However, she tells Christian about the abortion and he tells her to leave him, offering his help. Later, Denise's sister Kim Fox
(Tameka Empson
) brings the letter to Ian. Ian asks Jane about it and she says she has been putting money aside for a holiday, and is then forced to book one. Ian is suspicious and goes out of his way to do nice things for Jane, and she fears she will no longer be able to take money from his accounts as he will be checking every penny. Jane then discovers that Ian is planning to buy the local Indian restaurant, the Argee Bhajee without consulting her. Angry at this, Jane admits to a number of her friends that she does not love Ian anymore, not knowing that he has overheard everything. The next day Ian attempts to woo Jane by cooking her a meal and offering to rename the Argee Bhajee after her. He admits that he overheard what she said at Zainab's house. However, Jane reveals that she knows about Lucy's abortion and is sick of his lies. She meets with Masood and the pair console each other about their respective partners. They meet again and go to a hotel with the intention of sex. However, they both change their minds and decide to remain friends. When Jane returns home she admits the encounter to Ian, but the pair reconcile. Zainab invites Ian and Jane to lunch. While sharing the meal, Ian makes Masood and Jane squirm but stops short of revealing their encounter to Zainab.
Wanting to surprise Jane with a bold gesture, Ian bakes her a cake and asks her to renew her wedding vows with him, which she accepts. However, days later, Ian confesses to sleeping with Glenda Mitchell
(Glynis Barber
) and Jane is distant with him, although he believes they can work through it. However, whilst waiting in the registry office for Phil Mitchell
's wedding to Shirley Carter (Linda Henry
), Jane confesses that she no longer loves him and the pair end their relationship, although they continue to live together. Ian, however, is determined to win Jane back and she is horrified when Greg Jessop (Stefan Booth
) makes Ian his best man for his wedding to Tanya. During Tanya's hen night, Jane and Tanya get very drunk and Tanya accuses Jane of being jealous, to which Jane replies that she no longer wants to be Tanya's maid of honour. Returning home, Jane finds Greg bringing a drunk Ian home and after talking she goes to kiss Greg, who pushes her away. Filled with guilt, Jane admits the truth to Tanya on her wedding day and the two friends reconcile.
Jane and Ian's marriage deteriorates when Jane meets a man named Martin (Alasdair Harvey) who she meets at a pub quiz. They have a brief affair, but she ends it when she says she loves Ian. Ian discovers this and he tries to make Jane jealous by hiring an escort named Jeanette (Georgia Reece). Jane discovers she is an escort and mocks Ian. Ian calls Jane a prostitute disguised as a wife, so Jane says she wants everything from Ian in their divorce. Ian and Jane start playing tricks on each other. After a night out with Tanya, Jane tells Masood that she is in love with him and wants him to leave Zainab. He rejects her when he says that although he loves her too, he does not want a divorce. Ian and Jane go to court and Jane wins the café in the divorce. Afterwards, Ian and Jane argue, which upsets Bobby. Jane realises that for Bobby's sake, she must leave Walford so there are no more arguments. She promises to see Bobby regularly, and leaves after removing her wedding ring. Ian and Jane's divorce is later finalised.
Jane returns six months later after Bobby sneaks out to visit her. She is shocked to discover Ian is engaged to Mandy Salter
(Nicola Stapleton
) and that Masood and Zainab have split. Masood later tells Jane that he cannot just be friends with Jane and they kiss. The pair then begin a discreet relationship.
. In episode 2 of series 1, Jane is working in the café where Fatboy
(Ricky Norwood
) attempts to chat her up. In episode 3 of series 2, she is seen briefly talking to a girl outside the café and in episode 8 she confronts Asher Levi
(Heshima Thompson
) about some trainers he sold to Peter. He says he does not give refunds so she snatches his wallet and takes some money out but he snatches it back. Jane tells two police offices that Asher is a thief and they chase after him. In episode 10, Asher says he will refund Jane and when his brother Sol Levi
(Tosin Cole
) needs him, she lets him go.
In 2006, Jane has an affair with Grant Mitchell
, played by Ross Kemp
. The scenes began after writers saw chemistry between Kemp and Brett. Brett considered the storyline to be a turning point for the character as "All I did for the last year was say: 'What can I get you?' in the café." Jane was given a sexier look after a new producer came in and asked Brett to grow her hair and bleach out the red dye.
Jane marries Ian Beale
(Adam Woodyatt
), after co-habiting for around two years. Brett described Jane as "the straight man to Ian's buffoon. She's the other half who makes him whole." Speaking on the character's relationship with her husband, she likened herself to his mother, Kathy (Gillian Taylforth
), stating: "if Jane doesn't work out for Ian, no one will! Perhaps because Ian is finally married to his mother. Jane is very Kathy-esque. They'd have got on really well, though I can't imagine Kathy would've been too impressed with Jane's affair with Grant – despite the fact she got through a few Mitchells herself!" She stated that she hoped Jane and Ian's marriage would be a lasting one, commenting that so far: "it's panned out brilliantly. There are millions of marriages like this one, involving a strong woman behind an incredibly weak man. But it's Ian's flaws that make everyone love him so much. The only time a character becomes boring is when they're two dimensional, and that's something you could never say about Ian. I can't imagine being anyone else's missus!"
On the Beale family as a whole, Brett commented: "we're probably the most normal family in Albert Square
. The Beales are like the Trotters from Only Fools and Horses
in many ways. They're salt-of-the-earth people who are trying to better themselves, so there's plenty of scope for drama and comedy. The writers certainly haven't run out of ideas for us yet - I haven't stopped working on big stories since I joined the show!"
wrote that Jane was "one of the best new characters in soap this decade; really believable, sensitive, [and] sensible, [...] she gives EastEnders a bit of heart, which is rare indeed." Deller also expressed her belief that Jane transformed the Beale family into one of the strongest families of the late 2000s, further stating: "A genuinely nice character whom you could imagine being your mate, once they got that nonsense with Grant out of the way, she's been a real asset to the soap."
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 BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
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 Laurie Brett
Laurie Brett
Laurie Brett is a Scottish actress, currently known for her role as Jane Beale in EastEnders, in which she has starred since 2004.-Personal life:...
since her first appearance on 22 June 2004. Brett took maternity leave in 2011 and departed on 19 May. Brett returned on 8 November the same year but on a temporary basis for three months. She will therefore depart in 2012. However, Brett said that she could return again.
Storylines
Jane 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...
, working on a candy floss stand at the funfair in 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...
. She and Ian Beale
Ian Beale
Ian Albert Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Adam Woodyatt. He is the longest-serving character and the only remaining original character to have appeared continuously since the first episode on 19 February 1985...
argue but she helps out when the funfair collapses, moving to the Square and becoming good friends with Ian. She reveals that her husband of twelve years, David (Dan Milne
Dan Milne
Dan Milne is a British actor/director who is possibly best known for his role in EastEnders.-Career:He started his career in 1996 and made an appearance in Murder Most Horrid and as a pub poet in In a Land of Plenty...
), is suffering from Huntington's Disease
Huntington's disease
Huntington's disease, chorea, or disorder , is a neurodegenerative genetic disorder that affects muscle coordination and leads to cognitive decline and dementia. It typically becomes noticeable in middle age. HD is the most common genetic cause of abnormal involuntary writhing movements called chorea...
. David dies, and Jane and Ian start a relationship. She moves in with him and his three children, Lucy
Lucy Beale
Lucy Katherine Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, 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 from 2012 onwards. Lucy was introduced in December 1993 as the newborn baby...
, Peter
Peter Beale
Peter Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. He was played by Thomas Law from 2006 until 2010. The character has previously been portrayed by James Martin, Joseph Shade, Alex Stevens and Francis Brittin-Snell. Law took over the role on 31 August 2006...
and Bobby. Jane and Grant Mitchell
Grant Mitchell (EastEnders)
Grant Anthony Mitchell is a fictional character from the British soap opera EastEnders, played by Ross Kemp. Grant first appeared in 1990, introduced by producer Michael Ferguson to revamp the show. Kemp remained until 1999 when he opted to leave...
(Ross Kemp
Ross Kemp
Ross James Kemp is a BAFTA award-winning British actor, author and journalist, who rose to prominence in the role of Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders...
) agree to handle Ian and Grant's brother Phil
Phil Mitchell
Philip James "Phil" Mitchell is a long-running fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Steve McFadden.Phil first arrived in Albert Square on 20 February 1990, and was soon joined by his brother, Grant, sister Sam and mother Peggy...
(Steve McFadden
Steve McFadden
Steve McFadden is an English actor, known for his role as Phil Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, which he has played since1990.-Early life:...
) when a feud erupts between them, leading to Jane and Grant kissing. Grant pesters her about her feelings but she denies being in love with him. Following an argument with Ian, she goes to Grant and they have a one-night stand, though Jane ends their affair and Grant leaves Walford. Ian discovers the affair when Phil tells him. He proposes to Jane but plans to humiliate her at the wedding. Jane discovers Ian plans on the wedding day. She disappears, and Ian later finds her in the rain in her wedding dress. They fight but then realise they love each other and want to be together. They marry in secret, witnessed only by Heather Trott (Cheryl Fergison
Cheryl Fergison
Cheryl Fergison is a British actress most notable for playing Heather Trott in the long running BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Career:...
) and her friend.
Ian's stepson Steven
Steven Beale
Steven Peter Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Edward Farrell from 1989 to 1990, Stuart Stevens from 1992 to 1996, Edward Savage from 1997 to 2002, and Aaron Sidwell from 2007 to 2008...
returns to Walford and takes Ian hostage, locking him up in a flat. The family eventually learn of Ian's whereabouts and try to rescue him. Steven holds a gun, and in the ensuing scuffle, Jane is shot. She is rushed to hospital, where she is told that she needs an operation to stop the internal bleeding and she and Ian decide to try for a baby when she recovers. However, the surgeon has to perform an emergency hysterectomy
Hysterectomy
A hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus, usually performed by a gynecologist. Hysterectomy may be total or partial...
, leaving Ian and Jane devastated. Depressed by her inability to have children, she is unable to hold Tanya Branning
Tanya Branning
Tanya Lauren Jessop is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jo Joyner. She made her first appearance on 27 June 2006. She left the show temporarily on 25 December 2009 for maternity leave and returned for one episode on 23 June 2010. She made her full-time return on...
's (Jo Joyner
Jo Joyner
Joanne Mary Joyner is an English actress who is best known for her role as Tanya Branning in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, in which she has appeared since June 2006.-Career:...
) newborn son Oscar, but she accepts Tanya's proposal to be his godmother. Jane starts going to a stand-up comedy, telling Ian she is attending gym classes. He discovers it is a lie and Tamwar Masood
Tamwar Masood
Tamwar Masood is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Himesh Patel. He made his first appearance on 1 October 2007.- Storylines :...
(Himesh Patel
Himesh Patel
Himesh Jitendra Patel is a British actor who began his career in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, playing Tamwar Masood. His first appearance on the programme was on 1 October 2007. Patel is also a member of the National Youth Theatre. He also appears in the 2010 spin-off series EastEnders: E20.-...
) takes him to the club where she is on stage. He is amused at first but is hurt by her jokes about him and their sex life. He gives her an ultimatum – give up her hobby or their marriage. However, after she is accepted by a talent scout, Jane is shocked to find Ian has become her agent. Ian's enthusiastic interfering take the fun out of comedy, and Jane gives up the pursuit.
After Ian invests in Masala Masood, the curry business run by Masood Ahmed
Masood Ahmed
Masood Ahmed is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Nitin Ganatra.- Storylines :Masood moves to 41 Albert Square with Zainab, Shabnam and Tamwar in October 2007. Masood and Zainab are both active in the postal industry: Masood is a postman and Zainab the owner of a...
(Nitin Ganatra
Nitin Ganatra
Nitin Ganatra is a Kenyan born British actor. He is known internationally as Prince Pondicherry in the Tim Burton film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He also appears in the Gurinder Chada film Bride and Prejudice as Kholi Saab and The Mistress of Spices as Haroun...
) and his wife Zainab Masood
Zainab Masood
Zainab Masood is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by comedienne Nina Wadia. She made her first appearance on 16 July 2007.-Backstory:...
(Nina Wadia
Nina Wadia
-Television and film:Wadia first came to prominence in BBC sketch show Goodness Gracious Me, playing characters such as Mrs "I can make it at home for nothing!" and one half of The Competitive Mothers...
), the Masoods and Beales go into business together. Jane has a flirtatious relationship with Masood. Jane decides she wants children of her own. After Ian says he does not want any more children, Masood comforts Jane and they kiss. She returns home, and Ian agrees to an adoption, but Jane can see it is only for her sake, and leaves in a Walford. Ian finds Jane, and she refuses to come home. However she turns up when Bobby temporarily goes missing, and eventually she moves back in with Ian and the family. Jane's brother Christian Clarke
Christian Clarke
Christian Clarke is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by John Partridge. He made his first appearance on 17 January 2008.-Storylines:...
(John Partridge
John Partridge (performer)
John Partridge is an English actor, singer, dancer, panelist and television presenter, who is probably best known for the role of Christian Clarke in the long-running BBC television soap opera EastEnders, having joined the cast in January 2008...
) tells her he has fallen in love with Masood's son Syed
Syed Masood
Syed Masood is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Marc Elliott, and first appeared on screen on 21 April 2009. Syed is the eldest son of Masood Ahmed and Zainab Masood , and brother of Tamwar and Shabnam and Kamil Masood...
(Marc Elliott
Marc Elliott
Marc Elliott is a British actor from Stratford-upon-Avon, who is best known for his role as Syed Masood in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Personal life:...
) who is engaged to be married. Jane is angry that Christian would jepordise the family business. Zainab, finds out about the affair from Syed but urges him to marry anyway. This upsets Jane and a feud between the two women commences. In anger, Zainab plays Jane an audio recording of Ian having sex with Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks
Charlie Brooks
Charlene "Charlie" Brooks is a Welsh actress, best known for playing Janine Butcher on the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Acting career:...
). Ian explains that he was set up and blackmailed into signing a loan over to Archie Mitchell
Archie Mitchell
Archibald Lionel "Archie" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Larry Lamb.The character of Archie is the father of already established characters Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell , and a member of the Mitchell family, who have appeared in the soap since 1990...
(Larry Lamb
Larry Lamb (actor)
Lawrence Douglas "Larry" Lamb is an English actor who has worked frequently in television. He is best known for playing one of the greatest villains of British soap Archie Mitchell in the BBC television soap EastEnders, Michael Shipman in the BBC television show Gavin & Stacey and Mischievous...
) and Janine. He also admits he stole Archie's laptop on Christmas Day, the day he was murdered, to retrieve the recording. Ian is subsequently arrested, with Janine implicating Ian in Archie's death to the police, however the charges are eventually dropped.
Lucy reveals to Jane that she is pregnant. Jane tells Lucy she should consider having an abortion and Ian would never have to know. Lucy then proposes to Jane that she and Ian can adopt the baby. Jane gives it some thought and accepts Lucy's proposal. Lucy and Jane tell Ian that Lucy is pregnant, and he reacts badly, attempting to book an abortion. When Jane and Lucy tell Ian their plan, he initially says they are mad, but then Ian reluctantly agrees. Lucy soon feels she cannot go through with the plan and tells Ian she wants an abortion. After the abortion, Ian tells Jane that Lucy had a miscarriage. Jane is upset but looks after Lucy and tells Ian she was not meant to have a baby. Peter soon finds out that Lucy had an abortion, not a miscarriage. Fearing that Jane will discover the truth from the Square's gossips, Ian arranges for Jane to visit her mother Linda (Lynda Baron
Lynda Baron
Lynda Baron is a BAFTA-nominated English stage, film and television actress, perhaps best known for playing the extremely busty Nurse Gladys Emmanuel, the object of Arkwright's affection, in the BBC comedy series Open All Hours....
) in Florida. Jane is highly suspicious that something is going on but Lucy manages to convince Jane to go. That night, Masood reminds her of their kiss and asks to come to Florida with her as he has had a falling out with Zainab. The next day Masood reveals he has bought a ticket to Florida, but Jane goes alone as Masood's son Syed has attempted suicide. Jane returns to Walford after a three week holiday, but is still unaware of Ian and Lucy's deception.
When Lucy and Peter get their exam results, the family are told there are inconsistencies and the exam papers will have to be investigated. Lucy denies cheating, but later confesses to Jane that she did. Annoyed that Lucy lied to her, Jane speaks to Lucy's classmate Zsa Zsa Carter
Zsa Zsa Carter
Zsa Zsa Carter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders and its Internet spin-off EastEnders: E20, played by Emer Kenny. She made her first appearance in EastEnders on 5 January 2010 and appears in all twelve episodes of the first series of EastEnders: E20...
(Emer Kenny
Emer Kenny
Emer Gwynne Morganna Kenny is an English actress from Haringey, London, best known for her role in the BBC soap opera EastEnders and its online spin-off EastEnders: E20, as Zsa Zsa Carter.-Career:...
), who makes a joke about Lucy cheating. Jane says she is not upset that Lucy cheated but that she lied. Zsa Zsa misunderstands and reveals Lucy's abortion to Jane. The next day, Lucy promises Jane that she is not hiding anything else from her. Jane then finds out Ian knew Lucy was planning on cheating, but thought she changed her mind, and during an argument, Jane realises that Ian knows Lucy had an abortion. Peter later confirms this to be true, and Jane decides to pack her bags. However, she changes her mind saying when she leaves, it will be with what she is owed. She opens another bank account and plans to secretly transfer funds before leaving. Jane tells Ian he no longer wants to adopt a child, but Ian then makes plans to have Jane adopt Bobby, which she agrees to. She tells her friend Denise Johnson (Diane Parish
Diane Parish
Diane Parish is a British actress best known for her role as Denise Johnson in the BBC Soap EastEnders and DC Eva Sharpe in The Bill.-Career:...
) of her plan, saying that once she has adopted Bobby, she can fight for access to him. A letter from the bank arrives for Jane to Denise's address, and Jane tells Denise to keep it as the bank were not supposed to send anything. Ian tells Jane she can now adopt Bobby, leaving her in two minds. However, she tells Christian about the abortion and he tells her to leave him, offering his help. Later, Denise's sister Kim Fox
Kim Fox
Kimberley Harmony Angelica "Kim" Fox is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Tameka Empson. She is the half-sister of Denise Fox , and aunt to Chelsea Fox and Libby Fox...
(Tameka Empson
Tameka Empson
Tameka Empson is a British actress and comedienne who is perhaps best known for being one of the three protagonists in the hidden-camera comedy sketch show 3 Non Blondes.Tameka also featured in a episode of MI High : Red Button Rampage, Series one...
) brings the letter to Ian. Ian asks Jane about it and she says she has been putting money aside for a holiday, and is then forced to book one. Ian is suspicious and goes out of his way to do nice things for Jane, and she fears she will no longer be able to take money from his accounts as he will be checking every penny. Jane then discovers that Ian is planning to buy the local Indian restaurant, the Argee Bhajee without consulting her. Angry at this, Jane admits to a number of her friends that she does not love Ian anymore, not knowing that he has overheard everything. The next day Ian attempts to woo Jane by cooking her a meal and offering to rename the Argee Bhajee after her. He admits that he overheard what she said at Zainab's house. However, Jane reveals that she knows about Lucy's abortion and is sick of his lies. She meets with Masood and the pair console each other about their respective partners. They meet again and go to a hotel with the intention of sex. However, they both change their minds and decide to remain friends. When Jane returns home she admits the encounter to Ian, but the pair reconcile. Zainab invites Ian and Jane to lunch. While sharing the meal, Ian makes Masood and Jane squirm but stops short of revealing their encounter to Zainab.
Wanting to surprise Jane with a bold gesture, Ian bakes her a cake and asks her to renew her wedding vows with him, which she accepts. However, days later, Ian confesses to sleeping with Glenda Mitchell
Glenda Mitchell
The following is a list of characters who first appeared or are due to appear in the BBC soap opera EastEnders in 2010, by order of first appearance...
(Glynis Barber
Glynis Barber
Glynis Barber is a South African actress of Afrikaner descent, born and brought up in South Africa. She was born Glynis van der Riet. When she was five years old, her parents divorced, and she and her mother moved to Johannesburg. She is best known for her portrayal as Sgt...
) and Jane is distant with him, although he believes they can work through it. However, whilst waiting in the registry office for Phil Mitchell
Phil Mitchell
Philip James "Phil" Mitchell is a long-running fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Steve McFadden.Phil first arrived in Albert Square on 20 February 1990, and was soon joined by his brother, Grant, sister Sam and mother Peggy...
's wedding to Shirley Carter (Linda Henry
Linda Henry
Linda Henry is an English actress, best known for her roles as Yvonne Atkins in the ITV television drama Bad Girls and Shirley Carter in the BBC's soap opera EastEnders.- Early life :...
), Jane confesses that she no longer loves him and the pair end their relationship, although they continue to live together. Ian, however, is determined to win Jane back and she is horrified when Greg Jessop (Stefan Booth
Stefan Booth
Stefan Booth is an English actor and singer currently starring in the BBC soap opera EastEnders as Greg Jessop. He left the series in August 2011 and will return to the show.-Background:...
) makes Ian his best man for his wedding to Tanya. During Tanya's hen night, Jane and Tanya get very drunk and Tanya accuses Jane of being jealous, to which Jane replies that she no longer wants to be Tanya's maid of honour. Returning home, Jane finds Greg bringing a drunk Ian home and after talking she goes to kiss Greg, who pushes her away. Filled with guilt, Jane admits the truth to Tanya on her wedding day and the two friends reconcile.
Jane and Ian's marriage deteriorates when Jane meets a man named Martin (Alasdair Harvey) who she meets at a pub quiz. They have a brief affair, but she ends it when she says she loves Ian. Ian discovers this and he tries to make Jane jealous by hiring an escort named Jeanette (Georgia Reece). Jane discovers she is an escort and mocks Ian. Ian calls Jane a prostitute disguised as a wife, so Jane says she wants everything from Ian in their divorce. Ian and Jane start playing tricks on each other. After a night out with Tanya, Jane tells Masood that she is in love with him and wants him to leave Zainab. He rejects her when he says that although he loves her too, he does not want a divorce. Ian and Jane go to court and Jane wins the café in the divorce. Afterwards, Ian and Jane argue, which upsets Bobby. Jane realises that for Bobby's sake, she must leave Walford so there are no more arguments. She promises to see Bobby regularly, and leaves after removing her wedding ring. Ian and Jane's divorce is later finalised.
Jane returns six months later after Bobby sneaks out to visit her. She is shocked to discover Ian is engaged to Mandy Salter
Mandy Salter
Mandy Salter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Nicola Stapleton. Introduced on 12 March 1992, Mandy was portrayed as a teenage tearaway. She was featured in storylines about homelessness, child and drug abuse. Her relationship with Aidan Brosnan was one of the...
(Nicola Stapleton
Nicola Stapleton
Nicola Kathleen Stapleton is an English actress. Stapleton began her career at an early age. She is most famous for her work on British television, in particular her roles as Mandy Salter in BBC's EastEnders and Janine Nebeski in ITV's Bad Girls.-Early life:Stapleton grew up off East Street, which...
) and that Masood and Zainab have split. Masood later tells Jane that he cannot just be friends with Jane and they kiss. The pair then begin a discreet relationship.
Other appearances
Jane also makes cameo appearances in the Internet spin-off series 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...
. In episode 2 of series 1, Jane is working in the café where Fatboy
Fatboy (EastEnders)
Arthur "Fatboy" Chubb is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders and its Internet spin-off EastEnders: E20, played by Ricky Norwood. He made his first appearance in EastEnders on 5 January 2010 before appearing in the spin-off...
(Ricky Norwood
Ricky Norwood
Richard Colin "Ricky" Norwood is a British actor who plays Fatboy in the soap opera EastEnders and its online spin-off EastEnders: E20. He was born in Tower Hamlets, London, and lives in Forest Gate. From the age of 12 he attended the Theatre Royal Stratford East's Youth Theatre, and he also...
) attempts to chat her up. In episode 3 of series 2, she is seen briefly talking to a girl outside the café and in episode 8 she confronts Asher Levi
Asher Levi
Asher Levi is a fictional character from EastEnders: E20, an Internet spin-off of the BBC soap opera EastEnders. Played by Heshima Thompson, Asher is a main character in series two. He is a charismatic street dancer, who uses his talent to escape from his criminal past...
(Heshima Thompson
Heshima Thompson
Heshima Salim Thompson is a British actor and singer.Thompson was born in the London Borough of Brent. He has appeared on television in Spooks: Code 9 as Jez, Prime Suspect, Casualty, City Lights, Judge John Deed and Babyfather. In theatre he has appeared at The Young Vic in Generations and at The...
) about some trainers he sold to Peter. He says he does not give refunds so she snatches his wallet and takes some money out but he snatches it back. Jane tells two police offices that Asher is a thief and they chase after him. In episode 10, Asher says he will refund Jane and when his brother 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...
) needs him, she lets him go.
Creation and development
Brett joined the cast of EastEnders in 2004 and was asked to dye her hair red and keep it short for the part. She also put on an English accent to disguise her natural Scottish accent. Brett described Jane as "warm, kind, caring and nurturing but she's not somebody that will be pushed around. She is quite feisty. She's a matriarch. Not as a dominant woman but she's definitely in a matriarch, she's the centre of a family in the making for EastEnders."In 2006, Jane has an affair with Grant Mitchell
Grant Mitchell (EastEnders)
Grant Anthony Mitchell is a fictional character from the British soap opera EastEnders, played by Ross Kemp. Grant first appeared in 1990, introduced by producer Michael Ferguson to revamp the show. Kemp remained until 1999 when he opted to leave...
, played by Ross Kemp
Ross Kemp
Ross James Kemp is a BAFTA award-winning British actor, author and journalist, who rose to prominence in the role of Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders...
. The scenes began after writers saw chemistry between Kemp and Brett. Brett considered the storyline to be a turning point for the character as "All I did for the last year was say: 'What can I get you?' in the café." Jane was given a sexier look after a new producer came in and asked Brett to grow her hair and bleach out the red dye.
Jane marries Ian Beale
Ian Beale
Ian Albert Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Adam Woodyatt. He is the longest-serving character and the only remaining original character to have appeared continuously since the first episode on 19 February 1985...
(Adam Woodyatt
Adam Woodyatt
Adam Brinley Woodyatt is an English actor and media personality, best known for his role as Ian Beale in the long-running BBC soap opera EastEnders...
), after co-habiting for around two years. Brett described Jane as "the straight man to Ian's buffoon. She's the other half who makes him whole." Speaking on the character's relationship with her husband, she likened herself to his mother, Kathy (Gillian Taylforth
Gillian Taylforth
Gillian Taylforth is an English actress. She is best known for her roles as Kathy Mitchell on the BBC soap opera, EastEnders and as Jackie Pascoe-Webb on ITV's Footballers Wives , but more recently as Sgt. Nikki Wright in ITV's The Bill...
), stating: "if Jane doesn't work out for Ian, no one will! Perhaps because Ian is finally married to his mother. Jane is very Kathy-esque. They'd have got on really well, though I can't imagine Kathy would've been too impressed with Jane's affair with Grant – despite the fact she got through a few Mitchells herself!" She stated that she hoped Jane and Ian's marriage would be a lasting one, commenting that so far: "it's panned out brilliantly. There are millions of marriages like this one, involving a strong woman behind an incredibly weak man. But it's Ian's flaws that make everyone love him so much. The only time a character becomes boring is when they're two dimensional, and that's something you could never say about Ian. I can't imagine being anyone else's missus!"
On the Beale family as a whole, Brett commented: "we're probably the most normal family in 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...
. The Beales are like the Trotters from Only Fools and Horses
Only Fools and Horses
Only Fools and Horses is a British sitcom, created and written by John Sullivan. Seven series were originally broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom between 1981 and 1991, with sporadic Christmas specials until 2003...
in many ways. They're salt-of-the-earth people who are trying to better themselves, so there's plenty of scope for drama and comedy. The writers certainly haven't run out of ideas for us yet - I haven't stopped working on big stories since I joined the show!"
Reception
In a review of the first decade of the 21st century in soaps, Ruth Deller of lowculture.co.ukLowculture
lowculture.co.uk is a UK television website founded in January 2003 by Paul Lang, who currently works as the art director of Doctor Who Adventures.-Purpose:...
wrote that Jane was "one of the best new characters in soap this decade; really believable, sensitive, [and] sensible, [...] she gives EastEnders a bit of heart, which is rare indeed." Deller also expressed her belief that Jane transformed the Beale family into one of the strongest families of the late 2000s, further stating: "A genuinely nice character whom you could imagine being your mate, once they got that nonsense with Grant out of the way, she's been a real asset to the soap."