Adam Woodyatt

Adam Brinley Woodyatt (born 28 June 1968) is an English actor, best known for his role as Ian Beale in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. Alongside Jane Slaughter, Woodyatt is the programme's longest-serving cast member, having played the role since 1985.

Adam Woodyatt
Woodyatt in 2009 at Wendy Richard's funeral service
Born
Adam Brinley Woodyatt

(1968-06-28) 28 June 1968
Walthamstow, London, England
OccupationActor
Years active1983–present
Known forRole of Ian Beale in EastEnders (1985–present)
Spouse(s)Beverley Sharp (m. 1998–present; separated since 2020)
Children2

Early life and education

Woodyatt was born on 28 June 1968 in Walthamstow, and grew up in east London. He was educated at two independent schools: at Forest School,[1] on the edge of Epping Forest, in Walthamstow in north east London, where he shared classes with comedy writer Sharat Sardana and cricket captain Nasser Hussain. He then attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School. He also attended Llanidloes High School, Llanidloes in Wales.[2]

Career
See also: Ian Beale

Following the completion of his studies at the Sylvia Young Theatre School, Woodyatt appeared in children's drama The Baker Street Boys. He then put his acting career on hiatus and worked as a butcher in Wales for a brief period, before joining the cast of BBC soap opera EastEnders. Not expecting to stay much beyond the first year,[3] Woodyatt has become the longest serving male cast member in EastEnders; apart from Jane Slaughter, he is the only character from the first episode to appear in the soap without officially leaving. Alongside Letitia Dean, Gillian Taylforth and Slaughter, who play Sharon Watts, Kathy Beale and Tracey, Woodyatt is one of only four members of the original cast currently in EastEnders, but is the only one except Slaughter to have appeared continuously throughout the show's run. In 2013, his longevity was honoured at the British Soap Awards, where he received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his portrayal of Ian Beale.[4]

Woodyatt has also appeared as a guest personality on several BBC game shows and charity fundraisers, including A Question of Sport, Robot Wars (winning the show's Celebrity Special with the robot Pussycat) and Children in Need. In 2015, Woodyatt played the henchman of the Wicked Queen in a pantomime production of Snow White at Swindon’s Wyvern Theatre. Speaking about joining the production, Woodyatt commented: "I absolutely love performing in front of an audience as it’s so different to camera – I love the reaction of the audience. I am very much looking forward to spending the Christmas season at the Wyvern Theatre, which I know has a reputation for staging outstanding pantomimes."[5] On the 24th of April 2015 the comedy singer Gavin Osborn released a song titled "Adam Woodyatt" posing the question; "Imagine how it feels, being Ian Beale?".[6] In 2019, he appeared on Celebrity Masterchef.[7] In August 2020, it was announced that Woodyatt would be taking an "extended break" from appearing in EastEnders.[8]

Photography

Woodyatt is also a photographer, a hobby he took up while performing On The Razzle at the National Theatre when he was 13 years old.

In 2008, he won the Architectural Photographer of the Year Award of the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers with a picture he took at St Pancras, where he was filming EastEnders.[9]

Personal life

On 8 April 1998, Woodyatt married dancer Beverley Sharp in a private ceremony at Disney World, Florida.[10] The couple have two children, and for many years lived in Southam, Warwickshire, 72 miles northwest of the BBC Elstree Studios in south Hertfordshire, where EastEnders is recorded. On 21 August 2020, it was revealed that Woodyatt had decided to separate from Sharp the previous year, after more than twenty years of marriage.[11] Woodyatt is a supporter of Liverpool F.C.[12]

Charity

Inspired by his father's death from cancer aged 58, Woodyatt has helped raise money for various cancer research initiatives, and broke his collarbone in June 2003 whilst training for a charity bicycle ride.[13]

Woodyatt was also involved in launching an Aid for Haiti event at Coventry's Ricoh Arena in February 2010, with many of his actor colleagues posing for photographs, signing autographs, and providing items for an auction, which raised £30,000. Woodyatt is also a supporter of Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance[14] and an Ambassador for the Children's Air Ambulance.[15]

In January 2019, it was announced that he would be running the London Marathon with some of his EastEnders co-stars for a Dementia campaign in honour of former Eastenders actress Barbara Windsor.[16]

Filmography

Television

Theatre

Television appearances

References
  1. O'Neill, Sean (16 July 2002). "Public schoolboy who turned to terror – Telegraph". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 9 April 2012.
  2. "BBC – Mid Wales Llanidloes – Claims to Fame". BBC Online. Archived from the original on 7 March 2009. Retrieved 9 April 2012.
  3. Beth Neil (10 February 2010). "EastEnders 25th birthday special: We chat to Ian Beale aka actor Adam Woodyatt about being the longest-serving cast member – 3am & Mirror Online". Mirror.co.uk. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  4. "British Soap Awards 2013: the winners in full". Radio Times. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  5. "EastEnders' Adam Woodyatt to star in Wyvern's Christmas panto". Swindon Advertiser. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZARkg3MUgS0
  7. "Series 14 Contestants". BBC. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  8. "Ian Beale written out of EastEnders as Adam Woodyatt takes a break". WalesOnline. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  9. "Architectural Society Photographer of the Year 2008". Archived from the original on 10 January 2010. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
  10. "BBC - Somerset - EastEnders' Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) talks..." www.bbc.co.uk. 18 December 2003. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  11. "EastEnders actor Adam Woodyatt separates from wife Beverley Sharp after 22 years".
  12. "oldsite – Liverpool FC". Liverpoolfc.tv. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  13. Archived 11 December 2004 at the Wayback Machine
  14. Archived 23 May 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  15. "Our People".
  16. "EastEnders stars to run marathon for Dame Barbara Windsor". BBC News. 8 January 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
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