Pat Butcher’s earrings were as big an EastEnders character as her during her 26 years on Albert Square.
But now actress Pam St Clement has revealed a huge secret about her character’s oversized accessories as she staged a return-of-sorts to the soap.
Pam is set to make an appearance on a new documentary to celebrate the show’s 40th anniversary fronted by fellow Walford legend Ross Kemp, who has also just reprised his role as Grant Mitchell.
On EastEnders: 40 Years on the Square, Ross catches up with Pam on an old London bus to get her reflections of her time playing Pat, during which she revealed the story behind Pat’s love of earrings.
The 82-year-old star recalled: ‘When I got the part of Pat like any actor I decided to do a bit of homework, I saw this bus conductress on a number 38 bus and she was wearing these most dangly earrings.
‘Pat always wears the earring that fit her mood.’
She continued: ‘You know those tool boxes you can get that fold up? I had one of those and a wall bracket with dangling earrings, but the interesting thing is most of them came from viewers.
‘They’d say – I saw these in the market and I thought they were absolutely right for Pat!’
Pam made her debut in 1986 and the arrival of Frank Butcher (Mike Reid) a year later led to the duo getting married and taking over the tenancy of The Queen Vic.
Pat’s final storyline saw her die from pancreatic cancer, shortly after she was reunited with son David Wicks (Michael French).
Pam has largely kept out of the limelight since leaving EastEnders back in 2012, but her character made one last appearance in 2016 as a vision during Peggy Mitchell’s (Barbara Windsor) final scenes.
EastEnders 40th anniversary – Everything we know so far
Here’s what EastEnders fans can expect as the soap celebrates its 40th anniversary on 19 February 2025:
A live episode
Having previously gone live for the 25th and 30th anniversaries in 2010 and 2015, the soap will be beaming live to the nation once again during the 40th week.
This instalment will air one day after the big 4-0, on Thursday February 20.
The episode will also mark a huge EastEnders first as bosses are giving the audience the power to vote on the outcome of one storyline, with the actors having to react to the result live on air – speaking of which…
Denise Fox decides… sort of.
With Denise Fox (Diane Parish) having found herself in a love triangle with Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) and Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara), fans will decide whether she reunites with her estranged husband Jack or picks her secret lover.
We also know that another ‘history making’ decision will be left to audiences to decide, with details yet to be announced.
Grant Mitchell returns
Ross Kemp will be reprising his role as the legendary Grant Mitchell to play a significant part in the 40th celebrations.
‘Grant has never been far from the action and let’s just say, this time is no different as he certainly comes back with a bang,’ Ross teased.
Cindy Beale’s attacker revealed
Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) was left for dead when she was whacked over the head with a shovel by a mystery assailant on Christmas Day after the truth about her affair with former stepson Junior Knight (Micah Balfour) exploded.
With the finger of suspicion currently pointing at numerous characters, Cindy’s attacker will be unmasked at last during the anniversary week.
Special programming
Ahead of the big week, BBC Four will broadcast EastEnders Sings at the BBC, a look back at archive performances from cast members from Top of the Pops.
Ross Kemp will take a trip down Walford memory lane with a special hour-long documentary called EastEnders: 40 Years on The Square, taking fans behind the scenes as he delves into the show’s history and relieves some of the most memorable moments.
BBC Three will also offer viewers a look at the explosive anniversary storylines with a 45-minute interview special – EastEnders Revealed: The Lock In – hosted by Joe Swash as he chats to some of the actors who find themselves at the heart of the anniversary drama.
The Queen Vic explodes
As Billy and Honey Mitchell (Perry Fenwick and Emma Barton) prepare to walk down the aisle, their favourite boozer The Queen Victoria will burn to the ground.
Aerial pictures from filming show the pub blown to smithereens, with a car crashed into the side. There’s also a marquee in the middle of the Square Gardens – is this from the wedding?
Meanwhile, the documentary will also Ross catch up with many other beloved EastEnders faces, including his former on-screen wife Sharon Watts, played by Letitia Dean.
She later shares an emotional reunion with Anita Dobson, who played Sharon’s mum and the original Queen Vic landlady Angie Watts.
EastEnders: 40 Years on the Square airs on Monday at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
If you’ve got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us [email protected] – we’d love to hear from you.
Join the community by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage.
