June Brown played Dot Cotton as soon as the series first aired in 1985.
June Brown passed away at the age of 95 on 3rd April 2022.
Actor Adam Woodyatt played the character of Ian Beale in the first series of EastEnders.
Adam Woodyatt is now 55. He left the series in 2021 and is now working as an actor on My Fair Lady.
Wendy Richard played the character of Pauline Fowler in the beginning of the series.
Wendy Richard died in 2009 at the age of 66, following a battle against breast cancer.
John Altman played the beloved character of Nick Cotton, Dot's bad-boy son, in the beginning of the series.
John Altman left the series in 2015 when his character died of an overdose. The actor went on to star in the musical Chicago and even tried his hand at pantomime. He is now 72.
Letitia Dean joined EastEnders from the beginning of the series as Den and Angie Watts' adopted daughter.
Letitia Dean left the series in 1995, before returning from 2001 to 2006. She came back once again in 2012. The actress did not remain in the spotlight that much since she left the series, and says she is focusing on her health.
Sharon's adoptive dad, Dirty Den Watts, became one of the series' best villains from the beginning of the series.
After being shot dead in 1989, Leslie Grantham's character came back from the dead in 2003. The actor had his fair share of legal troubles after being convicted of killing a German taxi driver in 1966 and spending ten years in prison. In 2004, he was also caught in a sex scandal.
Leslie Grantham died of lung cancer in 2018 at the age of 71.
Anita Dobson played Dirty Den's wife, Angie, in the first few series of EastEnders. As the main villain's wife, she was often set aside and mistreated by her family.
Anita Dobson left the series in 1988 and her character died off-screen in 2002. Now 75, Anita married Queen guitarist in 2000 and has starred in many TV series and films.
Bill Treacher played Arthur Fowler for eleven years from the series' beginning in 1985.
Arthur Fowler was killed off on-screen in 1995. Bill Treacher retired and often spoke of his battle with ataxia, a disorder that took away his ability to walk. He died in 2022 at the age of 92.
Anna Wing played the loving mother of the Beale family.
Anna Wing went on to star in several films after leaving the soap, before her death in 2013, at the age of 98.
Gretchen Franklin played the gossip queen Ethel Skinner on EastEnders, until 1988.
Ethel Skinner was put in a home in 1988 and then left the series. Gretchen Franklin retired at the age of 89 and she died in her sleep in 2009, aged 93. She was famous for her love of animals.
Peter Dean played the fruit and veg seller Pete Beale in the first few series of EastEnders.
Peter Dean's public criticism of EastEnders producers led to him being killed off in 1993. The actor, now 85, went on to become a practicing buddhist and worked as a security guard.
Nick Berry played the series' heartthrob Simon Wicks for five years before leaving Eastenders and London to move to Yorkshire in 1990.
Nick Berry turned to music after leaving the series. He retired from acting and started his own production company. Now 59, he has left the company.
Susan Tully played Pauline and Arthur's daughter, Michelle Fowler, before leaving the series ten years later.
Susan's character, Michelle, made headlines by getting pregnant at 16 from her best friend's dad, Dirty Den. When Susan left the series, her character was recast with her blessing. She is continuing her acting career with roles in Line of Duty and Too Close. The 56-year-old also works behind the camera on series such as Silent Witness.
Gillian Taylforth played Kathy Beale, known for her always perfect hair.
Kathy Beale was killed off-screen in 2006, but she returned from the dead in 2015, which made fans very happy.
Sandy Ratcliff played Sue Osman for the first few series of EastEnders. Her character dealt with some tragic storylines.
Sandy Ratcliff has had some equally tragic struggles in real life. The actress battled alcohol and drug addiction, suffered from three strokes and was eventually diagnosed with cancer. The mother of one was found dead in her home in 2019, aged 70.
Cheryl Fergison was on EastEnders from 2007 to 2012, and played the role of Heather Trott. Fergison's character became a regular on the show, but was eventually killed off in a brutal murder.
Most recently, in 2024, Cheryl Fergison opened up about how difficult her life has been in the past years. The actress was diagnosed with womb cancer in 2015, and it forced her to stop acting.
As a result, Fergison had financial issues that follow her to this day. She said that her situation had been so dire earlier in 2024 that she had to go to food banks to sustain herself.
'I sat there and cried and cried. It was shameful. How could I have been on EastEnders? How could I have been earning that much money and now I am here?'
'It was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do. I found it so difficult to be that vulnerable. But I didn’t have any money to do a weekly shop. I was trying to pay too many debts.'
Prior to her confession, Daily Mirror revealed that she had resorted to selling old EastEnders scripts and singing in a Chinese restaurant in order to make some money.
