Deano Wicks
Encyclopedia
Dean "Deano" Wicks is a fictional character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...

 from the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

 soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...

 EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...

played by Matt Di Angelo
Matt Di Angelo
Matt Di Angelo in London, England is an English actor and singer.He is mostly known for playing fictional character Deano Wicks in the popular British soap EastEnders, and for his current role of Sean Kennedy in the BBC series Hustle.-Education:He attended Southgate School, and started studying...

. He made his first appearance on 2 January 2006. It was announced on 18 August 2007 that the characters of Deano and his sister Carly
Carly Wicks
Carly Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Kellie Shirley, and by Michaela Stephen in a home movie the Wickses watched on 23 April 2007. She made her first appearance on 17 February 2006. Carly was axed from the serial after Phil Daniels quit. Carly is...

 were being axed by executive producer Diederick Santer
Diederick Santer
Diederick Santer is a British television producer and is best known for his work on the popular BBC television soap opera EastEnders, a post which he assumed on 23 October 2006 and left on 1 March 2010...

. Deano made his final appearance on 7 February 2008.

Storylines

Deano and his elder sister Carly
Carly Wicks
Carly Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Kellie Shirley, and by Michaela Stephen in a home movie the Wickses watched on 23 April 2007. She made her first appearance on 17 February 2006. Carly was axed from the serial after Phil Daniels quit. Carly is...

 were the product of two affairs Shirley Wicks had with unnamed men. At the time, Shirley was married to Kevin Wicks
Kevin Wicks
Kevin Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Phil Daniels. He made his first appearance on 17 February 2006...

, who brought Deano and Carly up as his own children. When Shirley and Kevin's marriage ended, Shirley abandoned her family and lost contact with her children.

Deano arrived in Walford in 2006 and was taken in by Kevin's in-law Pat Evans
Pat Evans
Patricia Louise "Pat" Evans is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. She has been played by Pam St. Clement since 12 June 1986, just over a year after the show first aired...

 after he claimed that his father had died. It was a lie, and Deano was soon joined in Walford by Kevin and his big sister, Carly. Throughout 2006, Deano caused trouble by spiking Stacey Slater's alcohol with drugs and allowing Bradley Branning
Bradley Branning
Bradley Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Charlie Clements. He made his first appearance on screen on 24 January 2006 and last appeared on 22 February 2010. Clements has won multiple awards for his portrayal....

 to take the blame, and later stealing The Queen Victoria
The Queen Victoria
The Queen Victoria is a fictional Victorian public house in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders. It has the fictional address of 46 Albert Square, Walford, London E20.-Appearance and development:...

 (The Vic) public house's bust and driving recklessly, crashing a car — behaviour that was prompted by the anniversary of his brother Jimbo's death, which Deano took badly.

Deano was unwittingly reunited with his mother in the autumn 2006, during a family holiday in Dorset. Despite Kevin's best efforts to stop her, Shirley made herself known to Deano and Carly and eventually revealed that she was their mother. Deano struggled with this and after seeing Shirley behave promiscuously, he began to behave recklessly and crashed a car at high-speed injuring himself, his passenger Chelsea Fox
Chelsea Fox
Chelsea Fox is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Tiana Benjamin. She first appeared on 5 May 2006 and was joined by her mother Denise and her half sister Libby. Benjamin announced her departure from the show in April 2010...

 and a pedestrian, Abi Branning
Abi Branning
Abigail "Abi" Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lorna Fitzgerald. She first appeared in the show on 3 July 2006.- Storylines :...

. Deano was hospitalised and nearly died from his injuries, but began to bond with Shirley during his recovery. Kevin was opposed to this and amidst various arguments, the truth about Deano and Carly's paternity was revealed. Deano was devastated and threatened suicide by almost setting himself on fire, but was stopped before going through with it. Despite initial hostilities, he accepted Kevin as his real father.

Unlucky in love, Deano had a one-night stand with Stacey Slater, and unrequited crushes on Dawn Swann
Dawn Swann
Dawn Roxanna Swann is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Kara Tointon, who first appeared on 26 September 2005...

 and Chelsea Fox. Chelsea used his attraction for her in 2007, coaxing him to get involved in a vendetta against Sean Slater
Sean Slater
Sean Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Robert Kazinsky. Sean left the Square temporarily on 27 March 2007, as Kazinsky was suspended from work for two months. He returned on 28 May 2007...

, who dumped Chelsea for Carly. Deano tried to attack Sean but was overpowered and beaten. Chelsea and Deano swore revenge. They framed Sean for the assault of Patrick Trueman
Patrick Trueman
Patrick Neville Loftus Alfonso Trueman is a fictional character from the popular British BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Rudolph Walker. He made his first appearance on 13 September 2001.-Backstory:...

, stealing CCTV footage that would have exonerated him. Sean was imprisoned, but he got revenge on Deano by having him beaten by a gang of thugs. When Carly found the stolen CCTV footage, she gave it to the police and Sean was released. Deano and Chelsea were arrested for perverting the course of justice. Both were released on bail and Sean assaulted Deano again, flushing his head down the toilet. Afraid of the prospect of spending time in prison, Deano attempted to run away twice before his trial but eventually faced up to his responsibilities and was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment. Deano found prison hard. On visits, his family discovered that he was bullied by the other prisoners and, after getting into trouble, he was denied early parole.

Deano was permitted to attend Kevin's funeral under police supervision in January 2008; he took Kevin's death badly. In February, Shirley was informed that Deano was being released. However, when Deano eventually came home, she discovered he had changed vastly. He behaved in a hostile manner, bringing a prostitute back to Shirley's flat then forcing her to pay for her services. Shirley took Deano for a drink in The Vic, but he was thrown out for headbutting Sean as revenge for the constant taunts that Sean had previously been giving him. Shirley attempted to get through to Deano, explaining that she wanted to rebuild their relationship, but Deano responded in fury. He pinned her up against a wall, ripped off her jewellery, and shouted in her face, showing her his prison injuries. After rejecting his mother, Deano left Walford.

Character creation

In September 2005, an official BBC press report announced the arrival of a new family of characters who would be joining the soap early in 2006. The Wickses were an extension of Brian Wicks's family, a minor character that had appeared briefly in the 1980s as the second husband of the more prominent character Pat Evans
Pat Evans
Patricia Louise "Pat" Evans is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. She has been played by Pam St. Clement since 12 June 1986, just over a year after the show first aired...

 and father of Simon Wicks
Simon Wicks
Simon "Wicksy" Wicks is a fictional character from the British BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Nick Berry between 1985 and 1990. Wicksy was introduced to take on some of the more adult storylines that had been scripted for another character, Mark Fowler; Mark's actor David Scarboro had left...

. The first of the trio of characters to arrive was Deano, played by Matt Di Angelo
Matt Di Angelo
Matt Di Angelo in London, England is an English actor and singer.He is mostly known for playing fictional character Deano Wicks in the popular British soap EastEnders, and for his current role of Sean Kennedy in the BBC series Hustle.-Education:He attended Southgate School, and started studying...

, branded by the press as a "heart-throb". Deano was described as "cocky, charismatic [with] an eye for the ladies and doesn't see anyone as out of his league". Commenting on his casting, Di Angelo said, "I can't wait to join EastEnders to play Deano. He's a combination of a young Alfie Moon
Alfie Moon
Alfred William "Alfie" Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Shane Richie. He made his first appearance on 21 November 2002, and left on 25 December 2005...

 and Del Boy. He rates himself quite highly too so he's going to have lots of fun in the square."

Di Angleo began filimg for the soap at the end of 2005 and was first seen on-screen as Deano in January 2006. The character was quickly joined in the soap's setting of Walford
Walford
Walford is a fictional borough of east London in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. The name Walford is both a street in Dalston where one of the series' creators, Tony Holland, lived and a blend of Walthamstow, where Holland was born, and Stratford. The suffix 'ford' is also found throughout East...

 by his father Kevin Wicks
Kevin Wicks
Kevin Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Phil Daniels. He made his first appearance on 17 February 2006...

 (Phil Daniels
Phil Daniels
Philip W. "Phil" Daniels is an English actor, most noted for film and television roles as "cockneys" such as Jimmy in Quadrophenia, Richards in Scum, Stewart in The Class of Miss MacMichael, Mark in Meantime, Kevin Wicks in EastEnders, DCS Frank Patterson in New Tricks and Edward Kitchener "Ted"...

) and sister Carly Wicks
Carly Wicks
Carly Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Kellie Shirley, and by Michaela Stephen in a home movie the Wickses watched on 23 April 2007. She made her first appearance on 17 February 2006. Carly was axed from the serial after Phil Daniels quit. Carly is...

 (Kellie Shirley
Kellie Shirley
Kellie Shirley is a British actress. She is mostly known the role of Carly Wicks in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders up until 2008...

). Executive producer Kate Harwood
Kate Harwood
Kate Harwood is a British television producer. She is currently the Head of Series and Serials at the BBC.-Early life:Kate graduated from the University of Birmingham with a degree in Drama before becoming an Arts Council Trainee director with Century Theatre and then Literary Manager of the Royal...

 commented, "The Wicks family is going to be a force to be reckoned in Walford". The characters' introduction was branded by the press as an attempt to "spice up the show", following the announced departures of many popular and long-running characters, such as Sharon
Sharon Rickman
Sharon Anne Rickman is a fictional character from the popular BBC1 soap opera EastEnders, played by Letitia Dean, who was a regular cast member for the first 10 years after the programme began on 19 February 1985. She returned in May 2001, and appeared on and off, having most recently appeared in...

 and Dennis Rickman
Dennis Rickman
Dennis Rickman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Nigel Harman. He entered the show on 14 April 2003 and made his last appearance on 30 December 2005, when he was fatally stabbed as the midnight fireworks began. He is part of the Watts family, though his...

 (Letitia Dean
Letitia Dean
Letitia Dean is an English actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Sharon Watts in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders, who was one of the serial's original characters. Dean was part of the original cast in 1985 and remained in the series until 1995...

 and Nigel Harman
Nigel Harman
Nigel Derek Harman is an English actor, most famous for his role as Dennis Rickman in the UK soap opera EastEnders. He has worked extensively in theatre, with the stage being described as his "first love"...

), Chrissie Watts
Chrissie Watts
Christine "Chrissie" Watts is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Tracy-Ann Oberman. She first appeared in April 2004 as the second wife of the show's "most enduring character", Den Watts, becoming a prominent regular for the next 18 months...

 (Tracy-Ann Oberman
Tracy-Ann Oberman
Tracy-Ann Oberman is an English television, theatre and radio actress, known for her role as Chrissie Watts in the BBC soap opera Eastenders...

), Kat
Kat Moon
Kathleen "Kat" Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jessie Wallace. She was also played by Kate Peck in a flashback in 2001. She appeared in the show from September 2000 to November 2004, then returned in May 2005...

 and Alfie Moon (Jessie Wallace
Jessie Wallace
Jessie Wallace is an English actress best known for her portrayal as Kat Moon in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Early life:...

 and Shane Richie
Shane Richie
Shane Richie is an English actor, comedian, singer and media personality, known for his portrayal of the character Alfie Moon in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders.-Early life and career beginnings:...

), Sam Mitchell
Sam Mitchell (EastEnders)
Samantha Margaret Priscilla "Sam" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera EastEnders. The third member of the Mitchell family to be introduced, Sam entered as a 15-year-old school girl in July 1990, played by Danniella Westbrook. Westbrook quit in 1993, but was reintroduced...

 (Kim Medcalf
Kim Medcalf
Kim Louise Medcalf is an English actress and occasional singer.She has made occasional appearances as a singer and is best known for playing the character Sam Mitchell in the long running BBC Soap Opera EastEnders from 2002 to 2005....

), Johnny Allen
Johnny Allen (EastEnders)
Jonathan "Johnny" Allen is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Billy Murray.-Storylines:Johnny Allen was a businessman and retired gangster, who grew up in Walford but moved away to start up an empire of his own which he named J.A. Enterprises...

 (Billy Murray
Billy Murray (actor)
Billy Murray is an English actor, best known for playing Don Beech in The Bill from 1995 to 2004, Johnny Allen in the BBC soap opera EastEnders from 2005 to 2006, Captain John Price in the video games Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare...

) and Little Mo Mitchell
Little Mo Mitchell
Maureen "Little Mo" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Kacey Ainsworth.-Storylines:...

 (Kacey Ainsworth
Kacey Ainsworth
Kacey Ainsworth is an English actress, best known for playing the long-suffering Little Mo in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Life and career:Kacey Ainsworth, is the only soap actress who has won three Soap Actress awards in one single year in 2002...

).

Character development

Following his introduction, the character was involved in few high-profile storylines until September 2006, when his estranged mother Shirley Carter (Linda Henry
Linda Henry
Linda Henry is an English actress, best known for her roles as Yvonne Atkins in the ITV television drama Bad Girls and Shirley Carter in the BBC's soap opera EastEnders.- Early life :...

) was introduced in a special week of off-set episodes, filmed in Weymouth, Dorset. In the storyline, the Wicks family went on holiday and were traced by Shirley, who liaised with her unsuspecting children and, despite Kevin's best efforts, later revealed her true identity. The revelation was shown to have a negative effect on the Wicks family, in particular Deano who was involved in a car accident shortly afterwards and was hospitalised after driving recklessly. The storyline progressed further, when it transpired that Shirley was hiding a secret for Kevin, that he was not the biological father of Deano or Carly. When revealed, Deano was shown to "go off the rails". Commenting on the storyline, Di Angelo has said, "I don’t think you can ever forget about things like that. But at the same time, Kevin’s looked after him since he was a baby so why does that make him not his dad, just because he’s not his biological father? In my view, your father is [the person] who looked after you since you were born." Describing his character's relationship with his mother Shirley in 2007, Di Angelo said, "I think he’s very fond of his mum, he’s a bit of a big kid. He’s not the big tough guy, he’s not aggressive and he’s quite a placid guy. That’s because he does have this longing for a mum that he never had [...] he’d like to get to know her".

Reception

Matt Di Angleo was nominated in the "Sexiest Male" category in 2006 and 2007 at The British Soap Awards, for his role of Deano Wicks. Di Angleo has acknowledged soap fan criticism of his acting and his character in an interview with media website Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....

in 2007. He commented, "I'd love for some people that write on Digital Spy to try and act in front of 9 million people a night, and then listen to their own criticism on Digital Spy [...] Digital Spy people say I can't act, very mean [...].
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