EastEnders star dodges comeback questions after disastrous return stint that was panned by fans
ONE of EastEnders’ biggest stars has dodged questions about a soap comeback after her return stint was panned by fans.
Charlie Brooks, 43, is best known for her iconic role as Janine Butcher in the hit BBC One serial drama.
She has played the role on and off since 1999, when she replaced Alexia Demetriou in EastEnders.
But her third and most recent stint as the infamous villain ended in disaster after it was slammed by fans.
She reignited her feud with Kat (Jessie Wallace) and Stacey (Lacey Turner), where Janine almost killed the former’s son in an accidental fire.
But the character’s manipulative ways were also behind the split of Mick (Danny Dyer) and Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) as she wanted him all to herself.
In her exit storyline, she was arrested after driving a car off a cliff, which led to the supposed death of her newest husband.
But fans hated Janine’s last storyline and they couldn’t help but reflect on her last stint after other characters such as Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) returned to the long-running soap.
“I’m glad that EE hasn’t f***** up Cindy’s return as much as they f***** up Janine’s return,” remarked one fan.
A second wrote: “In all seriousness it’s been two years I’ve had a proper soap female villain to Stan (I don’t count Janine because her last stint was s****).”
Whilst a third wrote: “Janine’s most recent stint was absolutely s****.”
Since then, she’s turned her back on TV, as the actress wanted to tread the boards of the stage instead.
Charlie currently stars in a UK touring production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as the Childcatcher.
But when asked about a potential return to Albert Square, she played coy with the idea.
“It’s a bit like a home, to be honest,” she admitted.
“I’ve kind of been back a few times, so it’s always really lovely to see everyone. It’s one of those places where lots of people stay so it’s nice to catch up with people again.
It’s a bit like a home, to be honest. I’ve kind of been back a few times.
Charlie Brooks
“I’m not very good at staying still for very long so I like to sort of keep doing different things, but yeah it’s always interesting with the character to see what she’s been doing and what she’s up to.”
The former soap star also has another side project in the form of her own acting agency.
Charlie aims to help aspiring stars from disadvantaged backgrounds breakthrough into the industry.
Speaking about acting in a soap, she remarked: “There might be still be a bit of snobbery around it, but we’ve got so many brilliant success stories and it’s such a wonderful place on any of the soaps really to learn how to work with cameras and discipline, and especially for younger actors sort of coming into the industry, you know it’s a gift of a training ground really.”
Charlie added: “And I think if you can do soap you can do anything because the workload can be so intense, you know anything after that feels… you know, you get so much more time, it’s a luxury that you don’t have on soaps.
“So yeah, I think maybe those stigmas are slowly dispersing but there may still be a bit of snobbery around it.”
EastEnders is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
EastEnders facts and figures
THE beloved British soap has been captivating audiences for decades.
EastEnders follows the lives of the residents of Walford as they navigate love, loss, family drama, and community struggles.
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