Inside Soap Issue 162
As the Slater family move into no. 23 Albert Square this fortnight, we take a closer look at Walford's new arrivals.
Lynne ( Elaine Jordan )
Previously seen in : Joining Eastenders means that Elaine has been reunited with her old friend Todd Carty, who she starred with in the children's series, Tucker's Luck, back in the early eighties.
About Lynne : One of the more sensible Slaters, oldest sister Lynne craves a quiet life. "Lynne yearns for the normality of marriage," says Elaine. "She can see all that with her boyfriend Garry but, unfortunatley, it doesn't seem to feature in his plans at all."
Most Likely to date : Lynne is currently off the dating circuit, arriving in Walford complete with dishy Garry. But with her current squeeze looking less than reliable, could Lynne be tempted into the arms of a more stable lover, like all-round good guy, Mark Fowler?
We're calling her the new... Kathy Mitchell. She's up for a job at the cafe, and if she finds herself liking the greasy spoon lifestyle she could follow in the footsteps of fry-up queen, Kathy.
Zoe (Michelle Ryan)
Previously seen in : Michelle has been a relative unknown... until now, that is.
About Zoe : Teen terror is a phrase that springs to mind. The 16 year old is set to give her dad, Charlie, countless headaches. "She's a typical teenager who can wrap her dad around her little finger," says Michelle.
Most likely to date : While Martin Fowler and Asif Malik fall for Zoe the minute they clap eyes on her, she sets her sights firmly on teen-dream, Jamie Mitchell. Sonia Jackson had better watch out!
We're calling her the new... Bianca Jackson - her minx-like manner is very similar. Zoe could also give Janine Butcher a run for her money - so will the pair team up to wreak havoc on the square, or become the best of enemies?
Kat (Jessie Wallace)
Previously seen in : A newcomer to TV, Eastenders is sure to make Jesse a household name.
About Kat : A loose cannon who isn't afraid to speak her mind, Kat wastes no time making enemies in Walford, the first one being blonde bombshell, Mel Healy. according to Jesse: "Kat's lazy, a floozy and basically a bit of a tart!"
Most likely to date : Kat's set to ruffle a few feathers with her full-on flirting tactics. "Any man in the Square with a bit of money - like Steve Owen - would be her type," says Jesse.
We're calling her the new... Tiffany Mitchell. With her no nonsense attitude and man eating skills, Kat's all set to become a force to be reckoned with - just like good old Tiff.
Maureen (Kacey Ainsworth)
Previously seen in : Kacey appeared in the BBC's The Beggar Bride.
About Maureen : Also known as Little Mo, Maureen is the quietest of the Slater sisters. "Little Mo suffers a bit from being the middle sister," explains Kacey. "To get attention, she runs around doing lots of things for the family, and they walk over her bit."
Most likely to date : Maybe Billy Mitchell can turn his charms on this one - she's a better bet for him than Mel Healy!
We're calling her the new... Lisa Shaw. It was a long time before we heard a peep out Lisa, and just look at her now! Could Little Mo step into her old market inspectors shoes?
Mo Harris (Laila Morse)
Previously seen in : Laila has numerous film and TV credits to her name, and recently has starred in Brit Flick, Love Honour and Obey.
About Mo : Charlie's Mother-in-Law is a typical East end matriarch, ruling the Slaters with a rod of iron and acting as surrogate mother to her granddaughters. "She's a very strong woman with slight criminal tendencies - a bit of a female Fagin or Del Boy," laughs Laila.
Most Likely to date : As an old adversary of Pat Evans, she could restart their war by moving in on Pat's husband, Roy? oh, we certainly hope so!
We're calling her the new... Who else? She's the Lou Beale of the 21st Century.
Charlie (Derek Martin)
Previously seen in : appeared in doomed BBC1 soap Eldorado, and ITV's prison drama, The governor.
About Charlie : A recent widower, firm-but-fair cab driver Charlie is sure to have his work cut out keeping all of his daughters in line. "He's a nice man who's still grieving for his wife and just wants to do the best for his girls," says Derek.
Likely to hook up with : The girls waste no time looking for potential partners for their dad, and Pauline Fowler's their top choice. Run Charlie, run for the Hills!
We're calling him the new... Arthur Fowler. A down to earth grafter, with true East End roots, Charlie looks set to win a firm place in Eastenders viewers hearts. All he needs now is an allotment.
Garry Hobbs (Rick Groves)
Previously seen in ; Ricky's TV credits include a role in ITV's London's Burning.
About Garry : On first appearance it seems that Garry can't get enough of his girlfriend Lynne, but Kat has her doubts about his ability to be faithful and, according to Ricky, she could be right. "Garry's the type of bloke who'll go out for a burger even if he's got a fillet steak at home. He's definitely got an eye for the ladies!"
Most likely to date : Lisa Shaw definitely has a soft spot for dodgy, Cockney geezers - could Garry fit the bill?
We're calling him the new... With his stocky physique, Garry could be the new Grant Mitchell - let's hope he hasn't got the psychotic tendencies to match!
Comment by John Yorke - Taken from Eastenders web site
There
was never any master-plan for a family of five daughters.
We didn’t commission any research that demanded more
females; indeed the idea never crossed the writers’ minds. When we sat
down in February of this year to start planning a new family, the only
thought we had was that they should symbolise a return to
the roots of the show.
We knew they should be a rough, vibrant group who loved life, loved each
other, were fiercely tribal and not scared to speak their minds. We knew
they should be fighters, lovers, chancers; proud of the fact that they’d
not only survived through tragedy, misfortune and everything life had
thrown at them but actively prospered. The family were to personify the
spirit of EastEnders - the idea that you don’t go under - you fight
back.
For the first time we decided to take a new approach to casting. Rather
than create a family on paper and then cast them, we decided to write the
characters around the actors themselves; then film them, re- write, film
them, refine and write again. With that in mind, in a cold rehearsal room
in March of this year, we gathered 30 East End actors, The Cops director
Kenny Glanaan, and two writers - Tony Jordan and Simon Ashdown - together.
There was no plan except to improvise and see what turned up. What turned
up, by the second day, were the Slaters. They gelled, looked like a
family, yet worked individually, and had the chemistry to sparkle on
screen. All our ideas had come together and a new family for Walford was
born.
John Yorke
Executive Producer
Soaplife issue 15 - Kat on the prowl
Mel Healy's about to swap her famous pout for a face that looks as if she'd been sucking a lemon. And the reason? Well, sexy Kat Slater's now resident in Albert Square and she's making a beeline straight for Steve Owen.
And although Mel's turned Steve down, she can't bear the idea of anybody else having him, especially not a newcomer like saucy Kat, who seems to be a big hit with most of the blokes she encounters.
"Mel can't stand the idea of having to live alongside a woman who's as attractive to men as she is. I think it's fair to say that she and Kat aren't going to start off as the best of friends. It's a case of hate at first sight!" reveals actress Jessie Wallace, who plays Kat.
And it looks as if Kat is going to be more than a match for Mel, who's grown used to being the Square's number one babe.
"Kat's not going to be afraid of Mel. She's as hard as nails and bitchy with it, and she won't let Mel stand in her way. Kat's used to getting what she wants, especially from men who can't resist her sexuality.
"She doesn't fall in love with men, though, she uses them. I guess she's a genuine tart," reveals Jessie.
At the moment Jessie doesn't know what's in store for Kat but, surprisingly, she hopes she comes to blows with Mel. "It would be great if there was a cat fight between them," she says.
Although she doesn't know if Kat will be successful with Steve, Jessie admits that the one person she'd like to share a screen kiss with is actor Martin Kemp, who plays him.
"He'd definitely be my first choice," she says with a blush.
Jessie loves the idea of playing a good time girl like Kat, but reveals that she had to change her appearance to fit the part.
"It means wearing a lot more make-up and push-up bras. I'm not like her at all in real life, but it's great to be playing the champion floozy in the Square and I want to achieve Cindy Beale proportions," she reveals.
The 28 year old actress got to know her fellow Slater family co-stars when they worked together during improvisation sessions, so she felt relaxed with them on screen. The same cannot be said of her first scenes with Tamzin Outhwaite though...
"I was really nervous," she reveals. "Tamzin's so well known and she's one of the established characters. Before I did my scene with her, it hit me, I thought, "My God, I'm in Eastenders!"
"Tamzin, however, was lovely and made me feel very relaxed, there's certainly no ill-feeling between us in real life. In fact, I'm amazed at how friendly all the cast have been. I know it sounds like a cliché but it is like joining a family."
A former make-up artist who quit her job to go to drama school, Jessie was working as a part-time barmaid in Essex when she clinched the role of Kat.
"When I was told on the phone, I was in the middle of Loughton High Street and I broke down in tears. They're showing my first episode on a big screen at the pub where I worked - everybody's really pleased for me," she says.
She thinks that being a barmaid was perfect training for the role of Kat.
"I was witness to a lot of bitchiness which I can use in the character," she reveals.
Although she's thrilled at being part of one of the nation's favourite soaps, Jessie's nervous about the public's reaction to the character.
She explains; "Kat isn't very pleasant at first and I am a bit worried that people are going to call me names in the street. So, please be nice to me!"
23 September 2000
In The Mirror : The Look
The Spice Girls may have spouted on about "Girl Power", but then they'd probably never heard of the Fabulous Slater Sisters - and they have it in spades. Throw in their fearsome old gran Mo, and you have all the violence of the Wild West unleashed in the East End. They're the wild bunch and the Albert Square gang are running for cover. Although the four sisters sweetly perform as The Nolans at the Queen Vic karaoke night, their greatest hits have little to do with pop music.
First to get sorted is that 'poisonous little bitch' Janine when she tries to come it with the cafe's new dogsbody Lynne. Armed with a frying pan, the Slater just slaughters her. "Right lady," Lynne hisses at the Walford Witch, "I'm gonna see if this fits... If you think I'm some kind of Muppet, you've made the biggest mistake of your life." Then Laura feels her wrath after a drunken kiss with her fiancé, Garry. "Any good reason I shouldn't give you a slap?" Lynne snarls at the timid nanny. "Go near him again and you're dead!"
Weasel Ian doesn't get off lightly either. His business empire may be crumbling around his ears, but that's nothing to the bashing they get when Mo crashes into the Vic for a showdown over the shoddy way he's treated Lynne. "I'll take you outside now and give you a good hiding," Mo promises. "That won't do your reputation much good, being bashed up by an old lady." Rough justice indeed.
Star Gossip - Woman's Own
Laila Morse, who plays Mo Harris, the grandmother of the Slater girls in Eastenders, says she is prepared to take fame in her stride. I'm not bothered. I've been to lots of do's and met quite a few famous people." And she's not joking. For not only did Laila star in Nil by Mouth, directed by actor Gary Oldman, but she's also his sister. Which means that Laila, who used to work in a betting shop and run a cafe, was at one stage sister-in-law to Gary's former wife, Uma Thurman. As they say in the East End, it's a funny old world.
First published on Friday 29 September 2000:
www.thisislocallondon.co.uk
Essex girls bite back at EastEnders slur
LOUGHTON women have hit out at comments attributed to EastEnders actress Jessie Wallace which accused girls in the town of being 'lazy tarts and bitches'.
LOUGHTON women have hit out at comments attributed to EastEnders actress Jessie Wallace which accused girls in the town of being 'lazy tarts and bitches'.
The comments, some of which were attributed to a soap magazine, appeared in the Daily Star newspaper.
However a spokeswoman for the BBC soap said the comments had been taken out of context.
Miss Wallace, who has only been part of the EastEnders crew for two weeks, plays tarty Slater sister Kat in what is her first major television role.
She was quoted as saying: 'Kat is a right bitch and very lazy. Basically she's a bit of a tart, and where I live in Loughton a lot of girls are quite like her. I used to work behind a bar and there was a lot of bitchiness.'
Local women were shocked and angered at her comments.
Terri Gudgeon, a nursery nurse at Parks Pre-School in Loughton, fumed: 'What she (Miss Wallace) said was out of order. It classes everyone as the same.'
Miss Gudgeon's friend and work colleague Lisa Woods said: 'Girls in Loughton like to take care of themselves, that's all. They want to look nice, they're not tarty.'
Full-time mum Sarah Brown, 24, of Oak Tree Close, who is originally from London, said: 'I don't think it's right what she's said. Maybe in different parts of Essex, like Romford or Ilford, it's true, but not here.'
Meanwhile Jo Stone, 23, of High Beech Road, Loughton, a PA for a company in London's Mayfair, said: 'Anywhere you go, whether it's in the north or south, the girls are all the same.
'It's not a good representation of Essex, you get different groups everywhere.'
An EastEnders spokeswoman said: 'What was printed in the Star was taken out of context and readers shouldn't believe everything they read, especially from newspapers like that.'
Lynne Slater
Zoe Slater
Kat Slater
Maureen Slater
John Yorke
Executive Producer