Simon Wicks
Encyclopedia
Simon "Wicksy" Wicks is a fictional character
from the British
BBC
soap opera
EastEnders
, played by Nick Berry
between 1985 and 1990. Wicksy was introduced to take on some of the more adult storylines that had been scripted for another character, Mark Fowler
; Mark's actor David Scarboro
had left the serial prematurely due to personal problems. Wicksy was the soap's first male, pin-up and proved extremely popular with female fans. An early storyline saw Wicksy perform a song in the serial, "Every Loser Wins
", which was subsequently released as a single in 1986 and reached number one in the UK singles chart
. One of Wicksy's most prominent storylines was his adultery with Cindy Beale
, and a subsequent feud with Cindy's husband Ian Beale
(Adam Woodyatt
). Nick Berry quit the role in 1990, fearful of typecasting, and after five years on-screen, Wicksy departed in December that year.
's first marriage to the promiscuous Pat Harris
, and after their marriage deteriorated, Wicksy and his older brother David
were adopted by Pat's second husband Brian Wicks, who was abusive to Pat and the children.
In his teens, Simon and Eddie Hunter belonged to a pop music band and Simon had borrowed money from loan sharks to keep their band afloat. The band fell apart with Simon owing "The Firm" £1500 which he couldn't pay, so Simon fled from home in October 1985 in search of the man he thought was his father, Pete.
public house and later the Dagmar wine bar, where he frequently plays the pub piano
, singing Cockney
favourites to the regulars
Wicksy's mother, Pat, turns up in 1986, much to Pete's dismay. Pat drops the bombshell that there is a strong possibility that Simon is not Pete's biological son as she had various affairs during their marriage, including one with Pete's brother Kenny. This causes a rift between Simon and his mother, a relationship already damaged due to Simon's disapproval of her nonchalant style of parenting. Pat later admits that Simon's father is Brian Wicks, his adoptive father. Simon visits Brian following this revelation, but his father is abusive towards him and so Simon cuts all contact.
Wicksy proves popular with women. He has flings with Donna Ludlow
, Mary Smith and Naima Jeffery
among others. In 1987 he dates Sharon Watts, but soon gets bored when she refuses to sleep with him. His first serious relationship is with caterer Magda Czajkowski. They move in together, but both want different things out of the relationship and Simon eventually jilts her in 1988 on the advice of his boss Den Watts
, whose womanising he idolises.
In 1988, Wicksy has a fling with Cindy Williams
and Donna Ludlow at the same time. Cindy refuses to tolerate Simon's womanising and when his stepbrother, Ian Beale
, starts wooing her, Cindy dates him instead. Initially Cindy is only interested in making Simon jealous, but when she discovers that Ian is a budding entrepreneur, she agrees to marry him. Confused by Cindy, Simon reignites a relationship with Sharon. Jealous that Simon is moving on, Cindy seduces him and they have sex on the floor of The Queen Vic after closing time. This tryst culminates in Cindy falling pregnant with Simon's child. When Simon learns of the pregnancy, he refuses to have anything more to do with Cindy. Rejected, Cindy marries Ian and deceives him into thinking that her baby is his. She gives birth to Steven
on Boxing day
1989.
Meanwhile, Simon and Sharon's relationship continues. Sharon makes plans to buy The Vic and run it with Simon. However, Simon finds this commitment daunting; he starts pining for Cindy and develops paternal feelings towards his son. Simon and Cindy resume their affair and when Ian finds out, he becomes obsessed with breaking them up and ruining Simon's life. Simon is accused of theft from The Queen Vic when marked notes are found in his pocket; however, Ian planted them. When Simon loses his job he accepts Ian's offer of employment at his catering company, despite protests from Cindy. Ian attempts to frame Simon for theft at his company and when this fails, he tries to kill Simon by sabotaging the brakes of his van on Christmas day 1990. Furious, Simon and Cindy leave Walford to start a new life together the following day.
In 1992, Cindy returns and reunites with Ian, stating that Simon has abandoned her and Steven and moved abroad. Simon eventually settles in New Zealand
and in 2002, Steven, who has so far been brought up by Ian, discovers his true paternity and moves to New Zealand. When Steven returns in 2007, he suggests that he left New Zealand because Simon does not approve of his bisexuality. Pat discovers in 2009 that Simon's girlfriend Miriam is pregnant; she occasionally visits Simon off-screen. In 2011, Pat discovers that Simon is going to lose his house and needs a loan of £500,000, which Pat's friend Norman Simmonds offers to help with.
in 1985, making his first appearance in October that year. According to Smith, Simon was thought up overnight as a means to restore the cast balance distorted by the unexpected departure from the serial of actor David Scarboro
who played the original Mark Fowler
. Scarboro's departure meant many of his functions as the slightly eldest of the young characters would need to be taken over by another character and thus Wicksy was invented.
Simon Wicks was associated with one of EastEnders original families, the Beales. Specifically, he was introduced as the estranged son of Pete Beale
(Peter Dean), born from his first marriage - events that had been written into Pete's backstory at the start of the programme. According to Smith, the producers and writers of the soap had always planned on introducing Pete's estranged son on-screen, but Wicksy's premature inclusion meant introducing him a year before it had originally been intended.
Actor Nick Berry was cast to play Wicksy with minimal delay. Smith has described his casting as one of the fastest on record. Berry auditioned in front of the soap's creators, Smith and Tony Holland
, and was offered the part immediately. Berry was whisked into costume and make-up and given a new haircut, which Berry claimed was because the producers wanted to smarten his appearance up. Berry was already a fan of the soap at the time of his casting. He has told interviewer Dan Abramson, "I auditioned on a Wednesday and then on Friday I arrived in Albert Square and began shooting my first scenes with Dirty Den
, whom I had enjoyed watching on the box for some time. For my first few episodes, I walked around with a big smile on my face, grinning at everybody. It was funny."
Wicksy has been described by writer Colin Brake
as a major arrival during EastEnders first year. The character drove into EastEnders in a bright yellow sports car in episode 67. He suggested that with Wicksy's arrival, Walford gained a new pin-up.
Author Hilary Kingsley dubbed Wicksy in 1991 as Walford's "only sexy man". She added, "there is a cheekiness about Simon Wicks that's very attractive. In his early days he was happy-go-lucky, interested only in girls and paying off his debts [...] Simon put it about a bit". Kate Lock, author of EastEnders official book, Who's who?, described Simon as a "smoothie and a charmer [...] shallow, lazy and unreliable." She suggested that he graduated from the "love 'em and leave 'em school of relationships" and that he could not cope with commitment. Additionally, author Rupert Smith has suggested that, "with his blow-dried hair, rolled-up jacket and toothy grin, [Wicksy] was the apotheosis of 80s manhood. He went through the women of Walford like a dose of salts, but at the end of the day slippery Simon was a bolter".
Discussing Wicksy's characterisation in 1993, Berry inferred that he was not entirely happy with the changes that producers attempted to introduce surrounding his character. Berry suggested that when Wicksy first arrived, he was "sort of the boy next door [...] But then they changed it. Dirty Den had left the show [in 1989] and they chose Wicksy as the new romantic lead. I resisted that change as I never really saw Wicksy like that and you have to be consistent with these characters."
The storyline proved to be a successful merchandising tool for the serial, as it spawned two hit single
s in the "real world". Actor Nick Berry released a ballad entitled "Every Loser Wins
" in October 1986, having previously sung the song in character on-screen (accompanied by a piano). The song was written and produced by Simon May
, who famously composed the EastEnders theme tune. "Every Loser Wins" was a smash hit, reaching number 1 in the UK singles chart
, where it stayed for three weeks, knocking Madonna
's "True Blue" off the top spot. It was the second biggest-selling single in the UK that year after "Don't Leave Me This Way
" by The Communards
, and held the record as the highest climbing chart single ever until 2001, when it was eclipsed by "It's the Way You Make Me Feel
" by Steps (which climbed from 72-2). "Every Loser Wins" sold over a million copies and earned composer Simon May an Ivor Novello award. The song "also provided levity" on-screen, when it was used as Lofty Holloway
's break-up song after Michelle Fowler
had jilted him at the altar. Although the plot produced two hit singles in the real world, the actual storyline was not a great success with viewers. EastEnders creators Julia Smith
and Tony Holland
both felt it lacked credibility and branded it an experiment that failed.
). In the on-screen events, Simon was shown to bond with Kenny, despite Pat admitting that she did not know which of the Beale brothers had fathered Wicksy. A final plot twist mid 1988 saw Pat finally reveal what she thought was thr truth, that Simon's real father was Brian Wicks (Leslie Schofield
), Pat's second husband and Wicksy's adoptive father.
Despite this revelation on-screen, Colin Brake stated in an official EastEnders' book in 1995 that the true parentage of Simon was still uncertain in the minds of the producers. He stated, "At various times over the years the story has been amended, until the only certainty is that we will never be certain about the actual facts." He added that, at the time of writing the book for EastEnders 10th anniversary in 1994, "the current producers believe that Pete was the father of [Simon's older brother] David and may have been the father of Simon."
(Michelle Collins
). In the storyline, Cindy had a fling with womanising Wicksy before opting to have a more serious relationship with his setpbrother Ian Beale
(Adam Woodyatt
). Colin Brake suggested that with this storyline, EastEnders were sowing the seeds of a situation that would provide much story material for many years to come: an affair between Wicksy and Cindy resulting in a pregnancy. In a plot twist, Cindy, rejected by Simon, married Ian and appropriated him as the father of Steven Beale
, Wicksy's baby. The eternal triangle continued into 1990, resulting in Cindy leaving Ian for Wicksy.
The episode where Ian finally discovered that Simon was Cindy's other man was dubbed by the script department as "the Devon Cottage Climax" and aired in September 1990. Colin Brake has hailed it as the best episode of that year. Brake says that after having set up the secret that Steven was Wicksy's son rather than Ian's, the script writers knew that this was a secret that had to be blown, and the entire story built to this moment. In the on-screen events, Wicksy was spending time with Cindy at her parents house, and Ian was released from hospital following a suicide bid after Cindy left him. Brake stated that "the scene was set. Debbie Cook's scripts took Pete and Ian, with his leg in plaster, to Devon for a confrontation that would contain elements of tragedy and farce. Particularly memorable was Ian furiously throwing bricks through the window of the house, followed by one of his crutches. This episode ended ominously with Ian finding Cindy's father's shotgun and stealing it ... Directed by Matthew Evans, these episodes not only brought the story to a good climax but also laid the roots for the next three months' worth of stories, building up to Wicksy and Cindy's final exit."
. Berry has since suggested that he left the role as he feared being typecast.
When asked in interviews, Berry has refused to rule out a possible return to Eastenders. In 2001, Berry commented, "Well, they never did kill off Wicksy. Maybe one day, he'll make a dramatic return through the doors of the Queen Vic? Never say never - who knows when I'll need the work..."
In 2007, executive producer of EastEnders, Diederick Santer
, stated that Wicksy was the character he would most like to see return to the serial. He commented, "I'd love to see what he's like today. What is this golden boy, who had the world and the women of Walford at his feet, doing now? Has he delivered on his early promise? I loved Nick Berry playing him – Simon was a likeable but complex character. Maybe I should ask him to come back…" He confirmed his desire to get the character back to website Walford Web in 2010, but added that it was not to be; he did not state whether or not Berry had been approached.
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 British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
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 Nick Berry
Nick Berry
Nicholas "Nick" Berry is a British television actor and musician. He is best known for his roles as Simon Wicks in the British soap opera EastEnders from 1985 to 1990 and as PC Nick Rowan in the British drama television series Heartbeat from 1992 to 1998.-Career:Berry started acting at the age of...
between 1985 and 1990. Wicksy was introduced to take on some of the more adult storylines that had been scripted for another character, Mark Fowler
Mark Fowler
Mark Albert Fowler is a fictional character from the popular British BBC soap opera EastEnders. Mark was an original regular character in the series starting February 1985 but became a semi-regular after his original portrayer David Scarboro was written out of the role in April 1985. Scarboro made...
; Mark's actor David Scarboro
David Scarboro
David Timothy Scarboro was a British actor who was best known for portraying Mark Fowler in the popular British soap opera EastEnders.-Early career:...
had left the serial prematurely due to personal problems. Wicksy was the soap's first male, pin-up and proved extremely popular with female fans. An early storyline saw Wicksy perform a song in the serial, "Every Loser Wins
Every Loser Wins
"Every Loser Wins" is a song written by Simon May for the BBC television soap opera EastEnders. It was performed by Nick Berry.Written and produced by Simon May, Stewart James and Bradley James the song was heavily featured in the BBC soap opera EastEnders throughout the summer of 1986, sung by...
", which was subsequently released as a single in 1986 and reached number one in the UK singles chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. One of Wicksy's most prominent storylines was his adultery with Cindy Beale
Cindy Beale
Cindy Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Michelle Collins.Cindy always had an eye for the lotharios of Walford and despite trying to settle down repeatedly with the more reliable Ian Beale, she was unable to remain faithful to him. She had a selfish...
, and a subsequent feud with Cindy's husband Ian Beale
Ian Beale
Ian Albert Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Adam Woodyatt. He is the longest-serving character and the only remaining original character to have appeared continuously since the first episode on 19 February 1985...
(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...
). Nick Berry quit the role in 1990, fearful of typecasting, and after five years on-screen, Wicksy departed in December that year.
Backstory
Simon (or Wicksy, as he was commonly known) was the second child born during Pete BealePete 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...
's first marriage to the promiscuous Pat Harris
Pat Evans
Patricia Louise "Pat" Evans is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. She has been played by Pam St. Clement since 12 June 1986, just over a year after the show first aired...
, and after their marriage deteriorated, Wicksy and his older brother David
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...
were adopted by Pat's second husband Brian Wicks, who was abusive to Pat and the children.
In his teens, Simon and Eddie Hunter belonged to a pop music band and Simon had borrowed money from loan sharks to keep their band afloat. The band fell apart with Simon owing "The Firm" £1500 which he couldn't pay, so Simon fled from home in October 1985 in search of the man he thought was his father, Pete.
1985–90
Pete is pleased to see Simon and bails him out with loan sharks after thugs trace him to Walford. Wicksy attempts to form another band, but rivalry between the members prompts him to quit and go solo. He does not get very far however, and by the end of the year he gives up his dream of becoming a musician. Instead, Simon finds work as a barman in both The Queen VictoriaThe 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 and later the Dagmar wine bar, where he frequently plays the pub piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, singing Cockney
Cockney
The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End...
favourites to the regulars
Wicksy's mother, Pat, turns up in 1986, much to Pete's dismay. Pat drops the bombshell that there is a strong possibility that Simon is not Pete's biological son as she had various affairs during their marriage, including one with Pete's brother Kenny. This causes a rift between Simon and his mother, a relationship already damaged due to Simon's disapproval of her nonchalant style of parenting. Pat later admits that Simon's father is Brian Wicks, his adoptive father. Simon visits Brian following this revelation, but his father is abusive towards him and so Simon cuts all contact.
Wicksy proves popular with women. He has flings with Donna Ludlow
Donna Ludlow
Donna Ludlow is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Matilda Ziegler between 1987-1989. Donna was scripted as a troubled individual, desperate for attention, but shunned by almost all who encountered her...
, Mary Smith and Naima Jeffery
Naima Jeffery
Naima Jeffery is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Shreela Ghosh.Asian Naima tried to embrace Western culture, but this wasn't easy since her family constantly tried to force her to adhere to their ancient customs...
among others. In 1987 he dates Sharon Watts, but soon gets bored when she refuses to sleep with him. His first serious relationship is with caterer Magda Czajkowski. They move in together, but both want different things out of the relationship and Simon eventually jilts her in 1988 on the advice of his boss Den Watts
Den Watts
Dennis Alan "Den" Watts is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by actor Leslie Grantham. He became well known for his tabloid nickname, "Dirty Den"....
, whose womanising he idolises.
In 1988, Wicksy has a fling with Cindy Williams
Cindy Beale
Cindy Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Michelle Collins.Cindy always had an eye for the lotharios of Walford and despite trying to settle down repeatedly with the more reliable Ian Beale, she was unable to remain faithful to him. She had a selfish...
and Donna Ludlow at the same time. Cindy refuses to tolerate Simon's womanising and when his stepbrother, Ian Beale
Ian Beale
Ian Albert Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Adam Woodyatt. He is the longest-serving character and the only remaining original character to have appeared continuously since the first episode on 19 February 1985...
, starts wooing her, Cindy dates him instead. Initially Cindy is only interested in making Simon jealous, but when she discovers that Ian is a budding entrepreneur, she agrees to marry him. Confused by Cindy, Simon reignites a relationship with Sharon. Jealous that Simon is moving on, Cindy seduces him and they have sex on the floor of The Queen Vic after closing time. This tryst culminates in Cindy falling pregnant with Simon's child. When Simon learns of the pregnancy, he refuses to have anything more to do with Cindy. Rejected, Cindy marries Ian and deceives him into thinking that her baby is his. She gives birth to Steven
Steven Beale
Steven Peter Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Edward Farrell from 1989 to 1990, Stuart Stevens from 1992 to 1996, Edward Savage from 1997 to 2002, and Aaron Sidwell from 2007 to 2008...
on Boxing day
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
1989.
Meanwhile, Simon and Sharon's relationship continues. Sharon makes plans to buy The Vic and run it with Simon. However, Simon finds this commitment daunting; he starts pining for Cindy and develops paternal feelings towards his son. Simon and Cindy resume their affair and when Ian finds out, he becomes obsessed with breaking them up and ruining Simon's life. Simon is accused of theft from The Queen Vic when marked notes are found in his pocket; however, Ian planted them. When Simon loses his job he accepts Ian's offer of employment at his catering company, despite protests from Cindy. Ian attempts to frame Simon for theft at his company and when this fails, he tries to kill Simon by sabotaging the brakes of his van on Christmas day 1990. Furious, Simon and Cindy leave Walford to start a new life together the following day.
In 1992, Cindy returns and reunites with Ian, stating that Simon has abandoned her and Steven and moved abroad. Simon eventually settles in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and in 2002, Steven, who has so far been brought up by Ian, discovers his true paternity and moves to New Zealand. When Steven returns in 2007, he suggests that he left New Zealand because Simon does not approve of his bisexuality. Pat discovers in 2009 that Simon's girlfriend Miriam is pregnant; she occasionally visits Simon off-screen. In 2011, Pat discovers that Simon is going to lose his house and needs a loan of £500,000, which Pat's friend Norman Simmonds offers to help with.
Creation
Simon Wicks was introduced by creator and executive producer Julia SmithJulia 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...
in 1985, making his first appearance in October that year. According to Smith, Simon was thought up overnight as a means to restore the cast balance distorted by the unexpected departure from the serial of actor David Scarboro
David Scarboro
David Timothy Scarboro was a British actor who was best known for portraying Mark Fowler in the popular British soap opera EastEnders.-Early career:...
who played the original Mark Fowler
Mark Fowler
Mark Albert Fowler is a fictional character from the popular British BBC soap opera EastEnders. Mark was an original regular character in the series starting February 1985 but became a semi-regular after his original portrayer David Scarboro was written out of the role in April 1985. Scarboro made...
. Scarboro's departure meant many of his functions as the slightly eldest of the young characters would need to be taken over by another character and thus Wicksy was invented.
Simon Wicks was associated with one of EastEnders original families, the Beales. Specifically, he was introduced as the estranged son 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), born from his first marriage - events that had been written into Pete's backstory at the start of the programme. According to Smith, the producers and writers of the soap had always planned on introducing Pete's estranged son on-screen, but Wicksy's premature inclusion meant introducing him a year before it had originally been intended.
Tony Holland
Anthony John "Tony" Holland was an English television screenwriter best known as a writer and co-creator of the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Early career:...
, and was offered the part immediately. Berry was whisked into costume and make-up and given a new haircut, which Berry claimed was because the producers wanted to smarten his appearance up. Berry was already a fan of the soap at the time of his casting. He has told interviewer Dan Abramson, "I auditioned on a Wednesday and then on Friday I arrived in Albert Square and began shooting my first scenes with Dirty Den
Den Watts
Dennis Alan "Den" Watts is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by actor Leslie Grantham. He became well known for his tabloid nickname, "Dirty Den"....
, whom I had enjoyed watching on the box for some time. For my first few episodes, I walked around with a big smile on my face, grinning at everybody. It was funny."
Wicksy has been described by writer Colin Brake
Colin Brake
Colin Brake is an English television writer and script editor best known for his work for the BBC on programs such as Bugs and EastEnders. He has also written spin-offs from the BBC series Doctor Who...
as a major arrival during EastEnders first year. The character drove into EastEnders in a bright yellow sports car in episode 67. He suggested that with Wicksy's arrival, Walford gained a new pin-up.
Characterisation
Berry stated in 1986 that he modelled his portrayal of Simon on his younger brother, who was also called Simon. He commented, "he's already quite the ladies' man. He's extremely good-looking and is almost always the centre of attention wherever he goes."Author Hilary Kingsley dubbed Wicksy in 1991 as Walford's "only sexy man". She added, "there is a cheekiness about Simon Wicks that's very attractive. In his early days he was happy-go-lucky, interested only in girls and paying off his debts [...] Simon put it about a bit". Kate Lock, author of EastEnders official book, Who's who?, described Simon as a "smoothie and a charmer [...] shallow, lazy and unreliable." She suggested that he graduated from the "love 'em and leave 'em school of relationships" and that he could not cope with commitment. Additionally, author Rupert Smith has suggested that, "with his blow-dried hair, rolled-up jacket and toothy grin, [Wicksy] was the apotheosis of 80s manhood. He went through the women of Walford like a dose of salts, but at the end of the day slippery Simon was a bolter".
Discussing Wicksy's characterisation in 1993, Berry inferred that he was not entirely happy with the changes that producers attempted to introduce surrounding his character. Berry suggested that when Wicksy first arrived, he was "sort of the boy next door [...] But then they changed it. Dirty Den had left the show [in 1989] and they chose Wicksy as the new romantic lead. I resisted that change as I never really saw Wicksy like that and you have to be consistent with these characters."
The Banned
In 1986, EastEnders decided to tackle a storyline about the ups and downs of a pop group. The group featured the majority of teenage characters in the soap at the time, including Wicksy. Nick Berry was musically trained, having attended London stage schools. He was initially chosen as the group's solo singer, who named thelmselves "The Banned" after they were banned from the Queen Victoria public house.The storyline proved to be a successful merchandising tool for the serial, as it spawned two hit single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
s in the "real world". Actor Nick Berry released a ballad entitled "Every Loser Wins
Every Loser Wins
"Every Loser Wins" is a song written by Simon May for the BBC television soap opera EastEnders. It was performed by Nick Berry.Written and produced by Simon May, Stewart James and Bradley James the song was heavily featured in the BBC soap opera EastEnders throughout the summer of 1986, sung by...
" in October 1986, having previously sung the song in character on-screen (accompanied by a piano). The song was written and produced by Simon May
Simon May
Simon May is a British musician and composer, best known for composing some of British television's best known theme tunes, including EastEnders and Howards' Way, and for composing the music for the 1988 film The Dawning....
, who famously composed the EastEnders theme tune. "Every Loser Wins" was a smash hit, reaching number 1 in the UK singles chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, where it stayed for three weeks, knocking Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
's "True Blue" off the top spot. It was the second biggest-selling single in the UK that year after "Don't Leave Me This Way
Don't Leave Me This Way
"Don't Leave Me This Way" is an R&B/soul/disco song written by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, and Cary Gilbert. First charting as a hit for Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, an act on Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International label in 1975, "Don't Leave Me This Way" was later a hit single for both...
" by The Communards
The Communards
The Communards were a British pop duo active from 1985 to 1988. They are most famous for their cover of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' song, "Don't Leave Me This Way" as well as "Never Can Say Goodbye".-History:...
, and held the record as the highest climbing chart single ever until 2001, when it was eclipsed by "It's the Way You Make Me Feel
It's the Way You Make Me Feel
"It's The Way You Make Me Feel" is a song by Steps, released as their twelfth single. It is the fourth song to be released from their third album Buzz. The single's b-side, a cover of Marvin Gaye's "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby", was taken from the Motown Mania compilation...
" by Steps (which climbed from 72-2). "Every Loser Wins" sold over a million copies and earned composer Simon May an Ivor Novello award. The song "also provided levity" on-screen, when it was used as Lofty Holloway
Lofty Holloway
George "Lofty" Holloway is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Tom Watt. Lofty is one of the serial's original characters, making his first appearance in the third episode, 26 February 1985....
's break-up song after Michelle Fowler
Michelle Fowler
Michelle Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by actress Susan Tully.Although she was one of the brighter people in Walford, that didn't stop Michelle making some huge mistakes during her time in Albert Square...
had jilted him at the altar. Although the plot produced two hit singles in the real world, the actual storyline was not a great success with viewers. EastEnders creators 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...
and Tony Holland
Tony Holland
Anthony John "Tony" Holland was an English television screenwriter best known as a writer and co-creator of the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Early career:...
both felt it lacked credibility and branded it an experiment that failed.
Paternity
1986 heralded the beginning of a storyline that Colin Brake has described as one of the soap's most complicated, convoluted, confusing and mind-boggling: The paternity of Simon Wicks. As part of the original storyline, Wicksy's mother Pat (Pam St Clement) was introduced as a major antagonist for the Beale family, when she announced that her former husband Pete was not Simon's biological father, as had previously been claimed. So began a long-running storyline played out throughout the year and continuing into 1988, which included other characters being implemented as the potential father of Simon, including Pete's older brother Kenny Beale (Michael AttwellMichael Attwell
Michael John Attwell was an English actor.He is possibly best known for his role as Kenny Beale in the television soap opera EastEnders....
). In the on-screen events, Simon was shown to bond with Kenny, despite Pat admitting that she did not know which of the Beale brothers had fathered Wicksy. A final plot twist mid 1988 saw Pat finally reveal what she thought was thr truth, that Simon's real father was Brian Wicks (Leslie Schofield
Leslie Schofield
Leslie Schofield is an English actor who is most famous in the UK for his role as Jeff Healy in the popular soap opera, EastEnders where he played Jeff from 1997 to 2000. His character was famous for unsuccessfully proposing to Pauline Fowler...
), Pat's second husband and Wicksy's adoptive father.
Despite this revelation on-screen, Colin Brake stated in an official EastEnders
Love triangle
Another long-running storyline featuring Wicksy was began in 1988 with the on-screen arrival of a love-interest for Wicksy, Cindy WilliamsCindy Beale
Cindy Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Michelle Collins.Cindy always had an eye for the lotharios of Walford and despite trying to settle down repeatedly with the more reliable Ian Beale, she was unable to remain faithful to him. She had a selfish...
(Michelle Collins
Michelle Collins
Michelle Danielle Collins is a British actress best known for her roles on television in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, as Cindy Beale, Coronation Street as Stella Price, and BBC dramas Sunburn and Two Thousand Acres of Sky...
). In the storyline, Cindy had a fling with womanising Wicksy before opting to have a more serious relationship with his setpbrother Ian Beale
Ian Beale
Ian Albert Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Adam Woodyatt. He is the longest-serving character and the only remaining original character to have appeared continuously since the first episode on 19 February 1985...
(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...
). Colin Brake suggested that with this storyline, EastEnders were sowing the seeds of a situation that would provide much story material for many years to come: an affair between Wicksy and Cindy resulting in a pregnancy. In a plot twist, Cindy, rejected by Simon, married Ian and appropriated him as the father of Steven Beale
Steven Beale
Steven Peter Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Edward Farrell from 1989 to 1990, Stuart Stevens from 1992 to 1996, Edward Savage from 1997 to 2002, and Aaron Sidwell from 2007 to 2008...
, Wicksy's baby. The eternal triangle continued into 1990, resulting in Cindy leaving Ian for Wicksy.
The episode where Ian finally discovered that Simon was Cindy's other man was dubbed by the script department as "the Devon Cottage Climax" and aired in September 1990. Colin Brake has hailed it as the best episode of that year. Brake says that after having set up the secret that Steven was Wicksy's son rather than Ian's, the script writers knew that this was a secret that had to be blown, and the entire story built to this moment. In the on-screen events, Wicksy was spending time with Cindy at her parents house, and Ian was released from hospital following a suicide bid after Cindy left him. Brake stated that "the scene was set. Debbie Cook's scripts took Pete and Ian, with his leg in plaster, to Devon for a confrontation that would contain elements of tragedy and farce. Particularly memorable was Ian furiously throwing bricks through the window of the house, followed by one of his crutches. This episode ended ominously with Ian finding Cindy's father's shotgun and stealing it ... Directed by Matthew Evans, these episodes not only brought the story to a good climax but also laid the roots for the next three months' worth of stories, building up to Wicksy and Cindy's final exit."
Departure
After five years playing Wicksy, Nick Berry quit the role in 1990 and the character was written out in December that year, Berry having been offered a lucrative deal with BBC's rival network, ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
. Berry has since suggested that he left the role as he feared being typecast.
When asked in interviews, Berry has refused to rule out a possible return to Eastenders. In 2001, Berry commented, "Well, they never did kill off Wicksy. Maybe one day, he'll make a dramatic return through the doors of the Queen Vic? Never say never - who knows when I'll need the work..."
In 2007, executive producer of EastEnders, 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...
, stated that Wicksy was the character he would most like to see return to the serial. He commented, "I'd love to see what he's like today. What is this golden boy, who had the world and the women of Walford at his feet, doing now? Has he delivered on his early promise? I loved Nick Berry playing him – Simon was a likeable but complex character. Maybe I should ask him to come back…" He confirmed his desire to get the character back to website Walford Web in 2010, but added that it was not to be; he did not state whether or not Berry had been approached.