EastEnders legend reveals ‘joys of unemployment' following BBC soap exit
EastEnders legend Charlie Brooks has revealed the 'joys of unemployment' after leaving the BBC soap in 2022.
Charlie has played Janine Butcher on and off since 1999, and her dramatic last tenure saw her tear Mick and Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) apart before marrying him herself.
However, she ended up being sent to prison for perverting the court of justice, after her cruel plot against Linda was uncovered.
Janine had framed Linda for drink driving but was caught red-handed disposing of evidence in the back of a photograph.
When the truth was revealed on Christmas Day, a dramatic car chase ensued, resulting in Mick, Linda and Janine all plummeting into the sea after driving off a cliff.
While Linda and Janine got out safely, Mick wasn't so lucky, and has been missing at sea ever since. https://www.instagram.com/p/DKUvUMAs4qn/?hl=en&img_index=2
Since leaving the show, Charlie has appeared on Dancing On Ice and in the UK tour of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, taking on the role of the iconic childcatcher.
Having kept herself busy for a long time, she is now taking time to enjoy unemployment.
In a post on Instagram, she revealed that the 'joys of unemployment' meant 'Getting to watch Martha Wainwright at union chapel with my gorgeous friend for belated birthday celebrations'.
She went on to add: 'Having time to read her book. Martha was everything and more. Thank you.'
However, she may not be out of work for long, as she previously revealed that another theatre show may be coming up for her. More Trending
Earlier this year, Charlie addressed the possibility of a return to EastEnders for its 40th anniversary, but ruled it out before teasing what is her future plans.
'I'm going straight back into Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for a while, and then I probably need a little bit of time off,' she told The Mirror in January.
View More »
'And then we're in talks about another theatre project at the moment, so I don't know yet. I'm biding my time. So who knows.'
MORE: British Soap Awards 2025 afterparty evacuated due to security alert
MORE: EastEnders legend confirms she's taking a break from the BBC soap
MORE: Coronation Street star Barbara Ferris dies aged 85
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC News
20 minutes ago
- NBC News
Accusations of plagiarism, AI use and author bullying: 'BookTok' rocked by recent scandals
A scandal over allegations of plagiarism is rocking the book community on TikTok, becoming the latest drama to unfold in a pocket of the internet that was once considered a safer space from online toxicity. 'Beverly,' a romance novel by indie author Laura J. Robert, had picked up recent buzz on the social media platform, where readers and authors often discuss the latest titles and give recommendations. But several creators removed their videos praising Robert's book after allegations emerged that it was a rip-off of the indie author R.J. Lewis' 'Obsessed,' which was published in 2016. Both books have plots that follow a lead female character and her romance with her childhood friend. Some people posted excerpts of Lewis' words juxtaposed with Robert's, identifying what they described as similarities. Others accused Robert of using artificial intelligence to tweak and lengthen Lewis' book to create her own version. A handful of people speculated the authors could be the same person — because Robert's initials are Lewis' initials backward — and that the controversy could all be a PR stunt. NBC News was unable to reach Robert on Friday. Lewis declined to comment further. On BookTok, some have cited the somewhat niche controversy as yet another example of the community's shift away from lighthearted content around new releases. 'Does anyone miss just having a silly, goofy, fun time, having a bit of a laugh?' Lola Oluremi, a BookTok creator, said in a recent video discussing 'Beverly' and 'Obsessed.' 'I feel like every time I log onto BookTok now, it's something.' The online space, which has been credited for inspiring a fresh wave of interest in literature, hasn't been devoid of drama in the past. But this month, the 'Beverly' accusations followed two other separate situations that had caused some division among BookTokers online. Author Ali Hazelwood, who is behind popular novels such as 'The Love Hypothesis,' left Instagram purportedly after she was 'bullied' for a comment she made during a panel discussion at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books in April. Hazelwood weighed in on who she thought Katniss Everdeen, the protagonist of Suzanne Collins' 'Hunger Games' books, should have ended up with romantically, saying it should have been her childhood friend Gale, rather than her fellow tribute, Peeta. 'He's a terrible, mean, selfish person,' Hazelwood said of the character Peeta, a baker's son from District 12 who was reaped alongside Katniss in the books. The clip of Hazelwood's remarks was widely circulated and blasted online by people who accused her of having a bad take. Hazelwood didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Since she went dark online, several BookTokers have come to her defense, reflecting on how the community has seemingly become more prone to getting lost in meaningless discourse. 'The way y'all have lost the plot over a fictional bread boy has left me genuinely questioning the mental health of the book community,' Shelley Fleuridor, the YouTuber behind the channel 'Book Chats with Shelley,' said in a recent video delving into the Hazelwood backlash. 'We need to talk about what's happening to this community and why some of you genuinely need to be placed in a reading timeout immediately, maybe permanently.' Also this past month, Victoria Aveyard, the author of the 'Red Queen' books, sparked a wave of backlash and speculation on BookTok after she post a video alluding to another author's using generative AI in a novel without naming the purported writer. She said she didn't name the person because she didn't want to get sued. 'Using GenAI to come up with characters, plots and story ideas isn't writing. It's theft,' Aveyard said. 'Using GenAI doesn't make you a writer. It makes you a thief.' She said generative AI has been trained on copyrighted material that 'has been stolen from artists without license or compensation.' Some subsequent posts from users accuse Aveyard of being a 'mean girl' obsessed with 'drama.' In other videos, some try to guess which author she was referring to. Meanwhile, a handful of authors have also been posting videos of their writing and editing processes to prove their work isn't made with AI. With 'Beverly,' it remains unclear whether there will be consequences for Robert beyond online fallout. Robert's social media pages and her author website were no longer online Friday. 'Beverly' has also been removed from Amazon. The title remains on GoodReads, where several people have posted comments about the plagiarism accusations and given the book a one-star review. Lewis posted about the plagiarism allegations on Instagram this week, calling the situation an indie author's 'worst nightmare.' "I'm an author who does not have a big online presence and thank all who have reached out to bring this to my attention as I don't have much visibility on the social media space," she wrote. She said she has contacted Amazon to raise a copyright infringement case and hopes 'that people in the booktok space realize this author is stealing content and profiting from it.'
Glasgow Times
28 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Duchess of Sussex announces launch of own wine
The rose, described as having 'soft notes of stone fruit, gentle minerality, and a lasting finish', on her As Ever website, will be available to buy next month. The new range of food items that went on sale on Friday included a 'limited edition orange blossom honey' at a cost of 28 dollars (£20). Also available were an apricot spread in 'keepsake packaging', and a crepe mix, both £10 each, flower sprinkles for £11 and a range of different herbal teas at £9 for a box of 12 sachets. The new range went on sale at 4pm UK time, and had all sold out by just before 8pm. Meanwhile, a message on the homepage of the As Ever site read: 'Our debut Napa Valley rose is launching just in time for summer entertaining. 'With soft notes of stone fruit, gentle minerality, and a lasting finish, this bespoke blend is launching just in time for summer entertaining, and will be available for purchase on July 1st.' In an Instagram post at the same time as the new products went live, the California-based duchess wrote: 'Yummies, and honeys, and fruit spreads, oh my!' Meghan had promised some 'delicious surprises' as she teased, earlier this week, that she would be offering some new products on the site. She previously said the original April launch had been 'absolutely extraordinary'. But she also spoke of her fear that she annoyed customers when the first batch of her jam and herbal teas sold out in less than an hour. She said wanted to wait until it is 'completely stable and we have everything we need'. In the run-up to her re-stock, Meghan shared a photo of jam-making preparations including bowls of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries, and freshly squeezed lemons, on her Instagram stories, writing: ''June gloom?' Not over here! Because this month your favourite products are back.' Her official As Ever account also posted: 'To all who've been wondering and waiting, thank you! 'Your favourites are returning, plus a few NEW things we can't wait to show you. Coming this month … get excited!'
North Wales Chronicle
31 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Duchess of Sussex announces launch of own wine
The rose, described as having 'soft notes of stone fruit, gentle minerality, and a lasting finish', on her As Ever website, will be available to buy next month. The new range of food items that went on sale on Friday included a 'limited edition orange blossom honey' at a cost of 28 dollars (£20). Also available were an apricot spread in 'keepsake packaging', and a crepe mix, both £10 each, flower sprinkles for £11 and a range of different herbal teas at £9 for a box of 12 sachets. The new range went on sale at 4pm UK time, and had all sold out by just before 8pm. Meanwhile, a message on the homepage of the As Ever site read: 'Our debut Napa Valley rose is launching just in time for summer entertaining. 'With soft notes of stone fruit, gentle minerality, and a lasting finish, this bespoke blend is launching just in time for summer entertaining, and will be available for purchase on July 1st.' In an Instagram post at the same time as the new products went live, the California-based duchess wrote: 'Yummies, and honeys, and fruit spreads, oh my!' Meghan had promised some 'delicious surprises' as she teased, earlier this week, that she would be offering some new products on the site. She previously said the original April launch had been 'absolutely extraordinary'. But she also spoke of her fear that she annoyed customers when the first batch of her jam and herbal teas sold out in less than an hour. She said wanted to wait until it is 'completely stable and we have everything we need'. In the run-up to her re-stock, Meghan shared a photo of jam-making preparations including bowls of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries, and freshly squeezed lemons, on her Instagram stories, writing: ''June gloom?' Not over here! Because this month your favourite products are back.' Her official As Ever account also posted: 'To all who've been wondering and waiting, thank you! 'Your favourites are returning, plus a few NEW things we can't wait to show you. Coming this month … get excited!'
