Beth Jordache

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Beth Jordache
Brookside character

Played by	Anna Friel
Duration	1993-1995
Date of Birth	18th August 1975
Date of Death	27 July 1995
Marital Status	Deceased
Occupation
Family	Trevor, Mandy, Rachel

Beth Jordache was a character in the defunct television soap opera Brookside played by Anna Friel.

She moved into 10 Brooksite Close in February 1993 with her mother Mandy and younger sister Rachel. The house had been bought as a "safe house" by a domestic violence organisation and was being used to house the Jordaches as a result of father Trevor's imminent release from prison for being physically abusive towards his wife. However Trevor soon tracked them down and it was revealed that he had also been sexually abusive towards Beth. Before long, Trevor wormed his way around Mandy and persuaded her to let him stay until he found more permanent arrangements, much to Beth's disgust. Her suspicions that he had not changed were confirmed when she found him in bed with her younger sister Rachel.

Before long Trevor begun to physically abuse Mandy again and, feeling there was no escape, Mandy and Beth plotted to kill him. Firstly they spiked his drink with weed-killer, but when this did not work they planned to spike him with paracetemol. However he caught them in the act of crushing the tablets, and begun a viscious attack on Beth. As a result Mandy grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed him to death. The two women then buried Trevor beneath the patio in the back garden. Mandy was later asked to identify a burnt body that was suspected to be that of Trevor. She lied and said it was in fact the body of her husband, so Trevor was officially registered as dead.

After Trevor's death, Beth attempted to rebuild her life and started college, with the intention of eventually becoming a doctor. She became romantically involved and slept with Brookside Close resident Peter Harrison, but ended the relationship when she found out he had been accused of rape. She also became the object of Mike Dixon's affections, but found herself having feelings for the Farnham's nanny Margaret Clemence. The two shared the first ever prime-time lesbian kiss, which caused so much controversy it was cut from the omnibus edition later in the week. It soon became obvious that Margaret was just experimenting, and the relationship came to an end.

Beth later became romantically involved with her female college lecturer Chris, and the two were seen kissing on a security camera by Beth's mother. Mandy never truly learned to accept Beth's lesbianism, and at times even blamed Trevor for making her "hate men." After this relationship fizzled out, Beth begun dating bisexual student Viv, but trouble was afoot when a pipe leak on the Close meant that people's gardens would have to be dug up. Fearing that Trevor's body would be found, the three Jordaches plus Mandy's love interest Thomas "Sinbad" Sweeney (who had helped bury the body) went on the run to Ireland. After the body was discovered they were tracked down by the police, brought back to England and released on bail.

Mandy was tried for murder and conspiracy to murder, and Beth for conspiracy to murder. In a much documented trial (which saw the soap being show every night from Monday to Friday), the jury heard evidence from Beth's younger sister Rachel (who always loved her father) that he had never touched her in a sexual way and that Mandy and Beth had made the whole thing up. Both were found guilty and Mandy was given a life sentence, and Beth was sentenced to seven years. Some months later Rachel admitted the truth about what had happened and an appeal was held. Sadly Beth died suddenly of a rare heart condition the night before the appeal, where her devastated mother was set free.