This article is about the entertainer. Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. }The Metropolitan Borough of Hackney was a Metropolitan borough of the County of London from 1900 to 1965 London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Events 1014 - Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars: Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts a decisive defeat Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Marbella is a city in Andalusia, Spain, by the Mediterranean, situated in the province of Málaga, beneath La Concha. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Stand-up comedy is a style of comedy where the performer speaks directly to the audience with the absence of the theatrical " Fourth wall " Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic A novelty song is a silly or nonsensical Song, performed principally for its comical effect. For other people named Mike Reid see Mike Reid. Mike Reid can refer to Mike Reid (entertainer (1940-2007 late English comedian and actor best known for his role as Frank Butcher in the BBC soap opera EastEnders For the similarly-named British broadcaster see Mike Read. This article is about the broadcaster For those with an identical-sounding but differently-spelled name see Mike Reid.

Michael Reid (19 January 1940 – 29 July 2007) was an English comedian and character actor, who is best remembered for playing Frank Butcher in EastEnders and hosting the popular children's TV show Runaround. Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1014 - Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars: Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts a decisive defeat Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The English people (from the adjective in Englisc) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to England who predominantly speak English A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience primarily by making them laugh An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works Francis Aloysius "Frank" Butcher was a Fictional character in the popular British Soap opera EastEnders. EastEnders is a most popular and award-winning Television Soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC1 on 19 February 1985 Runaround was a children's television Game show originally devised by Heatter-Quigley Productions in the USA. He was noted for his gravelly voice and strong Cockney accent. The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations

Biography

Personal life

Michael Reid was born in Hackney, East London in 1940 during World War II, and the Blitz bombings of Central London caused him and his family to relocate to Tottenham, North London, where he attended Rowland Hill School. }The Metropolitan Borough of Hackney was a Metropolitan borough of the County of London from 1900 to 1965 East London is the name commonly given to the north eastern part of London, England on the north side of the River Thames. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Tottenham (pronounced "tot-num" by locals is an urban area of north London, England in the London Borough of Haringey, situated north-east of North London is the northern part of London, England. The area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes

In 1958, he married his first wife, Sheila, and they had a daughter, Jane. They divorced in 1967, after which he married Shirley (née Collins) in 1971 and had two sons, Michael and Mark and a daughter, Angela.

He had moved to a villa in Marbella, Spain so he could live close to a golf course which would enable him to pursue his passion of playing golf three to four times each week. Marbella is a city in Andalusia, Spain, by the Mediterranean, situated in the province of Málaga, beneath La Concha. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.

Reid was known to be opposed to plans to introduce blasphemy laws, for the effect this would have on satire, comedy and free speech. ^[1] In May 2007.

Career

Mike Reid's face on the façade of a house in Brighton

Mike's first work in entertainment was as a stand-up comedian in clubs and aboard cruise liners in the early 1960s. Brighton ( is a town on the south coast of England and with its neighbour Hove, forms the city of Brighton and Hove. Stand-up comedy is a style of comedy where the performer speaks directly to the audience with the absence of the theatrical " Fourth wall " He then became an extra playing uncredited roles in television series such as Doctor Who, The Saint and Department S. Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The Saint was a long-running ITC Mystery Spy thriller, airing in Britain on ITV between 1962 and 1969 Department S was a British Espionage / Science fiction adventure series produced by ITC Entertainment. He also worked as a stuntman for films such as Casino Royale (1967) and The Dirty Dozen (1967). A stunt is an unusual and difficult physical feat or any act requiring a special skill performed for artistic purposes in TV, Theatre, or cinema Casino Royale is a 1967 epic surrealistic Satire originally produced by Columbia Pictures starring an Ensemble cast The Dirty Dozen is a World War II action - War film directed by Robert Aldrich, from the novel by E

He then became one of the original stars of The Comedians, a popular TV series of the 1970s produced by Johnnie Hamp for the Manchester-based Granada Television, which consisted entirely of short slots by mature stand-up comedians. The Comedians was a British Television show of the 1970s (later reprised in the 1980s which gave a stage to nightclub and Working men's club Johnnie Hamp (sometimes referred to as John Hamp, or Johnny Hamp) is a British Television producer, now retired Granada Television is the United Kingdom ITV contractor for North West England. Stand-up comedy is a style of comedy where the performer speaks directly to the audience with the absence of the theatrical " Fourth wall " Being the only obviously London comic in a line-up made up predominately of Northern English and Northern Irish comedians, Reid stood out. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Northern England, The North, The North of England or (less commonly The North Country refers to the parts of England north of an ill-defined line Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of As a comedian, Reid's well-known catchphrases included 'Terrific' (pronounced with the emphasis on each syllable), 'Turn It In' and 'Move Yer Arris'.

He capitalised on his initial success with a one-off hit record, a novelty version of The Ugly Duckling recorded on PYE records. The Ugly Duckling (Danish Den grimme Ælling) is a Fairy tale by Danish Poet and Author Hans Christian Andersen In 1975 it reached number 10 in the BBC Top 50 Singles Chart. In 1975 he also became the host of the ITV children's TV quiz show Runaround, fondly remembered for its incomprehensible rules and the incongruity of Reid as presenter. Independent Television (generally known as ITV) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters set up under the Independent Runaround was a children's television Game show originally devised by Heatter-Quigley Productions in the USA. Runaround ended in 1981.

In 1987 he joined the cast of the popular BBC television soap opera EastEnders as Frank Butcher for which he gained much popularity over the years. A soap opera is an ongoing episodic work of Fiction, usually broadcast on Television or Radio. EastEnders is a most popular and award-winning Television Soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC1 on 19 February 1985 Francis Aloysius "Frank" Butcher was a Fictional character in the popular British Soap opera EastEnders. The part of Butcher earned Reid the public persona of being pessimistic that he enjoyed acting against, for instance in television adverts for the soft drink Oasis. His character was involved in many popular storylines and the most famous of these storylines was his character's long turbulent relationship with Pat Wicks (played by Pam St. Clement). Patricia "Pat" Evans (née Harris; previously Beale, Wicks and Butcher) is a Fictional character in the popular BBC Pamela "Pam" St Clement (born 12 May[[ 942]] in Harrow on the Hill, Middlesex) is an English actress. In April 1994 Reid took a long break from the show due to stress from acting out a depression storyline for the show. Major depressive disorder, also known as major depression, unipolar depression, unipolar disorder, clinical depression, or simply depression Later that same year he starred alongside other fellow EastEnders actors Barbara Windsor and John Altman in his classic adult pantomime Pussy in Boots a spin off of Puss in Boots where Reid played the main role of 'Big Dick'. EastEnders is a most popular and award-winning Television Soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC1 on 19 February 1985 Barbara Ann Windsor, MBE (born Barbara Ann Deeks on 6 August 1937) is an English actress. Pantomime (informally panto) (not to be confused with a Mime artist, referring to a theatrical performer of mime is a performance genre traditionally found Pussy in Boots is a cult 1994 VHS adult Pantomime starring the late stand-up comedian and Eastenders actor Mike Reid ^[2]

He returned to EastEnders in 1995 as a recurring character and after several brief stints on the show, he returned as a full time character in May 1998 and remained on the show until May 2000 when he announced he would be leaving the soap for good due to exhaustion from the long filming schedules. ^[3]. He was persuaded to stay on the show for a further five months to give his character a dramatic exit. His last episodes aired in November 2000 when he famously departed after his affair with ex-wife Pat Evans was discovered by his current wife Peggy Mitchell (played by Barbara Windsor). Patricia "Pat" Evans (née Harris; previously Beale, Wicks and Butcher) is a Fictional character in the popular BBC Margaret Ann "Peggy" Mitchell (née Martin; previously Butcher) is a Fictional character in the popular BBC Soap opera Barbara Ann Windsor, MBE (born Barbara Ann Deeks on 6 August 1937) is an English actress. That same year he appeared in the popular British gangster film Snatch playing mob boss Doug "The Head" Denovitz. Snatch is a 2000 Film by British writer - director Guy Ritchie. He went on to appear in several low-budget British films such as Hey Mr DJ (2005), Moussakka and Chips (2005) as well as a Spanish film titled Oh Marbella (2003).

Despite insisting he would be leaving EastEnders for good in 2000, he went onto return to the show for a number of times for brief stints. He returned for a week stint in January 2002, a spin-off special episode titled "Perfectly Frank" in 2003 and made his final comeback to EastEnders in early December 2005, for another week stint. This is a list of EastEnders television spin-offs that have aired over the years He later appeared on The Paul O'Grady Show and made it clear that he had no interest in any possible future re-appearances in the programme, and then in 2006 he rejected another offer to return to the series. The Paul O'Grady Show is a popular British Comedy Chat show broadcast every weekday at 500pm on Channel 4 (formerly aired in the

He retired from show business at this time and lived in a villa in Spain. He returned to acting in early 2007 and appeared in two episodes of the long-running ITV police drama series The Bill where he played the part of corrupt businessman Brian Stevens. Independent Television (generally known as ITV) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters set up under the Independent The Bill is a long-running British Television Police procedural, named after a slang term for the police. This was his last broadcasted television appearance, though he had filmed a reality series for ITV entitled The Baron before his death; the network was undecided as to whether it will be aired^[4] but the programme started airing on 24 April 2008 on ITV1. This article deals with the ITV1 brand name as it is broadcast at present Reid was the eventual winner, facing off against Suzanne Shaw after the departure of the other contestant Malcolm McLaren. Suzanne Shaw (born Suzanne Crowshaw on 29 September 1981 is an English Actress, Singer and Television personality. Malcolm McLaren (born Malcolm Robert Andrew Edwards on January 22 1946 in London) is an English Impresario and musician Reid was thus bestowed with the title of Baron of Troup, a genuine and hereditary barony, though one conveying no privilege aside from the use of the title itself. Mike had also completed filming as a gangster in the independent British film Jack Says 4 days before his death. Jack Says is a 2008 British Independent film known particularly for being the last professional engagement of the legendary Mike Reid, who The film is in post-production, and is due to be released in 2008.

Death

Mike Reid died in Marbella, Spain on 29 July 2007, aged 67^[5] from a suspected heart attack. Marbella is a city in Andalusia, Spain, by the Mediterranean, situated in the province of Málaga, beneath La Concha. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Events 1014 - Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars: Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts a decisive defeat Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Two weeks before he died, he had received a full medical examination and had been given a clean bill of health. ^[6] The 30 July 2007 EastEnders episode featured a dedication to him following the end credits. Events 1419 - First Defenestration of Prague. 1502 - Christopher Columbus lands at Guanaja in the Bay Islands off Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.

Mike's funeral was held on Tuesday 14th August 2007 at Little Easton Parish Church, Essex, and was attended by over 250 people including his former EastEnders co-stars Pam St Clement, Sid Owen, Michael Greco, June Brown and Barbara Windsor. Essex is a county in the East of England. The County town is Chelmsford, and the highest point of the county is Chrishall Common EastEnders is a most popular and award-winning Television Soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC1 on 19 February 1985 Pamela "Pam" St Clement (born 12 May[[ 942]] in Harrow on the Hill, Middlesex) is an English actress. Sidwell Owen (born David Sutton on 12 January 1972 in London) is an English actor most famous for playing the role of Ricky Michael Greco (born to Italian parents in 1970 in Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland) is a British Actor and Poker player June Muriel Brown, MBE (born 16 February 1927) is an English actress, best known for her role as Dot Cotton in the Barbara Ann Windsor, MBE (born Barbara Ann Deeks on 6 August 1937) is an English actress. ^[7]

He was cremated the following day at Chelmsford Crematorium, Essex. Cremation is the act of reducing a Corpse by burning, generally in a crematorium furnace or crematory fire Chelmsford is the county town of Essex, England and the principal settlement of the borough of Chelmsford.

In November 2007, just over three months after Reid's death, the BBC announced that his EastEnders character Frank Butcher would be killed off in April 2008. EastEnders is a most popular and award-winning Television Soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC1 on 19 February 1985 Francis Aloysius "Frank" Butcher was a Fictional character in the popular British Soap opera EastEnders. The week has been dubbed "Frank Week". In the EastEnders episode on 1st April 2008, Frank's character had his funeral. Frank's children, Ricky, Diane and Janine also made a comeback. ^[8]

On 31 March 2008 the High Court in Winchester said that Mike was worth £881,381 at the time of his death, however after creditors were paid this left nothing at all in his will to his family. Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Winchester or Winton ( archaic) is a historic city in southern England, with a population of around 40000 within a radius of its centre Although his agent stated "I was completely unaware he had any debts," a friend stated that Shirley didn't seem to be "struggling financially. "^[9]

Selected filmography

• Jack Says (2008) . Jack Says is a 2008 British Independent film known particularly for being the last professional engagement of the legendary Mike Reid, who . . The Guv'nor
• The Bill (2007) . The Bill is a long-running British Television Police procedural, named after a slang term for the police. . . . Brian Stevens
• Mousakka and Chips (2005) . . . . Sheldom
• Hey Mr DJ (2005) . . . . Don Cox
• Oh Marbella! (2003) . . . . Jack Winter
• EastEnders: Perfectly Frank (2003) . This is a list of EastEnders television spin-offs that have aired over the years . . . Frank Butcher
• Snatch (2000) . Snatch is a 2000 Film by British writer - director Guy Ritchie. . . . Doug 'The Head' Denovitz
• The Detectives (1995) . The Detectives (1993-1997 was a British Comedy series starring Jasper Carrott, Robert Powell, and George Sewell. . . . Ronnie Richardson
• Pussy in Boots (1994) . Pussy in Boots is a cult 1994 VHS adult Pantomime starring the late stand-up comedian and Eastenders actor Mike Reid . . . . Big Dick
• EastEnders (1987-1994, 1995-1996, 1997-2000, 2002, 2005) . EastEnders is a most popular and award-winning Television Soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC1 on 19 February 1985 . . . . Frank Butcher
• Big Deal (1986) . Big Deal, was a Television comedy/drama series produced by the BBC between 1984 and 1986. . . Peter Davis
• Minder (1982) . Minder was a British Comedy-drama about the London criminal underworld. . . . Vernon
• Worzel Gummidge (1980) . Worzel Gummidge is a British children's fictional character – a walking talking Scarecrow, who originally appeared in a series of books by the novelist Barbara . . . Fairground Owner
• Runaround (1975-1976, 1978-1981) . Runaround was a children's television Game show originally devised by Heatter-Quigley Productions in the USA. . . . Presenter
• Steptoe and Son (1972) . Steptoe and Son is a British sitcom written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson about two rag and bone men living in Oil Drum Lane a fictional street . . . Compere
• The Comedians (1971) . The Comedians was a British Television show of the 1970s (later reprised in the 1980s which gave a stage to nightclub and Working men's club . . . Presenter
• Department S (1969) (uncredited) . Department S was a British Espionage / Science fiction adventure series produced by ITC Entertainment. . . . Spanish mechanic
• The Champions (1969) (uncredited) . The Champions was a British Espionage / Science fiction adventure series consisting of 30 episodes broadcast on the UK network ITV during . . . Security guard
• Up the Junction (1968) (uncredited) . Up the Junction is a 1968 British film directed by Peter Collinson and starring Dennis Waterman, Maureen Lipman, . . . Policeman outside court
• The Saint (1966) (uncredited) . The Saint was a long-running ITC Mystery Spy thriller, airing in Britain on ITV between 1962 and 1969 . . . . Secret police officer
• Doctor Who : The War Machines episode (1966) (uncredited) . Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The War Machines is a serial in the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in . . . Soldier

References

External links

• Mike Reid at the Internet Movie Database
• BBC Have Your Say: Mike Reid: Your tributes.
• Mike Reid: Obituary and tribute