EastEnders (lost footage of Frances Cuka's scenes and Barbara Windsor's auditions as Peggy Mitchell; 1991-1994)

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Barbara Windsor as Peggy Mitchell.

Status: Lost

EastEnders is a long-running soap opera produced and broadcast by the BBC since 1985. One of the show's most iconic characters is Peggy Mitchell, the tough, outspoken landlady of the Queen Victoria and mother of Phil, Grant and Sam Mitchell. Barbara Windsor portrayed Peggy from November 1994 to May 2016. However, Peggy herself was introduced in April 1991, when she was played by Jo Warne up until July that same year. Interestingly, Warne was not the BBC's first choice to portray the character. After an unidentified actress declined the role, Frances Cuka filmed scenes as Peggy for eight upcoming episodes, but none ultimately made it to air. Before being cast as Peggy, Windsor conducted two auditions at the Arches alongside Ross Kemp and Steve McFadden.

Background

Considering how Peggy would later become a cornerstone of EastEnders, information on actresses shortlisted for her 1991 portrayal is surprisingly limited.[1][2] According to Issue 4,470 of Radio Times, the BBC had originally cast an as-yet unidentified actress but was forced to change plans after she backed out at the last minute.[1] The corporation therefore picked Frances Cuka instead.[3][4][1] At the time, Cuka had achieved success in theatre plays like A Taste of Honey and Same Time, Next Year, which took her to the West End, Broadway and the Royal Court among other prestigious venues.[4][3] Though she narrowly missed out on a film adaptation of A Taste of Honey, she did land some notable film and television roles including Bob Cratchit's wife Emily in the 1970 musical version of Scrooge and Doll Tearsheet in the BBC's adaptation of Henry IV, Part Two.[4][3] Before being cast as Peggy, Cuka did appear in the 1988 EastEnders World War 2 spin-off episode Civvy Street, where she ironically portrayed then-Queen Vic landlady Lil Sewell.[5]

On paper, Cuka seemed ideal to portray Peggy. By 1991, she was in her mid-fifties,[4] precisely the intended age range for the character.[6] She was also described as holding a "powerful and sympathetic presence" according to The Guardian,[4] which matched Peggy's characterisation as an outspoken, no-nonsense matriarch.[6] Another rather unfortunate supporting aspect was that she was not an especially notable actress of that period.[4][3] Cuka narrowly missed on becoming a major star, particularly when Rita Tushingham landed the A Taste of Honey role at Cuka's expense.[4] The lack of notability was what EastEnders' cast department preferred since the show's inception.[7][8] It was also why Barbara Windsor was not in the running for what was then a bit-part role, as she was deemed too synonymous with her previous Carry On film appearances.[8] According to Radio Times, Cuka filmed scenes for eight episodes of EastEnders.[1] But for unclear reasons, the BBC decided to drop Cuka and instead have her be replaced by Jo Warne.[3][1]

Beforehand, Warne made one-off appearances for such programmes as The Bill.[9] Her most notable role was as Betty Harris in the ITV comedy show Spring & Autumn, which ran for four series from 1972 to 1976.[10][11] Warne's debut appearance as Peggy came in Episode 650, broadcast on 30th April 1991.[12][13] She was involved in two storylines; she first discovered her son Grant (Ross Kemp) attempted to reenlist in the Army.[12][13] She promptly confronted her other son Phil (Steve McFadden) and Grant's wife Sharon (Letitia Dean) over Grant's decision.[12] This narrative ended when Grant was deemed not psychologically fit for military service.[13] However, a more pressing issue concerned her 16-year-old daughter Sam (Danniella Westbrook), who fell for mechanic Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen) and planned to elope with him.[14][9][13] Even before this occurred, Peggy's relationship with Sam was strained because the latter's conception was unplanned and forced her mother to stay with her abusive husband Eric.[6] Throughout the storyline, Peggy aimed to put the brakes on Sam's plans.[13] Warne's final appearance was in Episode 675, which aired on 25th July 1991.[15] Ultimately, Peggy's final bid to stop Sam's marriage fails and she reluctantly gives the newlyweds her blessing.[15][13]

Windsor's Auditions

Following this, there were no further plans for Peggy until Barbara Emile took over as the show's series producer in 1994.[16] With the backing of Kemp and McFadden, Emile sought to cast Barbara Windsor as Peggy.[17][16] In November 1985, Windsor appeared on Wogan where she discussed being a fan of EastEnders,[18] having grown up in the East End herself.[19][8] But by 1994, Windsor was keen to eliminate the attractive yet ditzy blonde image she acquired thanks to her nine Carry On film appearances,[20] which made her typecast and less able to find work outside of theatre plays.[21][22][8][19] Though she discussed on Wogan the excitement she had in becoming a landlady,[18] this dream had now become a nightmare as her pub The Plough had accumulated debts of £1 million and the lack of income put her home on the line.[23][22] Windsor had applied to become a regular for the panel show What's My Line?, but was overlooked in favour of June Whitfield.[21] But beforehand, Windsor had regularly spoken about her desire to appear in EastEnders.[21][20] One such person she discussed this with was none other than the show's casting director Jane Deitch.[21][20] Windsor was subsequently offered the part of Peggy Mitchell, which the producers thought she would decline.[21][22][16]

Windsor was understandably puzzled by this re-casting decision, pointing out Warne had already played Peggy.[21][22] But according to Windsor's agent Barry Burnett, the producers were unhappy with Warne's portrayal and sought Windsor.[21][22] Though Windsor's casting broke EastEnders' ambition to feature mainly unknown actors,[8] her arrival came at a critical time when the show suffered a ratings drop and was criticised for its frequent dark and otherwise uninteresting plotlines.[19][20] The fact Windsor and Warne shared no physical similarities was seemingly of little concern for the show's higher-ups,[24][25] who fully backed Emile's decision.[16] However, in an interview with Watford Web, Emile stated her future as series producer depended on Windsor's success as Peggy, with concern that her prior fame may prevent fans from believing in the character.[16] Hence, before a final decision was made, Windsor would first need to pass an audition.[26][21][16][17] Windsor described the news as "a bit of a blow to my pride", but understood the audition's importance.[21]

The auditions were top-secret, with only a handful of the EastEnders crew aware of it.[16] Among them included the audition's scriptwriter Tony Jordan; and McFadden and Kemp, who earnestly agreed to feature with Windsor despite it being a Bank Holiday.[16][17][21] Windsor was ferried into EastEnders' Elstree Studios;[21][16] plans to film at the Queen Vic were scrapped so it instead took place in the Arches.[21] To say Windsor was nervous heading into the audition is a strong understatement.[21][26] She recalled becoming extremely emotional when she struggled to rehearse her lines days beforehand and later vomited while travelling to Elstree.[21][26] Still, after applying a blonde wig once worn by Dean and an old tracksuit, Windsor conducted two auditions in front of the cameras.[21][26][16] According to Emile, the scene involved Peggy reuniting with her sons.[16] One version was more dramatic and emotional, which Windsor herself felt confident in.[21][26] However, a more humorous recording proved more difficult since Windsor fixated on avoiding a replication of her trademark Carry On laugh.[21][26] Though Windsor felt the auditions were a failure, everyone else present naturally disagreed.[21][16][17] She subsequently received a four-month contract, which was announced in September 1994.[21][19][23] An emotional Windsor described this as being a "lifeline".[27][22][23][17]

Windsor made her debut as Peggy in Episode 1049, broadcast on 7th November 1994.[28] In the episode, Peggy visits Phil in hospital, both to reassure him and to enquire as to why he ended up there. Phil, not wanting to tell his mother the horrendous truth, states he ended up in an accident at work. Following this, Peggy meets Phil's partner Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth) at the latter's café and gives her an engagement present. She also briefly chats with her long-term frenemy Pat Butcher (Pam St. Clement). She later enters the Queen Vic to find Grant and Sharon. Michelle Fowler (Susan Tully) and Steve Elliot (Mark Monero), in trying to protect Sharon who is hiding upstairs, inform Peggy that the pair had left the Queen Vic earlier.[28] Peggy eventually reunites with Grant in the following episode.[21] As noted by Windsor herself, her initial four-month run was received lukewarmly by critics.[21][26] Some were disappointed the glamour from Windsor's previous roles was not apparent in EastEnders, while others anticipated a more "no-nonsense" approach previously fulfilled by Warne.[20][26][21][19] In an interview with the Watford Gazette, Windsor stated the original producers and writers envisioned Peggy as a vulnerable older lady continually worried about her three children.[20] This may have reflected how the crew were impressed with Windsor's display of vulnerability during the auditions.[21] Not only did Windsor feel this was a poor characterisation, but it was also not helped by an ill-fitting wig and downmarket clothes.[20][21]

Behind-the-scenes, Windsor expressed her initial struggles to fit in with her new, serious acting role.[21] While she appreciated playing Peggy, she struggled to complete even the most basic of scenes, seldom had input in her character's direction and appearance, and had to change in a dark makeshift dressing room.[21] Having grown depressed she would soon be cut, Windsor was stunned when new executive producer Corinne Hollingworth informed her she was signed on for another four months.[21][23] This decision likely factored in Windsor attracting at least five million new viewers, as well as Hollingworth seeing great potential with the character.[21][20][26] She and Windsor agreed the character needed a makeover, achieved by wearing what Peggy believes is fashionable in magazines, but is not quite the real deal.[21] Her characterisation saw her become more assertive and a "mad cow" too.[20] These changes were especially evident in Episode 1113, broadcast on 3rd April 1995.[29] The episode witnessed Peggy confront her sons over the real reason behind Phil's hospitalisation: Sharongate, where a tape of Sharon confessing to Michelle about her affair with Phil was aired to Grant and others, causing Grant to fight and nearly kill his brother.[30] Admonishing Phil for his actions and both sons for keeping the truth from her, she later makes Sharon's life a living hell.[29]

The storyline culminated in Peggy becoming the Queen Vic's landlady, which solidified her character.[21] She soon developed her famous catchphrase "Get out of my pub!".[31] Peggy subsequently became among the show's most iconic characters.[8][26] Windsor regularly appeared in EastEnders until 2010 and featured in a few one-off episodes until 2016.[32][8] In Episode 5286, broadcast on 17th May 2016 and viewed by up to eight million viewers, Peggy commits suicide following a diagnosis of terminal breast cancer.[33][32] In another piece of lost media, Channel 4 reality show Gogglebox opted not to show the families' reactions to Peggy's death after they were deemed too upsetting.[34] Keen to kill off Peggy so she could avoid constant returns to EastEnders,[33] Windsor was also diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease two years prior which made it increasingly difficult for her to learn her lines.[35][8][32] Her final acting role was in a 2017 BBC film about her life, titled Babs.[8] On 10th December 2020, Windsor passed away at the age of 83.[35][8] Despite missing out on portraying Peggy, Cuka landed other notable roles.[4][3] This included Mrs Bassey in Casualty and the grandma Eleanor "Nelly" Buller in the Channel 4 series Friday Night Dinner.[36] Cuka passed away on 21st February 2020, aged 83.[3][4] Warne continued her acting career up until 1998.[9] Her last notable role was as Mrs Bobbins for the BBC children's show Bodger & Badger.[37][10] Warne passed away in January 2017, aged 79.[37]

Availability

Cuka's aborted run as Peggy is obscure, even among the EastEnders fanbase.[38] Issue 4,470 of Radio Times was the only source to provide further context;[1] all other sources merely mentioned that Cuka missed out on the show.[3][4] On 15th January 2024, Lost Media Wiki user SpaceManiac888 contacted Radio Times' Reader Services for more information.[2] Alas, they could find little more than "passing mentions".[2] No footage nor photos of Cuka as Peggy have publicly resurfaced.[38]

Windsor's auditions have also not resurfaced,[38] having only been mentioned by the actress herself and by other sources.[21][26][17] It is possible the tapes were broadcast on the BBC Three behind-the-scenes spin-off EastEnders Revealed.[39] Notably, in the 2003 documentary "Being Peggy Mitchell", Windsor discussed being cast as Peggy and her nervous start on the show.[40][22] Other EastEnders Revealed episodes had shown auditions, including those for Roxy (Rita Simons) and Ronnie Mitchell (Samantha Womack).[41] However, most EastEnders Revealed episodes are also lost media, with only a few clips of "Being Peggy Mitchell" having been uploaded by BBC Archive.[40][22] This makes it impossible to verify whether the auditions were indeed included in the documentary. ITV chat show Piers Morgan's Life Stories also discussed the screentests but did not provide any footage of them.[17]

Gallery

Videos

First appearance of Jo Warne as Peggy Mitchell.

First appearance of Barbara Windsor as Peggy Mitchell.

Peggy confronting her sons over the infamous Sharongate.

See Also

External Links

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Issue 4,470 of Radio Times providing the majority of information surrounding Cuka's scrapped portrayal of Peggy Mitchell. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Correspondence between Lost Media Wiki user SpaceManiac888 and Radio Times' Reader Services. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 BBC News reporting on the death of Cuka and her career, briefly summarising her scrapped appearances as Peggy. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 The Guardian obituary for Cuka. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  5. ↑ ATV Today noting Cuka portrayed Lil Sewell in Civvy Street. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 EastEnders Handbook summarising Peggy as portrayed by Warne. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  7. ↑ EastEnders: The Inside Story noting how the original cast of EastEnders mostly consisted of unknown actors, who became stars just two years into the show's run. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8 8.9 The Guardian obituary for Windsor, noting how she was previously considered too famous for EastEnders. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 MyLondon summarising Warne's career and her brief time as Peggy. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 British Comedy Guide listing Warne's credits in comedic shows. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  11. ↑ British Comedy Guide summarising Spring & Autumn. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Episode 650 which was the debut of Peggy as portrayed by Warne. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 EastEnders Handbook summarising the storylines between April to July 1991. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  14. ↑ Metro summarising Warne's time on EastEnders and her involvement in Sam's elopement storyline. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Episode 675 which marked Warne's final appearance as Peggy. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  16. ↑ 16.00 16.01 16.02 16.03 16.04 16.05 16.06 16.07 16.08 16.09 16.10 16.11 Watford Web interview with Barbara Emile, where she discussed casting Windsor as Peggy and the screentests. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 17.6 Piers Morgan's Life Stories summarising the screentests. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 1985 Wogan interview with Windsor, where she discussed her interest in EastEnders and becoming a landlady. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 Independent reporting on Windsor being cast as Peggy, likely as a ploy to increase the show's ratings. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 20.5 20.6 20.7 20.8 Archived Watford Gazette interview with Windsor where she discussed her career, being cast during the "worst creative period" and the changes incorporated to her character when a new producer took over. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  21. ↑ 21.00 21.01 21.02 21.03 21.04 21.05 21.06 21.07 21.08 21.09 21.10 21.11 21.12 21.13 21.14 21.15 21.16 21.17 21.18 21.19 21.20 21.21 21.22 21.23 21.24 21.25 21.26 21.27 21.28 21.29 21.30 Extract from All Of Me: My Extraordinary Life where Windsor discussed the auditions, her difficult time starting out on the show and the changes which helped make her a mainstay for EastEnders (republished in the Daily Mail). Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 22.5 22.6 22.7 Extract of EastEnders Revealed programme "Being Peggy Mitchell" where Windsor discussed how the role as Peggy was a lifeline (provided by BBC Archive). Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 Daily Mirror summarising Windsor's struggles in managing a failing pub and the lifeline she received by having her EastEnders contract extended. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  24. ↑ Archived The Stage noting how strange it was to replace Warne with Windsor continuity-wise. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  25. ↑ Digital Spy noting how Warne and Windsor looked completely different. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  26. ↑ 26.00 26.01 26.02 26.03 26.04 26.05 26.06 26.07 26.08 26.09 26.10 Archived The Telegraph summarising Windsor's two auditions and the initial teething problems of her first run on the show, which were ultimately rectified. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  27. ↑ The Telegraph detailing how becoming Peggy saved Windsor. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Episode 1049 which marked Windsor's debut as Peggy. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Episode 1113 where Peggy confronts her sons and Sharon over Sharongate. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  30. ↑ Archived BBC summary of Sharongate. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  31. ↑ BBC providing a montage of "Get out of my pub!" Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 Daily Mirror reporting on Windsor's decision to kill off Peggy. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 Independent reporting on the episode that featured Peggy's death and Windsor's decision to end her time on the show. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  34. ↑ Metro reporting on Gogglebox deciding not to televise reactions to Peggy's death. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 BBC News reporting on the death of Windsor. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  36. ↑ British Comedy Guide listing Cuka's comedic roles, particularly for Friday Night Dinner. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 MyLondon summarising Warne's final roles Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 38.2 Watford Web discussing Cuka's scrapped scenes as Peggy and Windsor's auditions. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  39. ↑ BBC summary of EastEnders Revealed. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 BBC Archive providing a clip of "Being Peggy Mitchell" where Windsor discussed her nervy start on the show. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
  41. ↑ Audition tape conducted by Rita Simons and Samantha Womack. Retrieved 27th Feb '24
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