Stan Carter

Name: Stan Carter
First Appeared: 27th January 2014
Last Appeared: 10th April 2015
Played by: Timothy West

Stanley “Stan” Carter, the gruff yet lovable patriarch of the Carter clan, was a true East End legend. Born and bred in Canning Town in 1937, Stan was a man who prided himself on his tough upbringing and his time in the army. He loved to remind everyone that he graduated from the “school of hard knocks,” and boy, did he have the stories to prove it!

Stan’s return to Walford was anything but quiet. When Mick Carter, along with Shirley and Tina, came knocking for financial help, Stan saw an opportunity to reconnect with his estranged family. Of course, he couldn’t resist stirring the pot, forcing Shirley to accept his money and reigniting old tensions. His manipulative streak was legendary, and he knew exactly how to push his children’s buttons to get what he wanted.

Life with Stan was never dull. Who could forget the time he nearly burned down The Queen Vic with his secret smoking habit? Rescued by his great-grandson Lee, who everyone thought was still in Afghanistan, Stan’s antics kept the Carters on their toes. His relationship with Cora Cross added a touch of romance to his later years, and their flirtations were a delightful distraction from the usual drama.

Stan’s battle with prostate cancer brought out a softer side, though he tried to keep it hidden. Babe Smith’s revelation of his illness at Lee’s birthday party was a bombshell, but Stan’s stubbornness shone through as he insisted on dealing with it alone. His final days were a mix of heartache and reconciliation, as he tried to mend fences with his family and even proposed to Cora, much to Babe’s dismay.

In true Stan fashion, his last moments were filled with drama and emotion. Surrounded by his family, he urged Mick and Shirley to make peace, hinting that life’s too short for grudges. Stan’s death left a void in the Carter family, but his legacy of resilience and love for his family lived on. His ashes, fittingly, were scattered at sea, a final nod to the tough, unyielding man who weathered life’s storms with a gruff smile and a heart of gold.