Charlie Brooks

Charlene Emma Brooks (born 3 May 1981)[2] is a British actress, known for playing Janine Butcher in the BBC soap opera EastEnders,[3] and Tamora in the controversial play All in a Row by Alex Oates. Brooks's portrayal of Janine has received numerous awards since her first appearance on the show in 1999, with storylines involving cocaine addiction, prostitution and murder.[3] Brooks has also appeared in British television shows The Bill, Wired and Bleak House.[3] She released a fitness DVD, Before And After Workout, before winning the 2011 version of the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special and the twelfth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!.

This article is about the actress. For the racehorse trainer, see Charlie Brooks (racehorse trainer). For other people, see Charles Brooks.
Charlie Brooks
Brooks attending the Mindful Drinking Festival 2020
Born
Charlene Emma Brooks

(1981-05-03) 3 May 1981[1]
Ware, Hertfordshire, England
Other namesCharlie Brooks
OccupationActress
Years active1997–present
Known forRole of Janine Butcher in EastEnders (1999–2004, 2008–2014)
Partner(s)
  • Tony Truman (2004–2005)
  • Ben Hollington (2012)
Children1

Early life

Brooks was born in 1981, in Ware, Hertfordshire, England, and moved to Barmouth, Gwynedd when she was a child.[4] Brooks attended Tower House School, in Barmouth, and relocated to London to attend Ravenscourt Theatre School, Hammersmith.[4]

Career

1999–2003: EastEnders
Main article: Janine Butcher

On television, Brooks has appeared in episodes of The Bill, London's Burning, Jonathan Creek and The Demon Headmaster.[4][5] When executive producer Matthew Robinson re-introduced the character of Janine Butcher in 1999, after Alexia Demetriou left, Brooks secured the role.[3][6]

Brooks at the National Television Awards in 2012

2004–2007: Departure from EastEnders and other acting

After her departure from EastEnders in 2004, Brooks’s first role was in the BBC drama Bleak House as Jenny. Brooks has appeared in various commercials and voiceovers in the United Kingdom, Europe and the US.[3]

In 2006, Brooks played Beverley Allitt in a BBC1 docu-drama called 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".[7]

She has guest starred in Robin Hood and Love Soup.[8] In theatre, Brooks, whilst on a break from EastEnders in 2003, appeared in the play Office Games alongside Adam Rickitt.[9] The play was Brooks' West End debut, and described as "a witty and intelligent political commentary".[9] In 2007, she appeared in Our Country's Good at the Liverpool Playhouse.[10]

2008–2014: Return to EastEnders

In 2008, Brooks returned to EastEnders for a guest stint. She was later confirmed to be coming back as a regular character.[11] She said, "I had doubts to begin with, mainly because of Kiki, 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".[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".[11] She temporarily departed in September 2012, and returned in April 2013 before departing again in March 2014.

Brooks at the British Soap Awards in 2011

2019: All in a Row
Main article: All in a Row (play)

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.[13] 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.[14] 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.[15]

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".[16] The National Autistic Society, who initially decided to help the production by providing consultation, reacted to the Twitter furor 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."[17]

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."[18]

Other ventures

Reality television

She won I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2012, beating campmate Ashley Roberts.[19] Brooks was "visibly delighted", saying, "[It feels] silly. I never imagined this for a million years. Everyone's been amazing".[20]

Brooks also narrates Botched Up Bodies on Channel 5.

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".[21]

Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Result
2000National Television AwardsMost Popular NewcomerNominated
British Soap AwardsBest NewcomerNominated
2001Inside Soap AwardsBest BitchWon
2002Nominated
2003Nominated
2004National Television AwardsMost Popular ActressNominated
TV Quick and Choice AwardsBest Soap ActressWon
Best Soap StorylineNominated
British Soap AwardsSoap Bitch of the YearNominated
Villain of the YearWon
Inside Soap AwardsBest BitchWon
Best ActressNominated
Best Soap StorylineNominated
2005British Soap AwardsBest ExitWon
2009All About Soap AwardsBest BitchWon
Inside Soap AwardsWon
End of Year EastEnders AwardsWon
2010All About Soap AwardsFemme FataleWon
Digital Spy Soap AwardsBest Soap BitchWon
All About Soap Bubble AwardsBest Soap Love Triangle
(Shared with Lacey Turner and Neil McDermott)		Nominated
2011British Soap AwardsVillain of the YearNominated
TV Times AwardsTV's Most Popular BitchWon
2012TV Choice AwardsBest Soap ActressNominated
Inside Soap AwardsSoap Bitch of the YearWon
DS AwardsDS Female Soap ActorWon
2013TV Choice AwardsBest Soap ActressNominated
Inside Soap AwardsSoap Bitch of the YearNominated
2014British Soap AwardsVillain of the YearNominated
Best Storyline – Hello Stacey, Goodbye JanineNominated

Filmography
Television and film
Year Title Role Notes
1998Turning PointsEmma1 episode
The Demon HeadmasterThe Brains
The BillMiriam Olston
Out of TuneCarol
1999–2004, 2008–2014EastEndersJanine ButcherRegular cast member
939 episodes
1999The BillClaire Fellows1 episode
Jonathan CreekTrudi
2000London's BurningLisa
2005Angel of Death: The Beverly Allitt StoryBeverley Allitt
The Golden HourCara Wilson
Bleak HouseJenny5 episodes
2006Take 3 GirlsPatsy1 episode
CasualtySally Montgomery
2007HeartbeatJulie Langley-Smythe
Robin HoodCeris
2008Love SoupDenise
WiredAnna3 episodes
2010EastEnders: Last Tango in WalfordJanine ButcherDVD release
2011EastEnders: E20Janine Malloy3 episodes
Strictly Come Dancing (Christmas Special)Herself (Participant)Winner
2012Celebrity Juice1 episode
I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of HereWinner
2013, 2014Botched Up BodiesNarrator
2014SuspectsTanya2 episodes
2015The Dumping GroundStephanie Branston1 episode
2016The Chase: Celebrity SpecialHerself (participant)Didn't appear in the final chase
2017FOGRachelShort film
2018Moving OnTina1 episode (series 9, episode 4)
Theatre and Radio
Year Title Role
2003Office GamesRose Brown
2004The Play What I WroteRose
2005–2006Dixon of Dock GreenMary Dixon
2006Dangerous CornerBetty
2007Our Country's GoodDabby Bryant
2013Dusty Won't PlayDusty Springfield
2014Beautiful ThingSandra Gangel
2015A Street Car Named DesireBlanche
2017How the Other Half LovesTeresa
2019All in a RowTamora

References
  1. "Charlie Brooks on twitter: thank you x". 3 May 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  2. "England & Wales births 1837–2006 Transcription". Retrieved 30 September 2015 – via Find My Past.
  3. "Janine Butcher played by Charlie Brooks". BBC. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  4. "Charlie Brooks – Played the scheming Janine Butcher in Eastenders". BBC. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  5. "Charlie Brooks – Spotlight Actresses 2012/2013". Spotlight. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  6. Lock, Kate (2000). EastEnders Who's Who. BBC Books. ISBN 0-563-55178-X.
  7. "BBC film revives spectre of Allitt". The Grantham Journal. Johnston Press. 27 April 2006. Archived from the original on 20 April 2013. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  8. "Robin Hood (Series 2 – 10. Walkabout)". Radio Times. Exponent. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  9. Nelson, Paul. "Playing office games is not such a civil service". IndieLondon. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  10. Key, Phillip (7 February 2007). "Convicts prove the power of theatre; Theatre Our Country's Good/ Liverpool Playhouse Philip Key ponders a play about real events and characters". Liverpool Daily Post. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  11. Green, Kris (2 May 2008). "Janine to make regular 'Enders return". Digital Spy. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  12. Green, Kris (29 March 2008). "Charlie Brooks for full-time 'Enders return?". Digital Spy. Retrieved 9 October 2010.
  13. "All in a Row". Southwark Playhouse Official Website. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  14. "Top 5 scripts chosen out of 800 entries for theatre stage". The Bolton News. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  15. "World Update". BBC Sounds (Podcast). BBC. 11 February 2019. Event occurs at 16:57. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  16. "Casting a puppet as an autistic child is a grotesque step backwards". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  17. "Critics say new play that uses a puppet to portray an autistic boy 'dehumanises' those with the condition". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  18. Allfree, Claire (19 February 2019). "See our autism play before you judge, urges actress Charlie Brooks". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  19. Busk-Cowley, Mark (2014). I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!: The Inside Story. Bantam Press. p. 214. ISBN 978-0593073483.
  20. Bell, Amy (1 December 2012). "Charlie Brooks wins 'I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
  21. "Charlie Brooks". Hello!. Eduardo Sánchez Junco. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
Preceded by
Dougie Poynter		 I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!
Winner & Queen of the Jungle
2012		 Succeeded by
Kian Egan
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