Former EastEnders star Peter Dean, best known for his role as Pete Beale, has been pictured with a fan 32 years after his dramatic exit from the BBC soap. The actor, now 85, quit acting entirely after leaving the show in 1993 and has largely stayed out of the public eye.
Dean, who played the market stallholder famous for his catchphrase 'alright treacle', was snapped wearing a cap and smiling with a white beard. The photo was uploaded to social media by a fan, who spotted him visiting old locations for a reunion just weeks before his 86th birthday.
His character Pete Beale was killed off in an off-screen car accident on the same day his grandchildren Lucy and Peter were born. Dean's exit was reportedly due to 'irreconcilable differences' with producers, who told him they could not find storylines for him. He later said on Loose Women: 'The producer called me in and said, "The writers can't find anything for you to do." So I said, "Well get rid of the writers."'
Dean was one of the original cast members when EastEnders launched in 1985. Fans remember his character for drinking from a pewter tankard, which caused confusion as Dean was a practising Buddhist and never drank alcohol on set, only lemonade.
After leaving EastEnders, Dean made few TV appearances, including a role on Channel 5's Harry and Cosh in 2002 and a stint on The Real Marigold Hotel in 2018. He has since retired from the spotlight.
