| Janine Butcher | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Charlie Brooks as Janine (2011) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| EastEnders character | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Rebecca Michael (1989–93) Alexia Demetriou (1993–96) Charlie Brooks (1999—) |
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| Introduced by | Mike Gibbon (1989) Matthew Robinson (1999) Diederick Santer (2008) |
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| Duration | 1989–96, 1999–2004, 2008— | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | 22 June 1989 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Present; regular | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spin-off appearances | EastEnders: Last Tango in Walford (2010) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alias | Janine Evans (married name) Janine Malloy (married name) Judith Bernstein (pseudonym) |
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| Date of birth | 30 October 1983 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Waitress (1999–2000) Estate agent (2000–02) Prostitute (2002–03) Barmaid (2003–04) Bookmaker (2009–10) Businesswoman (since 2009) |
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| Alternative image(s) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alexia Demetriou as Janine (1996) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Janine Butcher (previously Evans and Malloy) is a fictional character from the British soap opera EastEnders, currently portrayed by Charlie Brooks. Rebecca Michael originally portrayed the character from 1989 until 1993, when the role was given to Alexia Demetriou for three years. Brooks took on the role in 1999. After a three episode guest stint in April 2008 which saw the character reappear for her father Frank's funeral, Brooks agreed to reprise her role full-time, returning permanently in December 2008. Janine's storylines typically involve her in an antagonistic role; the character has been described as a "super-bitch" and a "classic villainess".[1][2]
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Janine's mother, June, died of cancer when Janine was three years old, and she went to live with her sister Clare. Her father Frank (Mike Reid) moved to Walford with her older siblings Ricky (Sid Owen) and Diane (Sophie Lawrence) and married Pat Wicks (Pam St. Clement). Clare moved to Manchester in 1989, leaving Janine with Pat and Frank.
A troublesome child, Janine throws tantrums, runs away, is a bed-wetter, a sleepwalker, a thief, a compulsive liar and self-harmer, and hates Pat. Unable to discipline her, Pat forces Frank to take Janine to family therapy, which helps somewhat. When Frank has a breakdown and disappears in 1994, Janine stays with Pat but finds her father's absence upsetting. She is overjoyed at Frank's return and decides to move to Manchester with him in 1996. However, Frank returns to Walford in 1998, leaving Janine with Clare again.
Janine returns in 1999 to live with Frank and his new wife, Peggy (Barbara Windsor). She sets about coming between them, continuously trying to antagonise Frank with rebellious behaviour. She sleeps with Jamie Mitchell (Jack Ryder) to infuriate her father, then humiliates Jamie by spreading rumours about his inadequate prowess in bed. Frank abandons Janine again in 2000 after the breakdown of his marriage to Peggy.
Homeless, Janine is taken in by Terry Raymond (Gavin Richards); they start a business together as estate agents. Terry sees Janine as a surrogate daughter but her constant manipulation tests his patience. Janine uses him for money, purposefully dresses like his deceased daughter Tiffany (Martine McCutcheon), ruins his relationships with women and tries to seduce him. Janine also begins sleeping with Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) until he runs out of money. All of this behaviour infuriates Terry. Janine starts using cocaine, pestering Terry for money to feed her habit. When Terry refuses, she resorts to sleeping with her drug dealer, Lee Vickers, in exchange for cocaine; Vickers beats Terry when he tries to warn him off. Upon seeing Janine's lack of remorse, Terry throws her out and leaves Walford, ignoring her pleas for him to stay.
Owing Vickers money for drugs, Janine turns to prostitution under the pseudonym "Blonde Bombshell". One of her clients, Matt, falls in love and proposes, then attempts suicide upon discovering she is still a prostitute. Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) begins using her services, but she later blackmails him, threatening to tell his wife Laura (Hannah Waterman) unless he gives her money. Depressed, Janine begins drinking heavily, and nearly dies of alcohol poisoning. She gives up prostitution, but when Laura discovers she has been sleeping with Ian, she throws a pan of boiling milk in Janine's face. Janine becomes agoraphobic as a result — she eats dog food because she is too afraid to go out and buy groceries. She eventually gets over this, aided by Billy. Janine hopes to rekindle their relationship but is devastated when he confesses he is in love with Little Mo Slater (Kacey Ainsworth). Her attempts to ruin their blossoming romance fail.
Janine gets a job working at Barry Evans's (Shaun Williamson) car lot. She and Paul Trueman (Gary Beadle) concoct a plan to fleece Barry of his money. She seduces Barry and moves in with him but, unknown to him, she is sleeping with Paul too. Barry eventually proposes to Janine and she accepts, thinking that Barry has a life-threatening heart murmur. They marry on New Year's Eve 2003 in Scotland, but Janine is furious to discover that Barry's illness is a false alarm. Barry forces Janine to take a stroll around the hills and cliffs, but Janine cracks and confesses everything. Barry, refusing to believe that she does not love him, tries to embrace her. Repulsed, Janine pushes him away and he rolls down a hill, fatally hitting his head on a rock; Janine watches him die.
Janine inherits Barry's estate, leaving his son, Jack, with nothing. She has Barry cremated in Scotland, denying his friends and family a chance to pay their respects, making Barry's ex-wife Natalie (Lucy Speed) suspicious. Natalie grows close to Paul Trueman, who is wracked with guilt about his role in Barry's demise. Spurred on by Natalie, Paul eventually goes to the police implicating Janine. She is arrested but released, due to lack of evidence. She takes pleasure in telling Natalie that she has got away with murder, but telling Pat is her downfall. Pat is also good friends with Laura Beale, who has an on-going feud with Janine. Janine further marginalises herself from all the locals by reporting Laura for benefit fraud and announces it in the Vic. Janine is seen fighting Laura just before Laura accidentally dies after falling down the stairs and Laura is found with Janine's skin under her nails following their fight. Although Janine is with Pat at the time of death, Pat avenges Barry's murder by refusing to give Janine an alibi despite Janine begging for help and blaming her actions on her hard childhood but Pat brands her pure evil. In desperation, Janine goes to Paul and offers to sleep with him in return for an alibi, but, shameful about his own role in Barry's death, he throws her out, and she is arrested by police waiting outside as she tries to flee the from the square with a bag of money. Janine is then charged with Laura's murder and remanded in custody in May 2004.
Janine stands trial off-screen in 2005 and Frank tries to persuade Pat to tell the truth in court, giving Janine an alibi. Pat refuses but a conversation with Laura's mother, who is desperate for the truth, forces Pat to tell the court what really happened. Janine is released but abandons Frank outside the courtroom.
Janine returns for Frank's funeral in April 2008, and is angry to find that he has not left her any money in his will; she scatters his ashes before departing. However, in December 2008 Pat and Ricky discover that Janine is masquerading as a Jewish orphan named "Judith Bernstein" in order to marry an elderly Jewish man named David (Harry Towb) for his money. They trace Janine to the synagogue where the wedding is taking place. Just after they are pronounced man and wife, Pat declares Janine a fraud before the congregation. David has a heart attack and dies, and a now homeless Janine has no choice but to return to Walford.
She makes various enemies, among them Jack Branning (Scott Maslen), whom Janine drugs and then restrains in order to gain a taped confession of his past misdemeanours, which she uses as blackmail to gain control of Walford's car lot. Pat and Jack usurp her, reclaiming the business, and in anger Janine speeds off in her car and accidentally hits Danielle Jones (Lauren Crace), killing her. Although Janine is cleared of any wrongdoing by the police, Danielle's mother Ronnie Mitchell (Samantha Womack) cannot forgive her. In retaliation towards this rejection, Janine teams up with Ronnie's ostracised father, Archie (Larry Lamb); they make plans to ruin the Mitchell family by taking The Queen Victoria public house from them. When they manipulate Sam Mitchell (Danniella Westbrook) into breaking her bail terms, the Mitchells lose bail surety and face financial ruin. Ian Beale provides the Mitchells with a loan on the condition they use their pub as collateral. However, Janine has sex with Ian recording the tryst, then blackmails him, threatening to show his wife Jane (Laurie Brett) unless he sells the Mitchell loan to Archie. Archie subsequently takes control of the Vic when the Mitchells are unable to meet the terms of the loan.
Meanwhile, Janine and her flat mate Ryan Malloy (Neil McDermott) - whom Janine is sleeping with - plan to fleece Archie. Archie and Janine announce their engagement but on Christmas Day 2009, Archie who has realised that Janine has been intending to con him - throws her out onto the street leaving her distraught. That same day, Archie is murdered by an unknown assailant. Janine becomes one of the suspects for his murder, though she denies it and feigns distress over Archie's death. While she attempts to frame Ian and the Mitchells for the murder, Peggy attempts to frame her, planting evidence in her flat, which leads to an arrest but no charge. In the end, Janine is cleared and Bradley Branning (Charlie Clements) is held falsely responsible for the murder.
When Ryan confesses his love for Janine, she does not respond. It is not until he attempts to leave Walford that she admits her true feelings for him and they begin a legitimate romance. Despite Janine nearly straying on her hen night, she and Ryan marry, but marital happiness is short-lived when Ryan discovers that he is the father of Stacey Branning's (Lacey Turner) daughter Lily. A feud erupts between Janine and Stacey when Janine reports her to social services for neglecting Lily. Later she kidnaps Lily, suggesting to Ryan that they leave Walford with the child so that she can separate Ryan from Stacey. Her games push Ryan and Stacey closer together and they begin an affair. When Janine finds out, she vows to kill them both. She buys sedatives and poisons Ryan with them. He is left bedridden but manages to escape and ends their marriage publicly after being released from hospital. Hurt and angry, Janine finds out that Stacey is the real murderer of Archie Mitchell and goes public with this information, but is largely ignored with no concrete evidence. Desperate, Janine visits Stacey and stabs herself in an attempt to frame her but Stacey escapes the country before arrest. Blaming Janine for Stacey leaving, Ryan refuses to reunite with Janine and attempts to kill her by removing her oxygen tubing when she is hospitalised. She is saved by Ricky's chance arrival, but both Ricky and Pat denounce Janine's actions when she admits that her injuries are self-inflicted.
Ricky and Janine receive news that their maternal, rich, grandmother, Lydia Simmonds (Heather Chasen), is very sick and in need of someone to look after her. Janine decides to take in her granny with the ulterior motive of having a place in her will. Janine soon learns that Lydia is very similar to herself and they both put on an act of hating each other. Janine eventually admits she loves her granny and enjoys looking after her. Lydia's health quickly deteriorates and Janine sees the copy of her will in which Lydia has left all her money to a charity. Janine stays up with Lydia and tells her she doesn't care about not being in the will. Lydia explains that she wanted to look after Janine after her mother died but Pat and Frank wouldn't allow it. After giving Janine her mothers locket Lydia dies. Janine is devastated by Lydia's death and refuses to be comforted by Pat after finding out she stopped her seeing her gran. The Square (including Pat) speculate whether Janine killed Lydia. Ryan calls the police on Janine after he too suspects she murdered Lydia. Janine is questioned but released without charge.
The executor of Lydia's will informs her that she has inherited her Lydia's estate and is a millionnaire. Since she now has money, Janine boasts about it to Ryan and asks him to reunite with her, but he rejects her. Janine then buys Roxy Mitchell's (Rita Simons) share in the nightclub R&R, with Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) as her business partner. Greg Jessop (Stefan Booth) sells Janine his house, unbeknownst to his estranged wife Tanya (Jo Joyner), Janine happily evicts Tanya and her family from the house. After discovering that Ryan is dealing drugs in the pub and having a secret relationship with Lauren, Janine calls the police, Ryan is arrested and loses his job in the pub as a result. Janine later learns that Ryan has fled Walford, and is pleased. She has sex with Michael Moon (Steve John Shepherd) and uses her inheritance money to start her own property management company, Butcher's Joints, after buying several properties. Janine and Michael then begin a relationship.
Janine begins a feud with the Mitchell family by frustrating Phil in the running of the nightclub and evicting Roxy from her flat. When Phil starts receiving photos of a young boy who died when Frank asked him to torch the car lot in an insurance scam in the 1990s, he blames Janine but she claims to have no knowledge of the event. Janine confronts Pat, who tells her the truth about what Frank did. Janine is upset that Frank did not tell her, and tells Michael that it must be because she is unlovable, to which he says he loves her. She later responds and they decide to go into business together, opening an all-female fitness club, but Jack tells Janine that Michael has no money. However, their relationship continues.
When Pat needs money to pay of a debt and keep her house, she turns to Janine, who gives her a loan, insisting on Pat using the house as collateral. She later brings the payment deadline forward after Bianca confronts her about putting pressure on, and believes that Pat's health problems are purely an excuse. When Janine starts acting suspiciously, Michael discovers that she has been researching abortion clinics, and confronts her. She says she has an appointment for an abortion as she refuses to believe that he loves her. She later goes to evict Pat, and realises Pat is telling the truth about being ill and asks for her forgiveness. She tells Pats she is pregnant and Pat encourages her to have the baby, saying it could turn her into a better person. She is later persuaded by Michael to have the child; he tells her that he loves her, and will be there for her and the baby forever. Janine is overjoyed and announces to everyone in Pat's house about her pregnancy. When Pat dies, Janine is reduced to tears along with the rest of the household.
The character was first mentioned in September 1987, when her father Frank Butcher (Mike Reid) first appeared on-screen. Frank and his children Ricky (Sid Owen) and Diane (Sophie Lawrence) were introduced as regular characters in 1988. However, Janine did not become a regular character until a year later, in June 1989, her arrival completing the Butcher family.
Janine was initially seen as a 6-year-old, played by Rebecca Michael. In 1993, following a storyline that saw her stepmother Pat (Pam St. Clement) imprisoned for manslaughter, Janine was sent to stay with her off-screen sister Clare, but she returned later that year, played by 11-year-old Alexia Demetriou who reigned as Janine from 14 October 1993 until 12 March 1996, when the character was written out again, as Demetriou left to concentrate on her studies.[3] Executive producer Matthew Robinson re-introduced Janine in 1999 as a 16-year-old played by Charlie Brooks.[4][5]
In 2002, a storyline saw Janine using drugs and prostituting to fund the habit. She was shown about to snort cocaine in a scene that sparked viewer complaints to the BBC. Brooks has said about Janine's behavior: "Sleeping with her pusher is very sad and desperate. But she feels she has to do it to get more drugs. Janine has such low self-esteem that she's deliberately reckless. She thinks, 'Why not take drugs if they make me feel good about myself for a while?' I think she knows she's on a slippery slope but she believes she can get out of it like she's always done before."[6] Brooks left the show in 2004 but returned in 2008. In June 2009 she signed a three-year contract.[7]
In December 2009, the show's executive producer, Diederick Santer teased about upcoming storylines involving Janine and her flatmate Ryan Malloy (Neil McDermott), saying: "There's something really interesting with Ryan and Janine [...]. They're both people who don't know how to love. So will they fall in love? And if they do, can they cope with it? Will they understand the alien feelings coursing through their bodies?"[8] In August 2010, Janine proposes to Ryan. Brooks said that the idea of getting married would be daunting for the character, but added that she believes Janine is genuinely in love with Ryan. She commented: "It's easy to assume that Janine is playing games or using him for sex, but [...] Ryan clearly adores her too, so he may be the man to tame her wild ways."[9] Brooks hinted at possible trouble for the couple if Janine discovers that Ryan fathered a baby with Stacey Branning (Lacey Turner), saying "Janine will be absolutely destroyed when she finds out. She wants Ryan all to herself, and the idea of a baby snatching his attention away would be devastating. All she needs is to be loved."[9] McDermott stated that he believed Ryan was the right man for Janine, and that they could be perfect for each other, saying: "Janine's never loved any of the men she's been with before. She has only ever been in it for the money. Ryan understands her and knows why she does the things she does. They both forgive one another's mistakes very easily, and that's why their partnership works."[10]
In February 2011, Janine's estranged grandmother, Lydia Simmonds, "a lady of class and dignity," was announced. Lydia's backstory states that she loved her daughter June but hated the man she married, Frank, so she grew old alone. Lydia and Janine have been estranged for many years and Janine is shocked to have her grandmother back in her life. Executive Producer Bryan Kirkwood said: "I can't wait to see Janine meet her match."[11]
Janine has been well received by critics although some of her storylines have come under criticism. In 2001, it was reported that education experts blamed delinquent young characters in soap operas, like Janine, for increasing disorder and violence in schools.[12] In 2002, scenes involving the character were the source of viewer complaints, when Janine prostituted herself to pay for cocaine that she was about to snort. Television watchdog Mediawatch UK claimed "the scenes were another example of the gradual erosion of standards of taste and decency".[13] Tory MP Tim Yeo also chastised the scenes saying, "The makers of a programme as popular and influential as EastEnders, particular on a public service channel, have a duty to be responsible in terms of not glamorising drug-taking, especially when a young audience is watching."[13] Liberal Democrat MP Nick Harvey added, "No one can deny these things go on in real life. But showing them before the watershed to an audience appreciably younger than the people it's happening to normalises these things and de-sensitizes people to the shock of it."[13] The BBC defended the storyline, saying, "Although the storyline implied Janine had taken drugs, there were no scenes that actually showed her using them. EastEnders has always tackled difficult issues like drug-taking in a responsible way, mindful of its responsibilities to its younger audience."[6]
Brooks was awarded "Best Bitch" at the Inside Soap Awards in 2001.[14] In March 2009, Brooks won the "Bad Girl" award at the 2009 All About Soap Bubble Awards, which are voted for by the public, for her portrayal of Janine, saying: "I'm thrilled that viewers think I am so good at being bad!"[15] Brooks also won Villain of the Year at the British Soap Awards in 2004 for her portrayal of the same character,[16] and was nominated in the same category in 2011.[17] Brooks won her third Inside Soap Award for Best Bitch in 2009.[18] In February 2011, the love triangle storyline between Janine, Ryan and Stacey was nominated in the "Best Love Triangle" category at the 2011 All About Soap Bubble Awards.[19]
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