Angie Watts, the enduring character that Anita Dobson played on EastEnders from 1985 to 1988, has said that she no longer watches the programme.
This has nothing to do with the quality of the programme; Anita is only “too busy” at the age of 73. I haven’t seen EastEnders in a very long time, she admitted to the Daily Star. I rarely watch television. I’m too busy and don’t have time for that.
Angie Watts, played by Anita, was wed to Den Watts (Leslie Grantham), and the two were Sharon’s adoptive parents (Letitia Dean). The famously tumultuous marriage of Den and Angie came to a head in the Christmas Day 1986 episode when Den sent Angie divorce papers as a gift. Angie, an alcoholic, had previously tried to prevent Den from leaving by acting as though she had a terminal illness. For the episode, more than 30 million people tuned in.
Anita departed Walford in 1988, and after moving to America, her character died in 2002 from alcohol-related ailments.
Due to her extensive stage and screen work, Anita may not have the time to watch the show anymore, but she still keeps in touch with her old EastEnders colleagues.
At the British Soap Awards last month, she gave Letitia Dean her Outstanding Achievement Award. Anita introduced the recipient of the prize, saying, “I have known this person for a very long time.
She was sixteen when I first met her. She has appeared in nearly 2,000 episodes, had 237 duff duffs, and served as the Queen Vic’s landlord six times. The discovery of her affair with Phil Mitchell, which attracted 23.5 million viewers, was one of the most amazing tales! Good, huh? She is eccentric, humorous, gifted, gorgeous, glamorous, and an idol.
Anita is unquestionably an icon in her own right, and during the same awards show, she demonstrated that she is just as fierce as the role she previously played. Anita responded, “My legs are still here,” to criticisms that the outfit she wore to the ceremony was excessively short for a woman of her years. You have to have the strength to wear what suits you, so I don’t really care what the critics have to say.
“If you’re content and happy, that’s all there is to it.” Someone will always love you and someone else will criticise you for it.
