Lorraine Wicks
Encyclopedia
Lorraine Wicks is a fictional character
from the BBC
soap opera
EastEnders
, played by Jacqueline Leonard
between 1996 and 1997.
in April 1996 when she came in search of her son, Joe
, who had run away from their home in Bolton
with the hope of reuniting with his estranged father, David Wicks
. Lorraine's marriage to David had been a disaster, ruined by David's numerous infidelities. He had abandoned his wife and two children (Karen and Joe) almost eight years prior to Joe's re-appearance, and he had subsequently played no part in any of their lives. David wasn't exactly thrilled to see his son, whose overt display of emotion left him feeling decidedly uncomfortable. Lorraine was even less happy to be reunited with her ex-husband. She and Joe had been through a turbulent time since his departure. Her daughter Karen had been killed in a car accident and Joe blamed himself for her death because he had swapped seats with her moments before the fatal crash. Upon hearing of Karen's death, David became wracked with guilt about abandoning his children, but it still didn't evoke any parental feelings in him towards his son, and he was relieved when Lorraine managed to persuade Joe to return to Bolton. Joe, however, was not easily put off, and he returned to Walford
in May that year, determined to rebuild a relationship with his father; in order to keep him happy Lorraine moved there with him.
Lorraine got a job as a barmaid in the Queen Vic and it wasn't long before she'd caught the eye of both Grant Mitchell
and his friend Nigel Bates
. Nigel pursued Lorraine, but although she liked him, she was never interested in anything more than friendship. Grant was different, and the two started a relationship, which resulted in him throwing his wife Tiffany
out (who was six months pregnant with his child at the time).
Grant was infatuated with Lorraine and even proposed to her, but Lorraine was forced to put their relationship on the back-burner after her son Joe had a mental breakdown. Joe's behaviour towards his mother became extremely hostile and he also started to develop severe paranoia; even thinking that Grant was the devil and was attempting to poison him. Grant, never the diplomat, decided to counter Joe's accusation by literally trying to shake some sense into him. However, his outburst was witnessed by Lorraine, who promptly finished their relationship.
Joe's mental status only worsened after his father ran out on him for a second time. Lorraine became desperate, but her attempts at getting Joe professional help did nothing to help matters. Joe eventually became so fearful of the outside world that he refused to leave his flat and this culminated in him holding Lorraine hostage one night, dowsing himself in petrol and threatening to kill himself or anyone that came near him. Grant managed to rescue Lorraine, but Joe was sectioned as a result and later diagnosed as suffering from schizophrenia
.
Joe was later released, and with his condition stabilised he began to live a normal life. He made a trip to Bolton and was instrumental in reuniting Lorraine with her ex-boyfriend Peter. Peter had been driving the car at the time of the crash that killed Lorraine's daughter and this had led to their eventual breakup. Upon reconciling with Peter Lorraine decided to go back to Bolton. Her last appearance was in 1997.
(Michael French). She was brought into the serial along with her son Joe Wicks
(Paul Nicholls
). Author Kate Lock has described Lorraine as "relentlessly sensible, fair and nice" but with a "rogue gene" that prompted her to select the wrong kind of men.
As well as a high-profile storyline concentrating on Joe's diagnosis of schizophrenia
, Lorraine's most prominent storyline was a love triange between herself, Grant Mitchell
(Ross Kemp
) and Grant's wife Tiffany
(Martine McCutcheon
). In the storyline, Lorraine discovered that Tiffany was keeping a secret from Grant - that he was potentially not the father of her unborn child. When Tiffany refused to tell Grant the truth, Lorraine did, making way for them to become a legitimate couple, albeit briefly. Leonard commented in December 1996, "Lorraine has had a year on her own and she feels that she probably needs a bit of contact - and Grant's quite macho. It was very interesting from my point of view because Lorraine could be perceived as being bitchy and she's not. She genuinely cares about Tiffany and their marriage and the baby and she wants the whole situation sorted out. But she and Grant do like each other and care about each other and it loses control a bit." Lock has questioned why Lorraine would have fallen for Grant, suggesting that "Perhaps she thought she could change him". Ultimately though the differences between the couple took their toll. As Lock summises, "[Grant] did really make an effort to be restrained, but maintaining this facade was beyond him and, after seeing Grant shake her son so hard that his teeth rattled, Lorraine called the whole thing off."
Leonard decided to leave EastEnders in 1997 to nurse her mother through poor health. She has sinced commented, "my mum was very poorly at the time and I had that to contend with. After a year and a half in the Square, I just thought it was time for me to go. Paul Nicholls, who played Joe, was leaving and it was the natural progression if you like. The schizophrenia storyline was dragging on and there was nowhere else to go with the character. I could have stayed and took the money I suppose, but I just needed the change. I'm glad I took time out." In the serial Lorraine returned to her home town of Bolton with her son Joe and her former partner Peter, making her on-screen exit in November 1997.
When discussing the role in 2000, Leonard said, "They didn't kill us off and the part was left open, but sadly it's too late to go back now. Besides, none of the characters that could link Lorraine back to Albert Square are there any more. I had to go, though. It was a difficult decision but I felt I'd done all I could with the role." However, she did not rule out the possibility of returning, saying, "I think it would be difficult but yes, if the opportunity arose then I would love to go back for a little while. Not forever, just a little while to say hello."
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 Jacqueline Leonard
Jacqueline Leonard
Jacqueline Leonard is an English television, film and theatre actress.Best known for her appearances in long-running British television shows, she played Lorraine Wicks in the London-based soap opera EastEnders, and also appeared in the Glasgow-based soap River City as gangster's wife Lydia...
between 1996 and 1997.
Storylines
Lorraine first arrived in Albert SquareAlbert Square
Albert Square is the fictional location of the BBC soap opera EastEnders. It is ostensibly located in the equally fictional London borough of Walford in London's East End. The square's design was based on the real life Fassett Square in Hackney, and was given the name Albert Square after the real...
in April 1996 when she came in search of her son, Joe
Joe Wicks
Joe Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Paul Nicholls. He appeared on screen between 25 March 1996 and 14 November 1997. EastEnders was praised for the character's portrayal of schizophrenia.-Storylines:...
, who had run away from their home in Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
with the hope of reuniting with his estranged father, David Wicks
David Wicks
David Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Michael French. He originally appeared between 1993 to 1996...
. Lorraine's marriage to David had been a disaster, ruined by David's numerous infidelities. He had abandoned his wife and two children (Karen and Joe) almost eight years prior to Joe's re-appearance, and he had subsequently played no part in any of their lives. David wasn't exactly thrilled to see his son, whose overt display of emotion left him feeling decidedly uncomfortable. Lorraine was even less happy to be reunited with her ex-husband. She and Joe had been through a turbulent time since his departure. Her daughter Karen had been killed in a car accident and Joe blamed himself for her death because he had swapped seats with her moments before the fatal crash. Upon hearing of Karen's death, David became wracked with guilt about abandoning his children, but it still didn't evoke any parental feelings in him towards his son, and he was relieved when Lorraine managed to persuade Joe to return to Bolton. Joe, however, was not easily put off, and he returned to 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...
in May that year, determined to rebuild a relationship with his father; in order to keep him happy Lorraine moved there with him.
Lorraine got a job as a barmaid in the Queen Vic and it wasn't long before she'd caught the eye of both Grant Mitchell
Grant Mitchell (EastEnders)
Grant Anthony Mitchell is a fictional character from the British soap opera EastEnders, played by Ross Kemp. Grant first appeared in 1990, introduced by producer Michael Ferguson to revamp the show. Kemp remained until 1999 when he opted to leave...
and his friend Nigel Bates
Nigel Bates
Nigel Bates is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Paul Bradley from 1992 to 1998. Introduced in 1992 by Leonard Lewis, the character was incorporated gradually and brought back as a regular following a brief stint due to a popular reception. He was depicted as a...
. Nigel pursued Lorraine, but although she liked him, she was never interested in anything more than friendship. Grant was different, and the two started a relationship, which resulted in him throwing his wife Tiffany
Tiffany Mitchell
Tiffany Dawn Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Martine McCutcheon from 1995 until 1998. The character was created by the writer, Tony Jordan...
out (who was six months pregnant with his child at the time).
Grant was infatuated with Lorraine and even proposed to her, but Lorraine was forced to put their relationship on the back-burner after her son Joe had a mental breakdown. Joe's behaviour towards his mother became extremely hostile and he also started to develop severe paranoia; even thinking that Grant was the devil and was attempting to poison him. Grant, never the diplomat, decided to counter Joe's accusation by literally trying to shake some sense into him. However, his outburst was witnessed by Lorraine, who promptly finished their relationship.
Joe's mental status only worsened after his father ran out on him for a second time. Lorraine became desperate, but her attempts at getting Joe professional help did nothing to help matters. Joe eventually became so fearful of the outside world that he refused to leave his flat and this culminated in him holding Lorraine hostage one night, dowsing himself in petrol and threatening to kill himself or anyone that came near him. Grant managed to rescue Lorraine, but Joe was sectioned as a result and later diagnosed as suffering from schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
.
Joe was later released, and with his condition stabilised he began to live a normal life. He made a trip to Bolton and was instrumental in reuniting Lorraine with her ex-boyfriend Peter. Peter had been driving the car at the time of the crash that killed Lorraine's daughter and this had led to their eventual breakup. Upon reconciling with Peter Lorraine decided to go back to Bolton. Her last appearance was in 1997.
Creation and development
Introduced in April 1996, Lorraine was the former wife of the already established character David WicksDavid Wicks
David Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Michael French. He originally appeared between 1993 to 1996...
(Michael French). She was brought into the serial along with her son Joe Wicks
Joe Wicks
Joe Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Paul Nicholls. He appeared on screen between 25 March 1996 and 14 November 1997. EastEnders was praised for the character's portrayal of schizophrenia.-Storylines:...
(Paul Nicholls
Paul Nicholls
Paul Nicholls is an English actor.-Career in TV:Nicholls made his TV debut in 1989, at the age of 10, in Children's Ward. In 1994 he appeared in the BBC children's drama Earthfasts and The Biz, a teenage performing arts drama filmed at Hampton Court...
). Author Kate Lock has described Lorraine as "relentlessly sensible, fair and nice" but with a "rogue gene" that prompted her to select the wrong kind of men.
As well as a high-profile storyline concentrating on Joe's diagnosis of schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
, Lorraine's most prominent storyline was a love triange between herself, Grant Mitchell
Grant Mitchell (EastEnders)
Grant Anthony Mitchell is a fictional character from the British soap opera EastEnders, played by Ross Kemp. Grant first appeared in 1990, introduced by producer Michael Ferguson to revamp the show. Kemp remained until 1999 when he opted to leave...
(Ross Kemp
Ross Kemp
Ross James Kemp is a BAFTA award-winning British actor, author and journalist, who rose to prominence in the role of Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders...
) and Grant's wife Tiffany
Tiffany Mitchell
Tiffany Dawn Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Martine McCutcheon from 1995 until 1998. The character was created by the writer, Tony Jordan...
(Martine McCutcheon
Martine McCutcheon
Martine McCutcheon is an English singer, television personality and Laurence Olivier Award-winning actress. McCutcheon had minor success as one third of the pop group Milan in the early 1990s; however, it was her role as Tiffany Mitchell in BBC's EastEnders that made her a household name in the UK...
). In the storyline, Lorraine discovered that Tiffany was keeping a secret from Grant - that he was potentially not the father of her unborn child. When Tiffany refused to tell Grant the truth, Lorraine did, making way for them to become a legitimate couple, albeit briefly. Leonard commented in December 1996, "Lorraine has had a year on her own and she feels that she probably needs a bit of contact - and Grant's quite macho. It was very interesting from my point of view because Lorraine could be perceived as being bitchy and she's not. She genuinely cares about Tiffany and their marriage and the baby and she wants the whole situation sorted out. But she and Grant do like each other and care about each other and it loses control a bit." Lock has questioned why Lorraine would have fallen for Grant, suggesting that "Perhaps she thought she could change him". Ultimately though the differences between the couple took their toll. As Lock summises, "[Grant] did really make an effort to be restrained, but maintaining this facade was beyond him and, after seeing Grant shake her son so hard that his teeth rattled, Lorraine called the whole thing off."
Leonard decided to leave EastEnders in 1997 to nurse her mother through poor health. She has sinced commented, "my mum was very poorly at the time and I had that to contend with. After a year and a half in the Square, I just thought it was time for me to go. Paul Nicholls, who played Joe, was leaving and it was the natural progression if you like. The schizophrenia storyline was dragging on and there was nowhere else to go with the character. I could have stayed and took the money I suppose, but I just needed the change. I'm glad I took time out." In the serial Lorraine returned to her home town of Bolton with her son Joe and her former partner Peter, making her on-screen exit in November 1997.
When discussing the role in 2000, Leonard said, "They didn't kill us off and the part was left open, but sadly it's too late to go back now. Besides, none of the characters that could link Lorraine back to Albert Square are there any more. I had to go, though. It was a difficult decision but I felt I'd done all I could with the role." However, she did not rule out the possibility of returning, saying, "I think it would be difficult but yes, if the opportunity arose then I would love to go back for a little while. Not forever, just a little while to say hello."