EastEnders Slater family stars now from arrest to selling cleaning products
Where the stars of one of the Square's most iconic families are now after the family's figurehead Derek Martin sadly d.i.e.d.
EastEnders’ Slater family joined the soap in 2000
Few families made as big an impact on Albert Square as the Slaters. And they had big shoes to fill back at the turn of the Millennium, replacing EastEnders’ mighty Di Marcos. Charlie Slater and his three girls Kat, Lynne, Little Mo and grandaughter Zoe (the other Slaters came later) made a huge impact from the start.
Their arrival also made megastars of the people who played them – Jessie Wallace, Michelle Ryan, Elaine Jordan, Kacey Ainsworth, Ricky Groves and Derek Martin, who it was recently announced has sadly d.i.e.d. But for certain stars, their lives off screen sometimes seemed like they came out of the pages of an EastEnders script…
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1 of 6Ricky Groves
Ricky, 57, was chirpy loser Garry Hobbs – Lynne Slater’s boyfriend – on EastEnders. He was on the show for nine years, during which time he married Hannah Waterman, who plays Laura Beale, before leaving the Square in 2009.He became a firm favourite on the reality TV circuit, taking a turn on shows including Strictly, Celebrity Coach Trip and Splash (remember that?). These days you can’t move on social media for his videos from Must Have Ideas UK, where he flogs products with such unerring passion there’s many a night when we’ve been tempted to buy an enormous crate of mould remover on his say-so alone.
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2 of 6Kat Slater
The biggest Slater star of them all was Kat, played by Jessie Wallace. She proved such a hit she’s one of very few EastEnders to get their own spin-off – the Kat and Alfie series Redwater.The 54-year-old, who is now a grandmother, joined in 2000 and has been a Slater ever since (well, if you ignore the many years she took off between 2005 and 2010), bagging shelves full of awards. In her time on the show she had several run-ins with her bosses. In 2022, Jessie “expressed deep regret” after being arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer, and drunk and disorderly conduct.
Released without charge after receiving a conditional caution, with the BBC saying: “Senior bosses have spoken to Jessie Wallace about the incident and issued a clear warning that this kind of behaviour is unacceptable and Jessie has expressed her deep regret.”
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Image:CREDIT LINE:BBC/Jack Barns/Kieron McCarron)
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3 of 6Elaine Lordan
Elaine’s character Lynne Hobbs was the first to leave EastEnders – after the character broke up with Garry. She went on to appear on I’m A Celeb becoming one of the briefest appearances in show history – entering and exiting on the same day.Following several tragedies in her private life, Elaine withdrew from the public eye in 2008. In real life she had gone through hell – in 2005 her one-year-old son James d.i.e.d after having surgery for diaphragmatic hernia. Last year she posted alongside fellow ex-EastEnder Lucy Benjamin with the former Lisa Fowler actress writing: “Oh I love this woman with all my heart!”
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4 of 6Kacey Ainsworth
Kacey, 57, will forever be remembered as lovely Little Mo, who ended up getting terrorised with an iron by evil Trevor (they appear to be on better terms now).She bowed out of the soap in 2006 but has hopped her way up the TV drama ladder with roles in Holby Blue (as Jenny Black), Casualty (as Annie Reardon) and playing Cathy Keating, Robson Green’s screen wife, in ITV megahit Grantchester. (
Image:ITV)
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5 of 6Michelle Ryan
Zoe Slater left EastEnders for Ibiza – but in reality Michelle Ryan was off to Hollywood, landing a part in Bionic Woman, a remake of the iconic 70s show. She played Jaime Sommers where she learnt the martial art Krav Maga and put on an American accent in the big-money NBC drama.However, the series was halted mid-way through when the Writers Guild of America went on strike and it didn’t return. Michelle came home and took on a series of ITV and BBC drama roles and toured with Will Young in a production of Cabaret. After turning down offers to return for nearly 20 years, she finally made a dramatic return to Albert Square last year.
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Image:CREDIT LINE:BBC/Kieron McCarron)
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6 of 6Derek Martin
It was sadly announced this week that Derek Martin, who held the Slater family together as cheerful cabbie Charlie, had d.i.e.d.His family said: “Derek wasn’t just a dad to us he was a friend and supported us through our highs and lows. He never stopped learning, he loved meeting people and was always generous with his time. We both miss him terribly. The family ask that their privacy be respected at this difficult time.” Derek was a legend on EastEnders, joining with the rest of the Slaters in 2000 and staying for the next 11 years. He also made appearances in 2013 and 2016 before his d.e.a.t.h at the age of 92. EastEnders paid its own tribute calling him “the head of one of EastEnders’ most iconic families”.
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