EastEnders actress Tracy-Ann Oberman MBE has publicly criticised the BBC soap's writing team, highlighting a significant legal loophole in her character's dramatic storyline. The star, who portrays Chrissie Watts, suggested that with proper legal representation, her character might never have faced imprisonment for the murder of her husband, Dirty Den.
The Infamous Queen Vic Confrontation
During a recent appearance on Good Morning Britain, Oberman detailed the 2005 storyline that saw Chrissie Watts sentenced to life behind bars. The character served nineteen years for killing Dirty Den following a violent confrontation in the Queen Vic pub. The scene involved Den attacking Chrissie, bashing her against a fruit machine before Zoe Slater intervened with a dog-shaped doorstop.
A Case of Self-Defence?
"With a better lawyer, I'd have gotten off with self-defence," Oberman stated bluntly to hosts Kate Garraway and Richard Madeley. She emphasised that Den had attacked her character twice during the altercation, first physically assaulting her and then attempting to kill her after initially appearing dead. "The writers did me dirty," she added, describing the scripted legal advice as "the worst" possible for her character's situation.
The actress explained the complex sequence of events: "I smacked him over the head with Pauline Fowler's doggy door stop. He attacked me, I brought Sharon in, his beloved daughter, and I tried to humiliate him. And then he tried to smash my head against the fruit machine, and then when we thought he was dead, he woke up and tried to kill me again, and then I killed him."
Chrissie Watts' Dramatic Return
Despite initially appearing on EastEnders for just eighteen months, Chrissie Watts has returned multiple times, most recently during the 2024 Christmas period. The latest storyline revealed Chrissie had been involved in torturing Zoe Slater alongside Zoe's secret daughter, Jasmine. However, in a surprising twist, Chrissie recently declared her complete innocence, naming Jasmine as the actual murderer of Anthony Trueman.
Redemption and Resolution
Currently, Chrissie is working with Kat Slater to secure Zoe's release from prison after Zoe falsely confessed to the murder. Oberman described this development as "a nice ending, it's a really happy ending" for her character. "It's dramatic, it's been lovely to go back in, it's been lovely to walk around the Square, act with people," she gushed, noting there are "a few little nice Easter eggs" for long-time viewers.
The original 2005 storyline saw Chrissie, Sam Mitchell, and Zoe Slater all framed for Den's death after they believed they had killed him. When Den revived and attacked Chrissie again, she delivered the fatal blow with the doorstop while Sam secretly watched. The trio then buried Den in the cellar under cement.
Recognition Beyond Walford
Tomorrow, Tracy-Ann Oberman will receive her MBE from King Charles for services to Holocaust education and combating antisemitism, marking significant recognition beyond her acting career. Meanwhile, EastEnders continues to air Monday through Thursday at 7:30 PM on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, maintaining its position as one of Britain's most watched and discussed television dramas.
