Patrick Trueman
Encyclopedia
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.
, Patrick came to the UK in the 1950s to find work. He was subjected to racism and, during the 1958 Notting Hill race riots, was convicted of assault, while his fiancee Ruth was killed in a fire lit by Tommy Clifford who was a Teddy boy
. Patrick played in a band named "The Five Hectors", which eventually disbanded. Later, he married a religious woman named Audrey in a shotgun wedding after she allegedly fell pregnant with his son, Paul
(born 1969). In 1970, they had a second child, Anthony, but Patrick left Audrey and the children shortly after.
(John Bardon
), who helps him woo Yolande Duke
(Angela Wynter
) with love letters after Patrick has a holiday romance with her. As a result, Yolande follows him to Walford. Patrick eventually welcomes her into his home, despite protests from Yolande's strict Christian husband, Victor (Ben Thomas). Patrick and Yolande go on to marry and briefly foster
a young girl, though they find it difficult when she is returned to her mother. Paul is employed as a drug dealer by gangster Andy Hunter (Michael Higgs
), ultimately leading to his death when he tries to double-cross Andy. Patrick is devastated to lose his son and begins a vendetta against Andy.
Patrick rents the car lot, hiring Pat Evans
(Pam St. Clement
) to do the bookkeeping. Patrick and Pat begin a casual affair, which Yolande discovers when Stacey Slater
(Lacey Turner
) informs her; she slaps Pat, who retaliates. Yolande threatens to leave, but Patrick persuades her to stay. They attempt to rebuild their marriage, but Yolande is resentful and almost strays with Aubrey Valentine (Joseph Marcell
), a member of Patrick's former band, who tries to destroy Patrick but fails; the Truemans remain together. Denise Fox (Diane Parish
) discovers that a member of Patrick's band is her father, so he takes a DNA test. It is revealed that Patrick is not Denise's father, but he pretends he is as he has grown attached to her. The truth comes out while Patrick and Denise holiday together in December; despite initial upset, Denise and the Truemans remain close. Patrick sees Denise as the daughter he never had and acts as grandfather to her two daughters Chelsea
(Tiana Benjamin
) and Libby
(Belinda Owusu
).
After purchasing the Minute Mart grocery store, Patrick and Yolande run it together. Patrick is assaulted there, and although Chelsea and her friend Deano Wicks
(Matt Di Angelo
) claim the assailant is Sean Slater
(Robert Kazinsky
) in a set-up, it is later revealed to be Craig Dixon (Rory Jennings
), whom Patrick had disagreed with over the sale of alcohol. Patrick becomes fearful of leaving his house for a while, but eventually overcomes this with the support of his wife and friends. After Yolande impresses the Minute Mart official, she is offered a management position in Birmingham
. Yolande accepts and prepares to move, however Patrick is less keen. Yolande leaves for Birmingham in October 2008, leaving Patrick behind to sell their house, under the premise he would join her later. However, Yolande ultimately decides she is happier without Patrick and ends the marriage, leaving Patrick devastated; they divorce in 2009. The Fox family move in with Patrick, including Denise's lover Lucas Johnson
(Don Gilet
). When Patrick discovers Lucas is withholding information about a tryst he has had with his ex-wife Trina (Sharon Duncan Brewster
), Patrick orders him to confess. Lucas responds by blackmailing Patrick, threatening to tell Denise about his criminal past during the Notting Hill riots. Patrick's past was revealed anyway, by Chelsea's boyfriend Theo Kelly (Rolan Bell
), who is in league with a man named Tommy Clifford (Edward Woodward
). Tommy claims to be writing a book about black culture, but it is eventually revealed that he is the man who killed Patrick's fiancée in the 1950s. Patrick is furious, but eventually relents to Tommy's dying wish and forgives his criminal act moments before his death.
After attending an over-50s dance, Patrick starts a relationship with Liz Turner (Kate Williams). However, he tries to end the relationship when Liz gets too serious. When a body is discovered buried in Albert Square's gardens, it is found to be that of Liz's son and Denise's ex-husband Owen Turner
(Lee Ross
), who Lucas murdered on the night of his wedding to Denise. Denise is taken in for questioning but released without charge, but is then seen leaving on her own. Chelsea and Libby receive text messages from her saying "I'm sorry", though in reality it was sent by Lucas, who Denise had met. The body of a woman is found in a canal, and Lucas identifies it as Denise's. Patrick mourns for Denise, leaving flowers at the canal. The police question him about Lucas, and when he tells Lucas, Lucas lies that they also asked about Patrick. Lucas then tells Patrick that Denise had killed Owen by accident and Lucas had helped to cover it up and bury the body, so Patrick agrees not to say anything for the sake of Chelsea, Libby and Lucas's son with Trina, Jordan (Michael-Joel David Stuart
). Patrick angers Libby and Chelsea by failing to write a eulogy and attempting to throw Denise's belongings away. He goes drinking with Jim, after which Denise's sister Kim Fox
(Tameka Empson
) confronts him for not being there for the girls. He then says he wants everyone to move out after the funeral and have the house to himself. He plays poker and dances with his friends, but Kim calls him a disgrace. He calls Lucas a hypocrite and says he cannot mourn for Denise as she acted selfishly, saying that the Denise he knew would never have killed herself. He says he wants Denise back and Lucas convinces him to allow the family to stay, saying he will look after Patrick now that Denise is gone. At Denise's funeral, Patrick steps in when Chelsea is unable to, and says Denise left behind two of the finest young women he has ever known. On Libby's birthday, Denise turns up revealing that she is not dead but Lucas has been keeping her prisoner and that Lucas murdered Trina and Owen. Lucas arrives and confirms this, and takes the family hostage. Heather Trott (Cheryl Fergison
) arrives to speak to Patrick and he attempts to give her a message to call the police but she does not read it. Eventually, Jordan arrives home and the family are able to escape, leading to Lucas being arrested. Patrick then attempts to support the family, including Jordan who cries on Patrick's shoulder. However, Chelsea, Libby and Liz leave Walford for Spain, with Liz informing Patrick that he has missed his chance with her. After their departure, Patrick consoles Denise who is distraught after losing her daughters. The next day they both attend the funeral of the prostitute, Gemma (Rita Balogun), that Lucas murdered. When they return home, Kim arrives saying that she has left her boyfriend Dexter (Robbie Gee
), and asks to move in with them.
When Kim leaves a bath running, flooding Patrick's house, Patrick, Kim and Denise are forced to live with neighbours over Christmas while the house is repaired. Patrick believes Kim and Denise may not rejoin him in his house when Kim suggests running a bed and breakfast with her sister. However, Kim reveals that she means buying the house next door to Patrick's and combining the two properties. Patrick then continues to live with Denise and Kim while they run the bed and breakfast, while also working at the Minute Mart shop and The Queen Victoria
public house
. When Patrick sees Ben Mitchell (Joshua Pascoe) kissing Duncan Willis (Steven France), Ben throws a brick through Patrick's window and confronts him in his shop. Ben's father, Phil
(Steve McFadden
) sees Patrick holding Ben against the wall, and sacks Patrick from the pub. This causes a feud between Phil and Patrick, and leaves Phil branded a racist by the community. Ben eventually admits to his father that he threatened Patrick, so Phil apologises, and gives Patrick his job back. Patrick spends the night with Rose Cotton (Polly Perkins
) and is ashamed when his friends and neighbours find out.
), following the departure of Audrey Trueman (Corinne Skinner-Carter
), a character killed-off in the serial in September 2001. Patrick first appeared at Audrey's "rum-fuelled wake" as her estranged husband. Walker was keen to play a comic element to the character, telling Larry Jaffee of Walford Gazette, "Before joining, I told the producer [comedy] is an area I would like to explore [with the character] because there was not enough of it [in the show]. [Patrick] treats a lot of things with a certain amount of humour. His way of escaping a problem is to find something funny to do or say or sometimes to get himself out of a tight corner. That’s really the sort of foundation. I try to put as much humour as possible into the character."
A love interest was introduced for Patrick in 2003, Yolande, played by Angela Wynter
. Following their screen marriage in 2004, the characters were involved in the BBC's season "Taking Care", which covered issues "surrounding a different kind of childhood". The Truemans were involved in a storyline about fostering after they decided to foster a 14 year old boy, JJ, following an encounter with him at their Bed and Breakfast. In 2007, executive producer Diederick Santer
used Patrick and Yolande to cover a storyline about racism, that according to the producer, was inspired by the 2007 Celebrity Big Brother
race row, sparked by supposed racist bullying of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty
by UK celebrity Jade Goody
. In the storyline, the characters Jay Brown
and Sean Slater
used racist phrases to the Truemans, and their reaction to the insults. Santer commented, "The Celebrity Big Brother race row kicked off as I took charge of my first scripts. I thought it was fascinating because it showed there was a real need for a debate about race in Britain. [Big Brother] didn’t do it particularly well, so I thought it could be something EastEnders should do. Our stuff won’t be overly moralistic or preachy but it will tackle this serious issue head on."
Angela Wynter was axed from EastEnders in 2008, ending Patrick and Yolande's screen union. Wynter commented, "'Patrick and Yolande’s marriage is the only representation of a black union in British TV, which I am very proud to have played." Discussing Wynter's axing, Rudolph Walker said: "I really enjoyed working with Angela, because apart from anything else, she was a tremendous help to me - we've known each other a long time. I have to be thankful for the time she was in the show, and I'm in regular contact with her. I know she does watch EastEnders and while she obviously misses being part of the cast, she still enjoys it. Whether she's keeping an eye on Patrick or Rudolph, I can't be sure!"
In February 2009, EastEnders aired its first episode consisting of an entirely black cast. The episode focused up on Patrick and the Fox family. It concentrated on Patrick reminiscing about London in the 1950s after his arrival from the Caribbean. The script involved discussion about racism
, with reference to the real life occurrence of the 1958 Notting Hill race riots in London. Taking the discussion of racism further, the characters considered it lessened in the 21st century, but that it still existed, possibly in more subtle forms. The episode averaged 8.37m (35.6%) viewers. It was part of a wider storyline concentrating on Patrick's past, and the murder of his fiancée during the race riots. Actor Edward Woodward
was brought in especially for the storyline as Tommy Clifford, the man who killed her and subsequently sought his redemption before he died.
. In series 1, Fatboy
(Ricky Norwood
) convinces Patrick to sell him alcohol from the shop, despite having no identification. In episode 3 of series 2, Stevie Dickinson
(Amanda Fairbank-Hynes) attempts to buy drinks from Patrick in the shop but her payment card is declined. In episode 5, Naz Mehmet
(Emaa Hussen) goes to the shop asking for items of food that Patrick does not sell, and he asks her not to shop there anymore. She later asks him if he has seen Stevie.
: "Everyone at Elstree has been truly shocked and surprised by the attention that an episode with an all-black cast has had, given that we live in such a diverse and multicultural society. [The] episode focuses on Patrick Trueman sharing his experiences of being a young man living in 1950s Britain with the family he lives with (the Foxes) which does mean it is solely an all-black cast on screen. Patrick and the Foxes are an integral part of Albert Square and this is no different to other episodes where we've concentrated on one particular family or storyline in the past." Additionally, the BBC received "183 complaints about the episode's 'unnecessary' content, while some viewers felt aggrieved by the nature of an 'all-black' cast. Some 57 complains, meanwhile, were logged before it aired." The BBC responded, "It is not unusual for EastEnders to devote a whole episode to a single storyline or set of characters, and this episode was one of these occasions. This was an opportunity to explore in some depth the background and experiences of Patrick Trueman, one of EastEnders' longest-standing and most popular characters. There have been many 'all-white' episodes in the show's 24-year history, and we do not believe there is any reason why an 'all-black' episode should not be included within the series. Some viewers felt it was unnecessary to raise the subject of the Notting Hill race riots. These form part of the character's experience, as well as British history, and we feel it was absolutely legitimate for these characters to discuss them."
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 popular British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
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 Rudolph Walker
Rudolph Walker
Rudolph Walker, OBE is a British character actor. Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Walker came to the United Kingdom in 1960....
. He made his first appearance on 13 September 2001.
Backstory
Born in TrinidadTrinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
, Patrick came to the UK in the 1950s to find work. He was subjected to racism and, during the 1958 Notting Hill race riots, was convicted of assault, while his fiancee Ruth was killed in a fire lit by Tommy Clifford who was a Teddy boy
Teddy Boy
The British Teddy Boy subculture is typified by young men wearing clothes that were partly inspired by the styles worn by dandies in the Edwardian period, styles which Savile Row tailors had attempted to re-introduce in Britain after World War II...
. Patrick played in a band named "The Five Hectors", which eventually disbanded. Later, he married a religious woman named Audrey in a shotgun wedding after she allegedly fell pregnant with his son, Paul
Paul Trueman
Paul Trueman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Gary Beadle between 2001 and 2004. Gary was introduced as part of the already established Trueman family. He was portrayed as a bad boy. Beadle left the role in 2004, following a suspension, reportedly for failing...
(born 1969). In 1970, they had a second child, Anthony, but Patrick left Audrey and the children shortly after.
2001—
Patrick arrives in Walford for Audrey's funeral, reuniting with his two sons after decades apart. After a period of adjustment, the Trueman brothers accept Patrick into their home; however, Paul grows suspicious of Patrick and secretly performs a DNA test, where it is revealed that although Anthony is the biological son of Patrick, Paul is not. It transpires that Paul is the son of Patrick's best friend Milton Hibbert (Jeffery Kissoon). Despite the upset, Patrick and Paul maintain a father-son relationship. Patrick becomes close friends with pensioner Jim BranningJim Branning
James Archibald "Jim" Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by John Bardon, first appearing on 29 April 1996 and becoming a regular character in 1999 and has remained in the series right up to 2011....
(John Bardon
John Bardon
John Bardon, is an English stage and screen actor. He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Award in 1988 as 'Best Actor in a Musical' for Kiss Me, Kate, sharing the award with co-star Emil Wolk.-Acting career:Bardon is best known for playing Jim Branning in the popular British soap opera EastEnders...
), who helps him woo Yolande Duke
Yolande Trueman
Yolande Trueman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Angela Wynter. The character made her final appearance on 3 October 2008.-Storylines:...
(Angela Wynter
Angela Wynter
Angela Wynter is a British actress. She is probably most famous for playing the character of Yolande Trueman in the soap opera EastEnders first appearing on 16 October 2003 to her last appearance on 3 October 2008. She based the character on her late sister Merlene and played a similar character...
) with love letters after Patrick has a holiday romance with her. As a result, Yolande follows him to Walford. Patrick eventually welcomes her into his home, despite protests from Yolande's strict Christian husband, Victor (Ben Thomas). Patrick and Yolande go on to marry and briefly foster
Foster 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"....
a young girl, though they find it difficult when she is returned to her mother. Paul is employed as a drug dealer by gangster Andy Hunter (Michael Higgs
Michael Higgs
Michael Higgs is a British actor best known for prominent roles in two long-running television series: Eddie Santini in ITV1's The Bill, and Andy Hunter in EastEnders....
), ultimately leading to his death when he tries to double-cross Andy. Patrick is devastated to lose his son and begins a vendetta against Andy.
Patrick rents the car lot, hiring 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...
(Pam St. Clement
Pam St. Clement
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...
) to do the bookkeeping. Patrick and Pat begin a casual affair, which Yolande discovers when Stacey Slater
Stacey Slater
Stacey Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lacey Turner. She made her first appearance on 1 November 2004. The character was introduced as a feisty and troublesome teenager, an extension of the already established Slater clan...
(Lacey Turner
Lacey Turner
Lacey Amelia Turner is an award-winning English actress. She is best known for portraying the role of Stacey Slater on the BBC soap opera EastEnders, a role for which she has won 33 awards...
) informs her; she slaps Pat, who retaliates. Yolande threatens to leave, but Patrick persuades her to stay. They attempt to rebuild their marriage, but Yolande is resentful and almost strays with Aubrey Valentine (Joseph Marcell
Joseph Marcell
Joseph Marcell is a St. Lucian-born British actor, best known for his work as Geoffrey the English butler on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.-Early life and career:...
), a member of Patrick's former band, who tries to destroy Patrick but fails; the Truemans remain together. Denise Fox (Diane Parish
Diane Parish
Diane Parish is a British actress best known for her role as Denise Johnson in the BBC Soap EastEnders and DC Eva Sharpe in The Bill.-Career:...
) discovers that a member of Patrick's band is her father, so he takes a DNA test. It is revealed that Patrick is not Denise's father, but he pretends he is as he has grown attached to her. The truth comes out while Patrick and Denise holiday together in December; despite initial upset, Denise and the Truemans remain close. Patrick sees Denise as the daughter he never had and acts as grandfather to her two daughters Chelsea
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...
(Tiana Benjamin
Tiana Benjamin
Tiana Opium Benjamin is a British actress best known for playing Chelsea Fox in the long-running BBC soap opera EastEnders.Benjamin trained at The Anna Scher Theatre School in London....
) and Libby
Libby Fox
Elizabeth "Libby" Fox is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, EastEnders, played by Belinda Owusu. She made her first appearance on 22 May 2006 and left in 2010. She is the daughter of Denise Fox and Owen Turner, and half sister of Chelsea Fox. The Fox family were introduced by executive...
(Belinda Owusu
Belinda Owusu
Belinda Ruth Owusu is a British actress, who rose to prominence in 2006, aged 17, when she won the role of Libby Fox in BBC's EastEnders.-Career:...
).
After purchasing the Minute Mart grocery store, Patrick and Yolande run it together. Patrick is assaulted there, and although Chelsea and her friend Deano Wicks
Deano Wicks
Dean "Deano" Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders played by Matt Di Angelo. 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 were being axed by executive producer Diederick Santer...
(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...
) claim the assailant is 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...
(Robert Kazinsky
Robert Kazinsky
Robert Kazinsky is an English actor and model. He is best known for his appearances as Casper Rose in Sky One drama Dream Team in 2005/2006 and Sean Slater in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders from 2006 to 2009.-Background:Kazinsky was born in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, England, the son of...
) in a set-up, it is later revealed to be Craig Dixon (Rory Jennings
Rory Jennings
Rory Jennings is a British actor. He is best known for his role as Craig Dixon in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders. Jennings made his first appearance in Eastenders on 27 July 2007, and left on 7 September 2007. He has also made an appearance in a Post Office TV advertisement.- Early life :He has...
), whom Patrick had disagreed with over the sale of alcohol. Patrick becomes fearful of leaving his house for a while, but eventually overcomes this with the support of his wife and friends. After Yolande impresses the Minute Mart official, she is offered a management position in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. Yolande accepts and prepares to move, however Patrick is less keen. Yolande leaves for Birmingham in October 2008, leaving Patrick behind to sell their house, under the premise he would join her later. However, Yolande ultimately decides she is happier without Patrick and ends the marriage, leaving Patrick devastated; they divorce in 2009. The Fox family move in with Patrick, including Denise's lover Lucas Johnson
Lucas Johnson
Lucas Aaron Johnson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Don Gilet. He made his first on-screen appearance on 3 April 2008. Lucas is introduced as a preacher and estranged father of established character Chelsea Fox. He has a son, Jordan, and goes on to marry...
(Don Gilet
Don Gilet
Don Gilet is a British actor, best known for his roles in BBC productions Babyfather, EastEnders and 55 Degrees North. Don's surname is actually pronounced 'Gillit' but takes the stage name 'Jillay'.-Personal life:...
). When Patrick discovers Lucas is withholding information about a tryst he has had with his ex-wife Trina (Sharon Duncan Brewster
Sharon Duncan Brewster
Sharon Duncan-Brewster, more commonly known as Sharon Duncan Brewster, is a Black British actress...
), Patrick orders him to confess. Lucas responds by blackmailing Patrick, threatening to tell Denise about his criminal past during the Notting Hill riots. Patrick's past was revealed anyway, by Chelsea's boyfriend Theo Kelly (Rolan Bell
Rolan Bell
Rolan Bell is a black British actor. He appeared in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders as Theo Kelly.Bell was first seen in Doctors and also appeared in a number of stage productions such as The Harder They Come, An African Cargo and The Lion King...
), who is in league with a man named Tommy Clifford (Edward Woodward
Edward Woodward
Edward Albert Arthur Woodward, OBE was an English stage and screen actor and singer. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art , Woodward began his career on stage, and throughout his career he appeared in productions in both the West End in London and on Broadway in New York...
). Tommy claims to be writing a book about black culture, but it is eventually revealed that he is the man who killed Patrick's fiancée in the 1950s. Patrick is furious, but eventually relents to Tommy's dying wish and forgives his criminal act moments before his death.
After attending an over-50s dance, Patrick starts a relationship with Liz Turner (Kate Williams). However, he tries to end the relationship when Liz gets too serious. When a body is discovered buried in Albert Square's gardens, it is found to be that of Liz's son and Denise's ex-husband Owen Turner
Owen Turner
Owen Turner is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lee Ross. He originally appeared in the show in 2006, and then returned in 2009. His character left in 2009 after being murdered by Lucas Johnson.-Storylines:...
(Lee Ross
Lee Ross (actor)
Lee Ross is an English professional actor best known for his role as Dodger in Dodger, Bonzo and the Rest. He has also starred in, Press Gang, Secrets & Lies, The Catherine Tate Show and most recently as Owen Turner in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Career:His first acting role was as Fat Sam in...
), who Lucas murdered on the night of his wedding to Denise. Denise is taken in for questioning but released without charge, but is then seen leaving on her own. Chelsea and Libby receive text messages from her saying "I'm sorry", though in reality it was sent by Lucas, who Denise had met. The body of a woman is found in a canal, and Lucas identifies it as Denise's. Patrick mourns for Denise, leaving flowers at the canal. The police question him about Lucas, and when he tells Lucas, Lucas lies that they also asked about Patrick. Lucas then tells Patrick that Denise had killed Owen by accident and Lucas had helped to cover it up and bury the body, so Patrick agrees not to say anything for the sake of Chelsea, Libby and Lucas's son with Trina, Jordan (Michael-Joel David Stuart
Michael-Joel David Stuart
Michael-Joel David Stuart is a young British actor.Michael-Joel made his television debut in the BBC's award-winning drama production . He also performed as young Sunny in the West-End musical Daddy Cool and as young Simba in the West-End musical The Lion King. In 2007 he played Buckwheat in the...
). Patrick angers Libby and Chelsea by failing to write a eulogy and attempting to throw Denise's belongings away. He goes drinking with Jim, after which Denise's sister Kim Fox
Kim Fox
Kimberley Harmony Angelica "Kim" Fox is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Tameka Empson. She is the half-sister of Denise Fox , and aunt to Chelsea Fox and Libby Fox...
(Tameka Empson
Tameka Empson
Tameka Empson is a British actress and comedienne who is perhaps best known for being one of the three protagonists in the hidden-camera comedy sketch show 3 Non Blondes.Tameka also featured in a episode of MI High : Red Button Rampage, Series one...
) confronts him for not being there for the girls. He then says he wants everyone to move out after the funeral and have the house to himself. He plays poker and dances with his friends, but Kim calls him a disgrace. He calls Lucas a hypocrite and says he cannot mourn for Denise as she acted selfishly, saying that the Denise he knew would never have killed herself. He says he wants Denise back and Lucas convinces him to allow the family to stay, saying he will look after Patrick now that Denise is gone. At Denise's funeral, Patrick steps in when Chelsea is unable to, and says Denise left behind two of the finest young women he has ever known. On Libby's birthday, Denise turns up revealing that she is not dead but Lucas has been keeping her prisoner and that Lucas murdered Trina and Owen. Lucas arrives and confirms this, and takes the family hostage. Heather Trott (Cheryl Fergison
Cheryl Fergison
Cheryl Fergison is a British actress most notable for playing Heather Trott in the long running BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Career:...
) arrives to speak to Patrick and he attempts to give her a message to call the police but she does not read it. Eventually, Jordan arrives home and the family are able to escape, leading to Lucas being arrested. Patrick then attempts to support the family, including Jordan who cries on Patrick's shoulder. However, Chelsea, Libby and Liz leave Walford for Spain, with Liz informing Patrick that he has missed his chance with her. After their departure, Patrick consoles Denise who is distraught after losing her daughters. The next day they both attend the funeral of the prostitute, Gemma (Rita Balogun), that Lucas murdered. When they return home, Kim arrives saying that she has left her boyfriend Dexter (Robbie Gee
Robbie Gee
Robbie Gee is a British actor, best known for his Desmond's character "Lee Stanley", and for appearing in Guy Ritchie's crime caper Snatch. He also appeared in the movie Mean Machine playing "Trojan".-Hosting:...
), and asks to move in with them.
When Kim leaves a bath running, flooding Patrick's house, Patrick, Kim and Denise are forced to live with neighbours over Christmas while the house is repaired. Patrick believes Kim and Denise may not rejoin him in his house when Kim suggests running a bed and breakfast with her sister. However, Kim reveals that she means buying the house next door to Patrick's and combining the two properties. Patrick then continues to live with Denise and Kim while they run the bed and breakfast, while also working at the Minute Mart shop and 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:...
public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
. When Patrick sees Ben Mitchell (Joshua Pascoe) kissing Duncan Willis (Steven France), Ben throws a brick through Patrick's window and confronts him in his shop. Ben's father, Phil
Phil Mitchell
Philip James "Phil" Mitchell is a long-running fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Steve McFadden.Phil first arrived in Albert Square on 20 February 1990, and was soon joined by his brother, Grant, sister Sam and mother Peggy...
(Steve McFadden
Steve McFadden
Steve McFadden is an English actor, known for his role as Phil Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, which he has played since1990.-Early life:...
) sees Patrick holding Ben against the wall, and sacks Patrick from the pub. This causes a feud between Phil and Patrick, and leaves Phil branded a racist by the community. Ben eventually admits to his father that he threatened Patrick, so Phil apologises, and gives Patrick his job back. Patrick spends the night with Rose Cotton (Polly Perkins
Polly Perkins (singer)
-Early and personal life:Polly Perkins was born Gillian Arnold to theatrical parents Dickie and Mitzi, who both had a successful career performing a cabaret/vaudeville act. Her step mother Dottie Arnold was also a successful variety performer. Perkins has two children, singer songwriter Tim Arnold...
) and is ashamed when his friends and neighbours find out.
Creation and development
The character Patrick, played by Rudolph Walker, was introduced by John Yorke as a replacement parental figure to the Trueman brothers, Anthony (Nick Bailey) and Paul (Gary BeadleGary Beadle
Gary Beadle is an English actor, best known for playing Paul Trueman in EastEnders and Gary Barwick in Operation Good Guys....
), following the departure of Audrey Trueman (Corinne Skinner-Carter
Corinne Skinner-Carter
Corinne Skinner-Carter is a Trinidadian actress, based in the United Kingdom. She began acting professionally in the 1950s. She has worked in black British film and television, and is possibly best known for her role as Audrey Trueman in BBC's EastEnders.-Career:Skinner-Carter came from Trinidad...
), a character killed-off in the serial in September 2001. Patrick first appeared at Audrey's "rum-fuelled wake" as her estranged husband. Walker was keen to play a comic element to the character, telling Larry Jaffee of Walford Gazette, "Before joining, I told the producer [comedy] is an area I would like to explore [with the character] because there was not enough of it [in the show]. [Patrick] treats a lot of things with a certain amount of humour. His way of escaping a problem is to find something funny to do or say or sometimes to get himself out of a tight corner. That’s really the sort of foundation. I try to put as much humour as possible into the character."
A love interest was introduced for Patrick in 2003, Yolande, played by Angela Wynter
Angela Wynter
Angela Wynter is a British actress. She is probably most famous for playing the character of Yolande Trueman in the soap opera EastEnders first appearing on 16 October 2003 to her last appearance on 3 October 2008. She based the character on her late sister Merlene and played a similar character...
. Following their screen marriage in 2004, the characters were involved in the BBC's season "Taking Care", which covered issues "surrounding a different kind of childhood". The Truemans were involved in a storyline about fostering after they decided to foster a 14 year old boy, JJ, following an encounter with him at their Bed and Breakfast. In 2007, 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...
used Patrick and Yolande to cover a storyline about racism, that according to the producer, was inspired by the 2007 Celebrity Big Brother
Celebrity Big Brother 2007 (UK)
Celebrity Big Brother 2007 was the highly controversial fifth series of the United Kingdom reality television series Celebrity Big Brother, a spin-off of Big Brother. The series was broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK , and involved a number of celebrities referred to as 'housemates', who live in the...
race row, sparked by supposed racist bullying of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty
Shilpa Shetty
Shilpa Shetty is an Indian film actress and model. Since making her debut in the film Baazigar , she has appeared in nearly 40 Bollywood, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films, her first leading role being in the 1994 Aag. Although she has been through years of decline during her career, Shetty has been...
by UK celebrity Jade Goody
Jade Goody
Jade Cerisa Lorraine Goody was an English celebrity. She came into the public spotlight while appearing on the third series of the Channel 4 reality TV programme Big Brother in 2002, an appearance which led to her own television programmes and the launch of her own products after her eviction from...
. In the storyline, the characters Jay Brown
Jay Brown
James "Jay" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jamie Borthwick. He made his first appearance during the episode broadcast on 14 December 2006.-Backstory:...
and 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...
used racist phrases to the Truemans, and their reaction to the insults. Santer commented, "The Celebrity Big Brother race row kicked off as I took charge of my first scripts. I thought it was fascinating because it showed there was a real need for a debate about race in Britain. [Big Brother] didn’t do it particularly well, so I thought it could be something EastEnders should do. Our stuff won’t be overly moralistic or preachy but it will tackle this serious issue head on."
Angela Wynter was axed from EastEnders in 2008, ending Patrick and Yolande's screen union. Wynter commented, "'Patrick and Yolande’s marriage is the only representation of a black union in British TV, which I am very proud to have played." Discussing Wynter's axing, Rudolph Walker said: "I really enjoyed working with Angela, because apart from anything else, she was a tremendous help to me - we've known each other a long time. I have to be thankful for the time she was in the show, and I'm in regular contact with her. I know she does watch EastEnders and while she obviously misses being part of the cast, she still enjoys it. Whether she's keeping an eye on Patrick or Rudolph, I can't be sure!"
In February 2009, EastEnders aired its first episode consisting of an entirely black cast. The episode focused up on Patrick and the Fox family. It concentrated on Patrick reminiscing about London in the 1950s after his arrival from the Caribbean. The script involved discussion about racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
, with reference to the real life occurrence of the 1958 Notting Hill race riots in London. Taking the discussion of racism further, the characters considered it lessened in the 21st century, but that it still existed, possibly in more subtle forms. The episode averaged 8.37m (35.6%) viewers. It was part of a wider storyline concentrating on Patrick's past, and the murder of his fiancée during the race riots. Actor Edward Woodward
Edward Woodward
Edward Albert Arthur Woodward, OBE was an English stage and screen actor and singer. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art , Woodward began his career on stage, and throughout his career he appeared in productions in both the West End in London and on Broadway in New York...
was brought in especially for the storyline as Tommy Clifford, the man who killed her and subsequently sought his redemption before he died.
Other appearances
Patrick also makes cameo appearances in the Internet spin-off series EastEnders: E20EastEnders: E20
EastEnders: E20 is a British Internet soap opera, which began airing on 8 January 2010. A spin-off from the established BBC soap EastEnders, it is set in EastEnders regular setting of Albert Square, a Victorian square in the fictional borough of Walford, in the East End of London...
. In series 1, Fatboy
Fatboy (EastEnders)
Arthur "Fatboy" Chubb is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders and its Internet spin-off EastEnders: E20, played by Ricky Norwood. He made his first appearance in EastEnders on 5 January 2010 before appearing in the spin-off...
(Ricky Norwood
Ricky Norwood
Richard Colin "Ricky" Norwood is a British actor who plays Fatboy in the soap opera EastEnders and its online spin-off EastEnders: E20. He was born in Tower Hamlets, London, and lives in Forest Gate. From the age of 12 he attended the Theatre Royal Stratford East's Youth Theatre, and he also...
) convinces Patrick to sell him alcohol from the shop, despite having no identification. In episode 3 of series 2, Stevie Dickinson
Stevie Dickinson
Stephanie "Stevie" Dickinson is a fictional character from EastEnders: E20, an Internet spin-off of the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Amanda Fairbank-Hynes. Stevie is a main character in series 2, where she is joined by her new friends Asher Levi , Sol Levi and Naz Mehmet...
(Amanda Fairbank-Hynes) attempts to buy drinks from Patrick in the shop but her payment card is declined. In episode 5, Naz Mehmet
Naz Mehmet
Nazan "Naz" Mehmet is a fictional character from EastEnders: E20, an Internet spin-off from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Emaa Hussen. Naz is a main character in series 2, where she is joined by brothers Asher and Sol Levi , and Stevie Dickinson...
(Emaa Hussen) goes to the shop asking for items of food that Patrick does not sell, and he asks her not to shop there anymore. She later asks him if he has seen Stevie.
Reception
Following the airing of EastEnders all-black cast for the first time in the show's history in 2009, the BBC received criticism for not adequately advertising the event. The programme-makers refuted these claims, insisting that the storyline received the same publicity treatment as the soap's other ongoing plots. A spokesperson told media website Digital SpyDigital 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....
: "Everyone at Elstree has been truly shocked and surprised by the attention that an episode with an all-black cast has had, given that we live in such a diverse and multicultural society. [The] episode focuses on Patrick Trueman sharing his experiences of being a young man living in 1950s Britain with the family he lives with (the Foxes) which does mean it is solely an all-black cast on screen. Patrick and the Foxes are an integral part of Albert Square and this is no different to other episodes where we've concentrated on one particular family or storyline in the past." Additionally, the BBC received "183 complaints about the episode's 'unnecessary' content, while some viewers felt aggrieved by the nature of an 'all-black' cast. Some 57 complains, meanwhile, were logged before it aired." The BBC responded, "It is not unusual for EastEnders to devote a whole episode to a single storyline or set of characters, and this episode was one of these occasions. This was an opportunity to explore in some depth the background and experiences of Patrick Trueman, one of EastEnders' longest-standing and most popular characters. There have been many 'all-white' episodes in the show's 24-year history, and we do not believe there is any reason why an 'all-black' episode should not be included within the series. Some viewers felt it was unnecessary to raise the subject of the Notting Hill race riots. These form part of the character's experience, as well as British history, and we feel it was absolutely legitimate for these characters to discuss them."