Inside EastEnders Charlie Slater star Derek Martin’s life as actor tragically d.i.e.s
EastEnders legend Derek Martin played beloved character Charlie Slater for 15 years before leaving the BBC soap in 2016
If you’re a d.i.e-hard EastEnders fan, you’ll recall the familiar face of taxi driver Charlie Slater, who landed in Walford with his four daughters and mother-in-law, Mo Harris, back in 2000.
The devoted dad to Walford’s Slater sisters, including Lynne, Kat, Little Mo, and Zoe Slater, was portrayed by Derek Martin, who became an iconic and much-loved character on the BBC soap for a remarkable 15 years.
During his stint on EastEnders, he found himself embroiled in some major storylines often involving his daughters, from Kat’s devastating abuse at the hands of his brother Harry to being charged with GBH after defending Little Mo.
Charlie temporarily bid farewell to Albert Square in 2011 but made sporadic returns until he tragically succumbed to a fatal heart attack in 2016 during his final and tear-jerking scenes that left the nation heartbroken.
Derek Martin played the iconic role of Charlie Slater in EastEnders(Image: BBC)
Although he had been off screens for ten years, his character continues to be honoured with a special storyline paying tribute to his legacy as Lily Slater gave birth and named her baby Charli Branning-Slater, reports OK!
As Charlie Slater’s name remains iconic to the BBC soap, we delve into his life away from the camera, from his landmark birthday to his son’s health struggle….
Landmark birthday
In 2023, the legendary EastEnders actor marked his 90th birthday, looking overjoyed as he posed next to a massive birthday cake.
He was surrounded by family, including his two sons, David and Jonathan, who bear a striking resemblance to their father, as well as Carry On star Anita Harris, who joined the festivities.
Derek and Anita, two legends of British television, snuggled up close as they carefully wrapped their arms around one another.
Derek could relate to his character’s storyline when Stacey Branning suffered depression(Image: BBC)
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Son’s health struggle
Derek’s comeback to Albert Square in 2016 allowed him to delve into the intricacies of mental health challenges as his own son, David, fought against depression.
His plotline during that period ran alongside Stacey Branning’s postnatal psychosis and depression, meaning the actor faced it both in fiction and reality.
Derek opened up about his son’s depression after the soap storyline(Image: ITV )
“At work I had the Stacey storyline. Then, I got home and there was my son, who I’d been worried about during the day, suffering from severe depression,” Derek revealed at the time. “I had it fictionally and I had it practically.”
He later disclosed how his character had provided him with an outlet to examine mental health struggles both behind the cameras and in front of them.
Demands for laughs
With the soap still weighing heavily on his mind, Derek pleaded with scriptwriters in 2022 to restore the humour after claiming it had turned “irrelevant” and “miserable”.
He proceeded to slam the BBC drama for losing its way and insisted it must abandon attempts to appeal to younger viewers.
“You’ve got to have humour because there’s always something to laugh about in life,” he told The Sun.
Charlie was the father of Lynne, Kat, Little Mo, and Zoe Slater in EastEnders (Image: BBC)
“You used to have Charlie, Patrick Trueman (Rudolph Walker) and Jim Branning (John Bardon) sitting at the allotments with a few beers, just talking about silly things. That’s what happens in real life. You need that on EastEnders.”
Despite his departure from the soap in 2016, he revealed: “Every day, I get stopped by Joe Public. They say, ‘Charlie’ – because they still use my character’s name – ‘what’s happened with EastEnders?'”.
“Coronation Street still has strong families but EastEnders seems to have lost that,” he continued.
“I’ve nothing against youngsters. They’re the future, but it’s like the BBC is trying to turn EastEnders into Hollyoaks with so many youngsters, and everyone’s having affairs and beating people up.”
