Charlie Brooks

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Charlene Emma Brooks (born 3 May 1981) is an English actress, best known for her role of Janine Butcher in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. Brooks has also performed in British television shows The Bill, Wired and Bleak House, as well as portraying Anna Fallmont in the Network 10 drama Lie With Me.

Brooks has also appeared on several reality television shows, winning the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special in 2011 and the twelfth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2012. She appeared as a contestant on the seventeenth series of Dancing on Ice in 2025.

Early life

Charlene Emma Brooks was born on 3 May 1981, in Ware, Hertfordshire, England, and moved to Barmouth, Gwynedd when she was a child.[1][2] Brooks attended Tower House School in Barmouth, and relocated to London to attend Ravenscourt Theatre School, Hammersmith.[2]

Career

File:Charlie Brooks (2011) (cropped).jpg
Brooks at the British Soap Awards in 2011

On television, Brooks has appeared in episodes of The Bill, London's Burning, Jonathan Creek and The Demon Headmaster.[2][3]

After her departure from EastEnders in 2004, Brooks's first role was in the BBC drama Bleak House as Jenny. Brooks has appeared in commercials and voiceovers in the United Kingdom, Europe and the US.[4]

In 2006, Brooks played Beverley Allitt in a BBC1 docu-drama entitled Beverley Allitt: Angel of Death, alongside Ian Kelsey. Producer Cathy Elliot said: "It's a very sensitive issue and of course it's terrible for the parents to have the whole thing brought up. Each time it's brought up it's painful, but a lot of parents realise it's important it's kept in the public domain and that people are aware that things have happened and that not a lot has been done since".[5]

She has guest starred in Robin Hood and Love Soup.[6] In theatre, Brooks, whilst on a break from EastEnders in 2003, appeared in the play Office Games alongside Adam Rickitt.[7] The play was Brooks' West End debut, and described as "a witty and intelligent political commentary".[7] In 2007, she appeared in Our Country's Good at the Liverpool Playhouse.[8]

EastEnders

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File:Charlie Brooks.jpg
Brooks at the National Television Awards in 2012

When executive producer Matthew Robinson re-introduced the character of Janine Butcher in 1999, after Alexia Demetriou had left the role, Brooks secured the role.[4][9] Brooks remained in the role until May 2004.

In April 2008, Brooks returned to EastEnders for a guest stint. She was later confirmed to be coming back as a regular character.[10] She said, "I had doubts to begin with, mainly because of Kiki [her daughter], as I know how full-on EastEnders can be, and then there's that stigma about going back to a soap. But I'm so pleased I did, it was the right decision. Especially with what's going on at the moment, I feel really lucky to have a job and I need the security because of Kiki. I was just going to go back for a year, but I had a meeting with the boss last week and we're going to go for another year. So lots more time to get up to much mischief".[11][12] Executive producer Diederick Santer said, "I couldn't be more pleased that Charlie Brooks is re-joining EastEnders. With her appearances last month, she reminded us what a fine actress she is, and what an intriguing, watchable and engaging character she plays as Janine".[10] She temporarily departed in September 2012, and returned in April 2013 before departing again in March 2014.

In April 2021, it was announced that Brooks had agreed to reprise the role once again for a "huge storyline" and would return later in the year.[13] She made her on-screen return in September 2021. Brooks appeared in her 1,000th episode as Janine on 10 February 2022.

All in a Row

Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". In January 2019, it was announced that Alex Oates's play All in a Row, starring Brooks as Tamora, the mother, was going to be produced by Paul Virides Productions at the Southwark Playhouse.[14] The play is based on Oates' ten years of experience caring for severely autistic children and adults, and won the Top Five Play Reading at the Bolton Octagon.[15] The play is about the parents of a profoundly autistic eleven-year-old boy and how they are feeling the night before he is taken to a residential school, when social services feel he needs more support than can be given in their family home.[16]

Criticisms of the play started to emerge when a video trailer for the production was released showing the autistic character, Laurence, portrayed by a puppet. Journalist Frances Ryan, without having seen it, criticised the play by calling it a "grotesque step backwards".[17] The National Autistic Society, who initially decided to help the production by providing consultation, reacted to the Twitter furore by releasing a statement saying "while recognising some of the play's strengths, we decided we could not support the play overall due to its portrayal of autism, particularly the use of a puppet to depict the autistic character alone."[18]

Brooks responded by saying: "I understand people's concerns, but I do urge people to come and see the play first before they judge." She also claimed that having a puppet character is essential and that Laurence, the puppet, is very playful. During rehearsals, Brooks visited the Queensmill School for autistic children in Shepherd’s Bush, talking to the pupils, their teachers and carers. Brooks concluded by stating: "This is a story that is rarely told. I just hope people will come and see it instead of sitting at home getting angry."[19]

Other ventures

Reality television

She won I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2012, beating campmate Ashley Roberts.[20][21] Brooks also narrated Botched Up Bodies on Channel 5. In 2025, Brooks is set to appear as a contestant on the seventeenth series of Dancing on Ice.[22]

Fitness DVD

Her fitness DVD became the UK's best-selling fitness DVD release, and Brooks was transformed from "podgy Janine to a sexy new mum".[23]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1996 The Demon Headmaster The Brains 3 episodes
Out of Tune Carol Main role; 7 episodes
1997 The Bill Miriam Olston Episode: "A Place of Your Own"
1998 Turning Points Emma Unknown episodes
1999–2004, 2008–2014, 2021–2022 EastEnders Janine Butcher Regular role; 1,089 episodes
1999 The Bill Claire Fellows Episode: "Cold Calling"
Pudding Lane Janine Butcher Television film
Jonathan Creek Trudi Episode: "The Omega Man"
2000 London's Burning Lisa Series 12: Episode 1
2005 The Golden Hour Cara Wilson Series 1: Episode 2
Bleak House Jenny Miniseries; 5 episodes
Angel of Death: The Beverly Allitt Story Beverley Allitt Television film
2006 Take 3 Girls Patsy Film
Casualty Sally Montgomery Episode: "Sons and Lovers"
2007 Heartbeat Julie Langley-Smythe Episode: "Another Little Piece of My Heart"
Robin Hood Ceris Episode: "Walkabout"
2008 Love Soup Denise Episode: "Human Error"
Wired Anna Miniseries; all 3 episodes
2010 EastEnders: Last Tango in Walford Janine Butcher DVD release
2011 EastEnders: E20 3 episodes
Strictly Come Dancing (Christmas Special) Herself (participant) Winner
2012–2013 Celebrity Juice 4 episodes
2012 I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here Winner; series 12
2013–2014 Botched Up Bodies Narrator Unknown episodes
2014 Suspects Tanya Episode: "Nobody Else: Part 1"
2015 The Dumping Ground Stephanie Branston Episode: "Law & Disorder Part One: Party Games"
2016 The Chase: Celebrity Special Herself (participant) Didn't appear in the final chase
2018 Moving On Tina Episode: "Neighbour"
2020 FOG Rachel Short film
2021 Lie With Me Anna Fallmont Miniseries; all 4 episodes
2021–2022 Richard Osman's House of Games Herself Participant; 10 episodes, including House of Champions
2025 Dancing on Ice Contestant; series 17 Finished in 6th place
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Theatre and radio

Year Title Role
2003 Office Games Rose Brown
2004 The Play What I Wrote Rose
2005–2006 Dixon of Dock Green Mary Dixon
2006 Dangerous Corner Betty
2007 Our Country's Good Dabby Bryant
2013 Dusty Won't Play Dusty Springfield
2014 Beautiful Thing Sandra Gangel
2015 A Streetcar Named Desire Blanche
2017 How the Other Half Loves Teresa
2018 Monogamy Sally
2019 All in a Row Tamora
2022–2023 The Ocean at the End of the Lane Ursula / Skarthach
2024 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Childcatcher

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Result
2000 National Television Awards Most Popular Newcomer Nominated
The British Soap Awards Best Newcomer Nominated
2001 Inside Soap Awards Best Bitch Won
2002 Nominated
2003 Nominated
2004 National Television Awards Most Popular Actress Nominated
TV Quick and Choice Awards Best Soap Actress Won [24]
Best Soap Storyline Nominated
The British Soap Awards Soap Bitch of the Year Nominated
Villain of the Year Won
Inside Soap Awards Best Bitch Won
Best Actress Nominated
Best Soap Storyline Nominated
2005 The British Soap Awards Best Exit Won
2009 All About Soap Awards Best Bitch Won [25]
Inside Soap Awards Won
End of Year EastEnders Awards Won
2010 All About Soap Awards Femme Fatale Won [26]
Best Soap Love Triangle
(Shared with Lacey Turner and Neil McDermott)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		 Nominated [27]
Digital Spy Soap Awards Best Soap Bitch Won
2011 The British Soap Awards Villain of the Year Nominated
TV Times Awards TV's Most Popular Bitch Won
All About Soap Awards Best Celeb Style Nominated [28]
2012 TV Choice Awards Best Soap Actress Nominated [29]
Inside Soap Awards Soap Bitch of the Year Won
DS Awards DS Female Soap Actor Won [30]
2013 TV Choice Awards Best Soap Actress Nominated [31]
Inside Soap Awards Soap Bitch of the Year Nominated
DS Awards Best Female Soap Actor Nominated [32]
2014 The British Soap Awards Villain of the Year Nominated
Best Storyline – Hello Stacey, Goodbye Janine Nominated
2021 I Talk Telly Awards Best Soap Performance Nominated [33]
2022 Inside Soap Awards Best Villain Nominated
I Talk Telly Awards Best Soap Partnership (with Danny Dyer) Nominated [34]
2022 Digital Spy Awards OMG Soap Moment of the Year Won [35]

References

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External links

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