Janine Evans
Encyclopedia
Janine Butcher is a fictional character
from the British
soap opera
EastEnders
, currently portrayed by Charlie Brooks
. Rebecca Michael originally portrayed the character from 1989 until 1993, when the role was given to Alexia Demetriou for three years. Brooks took on the role in 1999. After a three episode guest stint in April 2008 which saw the character reappear for her father Frank's funeral, Brooks agreed to reprise her role full-time, returning permanently in December 2008. Janine's storylines typically involve her in an antagonistic role; the character has been described as a "super-bitch" and a "classic villainess".
(Mike Reid
) moved to Walford
with her older siblings Ricky
(Sid Owen
) and Diane
(Sophie Lawrence
) and married Pat Wicks
(Pam St. Clement
). Clare moved to Manchester in 1989, leaving Janine with Pat and Frank.
s, runs away, is a bed-wetter, a sleepwalker, a thief, a compulsive liar and self-harmer, and hates Pat. Unable to discipline her, Pat forces Frank to take Janine to family therapy
, which helps somewhat. When Frank has a breakdown and disappears in 1994, Janine stays with Pat but finds her father's absence upsetting. She is overjoyed at Frank's return and decides to move to Manchester with him in 1996. However, Frank returns to Walford in 1998, leaving Janine with Clare again.
Janine returns in 1999 to live with Frank and his new wife, Peggy
(Barbara Windsor
). She sets about coming between them, continuously trying to antagonise Frank with rebellious behaviour. She sleeps with Jamie Mitchell
(Jack Ryder
) to infuriate her father, then humiliates Jamie by spreading rumours about his inadequate prowess in bed. Frank abandons Janine again in 2000 after the breakdown of his marriage to Peggy.
Homeless, Janine is taken in by Terry Raymond
(Gavin Richards
); they start a business together as estate agents. Terry sees Janine as a surrogate daughter but her constant manipulation tests his patience. Janine uses him for money, purposefully dresses like his deceased daughter Tiffany
(Martine McCutcheon
), ruins his relationships with women and tries to seduce him. Janine also begins sleeping with Billy Mitchell
(Perry Fenwick
) until he runs out of money. All of this behaviour infuriates Terry. Janine starts using cocaine
, pestering Terry for money to feed her habit. When Terry refuses, she resorts to sleeping with her drug dealer, Lee Vickers, in exchange for cocaine; Vickers beats Terry when he tries to warn him off. Upon seeing Janine's lack of remorse, Terry throws her out and leaves Walford, ignoring her pleas for him to stay.
Owing Vickers money for drugs, Janine turns to prostitution
under the pseudonym "Blonde Bombshell". One of her clients, Matt, falls in love and proposes, then attempts suicide upon discovering she is still a prostitute. Ian Beale
(Adam Woodyatt
) begins using her services, but she later blackmails him, threatening to tell his wife Laura
(Hannah Waterman
) unless he gives her money. Depressed, Janine begins drinking heavily, and nearly dies of alcohol poisoning. She gives up prostitution, but when Laura discovers she has been sleeping with Ian, she throws a pan of boiling milk in Janine's face. Janine becomes agoraphobic as a result — she eats dog food
because she is too afraid to go out and buy groceries. She eventually gets over this, aided by Billy. Janine hopes to rekindle their relationship but is devastated when he confesses he is in love with Little Mo Slater
(Kacey Ainsworth
). Her attempts to ruin their blossoming romance fail.
Janine gets a job working at Barry Evans
's (Shaun Williamson
) car lot. She and Paul Trueman
(Gary Beadle
) concoct a plan to fleece Barry of his money. She seduces Barry and moves in with him but, unknown to him, she is sleeping with Paul too. Barry eventually proposes to Janine and she accepts, thinking that Barry has a life-threatening heart murmur
. They marry on New Year's Eve 2003 in Scotland, but Janine is furious to discover that Barry's illness is a false alarm. Barry forces Janine to take a stroll around the hills and cliffs, but Janine cracks and confesses everything. Barry, refusing to believe that she does not love him, tries to embrace her. Repulsed, Janine pushes him away and he rolls down a hill, fatally hitting his head on a rock; Janine watches him die.
Janine inherits Barry's estate, leaving his son, Jack, with nothing. She has Barry cremated in Scotland, denying his friends and family a chance to pay their respects, making Barry's ex-wife Natalie
(Lucy Speed
) suspicious. Natalie grows close to Paul Trueman, who is wracked with guilt about his role in Barry's demise. Spurred on by Natalie, Paul eventually goes to the police implicating Janine. She is arrested but released, due to lack of evidence. She takes pleasure in telling Natalie that she has got away with murder, but telling Pat is her downfall. Pat is also good friends with Laura Beale, who has an on-going feud with Janine. Janine further marginalises herself from all the locals by reporting Laura for benefit fraud and announces it in the Vic. Janine is seen fighting Laura just before Laura accidentally dies after falling down the stairs and Laura is found with Janine's skin under her nails following their fight. Although Janine is with Pat at the time of death, Pat avenges Barry's murder by refusing to give Janine an alibi despite Janine begging for help and blaming her actions on her hard childhood but Pat brands her pure evil. In desperation, Janine goes to Paul and offers to sleep with him in return for an alibi, but, shameful about his own role in Barry's death, he throws her out, and she is arrested by police waiting outside as she tries to flee the from the square with a bag of money. Janine is then charged with Laura's murder and remanded in custody in May 2004.
Janine stands trial off-screen in 2005 and Frank tries to persuade Pat to tell the truth in court, giving Janine an alibi. Pat refuses but a conversation with Laura's mother, who is desperate for the truth, forces Pat to tell the court what really happened. Janine is released but abandons Frank outside the courtroom.
) for his money. They trace Janine to the synagogue
where the wedding is taking place. Just after they are pronounced man and wife, Pat declares Janine a fraud before the congregation. David has a heart attack and dies, and a now homeless Janine has no choice but to return to Walford.
She makes various enemies, among them Jack Branning
(Scott Maslen
), whom Janine drugs and then restrains in order to gain a taped confession of his past misdemeanours, which she uses as blackmail to gain control of Walford's car lot. Pat and Jack usurp her, reclaiming the business, and in anger Janine speeds off in her car and accidentally hits Danielle Jones
(Lauren Crace
), killing her. Although Janine is cleared of any wrongdoing by the police, Danielle's mother Ronnie Mitchell
(Samantha Womack) cannot forgive her. In retaliation towards this rejection, Janine teams up with Ronnie's ostracised father, Archie
(Larry Lamb
); they make plans to ruin the Mitchell family by taking The Queen Victoria
public house
from them. When they manipulate Sam Mitchell
(Danniella Westbrook
) into breaking her bail terms, the Mitchells lose bail surety and face financial ruin. Ian Beale provides the Mitchells with a loan on the condition they use their pub as collateral
. However, Janine has sex with Ian recording the tryst, then blackmails him, threatening to show his wife Jane (Laurie Brett
) unless he sells the Mitchell loan to Archie. Archie subsequently takes control of the Vic when the Mitchells are unable to meet the terms of the loan.
Meanwhile, Janine and her flat mate Ryan Malloy
(Neil McDermott
) - whom Janine is sleeping with - plan to fleece Archie. Archie and Janine announce their engagement but on Christmas Day 2009, Archie - realising that Janine has been intending to con him - throws her out onto the street leaving her distraught. That same day, Archie is murdered by an unknown assailant. Janine becomes one of the suspects for his murder, though she denies it and feigns distress over Archie's death. While she attempts to frame Ian and the Mitchells for the murder, Peggy attempts to frame her, planting evidence in her flat, which leads to an arrest but no charge. In the end, Janine is cleared and Bradley Branning
(Charlie Clements
) is held falsely responsible for the murder.
When Ryan confesses his love for Janine, she does not respond. It is not until he attempts to leave Walford that she admits her true feelings for him and they begin a legitimate romance. Despite Janine nearly straying with a wealthy man on her hen night, she and Ryan marry, but marital happiness is short-lived when Ryan discovers that he is the father of Stacey Branning's (Lacey Turner
) daughter Lily. A feud erupts between Janine and Stacey when Janine, jealous of Stacey and Ryan's bond, reports her to social services for neglecting Lily. Later she kidnaps Lily, suggesting to Ryan that they leave Walford with the child so that she can separate Ryan from Stacey. Her games push Ryan and Stacey closer together and they begin an affair. When Janine finds out, she vows to kill them both. She buys sedatives and poisons Ryan with them. He is left bedridden but manages to escape and ends their marriage publicly after being released from hospital. Hurt and angry, Janine finds out that Stacey is the real murderer of Archie Mitchell and goes public with this information, but is largely ignored with no concrete evidence. Desperate, Janine visits Stacey and stabs herself in an attempt to frame her but Stacey escapes the country before arrest. Blaming Janine for Stacey leaving, Ryan refuses to reunite with Janine and attempts to kill her by removing her oxygen tubing when she is hospitalised. She is saved by Ricky's chance arrival, but both Ricky and Pat denounce Janine's actions when she admits that her injuries are self-inflicted.
When Ryan's sister Whitney Dean
(Shona McGarty
) is left homeless and jobless, Janine takes her in. Janine uses Whitney to make money, coaxing her into escorting and stealing from her employer. However, Janine jealously rejects Whitney when a client refuses to sleep with Janine, hoping to see Whitney instead. Janine then cannot afford her rent and moves in with Ricky and his family. Whitney goes missing but Janine lies that she is with Ryan, however, she soon admits she does not know where Whitney is. Janine and Lauren Branning
(Jacqueline Jossa
) search for her, and track her down to Dartford
where Janine leans that Whitney is being sexually exploited
by Rob Grayson (Jody Latham
). She tells Whitney she cares about her and recalls her previous experience as a drug-addicted prostitute, advising Whitney to return home. Whitney refuses to leave and Janine is evicted by Rob. Janine and Lauren then watch helplessly as Rob drives Whitney away. Concerned for Whitney's welfare, an anxious Lauren tells Ricky and Carol Jackson
(Lindsey Coulson
) about Whitney's situation, Ricky visits Janine where he shouts at her for neglecting Whitney and tells her that she will be to blame and at fault if Whitney never returns home and that she is not to come near his family again. Whitney is eventually found by Lauren and returns home to Ricky.
Ricky and Janine receive news that their maternal, rich, grandmother, Lydia Simmonds (Heather Chasen
), is very sick and in need of someone to look after her. Janine decides to take in her granny with the ulterior motive of having a place in her will. Janine soon learns that Lydia is very similar to herself and they both put on an act of hating each other. Janine eventually admits she loves her granny and enjoys looking after her. Lydia's health quickly deteriorates and Janine sees the copy of her will in which Lydia has left all her money to a charity. Janine stays up with Lydia and tells her she doesn't care about not being in the will. Lydia explains that she wanted to look after Janine after her mother died but Pat and Frank wouldn't allow it. After giving Janine her mothers locket Lydia dies. Janine is devastated by Lydia's death and refuses to be comforted by Pat after finding out she stopped her seeing her gran. The Square (including Pat) speculate whether Janine killed Lydia. Ryan calls the police on Janine after he too suspects she murdered Lydia. Janine is questioned but released without charge.
After being evicted from her flat Janine starts working at the chip shop and moves in with Billy and Julie. The executor of Lydia's will informs her that she has inherited her Lydia's estate and is a millionnaire. Since she now has money, Janine boasts and buys gifts for Liam and Morgan, but nothing for Tiffany as she made fun of Janine when she was poor. Ricky throws Janine out after she tells Tiffany that she cannot bully other people and expect gifts. Janine goes to stay in an expensive hotel, boasting about it to Ryan and offers him to come, but he rejects her saying he would rather sleep on the streets. Janine hosts a party offering a free trip to Las Vegas, but rigs it for herself to win. She offers Ricky money, only for him to reject it. With the help of Pat, Lydia's will is set to be contested by Lydia's estranged son Norman Simmonds (George Layton
). Ricky is struggling financially to look after his children, and his only option is to take a job in Dubai
, so Pat, knowing the will contest will take too long, manages to get Norman to change his mind about contesting the will, as Janine will help Ricky out with money. Janine forces Pat to beg, but Ricky walks in on this, and refuses to accept her money, disowns her again and leaves for Dubai. Janine then buys Roxy Mitchell
's (Rita Simons) share in the nightclub R&R, with Phil Mitchell
(Steve McFadden
) as her business partner. Greg Jessop (Stefan Booth
) sells Janine his house, unbeknownst to his estranged wife Tanya
(Jo Joyner
), Janine happily evicts Tanya and her family from the house. After discovering that Ryan is dealing drugs in the pub and having a secret relationship with Lauren, Janine calls the police, Ryan is arrested and loses his job in the pub as a result. Janine later learns that Ryan has fled after his involvement in the death of pimp Rob Grayson (Jody Latham
), and is pleased. She has sex with Michael Moon
(Steve John Shepherd
) and uses her inheritance money to start her own property management company, Butcher's Joints, after buying several properties. Janine and Michael then begin a relationship.
Janine begins a fued with the Mitchell family
by frustrating Phil in the running of the nightclub and evicting Roxy from her flat. When Phil starts receiving photos of a young boy who died when Frank asked him to torch the car lot in an insurance scam in the 1990s, he blames Janine but she claims to have no knowledge of the event. Janine confronts Pat, who tells her the truth about what Frank did. Janine is upset that Frank did not tell her, and tells Michael that it must be because she is unloveable, to which he loves her.
(Mike Reid
) first appeared on-screen. Frank and his children Ricky
(Sid Owen
) and Diane
(Sophie Lawrence
) were introduced as regular characters in 1988. However, Janine did not become a regular character until a year later, in June 1989, her arrival completing the Butcher family.
Janine was initially seen as a 6-year-old, played by Rebecca Michael. In 1993, following a storyline that saw her stepmother Pat
(Pam St. Clement
) imprisoned for manslaughter, Janine was sent to stay with her off-screen sister Clare, but she returned later that year, played by 11-year-old Alexia Demetriou who reigned as Janine from 14 October 1993 until 12 March 1996, when the character was written out again, as Demetriou left to concentrate on her studies. Executive producer Matthew Robinson re-introduced Janine in 1999 as a 16-year-old played by Charlie Brooks
.
In December 2009, the show's executive producer, Diederick Santer
teased about upcoming storylines involving Janine and her flatmate Ryan Malloy
(Neil McDermott
), saying: "There's something really interesting with Ryan and Janine [...]. They're both people who don't know how to love. So will they fall in love? And if they do, can they cope with it? Will they understand the alien feelings coursing through their bodies?" In August 2010, Janine proposes to Ryan. Brooks said that the idea of getting married would be daunting for the character, but added that she believes Janine is genuinely in love with Ryan. She commented: "It's easy to assume that Janine is playing games or using him for sex, but [...] Ryan clearly adores her too, so he may be the man to tame her wild ways." Brooks hinted at possible trouble for the couple if Janine discovers that Ryan fathered a baby with Stacey Branning (Lacey Turner
), saying "Janine will be absolutely destroyed when she finds out. She wants Ryan all to herself, and the idea of a baby snatching his attention away would be devastating. All she needs is to be loved." McDermott stated that he believed Ryan was the right man for Janine, and that they could be perfect for each other, saying: "Janine's never loved any of the men she's been with before. She has only ever been in it for the money. Ryan understands her and knows why she does the things she does. They both forgive one another's mistakes very easily, and that's why their partnership works."
In February 2011, Janine's estranged grandmother, Lydia Simmonds, "a lady of class and dignity," was announced. Lydia's backstory states that she loved her daughter June but hated the man she married, Frank, so she grew old alone. Lydia and Janine have been estranged for many years and Janine is shocked to have her grandmother back in her life. Executive Producer Bryan Kirkwood
said: "I can't wait to see Janine meet her match."
also chastised the scenes saying, "The makers of a programme as popular and influential as EastEnders, particular on a public service channel, have a duty to be responsible in terms of not glamorising drug-taking, especially when a young audience is watching." Liberal Democrat
MP Nick Harvey
added, "No one can deny these things go on in real life. But showing them before the watershed to an audience appreciably younger than the people it's happening to normalises these things and de-sensitizes people to the shock of it." The BBC defended the storyline, saying, "Although the storyline implied Janine had taken drugs, there were no scenes that actually showed her using them. EastEnders has always tackled difficult issues like drug-taking in a responsible way, mindful of its responsibilities to its younger audience."
Brooks was awarded "Best Bitch" at the Inside Soap Awards
in 2001. In March 2009, Brooks won the "Bad Girl" award at the 2009 All About Soap
Bubble Awards, which are voted for by the public, for her portrayal of Janine, saying: "I'm thrilled that viewers think I am so good at being bad!" Brooks also won Villain of the Year at the British Soap Awards in 2004 for her portrayal of the same character, and was nominated in the same category in 2011. Brooks won her third Inside Soap Award for Best Bitch in 2009. In February 2011, the love triangle storyline between Janine, Ryan and Stacey was nominated in the "Best Love Triangle" category at the 2011 All About Soap Bubble Awards.
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...
, currently portrayed by 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:...
. Rebecca Michael originally portrayed the character from 1989 until 1993, when the role was given to Alexia Demetriou for three years. Brooks took on the role in 1999. After a three episode guest stint in April 2008 which saw the character reappear for her father Frank's funeral, Brooks agreed to reprise her role full-time, returning permanently in December 2008. Janine's storylines typically involve her in an antagonistic role; the character has been described as a "super-bitch" and a "classic villainess".
Backstory
Janine's mother, June, died of cancer when Janine was three years old, and she went to live with her sister Clare. Her father FrankFrank 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...
(Mike Reid
Mike Reid (entertainer)
Michael Reid was an English comedian, actor, author and occasional television presenter from Hackney in east London, who is best remembered for playing the role of Frank Butcher in EastEnders and hosting the popular children's TV show Runaround...
) moved to Walford
Walford
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 her older siblings Ricky
Ricky Butcher
Richard Francis "Ricky" Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Sid Owen. Introduced as a school boy in 1988, Ricky is one of the longest-running, male protagonists to feature in EastEnders. Owen originally left the role in 2000 to pursue a music career...
(Sid Owen
Sid Owen
Sid Owen is an English actor, television presenter and former singer, most famous for playing the role of Ricky Butcher in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, which he appeared in from 1988 until 2000, 2002 until 2004 and then again from March 2008.-Career:Prior to his role in EastEnders he had a...
) and Diane
Diane Butcher
Diane Maureen Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Sophie Lawrence. Diane appeared as a regular character between 1988 and 1991, when Lawrence decided to leave. The character made several brief returns in 1993, 1994, and 1997...
(Sophie Lawrence
Sophie Lawrence
Sophie Lawrence is an English actress, best known for playing the role of Diane Butcher in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders....
) and married Pat Wicks
Pat Evans
Patricia Louise "Pat" Evans is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. She has been played by Pam St. Clement since 12 June 1986, just over a year after the show first aired...
(Pam St. Clement
Pam St. Clement
Pamela Ann Clement , known by the stage name Pam St. Clement, is an English actress. She has played Pat Evans in the BBC soap opera EastEnders since 1986, and is now one of the programme's longest-serving cast members. St. Clement announced her intention to leave EastEnders on 8 July 2011 and will...
). Clare moved to Manchester in 1989, leaving Janine with Pat and Frank.
1989–2005
A troublesome child, Janine throws tantrumTantrum
A tantrum is an emotional outburst, usually associated with children or those in emotional distress, that is typically characterized by stubbornness, crying, screaming, yelling, shrieking, defiance, angry ranting, a resistance to attempts at pacification and, in some cases, violence...
s, runs away, is a bed-wetter, a sleepwalker, a thief, a compulsive liar and self-harmer, and hates Pat. Unable to discipline her, Pat forces Frank to take Janine to family therapy
Family therapy
Family therapy, also referred to as couple and family therapy, family systems therapy, and family counseling, is a branch of psychotherapy that works with families and couples in intimate relationships to nurture change and development. It tends to view change in terms of the systems of...
, which helps somewhat. When Frank has a breakdown and disappears in 1994, Janine stays with Pat but finds her father's absence upsetting. She is overjoyed at Frank's return and decides to move to Manchester with him in 1996. However, Frank returns to Walford in 1998, leaving Janine with Clare again.
Janine returns in 1999 to live with Frank and his new wife, Peggy
Peggy Mitchell
Margaret Ann "Peggy" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. Peggy was initially played by Jo Warne when she first appeared on 30 April 1991, featuring in the series on a recurring basis over several weeks. Peggy was reintroduced in 1994, recast and was then played by...
(Barbara Windsor
Barbara Windsor
Barbara Ann Windsor, MBE , better known by her stage name Barbara Windsor, is an English actress. Her best known roles are in the Carry On films and as Peggy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders....
). She sets about coming between them, continuously trying to antagonise Frank with rebellious behaviour. She sleeps with Jamie Mitchell
Jamie Mitchell
Jamie Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jack Ryder, who made his first appearance on 9 November 1998. Ryder decided to leave in 2002, and his final episode aired Christmas Day 2002, when Jamie was killed off....
(Jack Ryder
Jack Ryder (actor)
Jack Seigfried Ryder is an English actor, best known for playing Jamie Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders from 1998 to 2002.-Biography:...
) to infuriate her father, then humiliates Jamie by spreading rumours about his inadequate prowess in bed. Frank abandons Janine again in 2000 after the breakdown of his marriage to Peggy.
Homeless, Janine is taken in by Terry Raymond
Terry Raymond
Terrence Gordon "Terry" Raymond is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Gavin Richards. Terry was initially introduced briefly in 1996 as the drunken father of Tiffany and Simon Raymond...
(Gavin Richards
Gavin Richards
Gavin Richards is a British actor, writer and director. His father is music critic Denby Richards, emeritus editor of Britain's oldest classical music magazine, Musical Opinion....
); they start a business together as estate agents. Terry sees Janine as a surrogate daughter but her constant manipulation tests his patience. Janine uses him for money, purposefully dresses like his deceased daughter Tiffany
Tiffany Mitchell
Tiffany Dawn Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Martine McCutcheon from 1995 until 1998. The character was created by the writer, Tony Jordan...
(Martine McCutcheon
Martine McCutcheon
Martine McCutcheon is an English singer, television personality and Laurence Olivier Award-winning actress. McCutcheon had minor success as one third of the pop group Milan in the early 1990s; however, it was her role as Tiffany Mitchell in BBC's EastEnders that made her a household name in the UK...
), ruins his relationships with women and tries to seduce him. Janine also begins sleeping with 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....
) until he runs out of money. All of this behaviour infuriates Terry. Janine starts using cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
, pestering Terry for money to feed her habit. When Terry refuses, she resorts to sleeping with her drug dealer, Lee Vickers, in exchange for cocaine; Vickers beats Terry when he tries to warn him off. Upon seeing Janine's lack of remorse, Terry throws her out and leaves Walford, ignoring her pleas for him to stay.
Owing Vickers money for drugs, Janine turns to prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
under the pseudonym "Blonde Bombshell". One of her clients, Matt, falls in love and proposes, then attempts suicide upon discovering she is still a prostitute. 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...
) begins using her services, but she later blackmails him, threatening to tell his wife Laura
Laura Beale
Laura Ellen Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Hannah Waterman.Laura only ever wanted a happy marriage, but was always made to feel inferior and unattractive by her husband, Ian Beale...
(Hannah Waterman
Hannah Waterman
Hannah Waterman-Groves is an English actress, daughter of Minder star Dennis Waterman and his second wife, actress Patricia Maynard.-Career:...
) unless he gives her money. Depressed, Janine begins drinking heavily, and nearly dies of alcohol poisoning. She gives up prostitution, but when Laura discovers she has been sleeping with Ian, she throws a pan of boiling milk in Janine's face. Janine becomes agoraphobic as a result — she eats dog food
Dog food
Dog food refers to food specifically intended for consumption by dogs. Though technically omnivorous, dogs exhibit a natural carnivorous bias, have sharp, pointy teeth, and have short gastrointestinal tracts better suited for the consumption of meat...
because she is too afraid to go out and buy groceries. She eventually gets over this, aided by Billy. Janine hopes to rekindle their relationship but is devastated when he confesses he is in love with Little Mo Slater
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...
). Her attempts to ruin their blossoming romance fail.
Janine gets a job working at Barry Evans
Barry Evans (EastEnders)
Barry Evans is a fictional character played by Shaun Williamson. He appeared in the BBC soap opera EastEnders between 1994 and 2004. The character was portrayed as a "buffoon." Williamson controversially left the serial after ten years in 2003 after executive producer Louise Berridge refused to...
's (Shaun Williamson
Shaun Williamson
Shaun Williamson is an English actor, singer, media personality and occasional presenter, best known for his former role as Barry Evans in soap opera EastEnders and as a version of himself in BBC sitcom Extras.- Career :...
) car lot. She and Paul Trueman
Paul Trueman
Paul Trueman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Gary Beadle between 2001 and 2004. Gary was introduced as part of the already established Trueman family. He was portrayed as a bad boy. Beadle left the role in 2004, following a suspension, reportedly for failing...
(Gary Beadle
Gary Beadle
Gary Beadle is an English actor, best known for playing Paul Trueman in EastEnders and Gary Barwick in Operation Good Guys....
) concoct a plan to fleece Barry of his money. She seduces Barry and moves in with him but, unknown to him, she is sleeping with Paul too. Barry eventually proposes to Janine and she accepts, thinking that Barry has a life-threatening heart murmur
Heart murmur
Murmurs are extra heart sounds that are produced as a result of turbulent blood flow that is sufficient to produce audible noise. Most murmurs can only be heard with the assistance of a stethoscope ....
. They marry on New Year's Eve 2003 in Scotland, but Janine is furious to discover that Barry's illness is a false alarm. Barry forces Janine to take a stroll around the hills and cliffs, but Janine cracks and confesses everything. Barry, refusing to believe that she does not love him, tries to embrace her. Repulsed, Janine pushes him away and he rolls down a hill, fatally hitting his head on a rock; Janine watches him die.
Janine inherits Barry's estate, leaving his son, Jack, with nothing. She has Barry cremated in Scotland, denying his friends and family a chance to pay their respects, making Barry's ex-wife Natalie
Natalie Evans
Natalie Evans is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lucy Speed between 1994 and 2004. Natalie first appeared in January 1994, depicted initially as an unhappy, insecure teenager; she was among various regular characters brought in to increase the cast following the...
(Lucy Speed
Lucy Speed
Lucy Renee Speed is an English actress known for her television roles as Natalie Evans in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, and DS Stevie Moss in the ITV1 police drama series The Bill.-Early life:...
) suspicious. Natalie grows close to Paul Trueman, who is wracked with guilt about his role in Barry's demise. Spurred on by Natalie, Paul eventually goes to the police implicating Janine. She is arrested but released, due to lack of evidence. She takes pleasure in telling Natalie that she has got away with murder, but telling Pat is her downfall. Pat is also good friends with Laura Beale, who has an on-going feud with Janine. Janine further marginalises herself from all the locals by reporting Laura for benefit fraud and announces it in the Vic. Janine is seen fighting Laura just before Laura accidentally dies after falling down the stairs and Laura is found with Janine's skin under her nails following their fight. Although Janine is with Pat at the time of death, Pat avenges Barry's murder by refusing to give Janine an alibi despite Janine begging for help and blaming her actions on her hard childhood but Pat brands her pure evil. In desperation, Janine goes to Paul and offers to sleep with him in return for an alibi, but, shameful about his own role in Barry's death, he throws her out, and she is arrested by police waiting outside as she tries to flee the from the square with a bag of money. Janine is then charged with Laura's murder and remanded in custody in May 2004.
Janine stands trial off-screen in 2005 and Frank tries to persuade Pat to tell the truth in court, giving Janine an alibi. Pat refuses but a conversation with Laura's mother, who is desperate for the truth, forces Pat to tell the court what really happened. Janine is released but abandons Frank outside the courtroom.
2008—
Janine returns for Frank's funeral in April 2008, and is angry to find that he has not left her any money in his will; she scatters his ashes before departing. However, in December 2008 Pat and Ricky discover that Janine is masquerading as a Jewish orphan named "Judith Bernstein" in order to marry an elderly Jewish man named David (Harry TowbHarry Towb
Harry Towb was a Northern Irish actor.-Early life and career:Towb's father was Russian and his mother was Irish. He attended the Finiston School and Technical College, Belfast...
) for his money. They trace Janine to the synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
where the wedding is taking place. Just after they are pronounced man and wife, Pat declares Janine a fraud before the congregation. David has a heart attack and dies, and a now homeless Janine has no choice but to return to Walford.
She makes various enemies, among them 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:...
), whom Janine drugs and then restrains in order to gain a taped confession of his past misdemeanours, which she uses as blackmail to gain control of Walford's car lot. Pat and Jack usurp her, reclaiming the business, and in anger Janine speeds off in her car and accidentally hits Danielle Jones
Danielle Jones (EastEnders)
Danielle Jones is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lauren Crace. The character appeared between 18 August 2008 and 3 April 2009. Crace's casting in the role was announced in July 2008, when she was described as a love interest for fellow new character Callum Monks...
(Lauren Crace
Lauren Crace
Lauren Rose Crace is an English actress known for playing Danielle Jones in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders.-Biography:The daughter of contemporary English writer Jim Crace, Lauren Rose Crace was born in Birmingham, West Midlands...
), killing her. Although Janine is cleared of any wrongdoing by the police, Danielle's mother 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) cannot forgive her. In retaliation towards this rejection, Janine teams up with Ronnie's ostracised father, Archie
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...
); they make plans to ruin the Mitchell family by taking 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...
from them. When they manipulate 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...
) into breaking her bail terms, the Mitchells lose bail surety and face financial ruin. Ian Beale provides the Mitchells with a loan on the condition they use their pub as collateral
Collateral (finance)
In lending agreements, collateral is a borrower's pledge of specific property to a lender, to secure repayment of a loan.The collateral serves as protection for a lender against a borrower's default - that is, any borrower failing to pay the principal and interest under the terms of a loan obligation...
. However, Janine has sex with Ian recording the tryst, then blackmails him, threatening to show his wife Jane (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:...
) unless he sells the Mitchell loan to Archie. Archie subsequently takes control of the Vic when the Mitchells are unable to meet the terms of the loan.
Meanwhile, Janine and her flat mate Ryan Malloy
Ryan Malloy
Ryan Malloy is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Neil McDermott. From his arrival on 28 April 2009, the character remained a mystery in the show for a number of months until he was revealed as the half brother of established character Whitney Dean...
(Neil McDermott
Neil McDermott
Neil McDermott is a British stage and television actor who is best known for portraying Ryan Malloy in the BBC television soap opera EastEnders from April 2009 until 2011.-Career:...
) - whom Janine is sleeping with - plan to fleece Archie. Archie and Janine announce their engagement but on Christmas Day 2009, Archie - realising that Janine has been intending to con him - throws her out onto the street leaving her distraught. That same day, Archie is murdered by an unknown assailant. Janine becomes one of the suspects for his murder, though she denies it and feigns distress over Archie's death. While she attempts to frame Ian and the Mitchells for the murder, Peggy attempts to frame her, planting evidence in her flat, which leads to an arrest but no charge. In the end, Janine is cleared and Bradley Branning
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
Charlie Clements
Charlie Clements is an English actor, best known for the role of Bradley Branning in the BBC soap opera EastEnders from January 2006 to February 2010. He has won several soap and magazine awards for his performance.-Biography:...
) is held falsely responsible for the murder.
When Ryan confesses his love for Janine, she does not respond. It is not until he attempts to leave Walford that she admits her true feelings for him and they begin a legitimate romance. Despite Janine nearly straying with a wealthy man on her hen night, she and Ryan marry, but marital happiness is short-lived when Ryan discovers that he is the father of Stacey Branning's (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...
) daughter Lily. A feud erupts between Janine and Stacey when Janine, jealous of Stacey and Ryan's bond, reports her to social services for neglecting Lily. Later she kidnaps Lily, suggesting to Ryan that they leave Walford with the child so that she can separate Ryan from Stacey. Her games push Ryan and Stacey closer together and they begin an affair. When Janine finds out, she vows to kill them both. She buys sedatives and poisons Ryan with them. He is left bedridden but manages to escape and ends their marriage publicly after being released from hospital. Hurt and angry, Janine finds out that Stacey is the real murderer of Archie Mitchell and goes public with this information, but is largely ignored with no concrete evidence. Desperate, Janine visits Stacey and stabs herself in an attempt to frame her but Stacey escapes the country before arrest. Blaming Janine for Stacey leaving, Ryan refuses to reunite with Janine and attempts to kill her by removing her oxygen tubing when she is hospitalised. She is saved by Ricky's chance arrival, but both Ricky and Pat denounce Janine's actions when she admits that her injuries are self-inflicted.
When Ryan's sister Whitney Dean
Whitney Dean
Whitney Dean is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, played by Shona McGarty. The character is the adoptive daughter of long-running character Bianca Jackson , and was introduced in April 2008 when Palmer returned to the series after a six year absence...
(Shona McGarty
Shona McGarty
Shona Bernadette McGarty is an English actress from Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, best known for her role in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, as Whitney Dean.-Career:...
) is left homeless and jobless, Janine takes her in. Janine uses Whitney to make money, coaxing her into escorting and stealing from her employer. However, Janine jealously rejects Whitney when a client refuses to sleep with Janine, hoping to see Whitney instead. Janine then cannot afford her rent and moves in with Ricky and his family. Whitney goes missing but Janine lies that she is with Ryan, however, she soon admits she does not know where Whitney is. Janine and Lauren Branning
Lauren Branning
Lauren Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. She first appeared in the show on 3 July 2006 played by Madeline Duggan, was absent from 23 June to 27 September 2010, and returned as played by Jacqueline Jossa.-Storylines:...
(Jacqueline Jossa
Jacqueline Jossa
Jacqueline Mary Jossa is an English actress from Bexley, London, best known for her role in the BBC soap opera EastEnders as Lauren Branning.Jossa was born in the London Borough of Bexley...
) search for her, and track her down to Dartford
Dartford
Dartford is the principal town in the borough of Dartford. It is situated in the northwest corner of Kent, England, east south-east of central London....
where Janine leans that Whitney is being sexually exploited
Sexual exploitation
Sexual exploitation may refer to:*Sexual slavery*Sexual exploitation and abuse in humanitarian response...
by Rob Grayson (Jody Latham
Jody Latham
Jody Lee Latham is an English actor, best known for his roles as Phillip "Lip" Gallagher in the British Channel 4 series Shameless, Calum McKenzie in the ITV series The Fixer, and Rob Grayson in the BBC Soap opera EastEnders....
). She tells Whitney she cares about her and recalls her previous experience as a drug-addicted prostitute, advising Whitney to return home. Whitney refuses to leave and Janine is evicted by Rob. Janine and Lauren then watch helplessly as Rob drives Whitney away. Concerned for Whitney's welfare, an anxious Lauren tells Ricky and Carol Jackson
Carol Jackson
Carol Ann Jackson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lindsey Coulson. The character was introduced in 1993 as part of a new problem family. Coulson decided to quit the role in 1997, but she returned temporarily in 1999 as part of a storyline that marked Carol's...
(Lindsey Coulson
Lindsey Coulson
Lindsey Coulson is an English actress, best known for her role as Carol Jackson in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.- Career :...
) about Whitney's situation, Ricky visits Janine where he shouts at her for neglecting Whitney and tells her that she will be to blame and at fault if Whitney never returns home and that she is not to come near his family again. Whitney is eventually found by Lauren and returns home to Ricky.
Ricky and Janine receive news that their maternal, rich, grandmother, Lydia Simmonds (Heather Chasen
Heather Chasen
Heather Jean Chasen is a Singapore-born English actress. Her best known roles are playing Valerie Pollard in the ITV soap opera Crossroads and voicing many roles in BBC Radio 2's The Navy Lark...
), is very sick and in need of someone to look after her. Janine decides to take in her granny with the ulterior motive of having a place in her will. Janine soon learns that Lydia is very similar to herself and they both put on an act of hating each other. Janine eventually admits she loves her granny and enjoys looking after her. Lydia's health quickly deteriorates and Janine sees the copy of her will in which Lydia has left all her money to a charity. Janine stays up with Lydia and tells her she doesn't care about not being in the will. Lydia explains that she wanted to look after Janine after her mother died but Pat and Frank wouldn't allow it. After giving Janine her mothers locket Lydia dies. Janine is devastated by Lydia's death and refuses to be comforted by Pat after finding out she stopped her seeing her gran. The Square (including Pat) speculate whether Janine killed Lydia. Ryan calls the police on Janine after he too suspects she murdered Lydia. Janine is questioned but released without charge.
After being evicted from her flat Janine starts working at the chip shop and moves in with Billy and Julie. The executor of Lydia's will informs her that she has inherited her Lydia's estate and is a millionnaire. Since she now has money, Janine boasts and buys gifts for Liam and Morgan, but nothing for Tiffany as she made fun of Janine when she was poor. Ricky throws Janine out after she tells Tiffany that she cannot bully other people and expect gifts. Janine goes to stay in an expensive hotel, boasting about it to Ryan and offers him to come, but he rejects her saying he would rather sleep on the streets. Janine hosts a party offering a free trip to Las Vegas, but rigs it for herself to win. She offers Ricky money, only for him to reject it. With the help of Pat, Lydia's will is set to be contested by Lydia's estranged son Norman Simmonds (George Layton
George Layton
George Layton is an English actor, director, screenwriter and author. He was educated at Belle Vue Boys' Grammar School in Bradford and later studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts where he won the Emile Littler award. He went on to leading parts at Coventry and Nottingham and...
). Ricky is struggling financially to look after his children, and his only option is to take a job in Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, so Pat, knowing the will contest will take too long, manages to get Norman to change his mind about contesting the will, as Janine will help Ricky out with money. Janine forces Pat to beg, but Ricky walks in on this, and refuses to accept her money, disowns her again and leaves for Dubai. Janine then buys Roxy Mitchell
Roxy Mitchell
Roxanne Lizette "Roxy" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, portrayed by Rita Simons. Roxy arrived in Walford with her sister Ronnie on 24 July 2007 and decided to move permanently to Walford from Ibiza where they ran a bar together. Roxy is the younger of the two...
's (Rita Simons) share in the nightclub R&R, with 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...
(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:...
) as her business partner. 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:...
) sells Janine his house, unbeknownst to his estranged wife Tanya
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...
(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:...
), Janine happily evicts Tanya and her family from the house. After discovering that Ryan is dealing drugs in the pub and having a secret relationship with Lauren, Janine calls the police, Ryan is arrested and loses his job in the pub as a result. Janine later learns that Ryan has fled after his involvement in the death of pimp Rob Grayson (Jody Latham
Jody Latham
Jody Lee Latham is an English actor, best known for his roles as Phillip "Lip" Gallagher in the British Channel 4 series Shameless, Calum McKenzie in the ITV series The Fixer, and Rob Grayson in the BBC Soap opera EastEnders....
), and is pleased. She has sex with Michael Moon
Michael Moon (EastEnders)
Michael Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Steve John Shepherd. The character is a second cousin once removed of Alfie Moon , who first appears on 1 October 2010 after Alfie's return. He is also the father to Tommy Moon, whose mother is Alfie's wife Kat...
(Steve John Shepherd
Steve John Shepherd
-Career:Shepherd first became known in 1996, when he played the role of Jo, the law clerk, in the critically acclaimed BBC drama This Life. He remained in the role for two series...
) and uses her inheritance money to start her own property management company, Butcher's Joints, after buying several properties. Janine and Michael then begin a relationship.
Janine begins a fued with the Mitchell family
Mitchell family
The Mitchell family is a fictional family in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. The first Mitchell nuclear family introduced were Eric Mitchell's widow Peggy Mitchell and her three children, Phil, Grant and Sam...
by frustrating Phil in the running of the nightclub and evicting Roxy from her flat. When Phil starts receiving photos of a young boy who died when Frank asked him to torch the car lot in an insurance scam in the 1990s, he blames Janine but she claims to have no knowledge of the event. Janine confronts Pat, who tells her the truth about what Frank did. Janine is upset that Frank did not tell her, and tells Michael that it must be because she is unloveable, to which he loves her.
Creation
The character was first mentioned in September 1987, when her father Frank ButcherFrank 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...
(Mike Reid
Mike Reid (entertainer)
Michael Reid was an English comedian, actor, author and occasional television presenter from Hackney in east London, who is best remembered for playing the role of Frank Butcher in EastEnders and hosting the popular children's TV show Runaround...
) first appeared on-screen. Frank and his children Ricky
Ricky Butcher
Richard Francis "Ricky" Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Sid Owen. Introduced as a school boy in 1988, Ricky is one of the longest-running, male protagonists to feature in EastEnders. Owen originally left the role in 2000 to pursue a music career...
(Sid Owen
Sid Owen
Sid Owen is an English actor, television presenter and former singer, most famous for playing the role of Ricky Butcher in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, which he appeared in from 1988 until 2000, 2002 until 2004 and then again from March 2008.-Career:Prior to his role in EastEnders he had a...
) and Diane
Diane Butcher
Diane Maureen Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Sophie Lawrence. Diane appeared as a regular character between 1988 and 1991, when Lawrence decided to leave. The character made several brief returns in 1993, 1994, and 1997...
(Sophie Lawrence
Sophie Lawrence
Sophie Lawrence is an English actress, best known for playing the role of Diane Butcher in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders....
) were introduced as regular characters in 1988. However, Janine did not become a regular character until a year later, in June 1989, her arrival completing the Butcher family.
Janine was initially seen as a 6-year-old, played by Rebecca Michael. In 1993, following a storyline that saw her stepmother Pat
Pat Evans
Patricia Louise "Pat" Evans is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. She has been played by Pam St. Clement since 12 June 1986, just over a year after the show first aired...
(Pam St. Clement
Pam St. Clement
Pamela Ann Clement , known by the stage name Pam St. Clement, is an English actress. She has played Pat Evans in the BBC soap opera EastEnders since 1986, and is now one of the programme's longest-serving cast members. St. Clement announced her intention to leave EastEnders on 8 July 2011 and will...
) imprisoned for manslaughter, Janine was sent to stay with her off-screen sister Clare, but she returned later that year, played by 11-year-old Alexia Demetriou who reigned as Janine from 14 October 1993 until 12 March 1996, when the character was written out again, as Demetriou left to concentrate on her studies. Executive producer Matthew Robinson re-introduced Janine in 1999 as a 16-year-old played by 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:...
.
Development
In 2002, a storyline saw Janine using drugs and prostituting to fund the habit. She was shown about to snort cocaine in a scene that sparked viewer complaints to the BBC. Brooks has said about Janine's behavior: "Sleeping with her pusher is very sad and desperate. But she feels she has to do it to get more drugs. Janine has such low self-esteem that she's deliberately reckless. She thinks, 'Why not take drugs if they make me feel good about myself for a while?' I think she knows she's on a slippery slope but she believes she can get out of it like she's always done before." Brooks left the show in 2004 but returned in 2008. In June 2009 she signed a three-year contract.In December 2009, the show's executive producer, Diederick Santer
Diederick Santer
Diederick Santer is a British television producer and is best known for his work on the popular BBC television soap opera EastEnders, a post which he assumed on 23 October 2006 and left on 1 March 2010...
teased about upcoming storylines involving Janine and her flatmate Ryan Malloy
Ryan Malloy
Ryan Malloy is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Neil McDermott. From his arrival on 28 April 2009, the character remained a mystery in the show for a number of months until he was revealed as the half brother of established character Whitney Dean...
(Neil McDermott
Neil McDermott
Neil McDermott is a British stage and television actor who is best known for portraying Ryan Malloy in the BBC television soap opera EastEnders from April 2009 until 2011.-Career:...
), saying: "There's something really interesting with Ryan and Janine [...]. They're both people who don't know how to love. So will they fall in love? And if they do, can they cope with it? Will they understand the alien feelings coursing through their bodies?" In August 2010, Janine proposes to Ryan. Brooks said that the idea of getting married would be daunting for the character, but added that she believes Janine is genuinely in love with Ryan. She commented: "It's easy to assume that Janine is playing games or using him for sex, but [...] Ryan clearly adores her too, so he may be the man to tame her wild ways." Brooks hinted at possible trouble for the couple if Janine discovers that Ryan fathered a baby with Stacey Branning (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...
), saying "Janine will be absolutely destroyed when she finds out. She wants Ryan all to herself, and the idea of a baby snatching his attention away would be devastating. All she needs is to be loved." McDermott stated that he believed Ryan was the right man for Janine, and that they could be perfect for each other, saying: "Janine's never loved any of the men she's been with before. She has only ever been in it for the money. Ryan understands her and knows why she does the things she does. They both forgive one another's mistakes very easily, and that's why their partnership works."
In February 2011, Janine's estranged grandmother, Lydia Simmonds, "a lady of class and dignity," was announced. Lydia's backstory states that she loved her daughter June but hated the man she married, Frank, so she grew old alone. Lydia and Janine have been estranged for many years and Janine is shocked to have her grandmother back in her life. 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 :...
said: "I can't wait to see Janine meet her match."
Reception
Janine has been well received by critics although some of her storylines have come under criticism. In 2001, it was reported that education experts blamed delinquent young characters in soap operas, like Janine, for increasing disorder and violence in schools. In 2002, scenes involving the character were the source of viewer complaints, when Janine prostituted herself to pay for cocaine that she was about to snort. Television watchdog Mediawatch UK claimed "the scenes were another example of the gradual erosion of standards of taste and decency". Tory MP Tim YeoTim Yeo
Timothy Stephen Kenneth Yeo is an English Conservative politician, Member of Parliament for South Suffolk and the current Chairman of the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee.-Early life:...
also chastised the scenes saying, "The makers of a programme as popular and influential as EastEnders, particular on a public service channel, have a duty to be responsible in terms of not glamorising drug-taking, especially when a young audience is watching." Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
MP Nick Harvey
Nick Harvey
Nicholas Barton "Nick" Harvey is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He is the Member of Parliament for North Devon and the Minister of State for the Armed Forces.-Early life and education:...
added, "No one can deny these things go on in real life. But showing them before the watershed to an audience appreciably younger than the people it's happening to normalises these things and de-sensitizes people to the shock of it." The BBC defended the storyline, saying, "Although the storyline implied Janine had taken drugs, there were no scenes that actually showed her using them. EastEnders has always tackled difficult issues like drug-taking in a responsible way, mindful of its responsibilities to its younger audience."
Brooks was awarded "Best Bitch" at the Inside Soap Awards
Inside Soap Awards
The Inside Soap Awards is a yearly award ceremony run by Inside Soap magazine since 1996. The awards celebrate the British and Australian soap operas and their actors. Until 2007, EastEnders had won the award for "Best Soap" on every occasion...
in 2001. In March 2009, Brooks won the "Bad Girl" award at the 2009 All About Soap
All About Soap
All About Soap is a fortnightly UK magazine, released on Tuesday. Storylines of the shows it covers are from soap operas shown in the United Kingdom and from Australia....
Bubble Awards, which are voted for by the public, for her portrayal of Janine, saying: "I'm thrilled that viewers think I am so good at being bad!" Brooks also won Villain of the Year at the British Soap Awards in 2004 for her portrayal of the same character, and was nominated in the same category in 2011. Brooks won her third Inside Soap Award for Best Bitch in 2009. In February 2011, the love triangle storyline between Janine, Ryan and Stacey was nominated in the "Best Love Triangle" category at the 2011 All About Soap Bubble Awards.