Exclusive Interview:
Wendy's Enjoying Life After Pauline
By Larry Jaffee
No trip to London for me is complete without a visit with Wendy Richard and her partner John Burns at their 'local' (Britspeak for favourite pub).
Tucked away on a corner street, this hideaway bar is located off Edgware Road, a busy section of central London. The pub is far smaller than the Queen Vic.
Awaiting their arrival, I was treated to the jukebox blasting my favourite British hits of the 1980s from the likes of Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Duran Duran and Culture Club.
We hadn't seen each other in three and a half years, and much has happened for both of us since.
Wendy finally left the series in November 2006 after nearly 22 years continuously playing Pauline Fowler. But with the U.S. public TV stations nearly five years behind the U.K. storyline, the character should be with us as long as the show is still on the air. (Don't worry, no spoilers on how Pauline leaves.)
John arrived first at the pub, holding the leash to their new, well-behaved year-and-a-half dog, Lilly.
A tanned Wendy soon after entered the pub, and she explained that they had just returned from holiday in Malta.
She told me she's loving the freedom of not being tied to EastEnders, and has regularly since appeared on various TV programmes.
EastEnders still means a lot to her, and she told me how she declined the BBC's offer for a farewell party, and instead held a "thank you" do in July 2007 at her own expense for the crew who she worked with over the years on the show.
"It felt right since I resigned," explained Wendy. "I left with my head held high. I've never slagged off the show, nor would I. I have too many friends on both sides of the camera."
Among the 120 attendees to her event were the behind-the-scenes workers, including sound, camera operators, props, costume and set designers—all whom are key in mounting a successful series and seldom get invited to industry events, she noted.
A few of her acting colleagues showed up as well, including Todd Carty (Mark), James Alexandrou (Martin) and Natalie Cassidy (Sonia).
She received favourable newspaper reviews the week of my trip for a sitcom, ITV1's sitcom Benidorm, playing a "loud-mouthed, rude" wheelchair-bound character.
The morning after our meeting she appeared as a special guest on the Paul O'Grady talk show.
At one point during the pub visit, Wendy petted Lilly and said, 'You're going to be on telly tomorrow, and sure enough Lilly was on Paul's show.'
John and Wendy also recently appeared on a game show called All Star Mr & Mrs, which can be viewed online at itv.com. (Click on the "catch up," section, choose the show and episode 1.)
She also starred in the pilot of a new series called Here Comes the Queen, produced by David Croft, for whom Richard co-starred as Miss Brahms in Are You Being Served?
Wendy told me with pride about how Cassidy was in rehearsals for a West End-destined play, Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard, in which she will be co-starring with Dame Diana Rigg, and how her now-svelte former EE colleague recently had the best-selling fitness DVD.
Both she and John still watch a lot of American television with their favourites being The Sopranos, Mad Men, King of Queens and The Family Guy.
I also would like to thank Wendy for calling my mother via telephone last December, and offering words of encouragement with breast cancer.
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