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Janine Butcher (previously Evans) is a fictional character from the British soap opera EastEnders, played by Rebecca Michael from 1989-1993, Alexia Demetriou from 1993 to 1996, and from 1999 to 2004 and 2008 onwards by Charlie Brooks. 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]
[edit] Character creation and developmentThe 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. The character was initially seen as a six 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 returned later that year, played by a different actress, Alexia Demetriou. Demetriou played Janine until 1996, when the character was written out again. She returned in 1999 as a 16 year old, played this time by actress Charlie Brooks.[3] 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?"[4] [edit] Storylines[edit] BackstoryJanine's mother, June, died of cancer when Janine was four years old, and she went to live with her sister Clare. Her father Frank moved to Walford with her older siblings Ricky and Diane and married Pat Wicks. Clare moved to Manchester in 1989, leaving Janine with Pat and Frank. [edit] 1989–2005A troublesome child, Janine threw tantrums, ran away, was a bed-wetter, a sleepwalker, a thief, a compulsive liar and self-harmer, and hated Pat. Unable to discipline her, Pat forced Frank to take Janine to family therapy, which eased her behaviour slightly. When Frank had a breakdown and disappeared in 1994, Janine stayed with Pat, but found her father's absence upsetting. She was overjoyed at Frank's return and decided to move to Manchester with him in 1996. However, Frank returned to Walford in 1998, leaving Janine with Clare again. Janine returned in 1999 and found that her father had a new wife, Peggy. She soon set about coming between them as she and Peggy don't like each other. Janine resented her father for abandoning her and continuously tried to antagonise him with her rebellious behaviour. Frank is particularly angry when he found her in bed with Jamie Mitchell. However, Janine only used Jamie to infuriate her father, and after she got bored, humiliated him by spreading rumours about his inadequate prowess in bed. Frank abandoned Janine again in 2000 after the breakdown of his marriage to Peggy. Homeless, Janine was taken in by Terry Raymond, and they started a business together as estate agents. Terry came to see Janine as a surrogate daughter but her constant manipulation tested his patience. Janine used him for money, purposefully dressed like his deceased daughter Tiffany, ruined his relationships with women, tried to seduce him, and began sleeping with Billy Mitchell (until he ran out of money), all of which infuriated Terry. Janine started using cocaine and became addicted, pestering Terry for money to feed her habit. When Terry refused, she resorted to sleeping with her drug dealer, Lee Vickers, in exchange for cocaine; Vickers beat Terry when he tried to warn him off. Upon seeing Janine's lack of remorse, Terry threw her out and left Walford, ignoring her pleas to stay with her. Owing Vickers money for drugs, Janine turned to prostitution under the pseudonym "Blonde Bombshell". One of her clients, Matt, fell in love and proposed to her but attempted suicide when he discovered she is still a prostitute. Ian Beale began to use her services, but she later blackmailed him, threatening to tell his wife Laura unless he gave her money. Depressed, Janine began drinking heavily, and nearly died of alcohol poisoning. She gave up prostitution, but when Laura discovered she had been sleeping with Ian, she threw a pan of boiling milk in Janine's face, which made Janine become agoraphobic — and ate dog food because she was too afraid to go out and buy groceries. She eventually got over this, aided by Billy and her brother Ricky. Janine hoped to rekindle their relationship but was devastated when he confessed he was in love with Little Mo Slater. Her attempts to ruin their blossoming romance fail. Janine got a job working at Barry Evans's car lot. She and Paul Trueman concoct a plan to fleece Barry of his money. She seduced Barry and moved in with him but, unknown to him, she was sleeping with Paul too. Barry eventually proposed to Janine and she accepted, thinking that Barry had a life-threatening heart murmur. They marry on New Year's Eve 2003 in Scotland, but Janine was furious to discover that Barry's illness was a false alarm. Barry forced Janine to take a stroll around the hills and cliffs, but after he showed her a carving that he made on a tree with their initials surrounded by a love heart, Janine cracked, confessing everything. Barry refused to belief that she did not love him, tried to embrace her, but she pushed him away and he fell down a crevice. Barry Evans hit his head on a rock and Janine watched him die. Janine inherited Barry's estate, leaving his son, Jack, with nothing. She had Barry cremated in Scotland, denying his friends and family a chance to pay their respects, making Barry's ex-wife Natalie suspicious. She became close to Paul Trueman, who felt guilty about his role in Barry's demise. Spurred on by Natalie, Paul eventually went to the police implicating Janine. She was arrested but released, due to lack of evidence. She took pleasure in telling Natalie that she had got away with murder, but telling Pat was her downfall. Pat was also good friends with Laura Beale, who had an on-going feud with Janine. Janine further fell out with all the residents in the square when she announced in a packed Vic that it was her who'd reported Laura for benefit fraud and went on to declare that everyone had been against her during her previous troubles and now it was her turn. Laura and Janine argued frequently in public, and Janine was seen fighting Laura just before Laura accidentally died after falling down the stairs. Although Janine was with Pat when Laura died, Pat avenged Barry's murder by refusing to give Janine an alibi. Janine was charged with Laura's murder and remanded in custody in May 2004. Janine stood trial in 2005 and Frank tried to persuade Pat to tell the truth in court, giving Janine an alibi. Pat refused but a conversation with Laura's mother, who was desperate for the truth, forced Pat to tell the court what really happened to Laura. Janine is released but abandoned Frank outside the courtroom. Janine did not appear on screen during the episodes featuring the trial. [edit] 2008—Janine returns for Frank's funeral in April 2008, and is angry to find that he hasn't 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 for his money. They trace Janine to the synagogue where the wedding is taking place and 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, 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, killing her. Although she is cleared of any wrongdoing by the police, Danielle's mother Ronnie Mitchell cannot forgive Janine. In retaliation towards this rejection, Janine plays various spiteful tricks on Ronnie and teams up with Ronnie's ostracised father Archie Mitchell; they make plans to ruin the Mitchell family. Meanwhile, Janine moves in with Ryan Malloy; both enjoy conning their neighbours for money and they begin a casual affair. Janine teams up with Archie Mitchell later in 2009, and together they plot to take The Queen Victoria from Peggy Mitchell, Phil Mitchell and the rest of the Mitchells. With Samantha Mitchell on bail for her part in Den Watts' death, Archie and Janine see the chance to make the Mitchells face financial ruin. With the cost of Sam's bail at £250,000, Archie plots to get Sam to skip bail. Janine befriends Sam, and tries to get her to miss her peliminary hearing in court, but Janine tells Archie she cannot do it to Ricky. Archie later offers Sam a huge sum of money, and persuades her to skip bail once again through various ways. Sam then leaves in a taxi. The Mitchells face financial ruin, playing into Archie and Janine's hands. Janine however wants The Queen Victoria for herself, and plots to take it off Archie should he gain control. When Phil gets a loan from Ian Beale, using The Queen Victoria as insurance, Janine and Archie attempt to convince him to sell the loan to them. Janine asks Ian to dinner but before he arrives, Archie proposes to her to try to stop her from seducing him. Ian arrives early and tells Janine that he has worked out that she is trying to get him to sell Phil's loan to her. Janine says Ian is still in love with his wife Jane Beale, who has walked out on his, and he talks about his problems with her as he gets drunk, eventually falling asleep in Janine's bed. He wakes up the next morning and rushes to leave. Janine later plays Archie a recording of her and Ian having sex and plans to bribe Ian with it. She then accepts Archie's proposal. They kiss as Billy Mitchell hides behind the door and overhears that they are engaged and are planning to take The Queen Victoria. Janine realises that Billy has heard them and tries to stop him going to Peggy and Phil. They convince him to stay on their side by calling his ex-wife Honey Mitchell and convincing her to let Billy have the children until Boxing Day. After Janine manipulates Ian's daughter Lucy Beale into giving Ian Jane's address, she returns home and Janine is able to put her plan of bribing Ian into action, playing him the recording and telling him to sign over the loan or she will give the recording to Jane. Ian realises that Janine and Archie are working together but refuses to sell them the loan for his halfbrother Ben Mitchell's sake, as he would be left homeless. When Archie and Peggy's divorce papers come through, Archie tells Peggy he still loves her and wants her back. Ryan overhears them and tells Janine. Janine then shows off her engagement ring to Peggy, and Peggy does not believe her until she reveals it belonged to Archie's mother and Peggy recognises it. She then confronts Archie, but is annoyed that she fell for his lies again. She signs the divorce papers and the Mitchells celebrate in the pub. Ryan alerts them to the fact that Archie and Janine are downstairs behind the bar, and the Mitchells are angry when he reveals Ian sold them the loan and the pub is now theirs, as the deadline has not been met. The Mitchells vow to fight Archie and Janine but on Christmas Eve, Peggy willingly hands over the keys. On Christmas Day, Janine reminisces about her best Christmas when her father set up a treasure hunt. Archie sets up a similar hunt, sending Janine around the Square. While she is gone, Archie packs her bags. The final envelope is hidden under the bust of Queen Victoria in the pub and contains a one-way ticket to Poland. Archie kicks her out after saying he knows about her plans with Ryan to double-cross him. Janine is left distraught and is seen picking up a knife before Archie is murdered by being hit over the head with the Queen Victoria bust. Janine gets drunk in the car lot when Ryan rushes in with the news that Archie has been killed. Janine looks genuinely shocked and upset and says she had genuine feelings for him. When the police arrive to question her, she cries loudly and says she loved him and was devestated when she heard the news. Ryan sarcasitcly claps and says she should be awarded an oscar for her acting abilities. Janine then goes outside The Vic where she cries very loudly and Roxy Mitchell runs over and the pair brawl while Roxy says Janine is a murderer. She then runs off and says she did not do it. Janine is questioned, and when the police leave, Ryan says she deserves an award for her acting abilities. She cries as Archie's body is taken out and Roxy pushes her over, shouting that Janine is a murderer. [edit] ReceptionIn 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!"[5] Brooks had also previously won Villain of the Year at the British Soap Awards, in 2004, for her portrayal of the same character. [edit] References
[edit] External links
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