Juliet Ace, a prolific playwright and one of the original writers for the BBC soap opera EastEnders, has died at the age of 87. Her death was announced by her family.
Ace wrote more than 40 radio plays, many episodes of The Archers, and two films for S4C. She was nominated for a Welsh Bafta and twice for Sony awards. Her final radio play, Moving the Goalposts, broadcast in 2020, recounted her survival of stage four spinal cancer.
Born and raised in Llanelli, south Wales, Ace trained as a teacher and actor before turning to writing in her late 30s. Her first broadcast play, Speak No Evil, aired on BBC Radio 4 in 1980. She went on to build a reputation for sharp dialogue and exploration of social themes.
In 1985, she joined the first group of writers for EastEnders, after being spotted by creators Julia Smith and Tony Holland. She also wrote a biography of actor Terence Rigby, Rigby Shlept Here, in 2015.
Ace lived independently until the end of her life. She is survived by her two children and three grandchildren.
