It has been 33 years since Ian Beale's father, Pete, was last seen running his legendary fruit and veg stall on EastEnders.
Pete Beale's EastEnders legacy
The BBC One soap launched in 1985, and viewers were immediately introduced to the Beale family, consisting of Lou (Anna Wing), her son Pete (Peter Dean), his wife Kathy (Gillian Taylforth), and their son Ian (Adam Woodyatt). Pete was also the twin brother of the Fowler matriarch, Pauline (Wendy Richards), cementing a connection between the two families that is still seen on-screen today.
Throughout history, spanning four decades, there has been no other market trader who could tell a Golden Delicious from a Granny Smith like Pete, not even the stall's current occupier, Peter Beale (Thomas Law), who is his grandson.
What happened to Pete Beale?
Pete was a fixture at the market from February 1985 until May 1993 and was always caught in Walford's drama, notably getting tangled up in Simon Wicks' (Nick Berry) paternity scandal with his first wife, Pat Butcher (Pam St. Clement).
The tough Cockney's marriage to Kathy hit the rocks after he failed to support her through a harrowing rape ordeal, and they divorced in 1991. He went on to find love with childhood sweetheart Rose Chapman (Petra Markham), and in May 1993, the happy couple fled Albert Square to escape the family of her violent husband.
Terror struck only six months later when Pete and Rose were killed in a car crash orchestrated by the Chapman family. The incident was never shown on-screen, but was confirmed when Ian received a call informing the family of Pete's death, which happened to be the same day Ian and Cindy's (Michelle Collins) twins, Peter and Lucy, were born.
Despite his absence, EastEnders fans still cherish memories of Pete's quirky habits, such as drinking from a pewter tankard and using the phrase "Alright treacle." This old-fashioned drinkware was reportedly used because Pete was a practising Buddhist and would never drink beer, opting instead for lemonade.
Peter Dean's exit and life after EastEnders
However, relations between actor Peter Dean and the BBC One programme reportedly deteriorated, and following his public criticism of producers, his contract was terminated due to "irreconcilable differences".
During an appearance on Loose Women, Peter disclosed that he was summoned by the producer and informed that writers could no longer devise storylines for his character. He said: "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."
Prior to his arrival in Walford, Peter Dean, now 87, from Hoxton in East London, secured pivotal roles in television series including Law And Order (1978), Minder (1979), and Coronation Street (1983). He also appeared in several films, including Up Pompeii (1971), Sweet William (1980), and The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle (1980).
He subsequently made cameo appearances in Bo' Selecta and Little Britain, and in 2018, he participated in the BBC series, The Real Marigold Hotel. In 2016, Peter featured in the television series Cradle to the Grave.
Yet he would relish a comeback to the hard-hitting BBC soap as the beloved fruit-and-vegetable market trader, despite his EastEnders character being deceased. In 2020, Pete told The Star: "Actors don't retire, they just carry on until no one wants them or forget who they are. I've got a van now, so I do a bit of decorating, I do a bit of buying, a bit of selling. They could have Pete back."
The Aston Management website reveals that Peter remains available for acting work.
