EastEnders’ Pete Beale, played by Peter Dean, was a beloved character in Walford for eight years until his untimely death.

Throughout the BBC soap’s 40-year history, no other fruit and veg seller could tell a Golden Delicious from a Granny Smith like Pete.

The tough Cockney was always embroiled in drama, notably getting tangled up in Simon Wicks’ (Nick Berry) paternity scandal with his first wife, Pat Butcher (Pam St. Clement).

Pete made his debut in the very first episode as Kathy’s (Gillian Taylforth) doting husband and Ian Beale’s (Adam Woodyatt) father, who, like everyone else, loved his dad’s famous catchphrase: “Alright, treacle!”

He is Pauline Fowler’s (Wendy Richard) twin brother, making him Martin Fowler’s (James Bye) uncle, who passed away earlier this year, and Peter Beale’s (Thomas Law) grandfather, named after the legend himself, reports OK!.

From February 1985 until May 1993, Pete was a fixture at the market, but he left Walford and was shockingly killed off-screen in a car crash in December of that same year.

Despite his absence, EastEnders fans still cherish memories of Pete’s quirky habits, such as drinking from a pewter tankard.

This old-fashioned drinkware was reportedly used because Pete was a practising Buddhist and would never drink beer, opting instead for lemonade.

However, relations between Peter Dean and the BBC One programme reportedly deteriorated, and following his public criticism of producers, his contract was terminated due to “irreconcilable differences”.

During an appearance on Loose Women, Peter disclosed that he was summoned by the producer and informed that writers could no longer devise storylines for his character.

He said: “The producer called me in and said, ‘The writers can’t find anything for you to do.’ So I said, ‘Well get rid of the writers. Life’s simple when it’s logical.’ But of course, it was already set. EastEnders is EastEnders. The real East End has changed.”

Prior to his arrival in Walford, Peter Dean, now 86, from Hoxton in East London, secured pivotal roles in television series including Law And Order (1978), Minder (1979), and Coronation Street in 1983.

He also appeared in several films, including Up Pompeii (1971), Sweet William (1980), and The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle (1980).

He subsequently made cameo appearances in Bo’ Selecta and Little Britain, and in 2018, he participated in the BBC series, The Real Marigold Hotel. In 2016, Peter featured in the television series Cradle to the Grave.

Yet he would relish a comeback to the hard-hitting BBC soap as the beloved fruit and vegetable market trader, despite his EastEnders character being deceased.

In 2020, Pete told The Star: “Actors don’t retire, they just carry on until no one wants them or forget who they are.

“I’ve got a van now, so I do a bit of decorating, I do a bit of buying, a bit of selling. They could have Pete back.”

The Aston Management website reveals that Peter remains available for acting work.