EastEnders star Charlie Brooks has revealed the devastating death of her grandmother, Jean, at the age of 90, paying tribute to her as a "fiercely independent" woman and vowing to see her again one day.
The actress, best known for playing Janine Butcher on the BBC soap, took to Instagram to share a series of photographs capturing moments from their lives together, including images from a trip to Ibiza.
In the caption, Brooks wrote: "We say goodbye to nanny Jean today. She took me to see my first ‘profesh’ show, Copacabana. She was a mum of 4 boys. She tap danced, and swam, travelled the world, had it large with me in Ibiza, was fiercely independent and did things exactly the way she wanted to do things. No f**** given."
The star added: "I’ll miss her. Today is a celebration of her 90 years. I’ll see you again one day Nan."
Friends and former co-stars were quick to offer their support in the comments. Kellie Bright, who plays Linda Carter in EastEnders, wrote: "Sending you all the love." Simone Lahbib, who played Katy Lewis, said: "So sorry for your loss lovely." Lucy Speed, known for playing Natalie Evans, commented: "You are from an epic line of women Charlie and they certainly live on in you! Sending you all my love."
Brooks first appeared on EastEnders in 1999 as Janine Butcher, taking over from Alexia Demetriou. She became one of the soap's most iconic female villains, with storylines that included killing her husband Barry Evans, framing Stacey Slater for attempted murder, trying to kill her third husband Ryan Malloy, and murdering her fourth husband Michael Moon.
Her last appearance on EastEnders was in 2022. Outside of the soap, Brooks won the 12th series of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in 2012, competing against Ashley Roberts and David Haye. She also participated in series 17 of Dancing on Ice in 2025, where she placed sixth alongside professional partner Eric Radford. During her time on the show, she split from her TV producer boyfriend James Fuller, with a source saying she wanted to focus on the competition.
If you have been affected by this story, Cruse Bereavement Support offers free help. Call 0808 808 1677 or visit their website.
