I can remember Barbara Windsor once commenting rather unfavourably on Peter Dean's acting skills - I think they appeared in a play together in the period between him leaving EE and her joining as Peggy, and she remarked that he seemed to have difficulty holding a drink and delivering a line at the same time.

EDIT: Scroll down to 'July 1994'.. http://www.its-behind-you.com/spotli...rawindsor.html

And when Babs Windsor has the audacity to call you a bad actor - you know you must be shit!

The last I saw of him was a few years ago where he was having his meat-and-two-veg weighed as part of some late night adult gameshow. No, really.

I got it from press reports at the time. As someone that watched from the first episode when I 15 and bought all the Sunday tabloids during the 80's I remember it very clearly as being mentioned by several actors and writers.

It was apparently vetoed at storylining stage but was mooted as an idea and Pete was to be one of the victims.

Now, it is possible of course that the original story was made up or misreported by the tabloids but it was definately printed - i haven't just made it up.

Gotta love the 1980s. As a teenager here in Australia I used to read The Sunday Press once my dad finished with it - and loved it. One item that appeared was "UK Parliament Shock - Copycat Suicide" or some sort. Apparently there was this tough new Cockney soap in the UK and one day the barmaid downed a handful of pills washed down with a bottle of gin, but was found in time and was back behind the bar the next morning. However, the storyline provoked a series of copycat suicide attempts, and one girl died.

Corr. So when the show came to Aust TV I was sure to start watching from day 1!

I've since read that the whole 'copycat' thing never really happened and was totally a media beatup.

He wasn't missed by me. A boring character played by an atrocious actor.

Anyone got the tabloid interview he gave scanned or anything? I'd love to read it

I think that sofar, the first Eastenders Christmas has been the only one not to have something awful happen.

IIRC 1987 and 2003 were fairly light on drama too.

Why?

Kathy and Pete had split and divorced years before her relationship with Phil.

In answer to the OP Peter Dean was probably the weakest actor within the original cast. In every scene he is monotonous and wooden. I'm surprised he lasted so long in the show.