YOU LOT, AHT!

14 stars face the axe in brutal EastEnders cull as new boss plans comeback for old favourites


By Nicola Methven, Tv Editor


FOURTEEN EastEnders stars face the axe in a clearout to save the crisis-hit show.

They include veterans Wendy Richard, the show's Pauline Fowler, and Dirty Den star Leslie Grantham - who were both in the first 1985 episode.

New supremo Kathleen Hutchison - already dubbed Hatchetson - wants to bring back old favourites Bianca Butcher (actress Patsy Palmer) and Kathy Mitchell (Gillian Taylforth).

Ms Hutchison, alarmed as viewing figures hit a 6.2million record low this week, is finalising her hitlist before she tells the cast.

One insider revealed yesterday: "No one knows when the axe will fall or on whom.

"But there are a lot of worried faces around here at the moment.

"Everyone's feeling extremely vulnerable and paranoid that they're about to get the chop. The atmosphere's very tense."

Characters expected to get the boot include most of the Ferreiras - brothers Ronny (Ray Panthaki), Adi (Ameet Chana) and Ash (Raji James) and sister Kareena (Pooja Shah). They have failed to win over viewers since joining last year.

Going with them could be their half-brother Tariq Larousi (Nabil Elouahabi) and cab firm boss Sasha Perkins (Jemma Walker).

Also facing the chop are gay Derek Harkinson (Ian Lavender), gangster Andy Hunter (Michael Higgs) and Phil Mitchell's wife Kate (Jill Halfpenny).

Others are thought to be mechanic Rick "Minty" Peterson (Cliff Parisi), cafe boss Jane Collins (Laurie Brett) and Nana Moon (Hilda Braid).

Executive producer Ms Hutchison, who joins from Holby City in a fortnight, has vowed to turn the soap around by Christmas.

The insider added: "She's determined to throw out anything she hates and have her ideas and storylines on screen by then.

"She has a reputation as being very good at getting her way.

"The writers and schedulers are gearing up for a lot more work very soon." Former executive producer Louise Berridge quit this week over the ratings crisis.

But June Brown - chain-smoker Dot Cotton - praised her for introducing characters such as Shane Richie's Alfie Moon and Dirty Den's son Dennis Rickman (Nigel Harman).

June, 77 - on the show since 1985 - said: "I liked Louise very much. She was a nice woman.

"I was very sad to see her leave. It's terribly sad.

The actress, speaking at the launch of London nightclub KOKO, added: "People shouldn't remember the other aspects but the characters and actors she brought in, like Shane Richie and Nigel Harman. People should remember she did a good job."

Hannah Waterman, axed as Laura Beale this year, said she feared for former colleagues facing the chop.

"People's livelihoods are at stake," she said. "These are my friends and I don't want to see their lives ruined."

She added: "Every new executive comes in with different ideas, so I'm sure there will be a cull." But she said earlier axes had not always been "to the benefit of the show".

If Leslie Grantham is dumped it will cap a year of shame for him. He is currently suspended after using his dressing room to indulge in crude cybersex chat and ridiculing fellow stars.

Last night an EastEnders spokeswoman said of the shake-up: "No final decisions have yet been made."

Good! Me & Norm like Emmerdale

Oh dear, mind u I was getting pretty bored of EE lately.

Oh dear

i,m not really into eastenders anyway,so it don,t really bother me

Oh dear Sue's gonna be relieved it isn't Nigel getting the cut!

NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

This can't be possible!!! And just as Pauline was getting interesting (she got a puppy)!!!

I think I remember Pauline. Didnt she have a young son named martin or something and a grown up son aswell?

Yep, she has a son called Martin, had a son called Mark, and has a daughter somewhere in America.

Yeah then its her. She used to clean in the pub too, if I remember