Leslie Grantham, the soap actor who rose to national prominence with his performance as roguish pub landlord “Dirty” Den Watts in EastEnders, has died aged 71. The news was confirmed by a representative.
A former soldier with the Royal Fusiliers, his acting career began relatively late in life. Grantham enjoyed two popular spells in the BBC soap, with more than 30 million viewers tuning in to watch a 1986 Christmas Day episode in which his character served divorce papers to his onscreen wife, Angie, played by Anita Dobson.
Grantham had a troubled past and was no stranger to scandal. He was convicted in 1967 of the murder of a taxi driver in Germany and served 10 years in prison for the crime. Later, in 2004, he was written out of EastEnders after a much-publicised online sex scandal.
Born into a large family in Camberwell, London, in 1947, Grantham distinguished himself at school as a netball player. Despite wanting to act from an early age, he enlisted in the army at 18, rising to the position of lance corporal.
While on national service in Osnabrück in 1966 Grantham shot and killed a taxi driver, Felix Reese, during a botched robbery. In the trial that followed, Grantham claimed he did not know the gun was loaded. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, but was released after a decade.
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During his spell behind bars, Grantham pursued his interest in acting, appearing in a number of plays. Upon his release, he joined a London drama school, where he met the Australian actor Jane Laurie. They married in 1981 and had three children. They divorced in 2013.
Grantham later moved into TV via minor roles, such as as a henchman of the Dalek leader Davros in Doctor Who. In 1984, he was offered the role of Den Watts in the soap EastEnders, which first aired in February 1985. The show quickly rose in the ratings, with Den’s tempestuous relationship with Angie becoming one of its most popular storylines.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Anita Dobson as Angie (R) and Leslie Grantham as Den Watts in 1984. Photograph: BBC
EastEnders soon made the marriage – and Den’s many affairs – the focus of the show. A groundbreaking episode in October 1986 featured Grantham and Dobson as its sole actors; it was the first time the two-hander format had been used in a soap. The storyline culminated in the Christmas episode of that year, which remains the fourth-most-watched broadcast in British TV history, ahead of the Apollo 13 splashdown and the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana Spencer.
Grantham left EastEnders in 1989, shortly after the departure of Dobson. In his final scene, he was seemingly executed by a gangster wielding a gun behind a bouquet of daffodils, although his fate was left unconfirmed in case Grantham could one day be convinced to return to the soap.
Grantham then starred in a number of primetime shows, including the noirish thriller The Paradise Club and the police drama 99-1. He never managed to recapture the fame he enjoyed as a soap actor, although he would reunite with Dobson on the Sky crime drama The Stretch in 1999. By the end of the millennium, he was most frequently seen appearing in pantomimes and presenting game shows, such as Fort Boyard, which he co-hosted with the model Melinda Messenger.
After 14 years away from EastEnders, Grantham made a surprise return to Albert Square in September 2003. The reappearance of his character was an immediate ratings hit, with 16 million viewers tuning in to watch Den utter the words “Hello, princess” to his adopted daughter, Sharon.
His return, however, was short-lived. In May 2004, pictures of the actor exposing himself on a webcam were published by a newspaper, prompting the EastEnders scriptwriters to write Den out of the soap. The character was killed off, this time with no ambiguity. Grantham later said he tried to kill himself three times in the wake of the scandal.
He returned to the stage, starring in an adaptation of the Jeffrey Archer play Beyond Reasonable Doubt. He also had a recurring role in the police drama The Bill.
In recent years, the actor had been living in Bulgaria where he starred in a TV series called The English Neighbour. He returned to England earlier this week due to ill health.
Among those paying tribute to Grantham following the news of his death was Tracey-Ann Oberman, who played his on-screen wife Chrissie Watts during his second spell on the soap. “Really sorry to hear about Leslie Grantham. A very very good actor and one who created an iconic character with Dirty Den”, she wrote on Twitter.
Den Watts and Angie Watts (Anita Dobson) behind the bar of The Queen Vic. Over 30 million viewers tuned in to watch a 1986 episode in which Den served Angie divorce papers.
Photograph: BBC
Legendary EastEnders star Leslie Grantham has died at the age of 71.
The actor, who played soap villain Den Watts, had been surrounded by friends and co-stars with earlier reports revealing he was being monitored by doctors in a UK hospital. Grantham, who had been living in Bulgaria, passed away on Friday morning (15 June).
His agent confirmed the news in a statement adding that a private funeral would be held.
Grantham appeared in the soap's very first episode in 1985 introduced as the landlord of the Queen Vic pub. He quickly earned the nickname “Dirty Den” for the many affairs he had despite being married to long-suffering Angie (Anita Dobson).
Their most famous scene arrived in an episode which aired on Christmas Day 1986 which saw Den serve Angie divorce papers with the line “Happy Christmas, Ange.” It was watched by 30 million viewers.
He was killed off in 1988 only to be resurrected in 2003 to the surprise of his adopted daughter Sharon (Letitia Dean). He would reach his ultimate demise in 2005 at the hands of his new wife, Chrissie (Tracy Ann Oberman).
As well as EastEnders, Grantham is best known for appearing as Melinda Messenger's co-host on the game show Fort Boyard in which he played the Master of the Fort who set the challenges the contestants must win.
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Grantham, born in Camberwell in 1947, was convicted of murdering a German taxi driver in 1966 during an attempted robbery gone wrong. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and served ten years in various British prisons.
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Image caption Grantham had been living in Bulgaria prior to his death
EastEnders actor Leslie Grantham, best known as the roguish "Dirty" Den Watts in the BBC One soap, has died aged 71.
Grantham had the opening line in the first episode of EastEnders and was at the heart of Walford life until 1989.
He returned in 2003 before leaving for good two years later, following a tabloid scandal.
Tributes have been paid by his EastEnders co-stars. Anita Dobson, who played Den's first wife Angie, said she was "deeply shocked and saddened".
His agent said he died on Friday morning and that a private funeral will be held.
The announcement of his death follows news earlier this week that Grantham had returned to the UK to receive medical treatment.
EastEnders executive consultant John Yorke told the BBC: "Everyone at EastEnders is deeply saddened to hear that Leslie has passed away.
"We extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to his family and friends at this extremely difficult time."
Dobson said in a statement: "I loved working with Leslie and I will never forget our time together on EastEnders."
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Leslie Grantham played Dirty Den alongside Anita Dobson's Angie in this famous EastEnders scene
June Brown, who plays Dot Cotton, said she was "very fond of Leslie and am so sorry that he has gone".
In a statement, she added: "I always enjoyed talking to him, he made me laugh and always had a twinkle in his eye when he said outrageous things.
"He was a wonderful and special actor, witty and very talented. I shall remember him very fondly and with affection."
Letitia Dean, who played Den's daughter Sharon, released a statement saying "thank you for everything" to Grantham.
She said: "I have very special memories of working with Leslie and will cherish them always. He and Anita looked after me in my early days and showed me the ropes, always with care and kindness.
"He never failed to make me laugh and I will remember him with love, affection and gratitude forever. See you up there Leslie!"
Gillian Taylforth, who plays Kathy Beale, said she was "deeply saddened" and had "so many happy memories of working with Leslie".
"He was always great fun and we shared many laughs," she wrote, adding that the Christmas episodes in which Grantham appeared "will always be part of EastEnders history".
Grantham rose to fame when he was cast as the landlord of the Queen Vic, the east London public house around which the action in EastEnders revolves.
More than 30 million viewers tuned in to watch a Christmas Day episode in 1986, in which his character handed divorce papers to Angie.
But Grantham's life was not without controversy. In 1966, he was convicted of murdering a German taxi driver while serving as a soldier.
And in 2004 he was revealed to have taken part in webcam sex sessions from his EastEnders dressing room at Elstree Studios.
Gripping storylines
Dirty Den was an EastEnders stalwart from its first episode and stayed for four years, despite Grantham having only signed up for 10 episodes.
Viewers were gripped when he was revealed to be the father of teenager Michelle Fowler's baby and by his apparent canalside death in 1989.
After returning to Albert Square 14 years later, Den was definitively killed off in 2005 and his body buried in the Queen Vic's cellar.
Grantham stayed busy after leaving EastEnders, appearing in pantomimes and stage plays, as well as writing a fantasy novel for children.
He was reported to have been living in Bulgaria before his death, having gone there to appear in a TV series called The English Neighbour.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Leslie Grantham's first scene in The English Neighbour
Tributes have been paid to the actor by other EastEnders cast members, among them Michael Cashman and Tracy Ann Oberman.
Cashman, who played Colin Russell in the soap, said Grantham was "a lovely guy", while Oberman, who played Dirty Den's second wife Chrissie, called him "a very very good actor".
Craig Fairbrass, AKA Dan Sullivan, said Grantham had been "a strong role model", while Ricky Norwood - "Fatboy" on the show - hoped he would "rest in peace".
Their sentiments were echoed by Dean Gaffney, who played Robbie Jackson and who described Grantham as "an EastEnders icon".
Other tributes have come from glamour model Linda Lusardi, who said he was "such a character", and the broadcaster Paul Ross, who remembered him as a "talented, kind and very funny man".
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