Leslie Grantham (1947-2018)

The death has been announced of Leslie Grantham forever known as Dennis 'Dirty Den' Watts in Eastender. After he shot to fame in Eastenders it emerged that Grantham had served for killing a West German taxi driver when he was stationed as a soldier in the country. It was in prison when he met the actress Louise (best known for her roles in Doctor Who, Bergerac and Tenko) Jameson who encouraged him to take up acting. One of his early roles was in Doctor Who as a mercenary working for the Daleks who is brainwashed  by their creator Davros. In 1985 came his signature role.  Viewers were both appalled and entranced by his misdeeds such as serving his wife Angie (played by Anita Dobson) divorce papers on Christmas Day night and getting his daughter's best friend pregnant to name 2 of his misdeeds. Den's sins caught up with him when it looked that he had been gunned down by a canal. After his Eastenders exit Grantham had 2 star vehicles in the shape of The Paradise Club and 99-1 though neither had the impact of the role that made him famous. In 2003 Den made a sensational return but after Grantham got caught up in an Internet Sex Scandal the character was killed off. Grantham worked infrequently in his last few years and had moved to Bulgaria but his illness made him return to the UK.

Leslie Grantham R. I. P.