BBC Soap thrives on betrayal, chaos, and their villains, tease EastEnders spoilers. One of the most iconic villains of all times on the soap opera was Janine Butcher. The show bosses had even planned on killing her off back in 2004 but someone else had to pay her price. The Janine actress recently opened up about her character and its iconic death. Let’s dive right into it!
Janine Butcher Actress Opens Up About Her Departure
Long-time viewers of the BBC One soap must remember Janine Butcher and how she was a part of almost every integral storyline during her stint on the show. The show bosses had originally planned on killing Janine in 2004, but unfortunately, her husband, Barry Evans, got killed instead. Barry actor Shaun Williamson recently shared how the Valentine Day’s murder was written to kill off Janine.
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While recalling the scenes, Shaun told The Sun, ‘Barry was originally supposed to end Janine on Valentine’s Day that year. ‘But then I’d decided I wanted to leave after being there for 10 years. They [producers] then re-wrote scripts and flipped things around so that I would die instead.’ However, Janine did leave Walford later that year after being framed for Laura Beale’s murder.
The villainous character crept back to our screens in 2008 when she tried to frame Stacey Slater for trying to kill her. After leaving the show again in 2014, Janine made her most recent explosive comeback in 2021 when she tried to split Mick and Linda. Viewers saw her getting married to Mick, but their happiness was short-lived, as Mick and Linda were meant to be together.
A lot has gone down ever since. Janine is now facing imprisonment for framing Linda, and she gave birth to Mick’s baby last year, who stays with her brother Ricky Butcher. However, the news of her return is buzzing again with the show approaching its 40th anniversary.
While speaking about her potential return, Janine actress Charlie told the outlet, ‘She is always fun to play. I’m always interested in what she’s doing and what she’s up to, so there’s always a possibility. I couldn’t play her constantly, and I don’t think anyone would want me to,’ she added, ‘I think somebody might actually kill me if Janine was always in their living rooms four times a week.’
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No matter how much we hate Janine but it is always chaotic in Walford whenever she is around. And who doesn’t love drama? So, stay tuned to Soap Opera Daily for more such EastEnders updates. Also tell us if you miss Janine and would like to see her back in Square in the comments below!