Diane Butcher is a fictional character from 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
A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...
''
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 ...
'', played by
Sophie Lawrence
Sophie Lawrence (born 12 June 1972, Ilford, London) is an English actress and singer. She played the role of Diane Butcher in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' as a regular cast member from 1988 to 1991, making subsequent guest appearances in ...
. Diane appeared as a regular character between 1988 and 1991, when Lawrence decided to leave. The character made several brief returns in 1993, 1994, and 1997. In 2008, she returned for her father
Frank Butcher
Frank Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Mike Reid (actor), Mike Reid. Frank makes his first appearance on-screen as a guest character in 1987, but due to a positive viewer reception, he is reintr ...
's (
Mike Reid) funeral, and on 20 June 2012 she returned for her sister
Janine Butcher
Janine Butcher (also Evans, Malloy and Carter) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', introduced in 1989. The character is played by Rebecca Michael, Alexia Demetriou and Charlie Brooks respectively. Brooks initially d ...
's (
Charlie Brooks
Charlene Emma Brooks (born 3 May 1981) is an English actress, best known for her role of Janine Butcher in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Brooks has also performed in British television shows ''The Bill'', ''Wired'' and ''Bleak House'', ...
) wedding, departing on 29 June 2012.
Over the years, Diane develops from a rebellious teenager who runs away from home, to a free-spirited single mother having difficulty looking after her young son. More recently, a more-mature Diane settled in France and, in a departure from a character previously depicted as
heterosexual
Heterosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between people of the opposite sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions ...
, she is stated to be in a long-term relationship with another woman.
Creation and development
Background and casting
''EastEnders'' had been on air for three years before the character of Diane made her first screen appearance in May 1988. At the time, big changes were occurring "behind-the-scenes".
Co-creator
Julia Smith took "a more back-seat role" as Series Producer, which allowed producer
Mike Gibbon
John Michael Gibbon (born 27 January 1942) is an English television producer and director.
He directed and produced the BBC televised soap opera, ''EastEnders''. He began directing the programme in 1985 and began producing the programme in 1988. ...
to take control of the making of the programme.
The arrival of the Butcher family in May 1988 signified an end of an era for the soap, as
Den
Den may refer to:
* Den (room), a small room in a house
* Maternity den, a lair where an animal gives birth
Media and entertainment
* ''Den'' (album), 2012, by Kreidler
* Den (''Battle Angel Alita''), a character in the ''Battle Angel Alita'' ...
and
Angie Watts
Angie Watts is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Anita Dobson from the first episode of the series in 1985 until 1988, when Dobson decided to leave, and the character was written out.
Angie is well known f ...
(
Leslie Grantham
Leslie Michael Grantham (30 April 1947 – 15 June 2018) was an English actor who played "Dirty" Den Watts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. He was a convicted murderer, having served 10 years for the killing of a West Germany, West German ...
and
Anita Dobson
Anita, Lady May (born 29 April 1949), known as Anita Dobson, is an English actress and singer. She is best known for playing Landlord, landlady Angie Watts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from the show's inception in 1985 until 1988. She ac ...
) vacated their positions as landlord and landlady of
The Queen Victoria
''EastEnders'' is a British television soap opera created by 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 programme follows the ...
public house
A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption Licensing laws of the United Kingdom#On-licence, on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the ...
, leaving
Frank (
Mike Reid), and his girlfriend
Pat Wicks (
Pam St. Clement
Pamela Ann Clements (born 11 May 1942), known professionally as Pam St Clement, is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Pat Butcher in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 12 June 1986 until 1 January 2012, with a guest ...
) to take over tenancy.
Ricky (
Sid Owen
Sid Owen (born David John Sutton; 12 January 1972) is a British actor, television presenter and former singer from London, who played Ricky Butcher in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (1988–2000, 2002–2004, 2008–2012, 2022–2023). He a ...
) and Diane, played by
Sophie Lawrence
Sophie Lawrence (born 12 June 1972, Ilford, London) is an English actress and singer. She played the role of Diane Butcher in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' as a regular cast member from 1988 to 1991, making subsequent guest appearances in ...
, Frank's teenage children came with Frank. Lawrence was 15 at the time, and she got the part in ''EastEnders'' straight after leaving stage school. Lawrence has commented, "I always just thought that I would be a dancer and go into a West End musical and that I would be very, very happy. Then I got ''EastEnders'' when I was 15 and it kind of changed my life."
Personality
Diane has been described as "dreamy" and someone who "was always destined for more romantic things than the reality of Walford." "Sensitive and artistic", for a time Diane was portrayed as the least troublesome of the Butcher family, the one who conformed the most, though she began to rebel against her father's heavy-handed paternalism.
''EastEnders'' writer
Sarah Phelps
Sarah Phelps is a British television screenwriter, radio writer, playwright and television producer. She is best known for her work on ''EastEnders'', a number of BBC serial adaptations including Agatha Christie's ''The Witness for the Prosecuti ...
has described the character as sharp, smart with elements of her mother in her. Phelps adds "she had a sharp tongue and a quick mind...you could see her looking at her family and looking at Walford...and thinking 'this ain't for me'." Sophie Lawrence has said, "Diane was a bit of a wild child...she was a bit naughty, she was always in trouble. I think it was something to do with losing her mother at an early age...She ran away
rom home
Rom, or ROM may refer to:
Biomechanics and medicine
* Risk of mortality, a medical classification to estimate the likelihood of death for a patient
* Rupture of membranes, a term used during pregnancy to describe a rupture of the amniotic sac
* R ...
to make a statement. I think it was a 'notice me' kind of thing. It worked."
In the 2008 television documentary ''EastEnders: Ricky and Bianca'', Diane was described as "rather normal" for a member of the Butcher family. Upon her return in 2008, the character had altered and matured. Lawrence has commented, "coming back, she seems quite nice actually, she seem more relaxed. She's so much older I suppose, so she's sort of grown up really. She seems nice and kind and settled with her life."
Teenage runaway
The most notable storyline featuring Diane during her initial stint on the soap concerned the character running away from home in 1990.
In the on-screen events, Diane was shown to be increasingly unhappy towards the latter part of 1989, exacerbated by the sudden departure of her boyfriend
Paul Priestly
Paul Priestly is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Mark Thrippleton, from 20 April 1989 to 1 March 1990.
Paul, a builder, came to London with a building firm he worked for, then decided to go it alone. He ...
(
Mark Thrippleton
Mark Thrippleton (born 13 July 1967) is an English actor. He is from Leeds.
Thrippleton worked as a roofer and tiler before taking up acting in the 1980s.
In 1984 he appeared in '' How We Used to Live'' — a British educational drama tracing ...
). Diane decided to run away from home in January 1990 when it seemed her family had forgotten her 16th birthday—they were actually planning a surprise party for her that she never got to see. Diane's disappearance dominated the programme in the beginning of 1990. Focus was placed upon the effect her departure had on the Butcher family, in particular her father Frank who searched unsuccessfully for his missing daughter.
When the storyline had originally been scripted in 1989, it was left open-ended, meaning that none of the writers or producers of ''EastEnders'' had decided whether Diane would ever be found. However, towards the end of 1989, ''EastEnders'' acquired a new executive producer,
Michael Ferguson, and according to scriptwriter
Colin Brake
Colin Brake (born 1962) is an English television writer and script editor best known for his work for the BBC on programmes such as '' Bugs'' and ''EastEnders,'' or '' Greenborne''. He has also written spin-offs from the BBC series ''Doctor Who ...
, one of his first decisions was that "Diane must be found". The subsequent story of her returning home and adjusting to life back in
Walford
Walford is a fictional borough of East London in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. It is the primary setting for the soap. ''EastEnders'' is filmed at Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, towards the north-west of London. Much of the location wor ...
was developed.
The episodes where Diane returned home aired towards the end of March 1990. They were written by
Tony McHale
Tony McHale (born Anthony John Wright, Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire) is a British actor, screenwriter, writer, television director, director and producer, who is known for starring in ''Coronation Street'' and also known as a "stooge" to J ...
and directed by Mike Barnes. The episodes have been described as "extraordinary" and a "radical departure from the normal ''EastEnders'' form", because they used
flashbacks to tell the story of Diane's three months living on the streets of
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
as a homeless girl.
Simultaneously, they also told the present story of Frank finding Diane, and bringing her back to Walford. Colin Brake has described them as powerful episodes, which "returned ''EastEnders'' to the tradition of gritty realism that had been integral to the early episodes."
In the flashbacks, it was revealed that Diane had lived rough on the streets and joined a gang of runaways, befriending a young girl named
Disa O'Brien (
Jan Graveson
Janice Margaret "Jan" Graveson (born 1965) is an English actress and singer. She is best known for her roles in ''EastEnders'' as Disa O'Brien and ''Benidorm'' as Susie.
Career
Graveson did not attend any acting schools, as her parents could ...
). Diane also became involved with an artist named Matthew Taylor, who took nude photos of her and then constructed a life-size sculpture of her, which later turned up in
Albert Square
Walford is a fictional borough of East London in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. It is the primary setting for the soap. ''EastEnders'' is filmed at Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, towards the north-west of London. Much of the location work i ...
, enraging Frank. This ignited Diane's own interest in art, which was demonstrated later in the year when she painted a
mural
A mural is any piece of Graphic arts, graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage.
Word mural in art
The word ''mural'' ...
on the side of the Butcher household.
Actress Sophie Lawrence did research for the storyline among real homeless people.
Departure
Subsequent storylines featuring Diane included involvement in the plight of pregnant runaway Disa, whom Diane brought back to Walford to bond with her baby—Disa had initially abandoned the baby on Diane's doorstep on Christmas Day 1990.
The bulk of the character's narrative concerned a blossoming romance with one of ''EastEnders original characters,
Mark Fowler
Mark Fowler is a fictional character in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Mark, an original regular character when the series started in February 1985, became a semi-regular after his original actor David Scarboro was written out of the role ...
(
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 ...
), who returned to the serial as a regular character in 1990 after a three-year absence. The relationship was never consummated however, because in January 1991 Mark revealed to Diane that he was
HIV positive
The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause AIDS, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of th ...
—he was the first mainstream soap opera character to be diagnosed. The episode, written by Tony McHale, has been described as the "important" beginning to Mark's HIV storyline, as Mark's secret HIV status was finally revealed to the audience as well as Diane. In the on-screen events, Diane tried to be supportive to Mark and persuaded him to have counselling at the
Terrence Higgins Trust
Terrence Higgins Trust is a British charity that campaigns about and provides services relating to HIV and sexual health. In particular, the charity aims to end the transmission of HIV in the UK; to support and empower people living with HIV, to ...
, though their relationship was never quite the same again; when Mark, prompted by his mother
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 ...
), asked Diane to marry him, she turned him down and left the serial to move to
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
shortly after.
Off-screen Sophie Lawrence had decided to quit the soap to take on new projects, which included an attempt at a music career. She has commented, "I left because I wanted to play something different. In doing that, you have to grow out of the public's perception of you as an ''EastEnders'' character. But I wanted variety of roles. I felt I couldn't just carry on being Diane indefinitely. I wanted to be an actor, not just a personality."
Brief returns
The character has made numerous brief returns to the serial as a guest character. In 1993, she was featured in a special week of episodes, filmed on-location in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, France, where Frank discovered, to his horror, that Diane was pregnant with an unknown foreign man's baby. In June 1994, Diane returned to Walford as part of a storyline involving her father's disappearance. In 1997, another week's worth of episodes set in Paris reunited Ricky and Diane. Shortly after, the character returned to the soap's setting of Walford, but Lawrence reportedly quit weeks after making her comeback. She had since commented on her reasons for quitting so soon: "Going back to ''EastEnders'' was like going back to school and none of your friends are there. I was
riginallythere with people like
Nick Berry
Nicholas Berry (born 16 April 1963) is a retired English actor and pop singer. He is best known for his roles as Simon Wicks in ''EastEnders'' from 1985 to 1990, and as Constable, PC Nick Rowan in ''Heartbeat (British TV series), Heartbeat'' f ...
(
Simon Wicks
Simon "Wicksy" Wicks is a fictional character from the British BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Nick Berry between 1985 and 1990. Wicksy was introduced to take on some of the more adult storylines that had been scripted for another charac ...
) 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 ...
(
Sharon Watts
Sharon Watts (also Mitchell, Rickman and Beale) is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera, ''EastEnders'', played by Letitia Dean. Sharon was one of ''EastEnders'' original characters conceptualised by creators Tony Holland and Jul ...
) and they'd all gone. One of the young actors, who will remain nameless, made me a coffee and started telling me all about what it was like. He had no idea I'd been in the soap before."
In addition, Lawrence was suffering physically as she was still getting over injuries she sustained from a car accident and was forced to remove a neck brace for filming purposes.
On-screen, the character departed to travel with her musician boyfriend, abandoning her young son in her brother's care. Bosses at ''EastEnders'' had reportedly been keen for Lawrence to remain on the show, as they were hoping for an on-screen reunion of the Butcher family; Mike Reid had agreed to reprise his role as Frank, though Diane departed before his reintroduction.
Despite claiming that she would never return to ''EastEnders'' in 1997, Lawrence was upset when she discovered that both Sid Owen and Mike Reid (Ricky and Frank) were leaving ''EastEnders'' in 2000 as, in her opinion, it ruled out any chance of her character returning to the show.
She commented, "It would be great fun to get all the Butcher clan back for a few months. I hear Diane's name mentioned quite a lot on the show — it makes me feel like I've never really left. But all the people I'm connected with are leaving, which makes going back harder and I'm really sorry about that. It would be great to have the Butcher clan come back for Mike's sendoff. But, sadly, I don't think there is the space for me to go back full-time."
In 2002, she was asked if she would ever return to the soap and she responded, "If they asked me, I’d love to go back. Not on a long term contract or anything because I love doing other things but I’d definitely like to go back."
The character reappeared in March 2008. Sophie Lawrence was asked to reprise the role by executive producer
Diederick Santer
Diederick Santer (born 3 July 1969) is a British television producer and is best known for his work on the popular BBC television soap opera ''EastEnders'', a post which he assumed on 23 October 2006 and left on 1 March 2010. He was Chief Execu ...
as part of a storyline that has been dubbed "Frank Week".
Mike Reid died in 2007 and due to the popularity of the character he played, Santer decided that Frank would also be killed off in the serial. A funeral was held for the character as a tribute to both the actor and the "iconic" character he played. Lawrence was one of several actors brought back to the show especially for the storyline. She was joined by
Charlie Brooks
Charlene Emma Brooks (born 3 May 1981) is an English actress, best known for her role of Janine Butcher in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Brooks has also performed in British television shows ''The Bill'', ''Wired'' and ''Bleak House'', ...
, who played her younger sister
Janine and Sid Owen as her brother Ricky.
Commenting to ''
Digital Spy
Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its initial launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television pro ...
'' about her return, Lawrence said: "I've not been in the show for 11 years and it's not like I've ever thought "I'll never go back", you just think that your chance to go back has gone. It never crossed my mind that the occasion would ever arise, so when I got the phone call, it was really odd. There was never any doubt that I'd do it for Mike
eidand it's not something that's really been done — I don't think someone's ever died off-screen and then they've done the funeral on-screen. I think everyone was quite wary because it's quite an odd thing to do to have attended his real funeral and then go back to film it all over again. There was some trepidation about how it was going to work. But as soon as we arrived, it was like 11 years of your life had been wiped out and you'd been there the day before
..I had this really lovely scene with Sid
wen
Wen, wen, or WEN may refer to:
* One of several Chinese surnames:
** Wen (surname 文)
** Wen (surname 溫)
** Wen (surname 闻)
* Wen, alternate spelling for Wynn (Ƿ ƿ), a letter of the Old English alphabet
* Wen, common name for trichilemmal ...
where I said: "Isn't it strange, you imagine you’d come back and everything would be here waiting for us just like it was." Diane's saying everything's moved on, but for me it was the opposite, I'd got back there and everything was the same."
The character was brought back for a period of four episodes. Lawrence has revealed that she thought she would have minimal involvement in the storyline and was surprised at how much dialogue she was given. Each of the returning characters were given their own storyline; in Diane's case, she was in a relationship with a female doctor named Suzanne. Lawrence commented, "I think
ianes quite alright now—she's come back and she's sorted. She knows the score." When asked if she would ever make a full-time return, Lawrence said, "Once you're re-established, you're a character that other characters can go and visit. For example, after Diane's left Walford again, Pat goes to stay with her for a couple of weeks. So there's no reason why I couldn't return for a two-week 'holiday' to see the kids!"
She made another on-screen return on 20 June 2012 and departed on 29 June.
Storylines
1988–1991
Diane arrives in
Albert Square
Walford is a fictional borough of East London in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. It is the primary setting for the soap. ''EastEnders'' is filmed at Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, towards the north-west of London. Much of the location work i ...
in 1988 as the daughter of second-hand car salesman
Frank Butcher
Frank Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Mike Reid (actor), Mike Reid. Frank makes his first appearance on-screen as a guest character in 1987, but due to a positive viewer reception, he is reintr ...
(
Mike Reid) and sister to
Ricky Butcher
Ricky Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Sid Owen. Introduced as a school boy in 1988, Ricky is one of the longest-running male protagonists to feature in ''EastEnders''. Owen originally left the ...
(
Sid Owen
Sid Owen (born David John Sutton; 12 January 1972) is a British actor, television presenter and former singer from London, who played Ricky Butcher in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (1988–2000, 2002–2004, 2008–2012, 2022–2023). He a ...
). Her mother June died in 1987, and when her father marries
Pat Wicks (
Pam St. Clement
Pamela Ann Clements (born 11 May 1942), known professionally as Pam St Clement, is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Pat Butcher in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 12 June 1986 until 1 January 2012, with a guest ...
) and he becomes the landlord of The Queen Victoria
public house
A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption Licensing laws of the United Kingdom#On-licence, on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the ...
, she lives with them there. Later the family move out of the pub to run a
bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast (typically shortened to B&B or BnB) is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast. In addition, a B&B sometimes has the hosts living in the house.
''Bed and breakfast'' is also used to ...
in Albert Square.
She then falls for the Butchers' lodger
Paul Priestly
Paul Priestly is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Mark Thrippleton, from 20 April 1989 to 1 March 1990.
Paul, a builder, came to London with a building firm he worked for, then decided to go it alone. He ...
(
Mark Thrippleton
Mark Thrippleton (born 13 July 1967) is an English actor. He is from Leeds.
Thrippleton worked as a roofer and tiler before taking up acting in the 1980s.
In 1984 he appeared in '' How We Used to Live'' — a British educational drama tracing ...
) in 1989, much to Frank's annoyance. Diane takes the relationship more seriously than Paul, and she is devastated when he finishes with her to begin a fling with hairdresser
Julie Cooper (
Louise Plowright
Louise Plowright (1 June 1956 – 1 March 2016) was an English actress.
Biography
Plowright trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. She first came to prominence playing abrasive hairdresser Julie Cooper in the television soap opera ' ...
). Paul and Julie do not last, and he immediately returns to Diane. Scorned, Diane cannot forgive Julie for taking Paul, and she plays various vengeful tricks on her as payback, such as sabotaging her salon's opening day and sending her a male escort to make her look desperate. Julie responds by flirting with Paul to infuriate Diane further, and their feud culminates in a showdown in The Queen Vic one night, at which Julie humiliates Diane. Paul quickly loses interest in Diane. Ignoring his reticence, Diane convinces herself that Paul is contemplating proposing marriage to her, so she is broken-hearted when he returns to his hometown in
Leeds
Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...
in December 1989; he leaves without saying goodbye.
Feeling misunderstood and unloved after believing that her family have forgotten her 16th birthday, Diane runs away from home in January 1990 and joins the down-and-outs on the streets of London. She is fast looked after by teenager
Disa O'Brien (
Jan Graveson
Janice Margaret "Jan" Graveson (born 1965) is an English actress and singer. She is best known for her roles in ''EastEnders'' as Disa O'Brien and ''Benidorm'' as Susie.
Career
Graveson did not attend any acting schools, as her parents could ...
) who takes her under her wing, showing her how to survive. Disa turns to
prostitution
Prostitution is a type of sex work that involves engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, no ...
for extra money, and Diane poses naked for photographs for a man named
Matthew Taylor (Neil Phillips) who makes a sculpture of her. She eventually returns to Albert Square in March 1990, after her father has been searching for months, but she struggles to adjust to life back in Walford. As a result of her time away, Diane develops an interest in art. When Taylor turns up trying to woo Diane, he deposits a life-size sculpute of her in Albert Square. Livid, Frank destroys the statue and confronts Taylor, further alienating Diane.
Diane develops a friendship with
Mark Fowler
Mark Fowler is a fictional character in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Mark, an original regular character when the series started in February 1985, became a semi-regular after his original actor David Scarboro was written out of the role ...
(
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 ...
) when he returns to his family home in 1990, and enlists his help to find Disa, who is heavily pregnant and living in "
Cardboard City
Cardboard city (Serbian: Картон сити, ''Karton siti'') was an informal settlement that was locally classified as ''unhygienic settlement'' (or slum) in the capital of Serbia. It was located in Belgrade's municipality of Novi Beograd. ...
". Disa refuses their help initially; after she gives birth, she abandons the child on Diane's doorstep on Christmas Day. Diane and Mark care for the baby in secret until they find Disa and persuade her to come home with them. Diane takes care of them and attempts to help Disa bond with her child.
Diane is keen for her relationship with Mark to progress, so his hesitance upsets her. Eventually he confesses that he is
HIV
The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of '' Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the im ...
-positive. She pledges to stick with him although the task is daunting. She acts as a confidante, helping him to face up to his illness and seek counselling and professional help. Diane is unsettled when Mark begins spending time with his HIV+ ex-girlfriend
Gill
A gill () is a respiration organ, respiratory organ that many aquatic ecosystem, aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow r ...
(Susanna Dawson), and when Mark proposes to Diane in June 1991, she gently turns him down. The following month she leaves Walford to go on a fruit-picking holiday in France. She telephones Frank in September to say she will not be returning.
1993–2012
Frank visits Diane in France in 1993. He is horrified to discover she is pregnant and unsure who the father is. After a heated argument Frank storms off, refusing to speak to Diane, but they manage to make peace by the time Frank leaves—Diane drives to the ferry and tearfully waves Frank goodbye. Diane returns for a short stint in 1994 to inform Pat that Frank is alive and well and has left from Walford following a mental breakdown—Frank had visited Diane off-screen in France.
Ricky visits Diane in France in 1997, spending time with her young son
Jacques
Jacques or Jacq are believed to originate from the Middle Ages in the historic northwest Brittany region in France, and have since spread around the world over the centuries. To date, there are over one hundred identified noble families related t ...
. Diane is in a tempestuous relationship with a
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...
ian musician named
Thomas
Thomas may refer to:
People
* List of people with given name Thomas
* Thomas (name)
* Thomas (surname)
* Saint Thomas (disambiguation)
* Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church
* Thomas the A ...
(
Robbie Gee
Robbie Gee (born 24 March 1970) is a British actor, best known for his '' Desmond's'' character Lee Stanley, for appearing in Guy Ritchie's crime caper '' Snatch'', and for his comedy roles in TV series like '' The Real McCoy'' and '' The Crou ...
), and when this abruptly ends, she and son Jacques turn up in Walford, looking for a place to stay. However a short time later, Thomas visits Diane and asks her to go travelling with him on tour in Africa. Diane goes without informing anyone, leaving Jacques with Ricky and his wife
Bianca
Bianca is a feminine given name. It means "white" and is an Italian cognate of Blanche. It is known in the Anglosphere as a character in William Shakespeare's ''The Taming of the Shrew''. It came to greater notice in the 1970s, due to public fi ...
(
Patsy Palmer
Julie Anne Merkell (''née'' Harris; born 26 May 1972), known professionally as Patsy Palmer, is a British actress and DJ. After appearing as Natasha in the children's drama series ''Grange Hill'' (1985–1987), she came to prominence for her p ...
). Pregnant Bianca struggles to care for Jacques, and even considers having an abortion as a result. Jacques is sent to live in Manchester with Diane's sister
Clare Clare may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Clare Range, a mountain range in Victoria Land
Australia
* Clare, South Australia, a town in the Clare Valley
* Clare Valley, South Australia
Canada
* Clare (electoral district), an electoral district
* Cl ...
(Lucy Foxell), until Diane retrieves him to live with her in Paris.
In 2008, Frank dies of
cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...
at Diane's home in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, requesting that his funeral be held in Walford. Diane returns on 31 March 2008 with Ricky, where they convey the news of Frank's death to his former wives Pat and
Peggy Mitchell
Peggy Mitchell (also Butcher) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Peggy was initially played by Jo Warne when she first appeared in the episode broadcast on 30 April 1991, featuring in 10 episodes. Peggy was rein ...
(
Barbara Windsor
Dame Barbara Windsor (born Barbara Ann Deeks; 6 August 193710 December 2020) was an English actress, known for her roles in the Carry On (franchise), ''Carry On'' films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders''. ). The following day, Diane is glad to see her sister
Janine (
Charlie Brooks
Charlene Emma Brooks (born 3 May 1981) is an English actress, best known for her role of Janine Butcher in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Brooks has also performed in British television shows ''The Bill'', ''Wired'' and ''Bleak House'', ...
) back for Frank's funeral. During a conversation with Janine, Diane reveals she has been in a relationship with a woman called Suzanne for three years. At Frank's wake in the Queen Vic, Diane is approached by
Ian Beale
Ian Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Adam Woodyatt. He is one of four remaining original characters, the others being his mother, Kathy Beale ( Gillian Taylforth), his long standing best friend an ...
(
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 ...
) to speak about her experience of running away as a teenager, believing her insight might help him find his own missing daughter,
Lucy Beale
Lucy Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. The character was played by Eva Brittin-Snell, Casey Anne Rothery, Melissa Suffield, and Hetti Bywater. Lucy was introduced in December 1993 as the daughter of Ian ( ...
(
Melissa Suffield
Melissa Holly Suffield (born 24 December 1992) is a
former English actress known for her role in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' as Lucy Beale. She appeared on the show from 2004 to 2010. ). Frank leaves individual gifts to each of his children. Diane receives some of her old school paintings and drawings. Diane helps Ricky, Janine, and Pat scatter Frank's ashes in the flowerbeds of the Square before departing.
Four years later, Diane returns to Walford to attend Janine's wedding to
Michael Moon (
Steve John Shepherd
Stephen John Shepherd (born 1 August 1973) is an English actor. He is known for his portrayals of Jo in the TV drama '' This Life'' and Michael Moon in the soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 2010 to 2013.
Early life and education
Shepherd was ...
). She comforts Janine when Michael is questioned over allegations of fraud before arranging a hen party for her that evening. It is mentioned that Diane is still with Suzanne. She later acts as Janine's maid of honour at her wedding and escorts her to hospital after she goes into premature labour. The day after the birth of her niece
Scarlett, she helps the initially-reluctant Janine produce her first breast milk. Diane stays for a week after Scarlett's birth until Janine tells her and Ricky that they should return to their own lives. Diane agrees and tells Ricky that she cannot leave Jacques on his own. Diane stays for Scarlett's christening at the hospital then returns to France. Following Michael's murder and Janine's arrest, Diane becomes Scarlett's guardian. In 2021, Janine reveals that her and Diane are not on speaking terms.
Reception
In reference to Diane's return to the soap in 2008 for Frank's funeral, Paul English from the ''Daily Record'' accused ''EastEnders'' of using actor Mike Reid's real death as "an opportunity to reintroduce some popular old faces. Boiled down, it's cashing in on the dead - but it's how Frank might have done it himself."
See also
*
List of LGBT characters in television and radio
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Butcher, Diane
EastEnders characters
Fictional artists in soap operas
Fictional nurses in soap operas
Fictional bisexual women
Television characters introduced in 1988
British female characters in soap operas
English female characters in television
Fictional LGBTQ characters in soap operas
Teenage characters in soap operas
Butcher family (EastEnders)