Mo Butcher

Name: Mo Butcher
First Appeared: 1st September 1988
Last Appeared: 29th November 1990
Played by: Edna Doré

Mo Butcher made her indomitable presence felt in Albert Square from the moment she moved there in September 1988. Determined to be close to her son Frank and his family, Mo quickly made it clear that she disapproved of Frank’s parenting style, especially towards Ricky and Diane Butcher. Her arrival brought immediate clashes with Frank’s fiancée, Pat Wicks, as Mo didn’t shy away from dredging up Pat’s past and even threatened to halt their impending wedding. During her time in Walford, Mo held various jobs, from working in the kitchen of The Queen Victoria to selling fruit and veg on Arthur Fowler’s stall and helping out at Ali Osman’s café. However, her interfering nature often led to her employment ending in disaster for her exasperated employers.

Fiercely loyal and protective of her family, Mo stood by Frank through his financial struggles, even offering him her late husband life insurance money. She doted on her favourite grandchild, Janine Butcher, and played a crucial role in bringing Janine to live in Walford in 1989. Despite her tough exterior, Mo showed rare moments of support, like when she backed Pat’s decision to put Janine in therapy. Over time, she warmed to Pat, recognizing the genuine love between her and Frank, and organized their wedding in grand East End style, complete with all the traditional trimmings.

Mo’s busybody tendencies meant she didn’t have many friends in Walford, but she did form a close bond with Marge Green, even if she often belittled her. The two participated in the Walford Brownies, where Mo served as Brown Owl until she was sacked for lying about her age. She was also a fierce opponent of the local council’s plans to close the community centre. One memorable moment had her blanching at Grant Mitchell jokingly calling her “Mum.”

In 1990, Mo’s increasing forgetfulness led to a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. After incidents like flooding the B&B and setting the house on fire, Frank realized he couldn’t care for her alone. Mo went to live with his sister Joan in Colchester, where she remained until her death on New Year’s Eve 1992 at the age of 82.