AN EASTENDERS legend has revealed that she no longer tunes into the BBC soap, despite having played a pivotal role in one of its most memorable episodes.
Reflecting on her time in Walford, she acknowledged the iconic nature of the storyline but admitted to stepping back from watching after her departure.
Anita Dobson – who played the iconic Angie Watts on the BBC soap from 1985 to 1988 – confessed she no longer watches the EastEnders Christmas special.
This comes after her iconic divorce storyline aired on Christmas Day in 1986, which remains one of the highest-rated TV episodes of all time.
More than 30 million viewers were watched Dirty Den serve Angie Watts with divorce papers in the festive episode.
Den told her: “This, my sweet, is a letter from my solicitor telling you that your husband has filed a petition for divorce.
“Merry Christmas, Ange.”
And a further 28 million watched the fallout in the Boxing Day episode the following day.
However, Anita, now 75, seems to stem from moving on after her association with the show.
She said: “I don’t really watch television very much at all. I watch things like a series because then you can get your teeth into it, and you can watch it when you want to rather than having to keep playing catch up.
“I tend to always miss it. But I do try to catch up with stuff now and again. But it’s hard with that because it turns over so quickly.
“You’d have to be constantly catching up. So no, I have watched bits and pieces.”
Anita left EastEnders in May 1988 because she wanted to move on.
She has never accepted offers to reprise the role, saying, “Why tarnish the gorgeous creation that was Angie Watts?”
Since her departure, Anita has appeared in many television, film and theatre roles, including the BBC sitcoms Red Dwarf, Rab C. Nesbitt and her own sitcom series Split Ends (1989).
Anita starred in Channel 4′s comedy-horror Generation Z earlier this year and admitted she was taken aback by the series’ graphic gore.
LOVE triangles are a fundamental part of soap-land, but which ones have become the most iconic?
EASTENDERS
Bradley/Stacey/Max: Stacey Slater began an affair with boyfriend Bradley Branning’s dad Max in 2007.
Despite their romps, Stacey still married Bradley, but their deceit came out in an iconic Christmas Day episode that year.
Grant/Sharon/Phil: Heading even further back in Walford history, EastEnders fans were gripped in the 90s as Sharon Watts had a one-night stand with her brother-in-law Phil Mitchell.
Sharon confided in best friend Michelle Fowler – not realising it was caught on tape – and her husband Grant eventually found out and played it in front of everyone at the Queen Vic.
Syed/Amira/Christian: Syed Masood was engaged to Amira before realising he had feelings for another man, Christian, which he confessed to him on his wedding day.
A devout Muslim, Syed refused to admit his true sexuality and went ahead and married Amira anyway, but when they returned, the two men started an affair before being caught in the act by Amira.
CORONATION STREET
Shelley/Peter/Lucy: Peter Barlow took the concept of a love triangle and ran with it in Coronation Street – extending it to bigamy.
He was in a relationship with Shelley Unwin but started dating Lucy Richards, and quickly married her after she fell pregnant with his son, Simon.
But it didn’t stop him also marrying Shelley, but he was eventually caught when Lucy turned up in Weatherfield and the two women confronted him.
Ken/Deidre/Mike: Back in 1982, Deirdre Barlow started sleeping with her husband’s nemesis Mike Baldwin in secret, before confessing all a year later.
When Mike turned up at the marital home, Deirdre was being throttled by her husband who then kicked her out, but years later they reconciled.
Maria/Aidan/Eva: In 2017, Aidan Connor started sleeping with girlfriend Eva Price’s best friend, Maria Connor.
Eva eventually found out and she decided to take revenge by faking a pregnancy, spending his money and planned to confront him on their wedding day.
But she had a change of heart when a remorseful Aidan confessed, and decided to marry him anyway, only for Maria to arrive and expose her fake pregnancy.
EMMERDALE
Ross/Debbie/Pete: Debbie Dingle found herself torn between two brothers, Ross and Pete Barton in 2015 in Emmerdale.
She eventually decided to marry Pete but yet again, a soap wedding day was ruined when the groom learned of his bride’s betrayal via a recording played at the wedding.
Chrissie/Robert/Aaron: Robert Sugden was married to Chrissie White and all seemed well – until he began a steamy affair with Aaron Dingle.
Robert’s ex Katie Sugden almost exposed the affair – but fell to her death before she had the chance.
However, a guilty Aaron eventually cracked and told Chrissie about the affair – after which she announced it to the whole pub.
Reflecting on her experience, she revealed being shocked when watching certain scenes she hadn’t witnessed during filming.
“I found it quite scary watching it back,” she confessed, adding that the intense and gory elements were unexpected.
This year’s EastEnders Christmas special is set to see an explosive reveal of an affair between Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) and Junior Knight (Micah Balfour).
A voice recording of Cindy confessing to sleeping with her stepson makes it to George Knight (Colin Salmon), who plays it to a pub full of residents.
How will the Knight and Beale families react when they find out Cindy and Junior’s secret?
The BBC soap has teased there will be a death on Christmas Day.
EastEnders airs at 7:30pm and again at 10:35pm on BBC One on Christmas Day.
