2011’s biggest soap exits

As one year draws to a close and another opens so full of promise, it's time for our soap expert Jon Horsley to look back and take stock. So, let's check in on the characters we loved and lost in 2011. No, we're not including ‘EastEnders’ Pat Butcher. She's 2012's first departure and will be remembered this time next year. Unless we forget.

Anyway, here are the departures that meant most to us. 

Corrie's Schmeichel

Who played him? Four different dogs – the first three are now dead. Aw.

When did he leave? November

What happened? The British will ignore the death of a much-loved character – but kill a dog and their memory lives on for ever. Poor Schmeichel succumbed to liver cancer and had to be put down.

We'll remember him for: Getting in the bath with Les and Cilla Battersby.


Emmerdale's Jackson

Who played him? Mark Silcock.

When did he leave? June.

What happened? He was paralysed after a train crash. Aaron's numerous attempts to prove that he still had a life to lead were unsuccessful – and so there was a party, he said goodbye to his friends and then Aaron gave him some pills. It was a moving assisted suicide.

We'll remember him for: The sky dive actor Mark Silcock carried out, with the strapping restricting his movement. The emotional scenes afterwards with his mum Hazel (Pauline Quirke) were all filmed after he'd just landed for real and had an impact on everyone.

EastEnders' Ronnie Mitchell

Who played her? Sam Womack.

When did she leave? July.

What happened? A long-winded and needlessly controversial baby-swap storyline saw Ronnie go completely insane, nearly confess about 100 times and then get sentenced to three years inside, but despite the sentence, she seemed to have found peace.

We'll remember her for: Rowing furiously with her abusive father Archie. The intensity of those scenes were definitely her high point on the soap and it was sad that she'll be forever linked with the stretched out baby-swap plot which didn't give her much to do except grimace.


Emmerdale's Eve Jenson

Who played her? Suzanne Shaw.

When did she leave? August.

What happened? She had an affair with Carl King, mainly to annoy Chas Dingle. After a bit of a row, she flew off to live in Mexico with Scarlett.

We'll remember her for: Removing her shirt in the hay with John Barton. The little minx.


Emmerdale's Viv Hope

Who played her? Deena Payne.

When did she leave? February.

What happened? One more thing to complain about to Royal Mail. She burned to death in her sleep when the Post Office exploded. Poor Deena was given a total of zero lines in her last two episodes, which she described as “sad and disappointing”.

We'll remember her for: Losing Bob his job after winning the Lovely Legs contest at Naughty Nylons under her maiden name and refusing to give up the title when his boss found out. Classic old-school ‘Emmerdale’.

Corrie's Graeme Proctor

Who played him? Craig Gazey.

What happened? He left with Xin, the woman he married for her Visa but eventually fell in love with.

We'll remember him for: Dressing up as Liz McDonald for some reason or another. Craig was one of ‘Corrie's male actors who could deal with comedy.


EastEnders's Yusef

Who played him? Ace Bhatti.

When did he leave? Why at Christmas, of course.

What happened? He burned and burned in a thoroughly deserved fire while trying to kill Zainab.

We'll remember him for: After Masood had kidnapped him and failed to beat him up, he turned up pretending that Masood had beaten him up. That was particularly superb but there was a mastery of several types of soap plotting that are rarely put together so believably in one character, so a lot of credit must go to Ace Bhatti. We'll miss him.
 

Corrie's John Stape

Who played him? Graeme Hawley.

When did he leave? November.

What happened? We all know this one, don't we? Fiz on trial for his accidental murders, he comes back (disguised with face fungus) to save her. Kidnaps Rosie, races to the court, car crash and death in hospital.

We'll remember him for: So much: The accidental murder of Joy Fishwick is a personal favourite. Jumping from the hospital roof. Who is going to replace him as Corrie's villain in chief?