Former EastEnders star Peter Dean looks worlds away from his Pete Beale role, over three decades on.
Fans of the BBC soap have been drenched in nostalgia over the last year, with a number of returnees and throwbacks to days gone by to celebrate the show’s 40th anniversary.
That has been further intensified in the build-up and aftermath of Martin Fowler’s (James Bye) death, as members of the extended Fowler and Beale clans have been name dropped left, right and centre.
Yesterday’s episode showed his grieving partner Ruby Allen (Louisa Lytton) sell his Bridge Street fruit and veg stall back to the family – much to the delight of Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt), as his dad Pete was at the helm of the cart for years.
Unfortunately there’s no return on the cards for Pete, given the character died in 1993.
But who was Pete Beale, and what is Peter Dean doing now?
Who was Pete Beale in EastEnders?
Family man Pete was one of 23 main characters devised by creators Julia Smith and Tony Holland in 1985.
He lived with wife Kathy (Gillian Taylforth) and their son Ian in a tower block a short distance away from Albert Square, but was a constant presence in the area due to his work and visits to his mum Lou (Anna Wing).
Storylines during his tenure included being accused of assaulting ex-wife Pat Wicks (Pam St Clement), after he discovered that their son Simon (Nick Berry) was not his own.
He later tried to throw Kathy’s rapist James Willmott-Brown (William Boyde) off a building, and with his marriage to her in tatters, he left Walford with new girlfriend Rose Chapman (Petra Markham).
News reaches his family soon after that the pair have died in a car crash, and Ian’s son Peter – who was born on the same day – is named in his honour.
Where is actor Peter Dean now?
85 year old Peter now looks unrecognisable, sporting a white beard and wearing a cap in a rare, new picture whilst attending a reunion.
The snap was posted on social media by a fan who noticed him taking a trip down memory lane with friends at a pub in London.
He really does look worlds away from his EastEnders days.
Since leaving the show, he’s continued to act, reprising the Pete Beale role in a 2004 episode of Leigh Francis vehicle Bo’ Selecta! and two years later in an instalment of Comedy Lab.
More recently he’s starred in Danny Baker sitcom biopic Cradle to Grave and in the 2016 TV movie Nearly New as Father David.
In 2018 he was one of a number of celebrities to appear on The Real Marigold Hotel.
Why did Peter Dean quit EastEnders?
It has been reported that his exit wasn’t exactly on good terms, with Peter’s contract with the BBC allegedly ending due to ‘irreconcilable differences’.
In 2018, he appeared in a special soap week of ITV panel show Loose Women.
He told the panelists: ‘The producer called me in and said, “The writers can’t find anything for you to do.”
‘So I said, “Well get rid of the writers”. Life’s simple when it’s logical. But of course, it was already set.
A former EastEnders star looked almost unrecognisable as he posed for a snap with a fan 32 years after dramatically quitting the soap due to ‘irreconcilable differences’ with BBC bosses.
During his time on the soap, he was best known for his ‘alright treacle’ catchphrase while working on market stalls.
His antics led to him being one of the London-based soap’s most-loved characters, even to this day.
However, despite the love for his character, the star has steered clear of the public eye since leaving the soap in 1993.
Now, just weeks before his 86th birthday, the lovable actor has been seen in a fan-uploaded snap on social media.
But can you guess who he is?
A former EastEnders star looks almost unrecognisable as he poses for a snap with a fan 32 years after dramatically quitting the soap – but can you guess who he is?
That’s right, it’s none other than Peter Dean! (Peter pictured as Pete Beale with Pam St Clement as Pat Evans on the soap)
It’s none other than Peter Dean!
In the new snap, the actor, who was visiting old locations for a reunion at the time, looked almost unrecognisable as he sported a cap while showing off his white beard.
Peter, who starred as Pete Beale on EastEnders, left the soap alongside his childhood sweetheart Rose.
However, the couple were later killed off in an off-screen car accident, which took place on the same day his grandchildren Lucy and Peter were born.
It’s been previously said that his exit was a sour one, with Peter’s contract reportedly ending due to ‘irreconcilable differences’.
He previously told Loose Women: ‘The producer called me in and said, “The writers can’t find anything for you to do.”‘
‘So I said, “Well get rid of the writers”. Life’s simple when it’s logical. But of course, it was already set. EastEnders is EastEnders. The real East End has changed.’
Peter’s fruit and veg expert character was one of the first roles on the soap in 1985.
During his time on the show, he was best known for his ‘alright treacle’ catchphrase while working on market stalls, and his antics led to him being one of the soap’s most-loved characters (pictured 1984)
