William Charles Treacher (4 June 1930 – 5 November 2022) was an English actor. He was best known for portraying the role of

Arthur Fowler Arthur Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Bill Treacher from 1985 to 1996. Arthur featured in archive footage in 2025 to celebrate the show's 40th anniversary. The father of the Fowler family, ...

in the

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...

soap opera ''

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, the ...

'' from 1985 to 1996, having been the first person to be cast for the show.

Early life

Treacher was born in

Dagenham Dagenham () is a town in East London, England, within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. Dagenham is centred east of Charing Cross. It was historically a rural parish in the Becontree Hundred of Essex, stretching from Hainault Fo ...

, one of eight children (six boys and two girls) of roofer and tiler William Perks Treacher and Minnie (née Chappell). He grew up in Hackney,

Bethnal Green Bethnal Green is an area in London, England, and is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is in east London and part of the East End of London, East End. The area emerged from the small settlement which developed around the common la ...

Mile End Mile End is an area in London, England and is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is in East London and part of the East End of London, East End. It is east of Charing Cross. Situated on the part of the London-to-Colchester road ...

and

Waltham Cross Waltham Cross is a town in the Borough of Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, England, located north of central London. In the south-eastern corner of Hertfordshire, it borders Cheshunt to the north, Waltham Abbey to the east, and Enfield to the sout ...

, and was evacuated to

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. He attended Kings Road JMI School in Waltham Cross and worked as a porter at Waltham Cross station. After his

national service National service is a system of compulsory or voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act ...

in the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

, he worked for four years as a steward with P&O, where he saved enough money to attend drama school.

Career

Theatre

After graduating from the

Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art The Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, formerly the Webber Douglas School of Singing and Dramatic Art, was a drama school, and originally a singing school, in London. It was one of the leading drama schools in Britain, and offered comprehen ...

, he made his West End debut in 1963 with the comedy ''Shout for Life'' at The Vaudeville Theatre. Several successful West End roles followed.

Television

Treacher then moved into television drama, making appearances in a number of classic series of the 1970s including ''

Grange Hill ''Grange Hill'' is a British Children's television series, children's television drama series, originally produced by the BBC and portraying life in a typical Comprehensive school (England and Wales), comprehensive school. The show began its ru ...

'', '' Bless This House'', ''

Minder A minder is the person assigned to guide or escort a visitor, or to provide protection to somebody, or to otherwise assist or take care of something, i.e. a person who " minds". Government-appointed persons to accompany foreign visitors are of ...

'', '' The Professionals'', ''

Dixon of Dock Green ''Dixon of Dock Green'' is a BBC police procedural television series about daily life at a fictional London police station, with the emphasis on petty crime, successfully controlled through common sense and human understanding. It ran from 1955 ...

'', ''

Z-Cars ''Z-Cars'' or ''Z Cars'' (pronounced "zed cars") is a British television police procedural series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police and CID detectives in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Produced by ...

'' and '' The Agatha Christie Hour''. Treacher appeared in bit-part television roles several times during the 1970s, including in the police drama ''

The Sweeney ''The Sweeney'' is a British police drama television series focusing on two members of the Flying Squad, a branch of the Metropolitan Police specialising in tackling armed robbery and violent crime in London. It stars John Thaw as Detective ...

'' episode "Selected Target", as a sailor in the ''

Dad's Army ''Dad's Army'' is a British television British sitcom, sitcom about the United Kingdom's Home Guard (United Kingdom), Home Guard during the World War II, Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft (TV producer), David Crof ...

'' episode " Menace from the Deep" and in 1975 as Arnold in an episode of the comedy series ''Bless This House'' entitled "The Phantom Pools Winner". In 2006, Treacher had a guest-starring role in the ITV police drama ''

The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV from 16 October 1984 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, "Woodentop (The Bill), Woodentop" (part of the ''Storyb ...

''. He also appeared as a security guard in an episode of ''

Casualty Casualty may refer to: *Casualty (person), a person who is killed or rendered unfit for service in a war or natural disaster **Civilian casualty, a non-combatant killed or injured in warfare * The emergency department of a hospital, also known as ...

'' in December 2007.

''EastEnders''

In late 1984, Treacher was the first actor to be cast in the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

soap opera ''

'', appearing in the first episode on 19 February 1985, as

, a role he played for the next eleven years. The co-creators,

Tony Holland Anthony John Holland (18 January 1940 – 28 November 2007) was a British screenwriter and actor. He is best known as the writer and co-creator (with Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith) of the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Early life Holland ...

and Julia Smith, had scripted the character with Treacher in mind. Treacher said in 2015 that he was initially reluctant to sign up for the show as it meant long hours and a sizeable commute from his family home in Suffolk, but that he relented due to the chance of a steady income. He received much critical acclaim for the role, especially for his portrayal of his character's mental decline and subsequent

nervous breakdown A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness, a mental health condition, or a psychiatric disability, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. A mental disorder is ...

. The character also endured a succession of misfortunes, which included two short spells in prison, a persistent struggle with unemployment, his daughter Michelle's (

Susan Tully Susan Tully (born 20 October 1967) is a British retired actress, television producer, and television director from London. Her most prominent television acting roles were those of rebellious teenager Suzanne Ross in ''Grange Hill'' and single m ...

) pregnancy at the age of 16, his son

Mark Mark may refer to: In the Bible * Mark the Evangelist (5–68), traditionally ascribed author of the Gospel of Mark * Gospel of Mark, one of the four canonical gospels and one of the three synoptic gospels Currencies * Mark (currency), a currenc ...

's (

Todd Carty Todd Carty, also known as Todd John Jennings (born Todd Robert Carty; 31 August 1963), is an actor and director who has grown up on television screens in a variety of roles. His stage appearances have ranged from serious drama to pantomime, an ...

) diagnosis with HIV, and a

midlife crisis A midlife crisis is a transition of identity and self-confidence that can occur in middle-aged individuals, typically 45 to 65 years old. The phenomenon is described as a psychological crisis brought about by events that highlight a person's grow ...

where he had an affair with Christine Hewitt ( Elizabeth Power) which almost broke up his marriage to Pauline (

Wendy Richard Wendy Richard (born Wendy Emerton; 20 July 1943 – 26 February 2009) was an English actress, best known for her television roles as Miss Shirley Brahms on the BBC sitcom ''Are You Being Served?'' from 1972 to 1985, and Pauline Fowler on the ...

). By 1995, Treacher had requested to be written out of the series, stating: "By the time I finished, even the sound of the theme music was making me feel ill. I felt depressed." He also stated in a 2003 BBC documentary interviewing past stars of the show that he felt "compelled" to leave with advancing age. He said the stress of a gruelling schedule working long hours on the show was affecting his health and that doctors told him that if he did not leave the job soon and relax, it would kill him.

Films

Treacher appeared in several films, most notably ''

Pop Pirates ''Pop Pirates'' is a 1984 British adventure film from the Children's Film Foundation starring Roger Daltrey Sir Roger Harry Daltrey (born 1 March 1944) is an English singer, musician and actor. He is the co-founder and lead vocalist of the Ro ...

'' (1984), '' The Musketeer'' (2001), '' Tale of the Mummy'' (1998), and ''George and the Dragon'' (2004).

Radio

Treacher was also an accomplished radio actor and appeared in a

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

play of the day, ''Bringing Eddie Home'' by John Peacock, based on a true story of the fight by East End couple Edna and Jack Wallace to get their son's body brought home from Aden, and the ensuing fight for the rights of British service personnel. Treacher played the role of the older Jack Wallace and the play also included other ex ''

'' actors

Tilly Vosburgh Matilda Vosburgh (born 17 December 1960) is a British character actress. Early life Born in the Westminster district of London, England, Vosburgh is the daughter of comedy writer and lyricist Dick Vosburgh and former actress Beryl Vosburgh (n ...

Edna Doré Edna Lillian Doré (''née'' Gorring; 31 May 1921 – 11 April 2014) was a British actress. She was known for her bit-part roles in sitcoms and for playing the character of Mo Butcher in ''EastEnders'' from 1988 to 1990. Career Doré began h ...

and

Joe Absolom Joe Absolom (born 16 December 1978) is an English actor known for his roles as Matthew Rose in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' and Al Large in the ITV comedy drama ''Doc Martin''. Early life Absolom was born in Lewisham, London. A former ...

In 1973, Treacher appeared in a British television commercial for the

Austin Allegro The Austin Allegro is a small family car that was manufactured by the Austin-Morris division of British Leyland (BL) from 1973 until 1982. The same vehicle was built in Italy by Innocenti between 1974 and 1975 and sold as the Innocenti Regent ...

motor car. In 1983, he later appeared in another British television commercial this time for Colgate toothpaste where he played a grocer. In 1984, he was a Beefeater in the Tower of London to

Paul Hogan Paul Hogan (born 8 October 1939) is an Australian actor and comedian. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his performance as ...

's tourist in a British television commercial for

Foster's Lager Foster's Lager is an internationally distributed brand of Australian lager. It is owned by the Japanese brewing group Asahi Group Holdings, and is brewed under licence in a number of countries, including its biggest market, the UK, where t ...

. Also appeared in a Cadbury's commercial.

Personal life, illness and death

Treacher was married to the Australian actress Katherine Kessey; they had two children: Jamie, who is also an actor, and Sophie, a production assistant. They lived in

Suffolk Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...

. In 2015, Treacher told the press that he suffered from

ataxia Ataxia (from Greek α- negative prefix+ -τάξις rder= "lack of order") is a neurological sign consisting of lack of voluntary coordination of muscle movements that can include gait abnormality, speech changes, and abnormalities in e ...

, a degenerative disease that involves poor muscle control, hindering his balance and ability to walk. Treacher said that as a result of this he had fully retired and he sometimes had to rely on a wheelchair for mobility. He also said that he no longer watched ''EastEnders'', calling it "a load of old rubbish these days". Treacher died from

pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

in hospital in Ipswich, Suffolk, on 5 November 2022, aged 92. In a statement announcing his death, his family confirmed that Treacher's health had been deteriorating for some time. His former ''EastEnders'' co-stars

Gillian Taylforth Gillian Taylforth (born 14 August 1955) is an English actress. She is known for her role as Kathy Beale on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', as well as appearing as Jackie Pascoe on ITV's ''Footballers' Wives'' (2002–2006) and Sgt. Nikki W ...

Adam Woodyatt Adam Brinley Woodyatt (born 28 June 1968) is an English actor. He is known for his role as Ian Beale in the BBC One, BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', a role he has portrayed since the show's inception in 1985, making him one of the shows longest ...

and

Letitia Dean Letitia Jane Dean (born 14 November 1967) is an English actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Sharon Watts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. An original cast member from 1985 to 1995, she reprised the role from 2001 to 2006, and ag ...

paid tribute to him.

References

External links

*
Bill Treacher
at the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Treacher, Bill 1930 births 2022 deaths Military personnel from the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Military personnel from the London Borough of Hackney Military personnel from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets 20th-century Royal Air Force personnel Royal Air Force airmen English male soap opera actors Alumni of the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors Deaths from pneumonia in England English male stage actors English male television actors People from Dagenham People from Waltham Cross People from Hackney, London Male actors from London People from Bethnal Green Actors from the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Actors from the London Borough of Hackney Actors from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets Male actors from Hertfordshire Actors from the Borough of Broxbourne