EASTENDERS fans were shocked to realise the Kathy Beale character is the same age as her mother-in-law who appeared on the show 40 years ago.
Some eagle-eyed fans of the BBC soap dug up a photo of Lou Beale, played by the late Anna Wing, and posted it in a side-by-side comparison of Kathy who is portrayed by Gillian Taylforth.
Gillian Taylforth plays Kathy Beale on Eastenders[/caption]
Her character on the soap is around 75 years old[/caption]
Fans were shocked Kathy is the same age as Lou Beale who was on the show in the late 1980s[/caption]
Described by the BBC as a “stereotypical dominant East End matriarch,” the image of Lou seems much older than Kathy who is currently aged around 75 years old. In a 2020 episode of the soap it was revealed Kathy’s onscreen age was 70.
Posted to Reddit, Eastenders fans marvelled at how the characters were the same age in the photos, but looked completely different.
“Isn’t it funny how people looked older back then? I think the hairstyles had a lot to do with it,” wrote the person who had shared the two photos on Reddit.
Another person added: “Seems unfair to compare anyone to Gillian Taylforth. She clearly defies any and all conceptions of the ageing process.”
And someone else commented: “I feel like not only have expectations of beauty changed, women don’t ‘have to’ age anymore and the fashion is just younger. I think it’s been a fairly quick change, even women in their 50s were depicted quite old back then (think dot was late 40s?)”
But other Reddit users pointed out that Gillian has been open about having various cosmetic procedures to help defy the ageing process.
“She’s open about having cosmetic work done. Gillian’s work is very well done, very naturally so people don’t realise,” posted one Reddit user.
Some acknowledged that even Gillian may have had work done, there was still some scientific research to suggest people did indeed look younger nowadays than previous generations.
Environmental factors, access to better health treatments and fashion choices, among other factors are some of the reasons why we might be appearing more youthful than our ancestors, according to McGill University in Canada.
“When we push aside the fact that extreme examples are going to get shared the most, and that the hairstyles and fashion senses of yesterday are encoded in our brain as ‘old,’ we are still left with many reasons why we tend to look younger than past generations did,” the university wrote on its website.
“Our skin, hair and teeth are benefiting from less cigarette smoke and physical toil, as well as an ever-expanding collection of cosmetic interventions designed to make us look younger.”
Lou Beale first appeared on Eastenders for three years beginning in 1985 before he character died in 1985.
Gillian also made her first Eastenders appearance in 1985, but as Kathy Cotton, and married into Lou’s family when she tied the knot with Peter Beale.
Gillian has been open about having some cosmetic procedures done to help with anti-aging[/caption]
But some Eastenders fans pointed out that people tend to look younger now than in previous generations[/caption]
EastEnders’ 40th anniversary cameos so far
With the 40th anniversary of EastEnders coming up, fans are looking forward to some more incredible cameos from iconic faces of Walford’s past. But who have we had so far?
Tracy-Ann Oberman – Oberman returned as Chrissie Watts, a character she last played nearly two decades ago.
Paul Bradley – Bradley returned as Nigel Bates, a character he last played over 25 years ago.
Micheal French – French returned as David Wicks, a character he last played two decades ago.
Patsy Palmer – Palmer returned as Bianca Jackson, a character she last played in 2019.
Ricky Groves – Groves returned as Garry Hobbs, a character who has not been seen since 2009.
Cliff Parisi – Parisi returned as Minty Peterson, a character who was last seen on the square in 2010.
Ross Kemp – Kemp has returned to play Grant Mitchell, a character he first played in 1990. The BBC has described Kemp’s storyline as “explosive”. Kemp said it was an “absolute honour” to return to the show.
Other aspects of the EastEnders 40th anniversary celebration include: A wedding between fan favorites, A huge explosion at the Queen Vic, and A live interactive episode.
