A former star of EastEnders has been snapped with a fan 32 years after his dramatic exit from the BBC soap. His decision to leave the soap also saw him quit the acting business all together and opt for a new career.
He was best known for his “alright treacle” catchphrase while working on the 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, Peter Dean tends to steer clear of public attention. He took on the role of Pete Beale before leaving the soap in 1993.
Now, just weeks before his 86th birthday, the loveable actor has been seen in a fan-uploaded snap to social media. He was visiting old locations for a reunion at the time of the photo.
In the image, Peter was seen wearing a cap while smiling and showing off his white beard.
Peter left EastEnders alongside his childhood sweetheart Rose. However, the couple were later killed in an offscreen car accident. It took place on the same day his grandchildren Lucy and Peter were born.
It’s said his exit was a sour one, with Peter’s contract 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.”
His fruit and veg expert character was one of the first roles on the soap in 1985. One habit fans of the show still remember him for is his drinking from a pewter tankard.
It’s a choice that has left some fans remaining confused. However, it is worth noting that actor Peter was a practicing Buddhist and would never consume beer. Instead, any drink he had on set was only drink lemonade, which goes a long way to explain his character’s unique choice of drinkware.
Back in 2002, the actor was seen on Channel 5 show, Harry and Cosh. It marked one of his last television appearances.
He did, however, make an appearance on the third series of The Real Marigold Hotel in 2018.
He appeared alongside Stanley Johnson, father of Boris, TV presenter Selina Scott, actor Stephanie Beecham, actor Susan George, former jockey Bob Champion, comedian Syd Little and The Krankies stars Janette and Ian Tough.
Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .
At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the “Do Not Sell or Share my Data” button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Cookie Notice.
