"Angie' Found in Florida!
By Melissa Berry
Western North Carolina EstEnders Fanatics President
Ahhh! The joys of air travel! I woke up the morning of March 13th to fog and drizzle. Naturally, the flight out of PTI was delayed and when we landed, I hit the concourse in Charlotte running---they had already been boarding my connecting flight for ten minutes! But I made it! Chest heaving, I handed my ticket to the attendant----I was going to Miami to meet Anita Dobson!
When I got to Miami-it was 87 gorgeous degrees outside! Thirty minutes later, I was pulling up in front of "the hotel"----right in the middle of South Beach and one block from the Atlantic! Life was good! "the hotel" is a 1939 art deco classic that is owned and has been restored by renowned fashion designer Todd Oldham. Beautiful potted orchids are everywhere and the ambiance has a very eclectic feel.
About 7 pm that evening, Chris Mitchell, the producer of EastEnders Revealed rang me and asked if he could "pop over for a chat". Within minutes, he was there, in a T-shirt, khakis and BAREFOOTED! (so, you see Esta, North Carolina isn't the only place where shoes are optional!) Chris filled me in on the filming that had taken place that day, and told me they had just returned from filming on the beach, where he said; Anita became a bit emotional. (The bits they were filming dealt with "Angie's" life since leaving the Square.) The he told me about the next days schedule and my part in it all. First, Anita was going to be shopping in Bel Habour for a dress for Liza Minnelli's wedding in New York. Then they were going to be filming our Ange "driving around Miami" in a rented Cadillac..... or pretending to be driving, I should say! Then about 5 in the afternoon, myself and a few new EE fanatic friends would be gathered in the hotel restaurant gabbing about EE, and in would walk Anita!
Then came the bad news...........Chris didn't want me to see Anita before the actual filming---he said the "surprise element" wouldn't be there on film if we had met prior. So, we struck a deal... Chris would put in a word for me with Tony Jordan so that I could get on the EE set in August, and I would stay out of sight till the next afternoon!!!!!!!!!
EASTENDERS REVEALED
Jim, Jan and Dayle and I met at 'the hotel' about 3 that afternoon-we sat out on the patio and talked about our favorite programme and got to know each other. I said it then, and I repeat it now...it doesn't matter where I go-----EastEnders Fans are the GREATEST bunch of folks around....so easy to talk to.
About 5, Chris showed up and asked us to "hide" in the outside restaurant of the hotel! The film crew was hot on his heels and Chris asked us some questions and let the four of us work off each other with our replies. This was the segment they would air in the UK. He says that Brits have a hard time believing that EE has such a large following here in the US and that's what they are all interested in hearing about.
Right in the middle of our impromptu chat, who should walk down the steps but Anita herself!!!! I immediately ran over to her and gave her a big WNC EE FANATIC hug! We introduced ourselves, and then I made the comment that the bar was ten feet away from us and that "Angie" should be behind it pouring us a pint! Anita enthusiastically agreed, and asked the hotel staff if they could accommodate us! Within minutes----we were on bar stools and "Ange" was behind the bar making us all "shandy's"! (half beer and half lemonade!) Oh, the stories she told us! For instance "Willie" (Ethels little pug) was infamous for "farting" (Anita's EXACT words!!!!!!) She said that many times they would have to stop shooting a scene because they couldn't breath! She also told us that she chose all of "Angie's" wardrobe and that we would be surprised at how small the EE set actually was.
She told us that all the beer in the Vic was real but the liquor wasn't and how sometimes, the extras in the scenes would be wobbling in the backround from too much ale! She told us that "Roly" was an amazing dog and so well behaved and acted on cue-much better than even some of the cast at times! Other antedotes included the fact that when "Angie" was contemplating the affair with "Tony Carpenter", the producers wanted her to kiss "Tony" in the Vic. Anita said she informed them that "Angie wouldn't **** in her own house!" (she very discreetly whispered this to all of us!) and she would have no part of it!
She said she doesn't watch EastEnders any more due to her busy schedule, but she did mention that had it not been for EE, she doesn't think she would ever have met her husband, Brian May (formerly of the rock group "Queen"). She said that being in Miami and filming this episode of EastEnders Revealed has been the closure that she and viewers alike needed, to finally end the hopes of "Angie" ever returning to Albert Square.
Filming was over..............but was it the end? Not a chance! Anita sat around with us for about two hours! We talked about everything! She told us how nice everyone had been in Florida. She told us she never managed to find that "perfect dress" for Liza's wedding but that if we saw any footage of it, she would be dressed in either red or blue!
She told us that earlier that week, the BBC had surprised her with her own episode of "This Is Your Life" and that so many of the cast (past and present), such as "Sharon", "Den", "Kathy" and "Pat" to name a few had taken part in it. She said "Ethel" was there as well, and is still spritely and full of energy!
Anita is so sweet...and so amazingly easy to talk to! Within minutes, I felt as if I was talking to an old friend! She posed for countless pictures as she looked through my EE autographs and other memorabilia that I had brought along, she signed autographs for us and she was amazed at the things we remembered about the early years of the show. Her favorite memories being those of "Den" giving her the divorce papers on Christmas Eve and the episodes filmed in Venice when "Den" found out she had been lying about being ill.
I told her that I had some "mail" for her-from fans here in the States who wanted her to know how much they enjoyed her work on EastEnders. She wanted to see them immediately! She read through some of them and I saw tears in her eyes as she put them away and told me she would read them on the plane going home. I told her that I had only thought of the idea to collect them the night before I left and that I was sure there would be more when I returned home. She made me promise to send them to her and I most definitely will! I had taken some of our WNC EE club wear with me to give to her. Two t-shirts (Brian had to have one too, after all!), a tote bag and a cap. She
put the cap on and said she would wear it on the plane home! I apologized for having only large sized t-shirts, but told her that I HOPED she would wear it at least ONE night to sleep in. She turned to me and said "I love big t-shirts to sleep in!" I thanked her for being so sweet about it and she said "You don't believe me, do you? Melissa, I WILL wear this to sleep in!"
And you know what???? I believe her!!!!!!!!!!!!
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