After suffering a terrible downfall, Leslie Grantham, who played “Dirty” Den Watts, sadly passed away without much money.
EastEnders continues to bathe in the glory of it 40th anniversary celebrations back in February. Viewers were delighted by an epic live episode that saw the harrowing death of Martin Fowler (James Bye), although viewers couldn’t help spotting ‘blunders’ with Sonia and Linda during the special programme. For many months, the soap has also been indulging in a bit of nostalgia, welcoming back several familiar faces from the past, including from David Wicks (Michael French), Tracy-Ann Oberman (Chrissie Watts), Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer), Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) and Linda Carter (Kellie Bright).
However, the most dramatic “return” plotline, which took place in 2003, outweighs these comebacks. Despite the fact that the character was “killed off” in 1988, the decision to resurrect “DiRT” Den Watts made headlines and saw the show’s ratings skyrocket.
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Regrettably, Leslie Grantham, the actor who played Den, thought this would be his last omen. His second season of the show came to an end amid scandal, which caused his career to falter.
In 2004, a newspaper revealed then-57 year old Leslie had been exposing himself online, using a webcam in his EastEnders dressing room. Consequently, Den was written out of the show in early 2005, meeting his end for the second time after his wife Chrissie hit him on the head with an iron doorstop – and this time, there would be no miraculous resurrection.
Following his departure from the limelight, Leslie did snag a part in The Bill, yet post-2005, his professional life was largely made up of panto and theatre gigs. Reports suggest that by 2018, when cancer claimed his life, Leslie was nearly destitute, having spent some of his last years in a friend’s spare room after his long marriage to Jane Laurie ended.
The actor, who was worried his family might be saddled with the cost, organized and paid for a “no frills funeral,” according to reports in the Daily Mail. His three sons and ex-wife Jane, all of whom he had three shares in a business worth less than £23,000, were left with little to inherit because of legal complexities and limited ownership in the business.
A confidant stated that Leslie had been dealing with “absolutely bad money issues for a while, and worrying about it did no good to his health.” Because he was so frail, his death was probably brought on by the stress of his financial situation.
The informant explained in detail Leslie’s funeral arrangements, “He paid for the entire event and gave specific instructions about what he wanted.” He made sure everything was arranged for the typical £4,000 funeral.
On a brighter note, Leslie’s son, Daniel Laurie, is keeping the acting legacy alive with his regular appearance as Reggie Jackson in the BBC series Call The Midwife.
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Source: Mirror
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