Pam St. Clement
Encyclopedia
Pamela Ann Clement known by the stage name Pam St. Clement, is an English
actress
. She has played Pat Evans
in the BBC
soap opera EastEnders
since 1986, and is now one of the programme's longest-serving cast members. St. Clement announced her intention to leave EastEnders on 8 July 2011 and will depart before the end of the year. She started her acting career in 1972, where she worked extensively on stage.
when her father remarried. Clement subsequently grew up in various different foster homes until she was taken in by a family who owned a farm
in Devon
. She has commented: "I was very fortunate in the end. I was always being farmed off to holiday homes, then when I was just pre-teens I went down to Devon to some people who were very good at taking on youngsters, and what originated as a business arrangement became my home." Clement's father rose to become the managing director of a toy manufacturers in London and married five times in total over the course of his life.
Clement was sent to boarding school
on the South Downs
, where she was—by her own admission—"very naughty". She was active in the drama society at her school, but she originally had aspirations to become a vet
, however this career proved unobtainable because she didn't pass Latin
at school. Instead she decided to become a teacher
and enrolled at the Rolle Teacher Training College
in Exmouth
(now part of the University of Plymouth
). She worked in the teaching profession until her desire to act prompted her to attend drama school, the Rose Bruford College
, and she eventually took up acting professionally. Her stage name was inspired by a street name in Islington
- St Clement Street - where her parents resided at the time of their marriage. In July 2008, the University of Plymouth presented her with an honorary
doctorate in education
for her services to teaching. Commenting on her former job, she said she had not been a good teacher, so her career change was not a loss to the profession.
(1972); Follyfoot
(1972) and Doomwatch
(1972). Her first big break came in 1976, when she was cast in an episode of TV prison drama, Within These Walls
.
Subsequent television credits have included: Van der Valk (1977); Emmerdale
(1980) as Mrs. Anne Eckersley; Thomas & Sarah
(1980); Enemy at the Door
(1978; 1980); Play For Today
(1980); Minder
(1980); Shoestring (1980); Dangerous Davies
(1981); Angels
(1981); as Frau Bodelschwingh in Private Schulz
(1981); The Chinese Detective
(1982);The Tripods (1984) and Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense
(1986). She has also appeared in films, which has included roles in: The Bunker
(1981); Scrubbers
(1983); Hitler's SS: Portrait in Evil
(1985) and Biggles: Adventures in Time
(1986).
, the troublesome former prostitute and ex-wife of Pete Beale
(Peter Dean), in BBC's EastEnders
. She has played the character continuously since her first appearance on 12 June 1986—over a year after the show began.
Clement's character was originally brought in on a trial basis for a period of three episodes. However the series' executive-producer, Julia Smith
, decided to make the character long term. Clement initially had reservations about committing to the role, commenting: "I couldn't envisage how this character, who creates absolute havoc everywhere she goes and is not at home with herself or with anybody else in the Square, could possibly fit in". However she was persuaded to continue by Smith, who said: "'We've only seen one layer of the onion skin—the defensiveness—now we'll start to peel away more and get to the vulnerability that lies behind it'."
Pat has gone on to become one of the soap's longest running characters. She has been featured in a multitude of high profile storylines, which has included four marriages—most notably to Frank Butcher
(played by Mike Reid
)—numerous affairs, feuds and a spell in prison for drink-driving (which led to a pedestrian dying). Clement has commented that her long run in the show has surprised even her "You are talking to a person who wouldn't sign a West End contract if it was longer than a year...It's madness...I have stuck with it so long because I am always looking to see where they take the character next". In 2006 Clement signed a £200,000 deal keeping her with EastEnders until at least 2008. She is currently the second longest serving cast member at EastEnders behind Adam Woodyatt
and also the longest serving female cast member, having played Pat without break for her time on the show; June Brown took a 4 year break in the 90s, making Dot Branning the third longest running character. Clement is still one of EastEnders' longest serving actresses not to win a Lifetime Achievement Award at The British Soap Awards, even though her co-stars Wendy Richard, June Brown and Barbara Windsor have won. In June 2008, on her 22nd anniversary on EastEnders, Clement said she was excited about the next 22 years on the programme.
In July 2011, it was announced that St Clement was leaving EastEnders. Of her departure St Clement said "Some men are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them, revenge is a dish best served cold." She filmed her final scenes in November 2011.
's 80th birthday. She has also made personal appearances on various television programmes including Grumpy Old Women
(2005; 2006) and the wildlife programme, Country File (2000). She was also the subject of This Is Your Life
in 1995.
. She supports several charities, which includes the Global Wildlife Fund. She is also the Vice President of her local RSPCA
and works with them to promote their "Home For Life" campaign. She has commented "It's a very important campaign to encourage people to mention their pets in their will so that if they die before the animal, the RSPCA have the legal authority to re-home the pet. Without it, pets can end up abandoned or in unsuitable homes. People assume their animals will die first, but you can never be certain. It doesn't cost anything to do and I think it is so important."
She is a dog
lover and has spent time with PDSA supporters at Crufts
, attending PDSA fundraising events and supporting the annual London Animal Day. In 2007 she lent her support to Hearing Dogs for Deaf People and the Pets as Therapy campaign. In February 2007, Clement—who is a keen horse
-rider—became the patron of Veteran Horse Welfare.
Pam has also voiced her support for tigers and the work of NGO the Environmental Investigation Agency
(EIA).
against Section 28
and for lowering the age of consent
for homosexuals
. Clement is known to be an intensely private person who seldom speaks about her personal life, and it has been suggested that this is due to the way the press hounded her when it was revealed she was in a relationship with a woman. During the 1960s Clement was married to a man named Andrew Gordon, but they divorced in 1976.
In 1997, St. Clement discovered that she had a brother Reginald (born 1934) from her father's first marriage. Clement maintained that she had been in touch with her father, who died in 1993, aged 84. In spite of this, he had never mentioned having any other children. Her brother had barely known their father and had not seen him since he was a toddler.
St. Clement has been the focus of much media criticism regarding her weight over the years, which earned her character the nickname "Fat Pat". In 1998 she lost several stone from dieting, which led the media to speculate that she had become ill. She later commented: "I have since decided I wasn't made to be slim. When I was thinner the paparazzi got some pictures where I looked ill. I had to come out and speak about it."
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
actress
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
. She has played 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...
in 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 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...
since 1986, and is now one of the programme's longest-serving cast members. St. Clement announced her intention to leave EastEnders on 8 July 2011 and will depart before the end of the year. She started her acting career in 1972, where she worked extensively on stage.
Early life
Clement's parents, Ann Tribe and Reginald Clement, married in 1940. Shortly after Clement's birth in 1942, her mother died and she was put into foster careFoster care
Foster care is the term used for a system in which a minor who has been made a ward is placed in the private home of a state certified caregiver referred to as a "foster parent"....
when her father remarried. Clement subsequently grew up in various different foster homes until she was taken in by a family who owned a farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
. She has commented: "I was very fortunate in the end. I was always being farmed off to holiday homes, then when I was just pre-teens I went down to Devon to some people who were very good at taking on youngsters, and what originated as a business arrangement became my home." Clement's father rose to become the managing director of a toy manufacturers in London and married five times in total over the course of his life.
Clement was sent to boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
on the South Downs
South Downs
The South Downs is a range of chalk hills that extends for about across the south-eastern coastal counties of England from the Itchen Valley of Hampshire in the west to Beachy Head, near Eastbourne, East Sussex, in the east. It is bounded on its northern side by a steep escarpment, from whose...
, where she was—by her own admission—"very naughty". She was active in the drama society at her school, but she originally had aspirations to become a vet
Vet
Vet may refer to:* Vet or veterinarian, a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals* Veteran, a person with long experience in a particular area, most often in military service during wartime...
, however this career proved unobtainable because she didn't pass Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
at school. Instead she decided to become a teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
and enrolled at the Rolle Teacher Training College
Baron Rolle
Baron Rolle was a title that was created twice in the Peerage of Great Britain for members of the Rolle family. This family were established at Stevenstone in Devon in the 15th century. In the 17th century they acquired an additional extensive estate at Bicton when Sir Henry Rolle married the...
in Exmouth
Exmouth
Exmouth is a town in Devon. It may also refer to:Places*Exmouth Peninsula in Southern Chile*Exmouth, Western AustraliaPeople*Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth , a British naval officerShips...
(now part of the University of Plymouth
University of Plymouth
Plymouth University is the largest university in the South West of England, with over 30,000 students and is 9th largest in the United Kingdom by total number of students . It has almost 3,000 staff...
). She worked in the teaching profession until her desire to act prompted her to attend drama school, the Rose Bruford College
Rose Bruford College
Rose Bruford College of Theatre & Performance is a British drama school, offering university-level and professional vocational training for theatre and performance and the BA and MA degrees, based in Sidcup, Southeast London.-History:Founded in 1950, Rose Bruford "pioneered the first acting degree...
, and she eventually took up acting professionally. Her stage name was inspired by a street name in Islington
Islington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
- St Clement Street - where her parents resided at the time of their marriage. In July 2008, the University of Plymouth presented her with an honorary
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
doctorate in education
Doctor of Education
The Doctor of Education or Doctor in Education degree , in Latin, Doctor Educationis, is a research-oriented professional doctorate that prepares the student for academic, administrative, clinical, or research positions in educational, civil, and private organizations.-Differences between an Ed.D...
for her services to teaching. Commenting on her former job, she said she had not been a good teacher, so her career change was not a loss to the profession.
Early career
Clement has worked extensively on the stage, in films and on television. Her acting career began in the 1970s, when she joined a small theatre company and she went on to have minor roles in programmes such as The Onedin LineThe Onedin Line
The Onedin Line is a BBC television drama series which ran from 1971 to 1980. The series was created by Cyril Abraham.The series is set in Liverpool from 1860 to 1886 and deals with the rise of a shipping line, the Onedin Line, named after its owner James Onedin...
(1972); Follyfoot
Follyfoot
Follyfoot was a children's television series co-produced by the majority-partner British television company Yorkshire Television and the independent West German company TV Munich...
(1972) and Doomwatch
Doomwatch
Doomwatch is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC, which ran on BBC One between 1970 and 1972. The series was set in the then present-day, and dealt with a scientific government agency led by Doctor Spencer Quist , responsible for investigating and combating various...
(1972). Her first big break came in 1976, when she was cast in an episode of TV prison drama, Within These Walls
Within These Walls
Within These Walls is a British television drama programme made by London Weekend Television for ITV and shown between 1974 and 1978. It portrayed life in HMP Stone Park, a fictional women's prison...
.
Subsequent television credits have included: Van der Valk (1977); Emmerdale
Emmerdale
Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...
(1980) as Mrs. Anne Eckersley; Thomas & Sarah
Thomas & Sarah
Thomas & Sarah is a British drama series that aired on ITV in 1979. The only spin-off from the BAFTA Award-winning series Upstairs, Downstairs, it stars John Alderton and Pauline Collins reprising their Upstairs, Downstairs roles.-Background:...
(1980); Enemy at the Door
Enemy at the Door
Enemy At The Door is a British television drama series made by London Weekend Television for ITV. The series was shown between 1978 and 1980 and dealt with the German occupation of Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands, during the Second World War...
(1978; 1980); Play For Today
Play for Today
Play for Today is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage plays and novels, were transmitted...
(1980); Minder
Minder (TV series)
Minder is a British comedy-drama about the London criminal underworld. Initially produced by Verity Lambert, it was made by Euston Films, a subsidiary of Thames Television and shown on ITV...
(1980); Shoestring (1980); Dangerous Davies
Dangerous Davies
Detective Constable "Dangerous" Davies is the central character in a series of comic novels by Leslie Thomas and a TV series, The Last Detective made for ITV. The first novel in the series was also made into a film for television in 1981.- Profile :...
(1981); Angels
Angels (TV series)
Angels was originally a British television seasonal drama series dealing with the subject of student nurses and was broadcast by the BBC between 1975 and 1978. The show's format then switched to a twice weekly soap opera format from 1979 to 1983. The show's title derived from the name of the...
(1981); as Frau Bodelschwingh in Private Schulz
Private Schulz (TV series)
Private Schulz was a BBC television comedy drama mini-series starring Michael Elphick in the title role and Ian Richardson playing various parts...
(1981); The Chinese Detective
The Chinese Detective
The Chinese Detective is a British television series, transmitted by the BBC between 1981 and 1982 and created by Ian Kennedy Martin, who had previously devised The Sweeney and Juliet Bravo....
(1982);The Tripods (1984) and Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense
Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense
Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense was a short-lived anthology television series from Hammer Studios similar to the format now used by Masters of Horror in which several directors under contract to Hammer produced thirteen 69-73 min films for television. It is known in the United States as Fox...
(1986). She has also appeared in films, which has included roles in: The Bunker
The Bunker (1981 film)
The Bunker is a 1981 CBS television film, Time/Life production based on the book The Bunker. The movie makes significant deviations from James O'Donnell's book--published in 1978. The deviations are mainly due to an effort to clarify the events, and allowing the actors license to interpret some of...
(1981); Scrubbers
Scrubbers
Scrubbers is a 1983 British drama film directed by Mai Zetterling and starring Amanda York and Chrissie Cotterill. It was shot primarily in Virginia Water, Surrey, England. It was inspired by the success of the 1979 film Scum.-Plot:...
(1983); Hitler's SS: Portrait in Evil
Hitler's SS: Portrait in Evil
Hitler's SS: Portrait in Evil is a 1985 TV film about two German brothers, Helmut and Karl Hoffmann, and the paths they take during the Nazi era of Germany...
(1985) and Biggles: Adventures in Time
Biggles: Adventures in Time
Biggles: Adventures in Time is a 1986 adventure film based on the character of Biggles from the series of novels written by Captain W.E. Johns...
(1986).
EastEnders
In 1986 Clement was cast in her most notable role to date—Pat WicksPat 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...
, the troublesome former prostitute and ex-wife of Pete Beale
Pete Beale
Peter "Pete" Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Peter Dean. He made his first appearance in the programme's first episode, on 19 February 1985. The character was created by Tony Holland, one of the creators of EasEnders; he was based on a member of...
(Peter Dean), in BBC's 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...
. She has played the character continuously since her first appearance on 12 June 1986—over a year after the show began.
Clement's character was originally brought in on a trial basis for a period of three episodes. However the series' executive-producer, Julia Smith
Julia Smith
Julia Smith was an English television director and producer.- Early career :London-born Smith became involved in television production when she directed the series Suspense in 1962...
, decided to make the character long term. Clement initially had reservations about committing to the role, commenting: "I couldn't envisage how this character, who creates absolute havoc everywhere she goes and is not at home with herself or with anybody else in the Square, could possibly fit in". However she was persuaded to continue by Smith, who said: "'We've only seen one layer of the onion skin—the defensiveness—now we'll start to peel away more and get to the vulnerability that lies behind it'."
Pat has gone on to become one of the soap's longest running characters. She has been featured in a multitude of high profile storylines, which has included four marriages—most notably to Frank Butcher
Frank Butcher
Francis Aloysius "Frank" Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by the late Mike Reid. Frank made his first appearance on-screen as a guest character in 1987 but, due to a positive viewer reception, he was reintroduced in 1988 as a regular. Reid took a long...
(played by Mike Reid
Mike Reid (entertainer)
Michael Reid was an English comedian, actor, author and occasional television presenter from Hackney in east London, who is best remembered for playing the role of Frank Butcher in EastEnders and hosting the popular children's TV show Runaround...
)—numerous affairs, feuds and a spell in prison for drink-driving (which led to a pedestrian dying). Clement has commented that her long run in the show has surprised even her "You are talking to a person who wouldn't sign a West End contract if it was longer than a year...It's madness...I have stuck with it so long because I am always looking to see where they take the character next". In 2006 Clement signed a £200,000 deal keeping her with EastEnders until at least 2008. She is currently the second longest serving cast member at EastEnders behind Adam Woodyatt
Adam Woodyatt
Adam Brinley Woodyatt is an English actor and media personality, best known for his role as Ian Beale in the long-running BBC soap opera EastEnders...
and also the longest serving female cast member, having played Pat without break for her time on the show; June Brown took a 4 year break in the 90s, making Dot Branning the third longest running character. Clement is still one of EastEnders' longest serving actresses not to win a Lifetime Achievement Award at The British Soap Awards, even though her co-stars Wendy Richard, June Brown and Barbara Windsor have won. In June 2008, on her 22nd anniversary on EastEnders, Clement said she was excited about the next 22 years on the programme.
In July 2011, it was announced that St Clement was leaving EastEnders. Of her departure St Clement said "Some men are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them, revenge is a dish best served cold." She filmed her final scenes in November 2011.
Other work
In 2006, St Clement appeared as Aunt Sponge in The Queen's Handbag at the Children's Party At The Palace—an all-star event to celebrate the QueenElizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
's 80th birthday. She has also made personal appearances on various television programmes including Grumpy Old Women
Grumpy Old Women
For the live show, see Grumpy Old Women LiveGrumpy Old Women is a British television series, continuing in the same vein as its predecessor, Grumpy Old Men. Both programmes are shown on BBC Two. The first two series were narrated by Alison Steadman, and the third by Judith Holder...
(2005; 2006) and the wildlife programme, Country File (2000). She was also the subject of This Is Your Life
This Is Your Life (UK TV series)
This Is Your Life is a British biographical television documentary, based on the 1952 American show of the same name. It was hosted by Eamonn Andrews from 1955 until 1964, and then from 1969 until his death in 1987 aged 64...
in 1995.
Charity work
Clement is a big animal lover and a keen conservationistConservation movement
The conservation movement, also known as nature conservation, is a political, environmental and a social movement that seeks to protect natural resources including animal, fungus and plant species as well as their habitat for the future....
. She supports several charities, which includes the Global Wildlife Fund. She is also the Vice President of her local RSPCA
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a charity in England and Wales that promotes animal welfare. In 2009 the RSPCA investigated 141,280 cruelty complaints and collected and rescued 135,293 animals...
and works with them to promote their "Home For Life" campaign. She has commented "It's a very important campaign to encourage people to mention their pets in their will so that if they die before the animal, the RSPCA have the legal authority to re-home the pet. Without it, pets can end up abandoned or in unsuitable homes. People assume their animals will die first, but you can never be certain. It doesn't cost anything to do and I think it is so important."
She is a dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
lover and has spent time with PDSA supporters at Crufts
Crufts
Crufts is an annual international Championship conformation show for dogs organised and hosted by the Kennel Club, currently held every March at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England. It is the largest annual dog show in the world, as declared by Guinness World Records, and lasts...
, attending PDSA fundraising events and supporting the annual London Animal Day. In 2007 she lent her support to Hearing Dogs for Deaf People and the Pets as Therapy campaign. In February 2007, Clement—who is a keen horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
-rider—became the patron of Veteran Horse Welfare.
Pam has also voiced her support for tigers and the work of NGO the Environmental Investigation Agency
Environmental Investigation Agency
The Environmental Investigation Agency is an NGO founded in 1984 by Dave Currey, Jennifer Lonsdale and Allan Thornton, three environmental activists in the United Kingdom. Its stated goal is to investigate and expose crimes against wildlife and the environment...
(EIA).
Personal life
Clement has described herself as bisexual and she is a supporter of gay rights—campaigning with StonewallStonewall (UK)
Stonewall is a lesbian, gay and bisexual rights charity in the United Kingdom named after the Stonewall Inn of Stonewall riots fame. Now the largest gay equality organization not only in the UK but in Europe, it was formed in 1989 by political activists and others lobbying against section 28 of the...
against Section 28
Section 28
Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 caused the controversial addition of Section 2A to the Local Government Act 1986 , enacted on 24 May 1988 and repealed on 21 June 2000 in Scotland, and on 18 November 2003 in the rest of Great Britain by section 122 of the Local Government Act 2003...
and for lowering the age of consent
Age of consent
While the phrase age of consent typically does not appear in legal statutes, when used in relation to sexual activity, the age of consent is the minimum age at which a person is considered to be legally competent to consent to sexual acts. The European Union calls it the legal age for sexual...
for homosexuals
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
. Clement is known to be an intensely private person who seldom speaks about her personal life, and it has been suggested that this is due to the way the press hounded her when it was revealed she was in a relationship with a woman. During the 1960s Clement was married to a man named Andrew Gordon, but they divorced in 1976.
In 1997, St. Clement discovered that she had a brother Reginald (born 1934) from her father's first marriage. Clement maintained that she had been in touch with her father, who died in 1993, aged 84. In spite of this, he had never mentioned having any other children. Her brother had barely known their father and had not seen him since he was a toddler.
St. Clement has been the focus of much media criticism regarding her weight over the years, which earned her character the nickname "Fat Pat". In 1998 she lost several stone from dieting, which led the media to speculate that she had become ill. She later commented: "I have since decided I wasn't made to be slim. When I was thinner the paparazzi got some pictures where I looked ill. I had to come out and speak about it."
External links
- What's on TV profile