Wednesday 9 November 2022 08:11 PM MailOnline looks back at the lives of EastEnders dogs Willy and Roly who were ... trends now

EastEnders fans were on Tuesday mourning the loss of legendary EastEnders star Bill Treacher after he passed away aged 92.

And as soap lovers remembered the actor - who played lovable character Arthur Fowler on the BBC soap from 1985 until 1996 and was one of the very first people to be cast in the show - MailOnline took a look at the other original EastEnders stars who appeared alongside Bill in his heyday, with their lives and careers taking various paths.

However, there were two other original cast members who made their mark in the show's debut episode  in 1985 - dogs Roly and Willy.

With the human actors embroiled in all kinds of drama in the soap, the lovable pet pooches had plenty of action of their own - from blocking marriages, saving lives and even revealing the identity of 16-year-old Michelle Fowler's baby daddy.

While one dog had quite the real life away from the soap, having starred as William the pug in the 1984  BBC adaptation of  Swallows and Amazons.

And as soap fans prepare to say goodbye to legendary actor Bill, MailOnline takes a look back at the four-legged friends - as well as the other cast - that  starred alongside him as the soap first hit the screens almost 40 years ago. 

1. Roly the poodle (starred from  1985 to 1993)

Alongside other cast members, Roly made his debut in the soap in 1985, having been cast less than a week before casting began.

The pooch almost didn't get the role as soap bosses initially wanted a German Shepherd to be named Prince, but couldn't find an Alsatian light enough to blend into the background on set - meaning it was good news for the then seven-month-old standard poodle.

Landlords Den and Angie Watts never took much notice of daughter Sharon, but they poured their hearts out to their pooch. Whenever Den was in a rage, he’d grab Roly’s lead and drag the poor animal round the Square.

Roly had quite the adventurous life on Albert Square, with the pooch nearly killed when Grant Mitchell set fire to the Vic for the insurance money.

The dog turned out to be quite the life saver himself in 1987, having been the first to find the then Pat Wicks in the square gardens after she was savagely attacked by the Walford ripper - not that Pat was grateful as the next year she demanded the dog be kicked out The Vic as the Butchers took over the pub.

Roly also saved the life of Eddie Royle, who had been stabbed and left to die in the square, with the dog continuing to bark until he alerted someone of the danger.

A most notable storyline for Roly was being instrumental in revealing that the father of the then 16-year-old Michelle Fowler's baby was non other than Den Watts - the adoptive dad of her best pal Sharon.

After much speculation in 1985, Michelle (Susan Tully) headed off to secretly meet the mystery man at the nearby canal, only for Roly to come bounding out of his car - revealing his identity to be Den (Leslie Grantham).

The beloved character died on screen when he was run over while chasing a cat in 1993, with Roly being retired after becoming too old to appear regularly on screen.

Roly’s real-life owner was EastEnders creator Julia Smith. He died in real life in 1995 following an operation to try and help his breathing problems which was brought on by the heatwave that year.

2. Willy the pug (starred from 1985 to 1992)

Willy was the other original show dog who paved the way for the likes of later EastEnders canines such as Wellard, Lady Di and Bronson - with the pug sharing a dressing room with co-star Roly.

Willy was spoilt, greedy and mischievous - having pinched the steaks for his owner Ethel Skinner's pies and stealing the Fowler's Christmas Turkey.

But while the other characters couldn’t stand him, with the local doctor even complaining bitterly about the mess Willy made on the pavements, his owner Ethel (Gretchen Franklin) loved him.

So much was Ethel's love for the pooch that she even went as far as to decline two marriage proposals when her suitors asked her to get rid of her precious pet.

Willy - who was originally called Phillip in the show and like Roly was cast a week before filming - also had other dramatic moments such as running away in 1986, ending up in a pet shop before being sold.

The pug was later tracked down to a new owner where it was revealed he had a new name of Rasputin. The pooch was eventually returned to a relieved Ethel thanks to the help of Lou Beale (Anna Wing).

Willy was put down in the show 1992 after struggling with old age and just two weeks later, the dog who had played him also died.

In real life, the dog had a career before making his soap debut, having appeared as William the pug in the BBC's 1984 series Swallows and Amazons Forever!, based on the beloved children's books by Arthur Ransome.

MailOnline looks back at the varied post-soap careers of the 1985 stars who appeared alongside Albert Square icon Bill Treacher.

1. Leslie Grantham (Played 'Dirty' Den Watts from 1985 to 1989 and from 2003 to 2005)

Leslie was famous playing Walford villain Den Watts in EastEnders, originally from 1985 to 1989.

A 1986 Christmas Day episode drew an audience of more than 30 million viewers, who watched as Watts handed over divorce papers to on-screen wife Angie.

His character was apparently killed off in 1989 but made a shock return to Albert Square in 2003.

Grantham had originally been a soldier, having enlisted in the British Army in 1965 and being sent to West Germany with the Royal Fusiliers.

In 1966, however, he was involved in a struggle with a taxi driver he was attempting to rob in Osnabruck, Lower Saxony.

The driver, Felix Reese, was shot in the head and died and, in 1967, Grantham was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.

It was during his time behind bars - he spent ten years in British jails - that he first took to acting. 

After leaving prison, he took up his famous role on EastEnders in the 1980s, before making a much-anticipated return in 2003.

But it went far from smooth after he became embroiled in an online sex scandal in 2014, in which he was caught exposing himself to an undercover reporter via a webcam from his dressing room.

He left in 2015, and died in June 2018, reportedly having suffered from lung cancer.

2. Letitia Dean (Played Sharon Watts 1985 to 1995, 2001 to 2006 and from 2012 onwards)

Letitia made her Albert Square debut back in 1985 and still appears as feisty Sharon today. 

A graduate of the Sylvia Young theatre school and another Grange Hill old girl, Letitia was born in Hertfordshire, but claimed at her audition she was a Cockney. Her dirty laugh apparently won her the part of Den and Angie's daughter. 

She left for the first time in 1995, but returned to the show from 2001 to 2006, and has been back for a third time since 2012. 

In between her various stints on the soap, Letitia has appeared in the likes of 

The Bill, Casualty, Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married, Doctors and Drop the Dead Donkey.

The 54-year-old also competed on the fifth series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2007, and she later released a fitness DVD after crediting the show with inspiring her to lose weight. She starred in a touring production of Calendar Girls in 2010. 

After divorcing Jason Pethers in 2006, Letitia began dating 23-year-old model and dancer Bowen Perrin after meeting on the set of the Ipswich panto production Cinderella during Christmas 2007.

The actress currently believed to be single , with the star preferring to keep her personal life out of the spotlight.

3. Anita Dobson (Played Angie Watts from 1985 to 1988)

A real EastEnder, Anita wasn't the first choice to play the Queen Vic landlady — when filming began, the role was taken by Jean Fennell. Jean was deemed 'too classy' and was replaced. 

In 1986, Anita had a No 4 hit with Anyone Can Fall In Love in 1986, produced by Queen guitarist Brian May — whom she married. Angie left EastEnders after three years. 

Anita, 73, has enjoyed a successful and varied career since quitting the soap. She took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2011 and played Hamlet's mother in a touring production in 2005. 

From September 2016 to January 2017 Dobson she starred as Madame Morrible in Wicked in London's West End. 

4. Sandy Ratcliff (Played Sue Osman from 1985 to 1989)

Original cast member Sandy Ratcliff, who played Sue Osman, was found dead aged 70 in a north London care home in April 2019.

Appearing as the much-loved character from the first episode of the BBC1 soap in 1985 up until 1989, she took on a number of tough storylines - including when she lost her baby to cot death syndrome. 

And off-screen, she faced her own personal battle with drink and drugs. The mother-of-one to son William, also suffered three strokes and was later diagnosed with cancer. 

5. Oscar James (Played Tony Carpenter from 1985 to 1987)

Oscar portrayed Tony - an easy-going builder with a nagging wife.

While he was working at the Vic as an odd-job man, Tony became Angie's lover: he

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