Walford Gazette (v2) #3

Welcome back Walford Warriors!

I’m afraid we have to start with a bit of sad news. Derek Martin, our very own Charlie Slater, has passed away at the age of 92. On a personal note, my history with Derek goes back to his days in the 1970s with Doctor Who, where he appeared in a variety of different roles, from soldier to monster victim, a valued stunt-team member on multiple episodes, who worked with Doctors William Hartnell through to Tom Baker.

Born in 1933, within the sound of Bow Bells, Derek was a proper EastEnder his entire life. Derek Martin lived a remarkably varied and hard‑won life before becoming a familiar face on British television. Raised in Bow, London, he worked an array of tough jobs — professional gambler, motor racer, meat‑market porter, debt collector — and completed national service in the RAF. Those early years shaped the grounded, no‑nonsense presence he later brought to the screen.

Martin entered the entertainment world as a stuntman, appearing on shows such as Doctor Who. A broken collarbone during filming for Elizabeth R in 1971 forced him to rethink his path, prompting a shift into acting. He went on to build a long, steady career across British film and television, including roles in Paul Temple, The Chinese Detective, Minder, The Sweeney, Only Fools and Horses, The Bill, and many more.

His film credits ranged from 1960s thrillers to 1970s sex comedies and later dramas such as Ragtime and Boston Kickout. He gained particular recognition in crime dramas, notably as DI Fred Pyall in Law & Order (1978) and Ronald King in King and Castle (1985–88). He also voiced the second-ever incarnation of DI Jack Frost in a BBC radio adaptation of A Touch of Frost.

But it was his role in EastEnders as Charlie that made the humble actor a household name. As patriarch of the Slater family, Charlie had to keep a tight reign on his girls –  a task that was never simple! His relationship with eldest Kat was particularly memorable, with Derek and Jessie Wallace sharing some of the most poignant scenes in television history as they discussed her being Zoe‘s mother. The show has released the following statement:

He would return to the Square intermittently after his original departure in 2011 and was always welcomed home with open arms. His final appearance as the character took place after his death in 2016, as niece Stacey Slater saw a hallucination of her relative whilst going through a manic episode. He was also briefly seen last year during Halloween’s running of old Slater home footage, also featuring his daughters in their youth. Derek was a man who had no ego, was someone who had time for fans and frequently shared his memories of his roles in both BBC institutions even as late as last November.

All of us at Walford Walk offer his family, friends and colleagues our warmest condolences.