The EastEnders star had a string of personal tragedies and eventually lost all of his fortune
He was one of Britain’s most cherished soap actors but despite his fame as one of the most recognisable faces on television, this star lost everything.
Beneath the trademark trilby and mischievous smile of EastEnders ‘ loveable rogue Frank Butcher, Mike Reid’s real life was considerably more chaotic than his on-screen persona.
The comedian-turned-actor climbed from the East End comedy club scene to achieve national fame, yet a series of devastating personal losses and catastrophic financial problems ultimately destroyed him.
When he passed away in 2007, at only 67-years-old, Reid had been stripped of his wealth and, as he himself put it, “everything that mattered.”
Born in Hackney, East London in 1940, Reid came from humble beginnings and left education at an early age.
Prior to his breakthrough in entertainment, he lived a varied life that allegedly involved minor criminal activity and, most notably, associations with East End gangland personalities including the Kray twins.
His initial career saw him working as a stuntman on productions including The Dirty Dozen and the James Bond parody Casino Royale throughout the 1960s, before transitioning into comedy.
His razor-sharp wit and rapid-fire comic timing quickly won over crowds on the stand-up scene.
By the start of the 1970s, he’d become a recognisable face nationwide, appearing on ITV’s The Comedians. During the programme’s peak popularity, it delivered him widespread recognition and established his reputation as a straight-talking entertainer with his unmistakable cockney persona.
In 1987, Reid secured the part that would come to define his entire career – Frank Butcher in EastEnders. Brought in initially as a part-time role, Frank became a regular the following year after buying the Queen Vic from Den Watts.
With his signature trilby hat, flamboyant outfits, and rapid-fire speech, Butcher swiftly emerged as one of the show’s most iconic characters.
Reid’s real-life persona frequently merged with his television counterpart.
He confessed that portraying Frank’s mental breakdown storyline during the mid-1990s proved so draining that he experienced anxiety himself and left the programme for over a year.
Nevertheless, he made several comebacks, with Frank’s stormy relationships with Pat (Pam St Clement) and Peggy ( Barbara Windsor ) ranking amongst the soap’s highest-rated moments.
Outside EastEnders, Reid pursued his acting career, featuring in Guy Ritchie’s Snatch as diamond merchant Doug “The Head” and in numerous lower-budget productions.
He also kept his ties to the cabaret scene, where his background in stand-up comedy remained integral to his performances.
Whilst Reid’s professional life delivered fame and financial security, his personal circumstances were scarred by a series of devastating events. In 1990, his youngest son Mark, who had been struggling with serious mental health problems for years, fatally shot a friend.
He subsequently set fire to himself and died from his wounds. “It is my true and honest belief that Mark had gone to scare his mate by firing at the wall beside him but instead shot him point-blank in the heart,” Reid wrote in his autobiography T’riffic.
“The shooting might have been intentional but the end result wasn’t. I know Mark was clear-headed enough to ring his mum then go back to Ian to try to staunch the blood with towels. It was no good because the poor lad must have been dead before he hit the ground.
“As time went on after Ian’s death, it appeared Mark got it into his head that he’d caused so much suffering to others, he should inflict as much as possible on himself.”
He said: “Mark killed himself in the most horrible way you could imagine.”
Months later, Reid’s granddaughter – Mark’s daughter – tragically died from cot death.
Years earlier, his first child had passed away just five days after birth.
Reid spoke openly about how these devastating losses affected him, acknowledging that the anguish never truly disappears: “People must see me on TV or in cabaret laughing, singing, cracking gags and imagine that time has healed the pain and the scars. If only they knew. My son is locked away inside – not forgotten, just hidden away in what part we keep our private grief. Otherwise I couldn’t function.”
Reid’s finances also collapsed. A disastrous investment in Spain destroyed a substantial portion of his fortune, plunging not only him but also members of his wider family into financial hardship. Despite medical advice, Reid was a heavy smoker throughout most of his life.
In July 2007, whilst living in Marbella, Spain, he tragically passed away at the age of 67 due to a suspected heart attack. This occurred just weeks after he had been given an all-clear following a comprehensive medical examination.
Despite a long-standing career in the entertainment industry, which encompassed prime-time television roles and profitable comedy tours, he sadly passed away in 2007 with minimal funds remaining.
Reid’s funeral was held at Little Easton Parish Church in Essex and saw over 250 attendees, including numerous former EastEnders colleagues such as Pam St Clement, Barbara Windsor, June Brown, and Sid Owen. Fans were also invited to pay their respects, reflecting the public’s affection for him.
