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Mike Reid (entertainer)
Encyclopedia
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
. He was noted for his gravelly voice and strong Cockney
accent.
, East London in 1940 during World War II
, and the Blitz
bombings of Central London caused him and his family to relocate to Tottenham
, North London
, where he attended Rowland Hill School.
In 1958, he married his first wife, they had a daughter, Jane Hall. They divorced in 1967, after which he married his longtime live-in partner Shirley (née Collins) in 1971; they had two sons, Michael (born 1962) and Mark Edward (1965–1990). Shirley already had a son James (known as Jimmy) and a daughter, Angela (who in 2008 the press claimed to be a British National Party
activist). In December 1985, his son Mark, a schizophrenic, accidentally shot dead his 17 year old friend, for which he was sent to prison. Mark fathered twins, a son and daughter, and committed suicide
aged 24 in Colchester
, Essex
, by setting himself on fire. Shortly after his son's death, Reid's granddaughter Kirsty Anne S. (1990-1990) - Mark's daughter - died in her cot in Colchester
, aged six months.
Reid moved to a villa in Marbella
, Spain so he could live close to a golf
course which would enable him to pursue his passion of playing golf three to four times each week.
Reid was known to be opposed to plans to introduce blasphemy laws, for the effect this would have on satire, comedy and free speech.
Reid was good friends with fellow actor and stand up comedian Freddie Starr
; together they introduced their sometime-bodyguard
, the bareknuckle fighter Lenny McLean
, to acting. McLean went on to star in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
.
Reid's granddaughter, Claire Louise Reid, is an actress and TV presenter.
comedian in clubs and aboard cruise liners in the early 1960s. He then became an extra playing uncredited roles in television series such as Doctor Who
(in the story The War Machines
), The Saint
and Department S
. He also worked as a stunt
man for films such as Casino Royale
(1967) and The Dirty Dozen
(1967).
He then became one of the original stars of The Comedians, a popular TV series of the 1970s produced by Johnnie Hamp
for the Manchester
-based Granada Television
, which consisted entirely of short slots by mature stand-up comedian
s. Being the only obviously London comic in a line-up made up predominately of Northern English and Northern Irish comedians, Reid stood out. As a comedian, Reid's well-known catchphrases included 'Terrific' , 'Turn It In' and 'Move Yer Arris'.
He capitalised on his initial success with a one-off hit record, a novelty version of The Ugly Duckling
recorded on PYE records. In 1975 it reached number 10 in the BBC Top 50 Singles Chart. In 1975 he also became the host of the ITV
children's TV quiz show Runaround, fondly remembered for its incomprehensible rules and the incongruity of Reid as presenter. Runaround ended in 1981.
In 1987 he joined the cast of the popular BBC television soap opera
EastEnders
as Frank Butcher
for which he gained much popularity over the years. He initially joined the series as a semi-regular character, first appeared in September of that year, but was so popular that during 1988 he became a full time cast member as his character became landlord of the Queen Vic pub, buying it from Den Watts
(Leslie Grantham
) during 1988.
The part of Butcher earned Reid the public persona of being pessimistic that he enjoyed acting against, for instance in television adverts for the soft drink Oasis. His character was involved in many popular storylines over the years and the most famous of these storylines was his character's long turbulent relationship with Pat Wicks (played by Pam St. Clement
) and later with Peggy Mitchell
played by (Barbara Windsor
).
In April 1994, by which time the character of Frank Butcher was one of most popular and iconic on British television, Reid took a long break from the show due to stress from acting out a depression
storyline for the show. Later that same year he starred alongside other fellow EastEnders
actors Barbara Windsor
and John Altman in his classic adult pantomime
Pussy in Boots
a spin off of Puss in Boots
where Reid played the main role of 'Big Dick'. In 1994 he provided a voiceover for one of the cows in the Anchor Butter adverts. The advert was called Anchor: Never Seen Anything Like It.
His return to EastEnders was aired on Christmas Day 1995. He was initially reintroduced as a recurring
character and after several brief stints on the show, he returned as a full time character in May 1998. His character was part of many big storylines over the next two years and in May 2000 he announced that he would be leaving the soap for good due to exhaustion from the long filming schedules. He was persuaded to stay on the show for a further five months to give his character a dramatic exit. His departure was aired on 2 November 2000 when he famously departed after his affair with ex-wife Pat Evans
was discovered by his current wife Peggy Mitchell
. That same year he appeared in the popular British gangster film Snatch
playing mob boss Doug "The Head" Denovitz. He went on to appear in several low-budget British films over the next few years such as Hey Mr DJ (2005), Moussakka and Chips (2005) as well as a Spanish film titled Oh Marbella (2003).
He also made brief returns to EastEnders in late January 2002, a spin-off special episode titled "Perfectly Frank" in 2003 and made his final comeback to EastEnders in early December 2005, for a week-long stint. In early 2006, he appeared on The Paul O'Grady Show
and made it clear that he had no interest in any possible future re-appearances in EastEnders, and later that year he rejected another offer to return to the series.
He was semi-retired from show business by this time, and lived in a villa in Spain. He returned to acting in early 2007 and appeared in two episodes of the long-running ITV
police drama series The Bill
where he played the part of corrupt businessman Brian Stevens. This was his last broadcast television appearance at that time, though he had filmed a reality series for ITV entitled The Baron before his death; the network was undecided as to whether it would be aired but the programme started airing on 24 April 2008 on ITV1
. Reid was the eventual winner, facing off against Suzanne Shaw
after the departure of the other contestant Malcolm McLaren
. Reid was thus bestowed with the title of Baron of Troup, a genuine and hereditary barony, though one conveying no privilege aside from the use of the title itself. Mike had also completed filming as a gangster in the independent British film Jack Says
4 days before his death. The film was released on DVD on 22 September 2008. His character, "The Guv'nor", also features in the Graphic Novel prequel Jack Said
.
He also appeared in a pantomime entitled Pussy In Boots, an obvious pun to Puss In Boots
, which starred Barbara Windsor
.
Mike recorded many cover versions of classic songs. In 2006, his version of Adriano Celentano
's nonsense song Prisencolinensinainciusol has enjoyed a renaissance, spurred by a campaign group on the social networking site Facebook in 2010, primarily led by his granddaughter, Claire Louise Reid.
, Spain on 29 July 2007, aged 67 from a suspected heart attack. Two weeks before he died, he had received a full medical examination and had been given a clean bill of health. The 30 July 2007 EastEnders episode featured a dedication to him following the end credits.
Mike's funeral was held on Tuesday 14 August 2007 at Little Easton Parish Church, Essex
, and was attended by over 250 people including his former EastEnders
co-stars Pam St Clement, Sid Owen
, Michael Greco
, Bobby Davro
, June Brown
, Barbara Windsor
and other members of the EastEnders cast.
He was cremated the following day at Chelmsford
Crematorium, Essex.
Reid's family decided to allow fans to attend his funeral, and his widow Shirley also invited them to speak. Reid's former co-stars in EastEnders were all given the day off work to attend his funeral.
In November 2007, just over three months after Reid's death, the BBC
announced that his EastEnders
character Frank Butcher
would be killed off in April 2008. The week had been dubbed "Frank Week". In the EastEnders episode on 1 April 2008, Frank's funeral was held. Frank's children, Ricky, Diane and Janine also made a comeback. In the episode in which Frank's funeral took place, Reid appeared in previous scenes which had aired years earlier, in flashbacks in Pat Butcher's head. He was also heard saying "Take care of yourself, babe", to Pat at the very end of the episode.
The flashback of the words Frank had spoken were taken from the end of the last-ever scene Mike performed in, in EastEnders
, which originally broadcast in December 2005.
It was later revealed that Reid owed £900,000 at the time of his death, which meant that creditors took all his money.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and occasional television presenter
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
from Hackney
Metropolitan Borough of Hackney
The Metropolitan Borough of Hackney was a Metropolitan borough of the County of London from 1900 to 1965. Its area became part of the London Borough of Hackney.-Formation and boundaries:...
in east London, who is best remembered for playing the role of Frank Butcher
Frank Butcher
Francis Aloysius "Frank" Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by the late Mike Reid. Frank made his first appearance on-screen as a guest character in 1987 but, due to a positive viewer reception, he was reintroduced in 1988 as a regular. Reid took a long...
in 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...
and hosting the popular children's TV show Runaround
Runaround (UK game show)
Runaround was produced by Southern Television for ITV between 2 September 1975 and 7 September 1981. It was much more successful than the American original. The original host was comedian Mike Reid, who later starred in EastEnders as Frank Butcher. In 1977 his place was taken by Leslie Crowther and...
. He was noted for his gravelly voice and strong Cockney
Cockney
The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End...
accent.
Personal life
Michael Reid was born in HackneyMetropolitan Borough of Hackney
The Metropolitan Borough of Hackney was a Metropolitan borough of the County of London from 1900 to 1965. Its area became part of the London Borough of Hackney.-Formation and boundaries:...
, East London in 1940 during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and the Blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
bombings of Central London caused him and his family to relocate to Tottenham
Tottenham
Tottenham is an area of the London Borough of Haringey, England, situated north north east of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:Tottenham is believed to have been named after Tota, a farmer, whose hamlet was mentioned in the Domesday Book; hence Tota's hamlet became Tottenham...
, North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
, where he attended Rowland Hill School.
In 1958, he married his first wife, they had a daughter, Jane Hall. They divorced in 1967, after which he married his longtime live-in partner Shirley (née Collins) in 1971; they had two sons, Michael (born 1962) and Mark Edward (1965–1990). Shirley already had a son James (known as Jimmy) and a daughter, Angela (who in 2008 the press claimed to be a British National Party
British National Party
The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
activist). In December 1985, his son Mark, a schizophrenic, accidentally shot dead his 17 year old friend, for which he was sent to prison. Mark fathered twins, a son and daughter, and committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
aged 24 in Colchester
Colchester (borough)
Colchester is a local government district and borough in Essex, England, the district is named after its main town, Colchester. The borough covers an area of and stretches from Dedham Vale on the Suffolk border in the north to Mersea Island on the Colne Estuary in the south.The borough was formed...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, by setting himself on fire. Shortly after his son's death, Reid's granddaughter Kirsty Anne S. (1990-1990) - Mark's daughter - died in her cot in Colchester
Colchester (borough)
Colchester is a local government district and borough in Essex, England, the district is named after its main town, Colchester. The borough covers an area of and stretches from Dedham Vale on the Suffolk border in the north to Mersea Island on the Colne Estuary in the south.The borough was formed...
, aged six months.
Reid moved to a villa in Marbella
Marbella
Marbella is a town in Andalusia, Spain. It is situated on the Mediterranean Sea, in the province of Málaga, beneath the La Concha mountain. In 2000 the city had 98,823 inhabitants, in 2004, 116,234, in 2010 approximately 135,000....
, Spain so he could live close to a golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
course which would enable him to pursue his passion of playing golf three to four times each week.
Reid was known to be opposed to plans to introduce blasphemy laws, for the effect this would have on satire, comedy and free speech.
Reid was good friends with fellow actor and stand up comedian Freddie Starr
Freddie Starr
Freddie Starr is an English comedian who became famous in the early 1970s. He is also an impressionist and singer, with a chart album After the Laughter and UK Top 10 single, "It's You", in March 1974 to his credit.-Early career:Under his real name, he appeared as a teenager in the film Violent...
; together they introduced their sometime-bodyguard
Bodyguard
A bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
, the bareknuckle fighter Lenny McLean
Lenny McLean
Leonard John "Lenny" McLean , also known as "The Guv'nor," was an East End of London bareknuckle fighter, bouncer, criminal and prisoner, author, businessman, bodyguard, enforcer, weightlifter, television presenter and actor, and has been referred to as "the hardest man in Britain".McLean's...
, to acting. McLean went on to star in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is a 1998 British crime film directed and written by Guy Ritchie. The story is a heist film involving a self-confident young card sharp who loses £500,000 to a powerful crime lord in a rigged game of three card brag...
.
Reid's granddaughter, Claire Louise Reid, is an actress and TV presenter.
Career
Reid's first work in entertainment was as a stand-upStand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
comedian in clubs and aboard cruise liners in the early 1960s. He then became an extra playing uncredited roles in television series such as Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
(in the story The War Machines
The War Machines
The War Machines is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in 4 weekly parts from 25 June to 16 July 1966...
), The Saint
The Saint (TV series)
The Saint was an ITC mystery spy thriller television series that aired in the UK on ITV between 1962 and 1969. It centred on the Leslie Charteris literary character, Simon Templar, a Robin Hood-like adventurer with a penchant for disguise. The character may be nicknamed The Saint because the...
and Department S
Department S
Department S is a United Kingdom spy-fi adventure series produced by ITC Entertainment. The series consists of 28 episodes which originally aired in 1969–1970. It starred Peter Wyngarde as author Jason King , Joel Fabiani as Stewart Sullivan, and Rosemary Nicols as computer expert Annabelle Hurst...
. He also worked as a stunt
Stunt
A stunt is an unusual and difficult physical feat, or any act requiring a special skill, performed for artistic purposes in TV, theatre, or cinema...
man for films such as Casino Royale
Casino Royale (1967 film)
Casino Royale is a 1967 comedy spy film originally produced by Columbia Pictures starring an ensemble cast of directors and actors. It is set as a satire of the James Bond film series and the spy genre, and is loosely based on Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel.The film stars David Niven as the...
(1967) and The Dirty Dozen
The Dirty Dozen
The Dirty Dozen is a 1967 film directed by Robert Aldrich and released by MGM. It was filmed in England and features an ensemble cast, including Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes, Telly Savalas, and Robert Webber. The film is based on E. M...
(1967).
He then became one of the original stars of The Comedians, a popular TV series of the 1970s produced by Johnnie Hamp
Johnnie Hamp
Johnnie Hamp is a British television producer, now retired. He is responsible for the early British television appearances of such acts as The Beatles, singer Cilla Black, comedian Woody Allen, and singer Lisa Stansfield as Head of Light Entertainment with Granada Television.-Early life and 1960s...
for the Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
-based Granada Television
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
, which consisted entirely of short slots by mature stand-up comedian
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
s. Being the only obviously London comic in a line-up made up predominately of Northern English and Northern Irish comedians, Reid stood out. As a comedian, Reid's well-known catchphrases included 'Terrific' , 'Turn It In' and 'Move Yer Arris'.
The Ugly Duckling
"The Ugly Duckling" is a literary fairy tale by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen . The story tells of a homely little bird born in a barnyard who suffers abuse from his neighbors until, much to his delight , he matures into a beautiful swan, the most beautiful bird of all...
recorded on PYE records. In 1975 it reached number 10 in the BBC Top 50 Singles Chart. In 1975 he also became the host of the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
children's TV quiz show Runaround, fondly remembered for its incomprehensible rules and the incongruity of Reid as presenter. Runaround ended in 1981.
In 1987 he joined the cast of the popular BBC television 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...
as Frank Butcher
Frank Butcher
Francis Aloysius "Frank" Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by the late Mike Reid. Frank made his first appearance on-screen as a guest character in 1987 but, due to a positive viewer reception, he was reintroduced in 1988 as a regular. Reid took a long...
for which he gained much popularity over the years. He initially joined the series as a semi-regular character, first appeared in September of that year, but was so popular that during 1988 he became a full time cast member as his character became landlord of the Queen Vic pub, buying it from Den Watts
Den Watts
Dennis Alan "Den" Watts is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by actor Leslie Grantham. He became well known for his tabloid nickname, "Dirty Den"....
(Leslie Grantham
Leslie Grantham
Leslie Michael Grantham is an English actor best known for his role as "Dirty" Den Watts in the soap opera EastEnders. He is also a convicted murderer, having served 10 years for the killing of a German taxi driver, and he generated significant press coverage as the result of an online sex scandal...
) during 1988.
The part of Butcher earned Reid the public persona of being pessimistic that he enjoyed acting against, for instance in television adverts for the soft drink Oasis. His character was involved in many popular storylines over the years and the most famous of these storylines was his character's long turbulent relationship with Pat Wicks (played by 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...
) and later with Peggy Mitchell
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...
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....
).
In April 1994, by which time the character of Frank Butcher was one of most popular and iconic on British television, Reid took a long break from the show due to stress from acting out a depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
storyline for the show. Later that same year he starred alongside other fellow 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...
actors 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....
and John Altman in his classic adult pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
Pussy in Boots
Pussy in Boots
Pussy in Boots is a cult 1994 VHS adult pantomime starring the late stand-up comedian and EastEnders actor Mike Reid, with co-stars Barbara Windsor and John Altman, as well as Coronation Street actress Lynne Perrie. It was filmed in front of a live theatre audience in East London and is based on...
a spin off of Puss in Boots
Puss in Boots
'Puss' is a character in the fairy tale "The Master Cat, or Puss in Boots" by Charles Perrault. The tale was published in 1697 in his Histoires ou Contes du temps passé...
where Reid played the main role of 'Big Dick'. In 1994 he provided a voiceover for one of the cows in the Anchor Butter adverts. The advert was called Anchor: Never Seen Anything Like It.
His return to EastEnders was aired on Christmas Day 1995. He was initially reintroduced as a recurring
Recurring
Recurring means occurring over and over and can refer to several different things:*Recurring expense, an ongoing expenditure*Curiously recurring template pattern , a software design pattern...
character and after several brief stints on the show, he returned as a full time character in May 1998. His character was part of many big storylines over the next two years and in May 2000 he announced that he would be leaving the soap for good due to exhaustion from the long filming schedules. He was persuaded to stay on the show for a further five months to give his character a dramatic exit. His departure was aired on 2 November 2000 when he famously departed after his affair with ex-wife Pat Evans
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...
was discovered by his current wife Peggy Mitchell
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...
. That same year he appeared in the popular British gangster film Snatch
Snatch (film)
Snatch is a 2000 crime film written and directed by British filmmaker Guy Ritchie, featuring an ensemble cast. Set in the London criminal underworld, the film contains two intertwined plots: one dealing with the search for a stolen diamond, the other with a small-time boxing promoter named Turkish ...
playing mob boss Doug "The Head" Denovitz. He went on to appear in several low-budget British films over the next few years such as Hey Mr DJ (2005), Moussakka and Chips (2005) as well as a Spanish film titled Oh Marbella (2003).
He also made brief returns to EastEnders in late January 2002, a spin-off special episode titled "Perfectly Frank" in 2003 and made his final comeback to EastEnders in early December 2005, for a week-long stint. In early 2006, he appeared on The Paul O'Grady Show
The Paul O'Grady Show
The Paul O'Grady Show was a BAFTA award-winning British comedy chat show hosted by Birkenhead-born comedian Paul O'Grady. The format was originally devised by Granada Television and was broadcast on ITV before moving to Channel 4...
and made it clear that he had no interest in any possible future re-appearances in EastEnders, and later that year he rejected another offer to return to the series.
He was semi-retired from show business by this time, and lived in a villa in Spain. He returned to acting in early 2007 and appeared in two episodes of the long-running ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
police drama series The Bill
The Bill
The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
where he played the part of corrupt businessman Brian Stevens. This was his last broadcast television appearance at that time, though he had filmed a reality series for ITV entitled The Baron before his death; the network was undecided as to whether it would be aired but the programme started airing on 24 April 2008 on ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
. Reid was the eventual winner, facing off against Suzanne Shaw
Suzanne Shaw
Suzanne Shaw is an English actress, singer and television personality...
after the departure of the other contestant Malcolm McLaren
Malcolm McLaren
Malcolm Robert Andrew McLaren was an English performer, impresario, self-publicist and manager of the Sex Pistols and the New York Dolls...
. Reid was thus bestowed with the title of Baron of Troup, a genuine and hereditary barony, though one conveying no privilege aside from the use of the title itself. Mike had also completed filming as a gangster in the independent British film Jack Says
Jack Says
Jack Says is a 2008 British thriller film known particularly for being the last professional engagement of Mike Reid, who died shortly after filming in 2007. The film is a contemporary film noir, with comic book undertones that reflect its precursor graphic novel Jack Said, and is comparable in...
4 days before his death. The film was released on DVD on 22 September 2008. His character, "The Guv'nor", also features in the Graphic Novel prequel Jack Said
Jack Said
Jack Said is a 2009 British thriller film, the prequel to Jack Says. It is written by Paul Tanter, and based on the graphic novel written by him and illustrated by Oscar Alvarado...
.
Stand-up routines
Throughout his life, Reid performed at many venues, but only a few were recorded for release on VHS and DVD. These titles are:- Mike Reid Live & Uncensored (Only available on VHS)
- Mike Reid Live & Uncensored 2 (Only available on VHS)
- Alive & Kidding (Only available on VHS)
- Some Of That (Only available on VHS)
- Live At The Queen Vic (Only available on VHS)
- Seriously Funny (Available on VHS & DVD)
- Live At The London PalladiumLondon PalladiumThe London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. From the roster of stars who have played there and many televised performances, it is arguably the most famous theatre in London and the United Kingdom, especially for musical variety...
(Available on VHS & DVD) - The Guvnor's Last Stand (Available on VHS & DVD)
He also appeared in a pantomime entitled Pussy In Boots, an obvious pun to Puss In Boots
Puss in Boots
'Puss' is a character in the fairy tale "The Master Cat, or Puss in Boots" by Charles Perrault. The tale was published in 1697 in his Histoires ou Contes du temps passé...
, which starred 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....
.
Mike recorded many cover versions of classic songs. In 2006, his version of Adriano Celentano
Adriano Celentano
Adriano Celentano is an Italian singer, songwriter, comedian, actor, film director and TV host.-Biography:Celentano was born in Milan at 14 Via Gluck, about which he later wrote the famous song "Il ragazzo della via Gluck"...
's nonsense song Prisencolinensinainciusol has enjoyed a renaissance, spurred by a campaign group on the social networking site Facebook in 2010, primarily led by his granddaughter, Claire Louise Reid.
Death
Reid died in MarbellaMarbella
Marbella is a town in Andalusia, Spain. It is situated on the Mediterranean Sea, in the province of Málaga, beneath the La Concha mountain. In 2000 the city had 98,823 inhabitants, in 2004, 116,234, in 2010 approximately 135,000....
, Spain on 29 July 2007, aged 67 from a suspected heart attack. Two weeks before he died, he had received a full medical examination and had been given a clean bill of health. The 30 July 2007 EastEnders episode featured a dedication to him following the end credits.
Mike's funeral was held on Tuesday 14 August 2007 at Little Easton Parish Church, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, and was attended by over 250 people including his former 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...
co-stars Pam St Clement, 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...
, Michael Greco
Michael Greco
Michael Greco is an English actor and poker player. He was educated in Surrey, England at Reigate College. Internet rumours claim he was born in Dunbar, Scotland, but Greco himself states that this is false, and that he grew up in London....
, Bobby Davro
Bobby Davro
Bobby Davro is a British actor and comedian. He is mainly known for his work as an impressionist...
, June Brown
June Brown
June Muriel Brown, MBE is a British actress, best known for her role as the busy-body, chain-smoking gossip Dot Cotton in the long-running British soap opera EastEnders and for making other high profile television appearances on shows such as Doctor Who, Coronation Street, Minder, The Bill and...
, 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....
and other members of the EastEnders cast.
He was cremated the following day at Chelmsford
Chelmsford
Chelmsford is the county town of Essex, England and the principal settlement of the borough of Chelmsford. It is located in the London commuter belt, approximately northeast of Charing Cross, London, and approximately the same distance from the once provincial Roman capital at Colchester...
Crematorium, Essex.
Reid's family decided to allow fans to attend his funeral, and his widow Shirley also invited them to speak. Reid's former co-stars in EastEnders were all given the day off work to attend his funeral.
In November 2007, just over three months after Reid's death, 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...
announced that his 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...
character Frank Butcher
Frank Butcher
Francis Aloysius "Frank" Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by the late Mike Reid. Frank made his first appearance on-screen as a guest character in 1987 but, due to a positive viewer reception, he was reintroduced in 1988 as a regular. Reid took a long...
would be killed off in April 2008. The week had been dubbed "Frank Week". In the EastEnders episode on 1 April 2008, Frank's funeral was held. Frank's children, Ricky, Diane and Janine also made a comeback. In the episode in which Frank's funeral took place, Reid appeared in previous scenes which had aired years earlier, in flashbacks in Pat Butcher's head. He was also heard saying "Take care of yourself, babe", to Pat at the very end of the episode.
The flashback of the words Frank had spoken were taken from the end of the last-ever scene Mike performed in, in 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...
, which originally broadcast in December 2005.
It was later revealed that Reid owed £900,000 at the time of his death, which meant that creditors took all his money.
Selected filmography
- Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
: The War MachinesThe War MachinesThe War Machines is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in 4 weekly parts from 25 June to 16 July 1966...
episode (1966) (uncredited) .... Soldier - The SaintThe Saint (TV series)The Saint was an ITC mystery spy thriller television series that aired in the UK on ITV between 1962 and 1969. It centred on the Leslie Charteris literary character, Simon Templar, a Robin Hood-like adventurer with a penchant for disguise. The character may be nicknamed The Saint because the...
(1966) (uncredited) ..... Secret police officer - Up the JunctionUp the Junction (1968 film)Up the Junction is a 1968 British film directed by Peter Collinson and starring Dennis Waterman, Suzy Kendall, Adrienne Posta, Maureen Lipman and Liz Fraser. It is based on the book of the same name by Nell Dunn and was adapted by Roger Smith...
(1968) (uncredited) .... Policeman outside court - The ChampionsThe ChampionsThe Champions is a British espionage/science fiction/occult detective fiction adventure series consisting of 30 episodes broadcast on the UK network ITV during 1968–1969, produced by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment production company...
(1969) (uncredited) .... Security guard - Department SDepartment SDepartment S is a United Kingdom spy-fi adventure series produced by ITC Entertainment. The series consists of 28 episodes which originally aired in 1969–1970. It starred Peter Wyngarde as author Jason King , Joel Fabiani as Stewart Sullivan, and Rosemary Nicols as computer expert Annabelle Hurst...
(1969) (uncredited) .... The Trojan Tanker French driver - The Comedians (1971) .... Presenter
- Steptoe and SonSteptoe and Son (film)Steptoe and Son is a 1972 British comedy drama film and a spin-off from the popular British television comedy series of the same name about a pair of rag and bone men. It starred Wilfrid Brambell and Harry H. Corbett as the eponymous characters, Albert and Harold Steptoe respectively...
(1972) .... Compere - Runaround (1975–1976, 1978–1981) .... Presenter
- Worzel GummidgeWorzel GummidgeWorzel Gummidge is a British children's fictional character who originally appeared in a series of books by the novelist Barbara Euphan Todd. A walking, talking scarecrow, Gummidge has a set of interchangeable turnip, mangel worzel and swede heads, each of which suit a particular occasion or endow...
(1980) .... Fairground Owner - MinderMinder (TV series)Minder is a British comedy-drama about the London criminal underworld. Initially produced by Verity Lambert, it was made by Euston Films, a subsidiary of Thames Television and shown on ITV...
(1982) .... Vernon - Big DealBig Deal (TV Series)Big Deal is a British television comedy/drama series produced by the BBC between 1984 and 1986. The series was created and written by Geoff McQueen who created several other major television series including Give Us a Break, Stay Lucky, and The Bill.Starring Ray Brooks and Sharon Duce, the series...
(1986) ... Peter Davis - EastEndersEastEndersEastEnders 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...
(1987–2000, 2002, 2005) ..... Frank ButcherFrank ButcherFrancis 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... - Pussy in BootsPussy in BootsPussy in Boots is a cult 1994 VHS adult pantomime starring the late stand-up comedian and EastEnders actor Mike Reid, with co-stars Barbara Windsor and John Altman, as well as Coronation Street actress Lynne Perrie. It was filmed in front of a live theatre audience in East London and is based on...
(1994) ..... Big Dick - Cracker (UK TV series)Cracker (UK TV series)Cracker is a British crime drama series produced by Granada Television for ITV and created and principally written by Jimmy McGovern. The series is centered on a criminal psychologist , Eddie "Fitz" Fitzgerald, played by Robbie Coltrane. Set in Manchester, it consists of three series which were...
(1994) .... Jimmy Jukes - The DetectivesThe DetectivesThe Detectives is a British comedy television series, starring Jasper Carrott, Robert Powell, and George Sewell. It was a spoof of police dramas, which were numerous in the 1990s, and it was aired on BBC One...
(1995) .... Ronnie Richardson - SnatchSnatch (film)Snatch is a 2000 crime film written and directed by British filmmaker Guy Ritchie, featuring an ensemble cast. Set in the London criminal underworld, the film contains two intertwined plots: one dealing with the search for a stolen diamond, the other with a small-time boxing promoter named Turkish ...
(2000) .... Doug 'The Head' Denovitz - EastEnders: Perfectly Frank (2003) .... Frank Butcher
- Oh Marbella! (2003) .... Jack Winter
- Hey Mr DJ (2005) .... Don Cox
- Mousakka and Chips (2005) .... Sheldom
- The Secret ShowThe Secret ShowThe Secret Show is a British animated show commissioned by BBC Children's in partnership with BBC Worldwide. First debuted in 2006, it currently airs on CBBC, The Den, ABC, BBC One, BBC Kids, MBC3 and TSR 2...
(2006) ... Mr Atom (Voice) - The BillThe BillThe Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
(2007) .... Brian Stevens - Jack SaysJack SaysJack Says is a 2008 British thriller film known particularly for being the last professional engagement of Mike Reid, who died shortly after filming in 2007. The film is a contemporary film noir, with comic book undertones that reflect its precursor graphic novel Jack Said, and is comparable in...
(2008) ... The Guv'nor - InfernoInfernoInferno means "Hell" in both Italian and Portuguese, so this word may refer to:*Hell*Conflagration, a large uncontrolled fire.-Literature:* Inferno , the first part of Dante's Divine Comedy...
(2008) ... Bleak
External links
- BBC Have Your Say: Mike Reid: Your tributes.
- Mike Reid: Obituary and tribute