David Wicks
Encyclopedia
David Wicks is a fictional character
from the BBC
soap opera
EastEnders
, played by Michael French
. He originally appeared between 1993 to 1996. On 13 November 2011, it was announced French would be returning to EastEnders for Pat Evans
' (Pam St Clement) departure storyline.
(Pam St Clement) and her first husband Pete Beale
(Peter Dean
). Pat and Pete split up when David and his brother Simon
(Nick Berry
) were young and Pat remarried to Brian Wicks (Leslie Schofield
), who adopted both David and Simon (who turned out to be Brian's biological son). Meanwhile Pete remarried to Kathy Hills
(Gillian Taylforth
) and had another son, Ian
(Adam Woodyatt
). Pete had no further contact with David and Simon when they moved away from Walford in 1976.
During his teenage years David got his girlfriend Carol Branning
(Lindsey Coulson
) pregnant. David and the rest of the Branning family tried to persuade Carol to have an abortion and after Carol's brother Derek
(Terence Beesley
, later Jamie Foreman
) severely beat David up the Wicks family left Walford, so David never really knew whether Carol did have the abortion or not. For the next few years David, along with his mother and brother, suffered at the violent hands of his abusive stepfather Brian. Pat also proved to be a negligent mother due to her alcoholism and constant promiscuity and after turning 17, David began living with his girlfriend Lorraine Foster
(Jacqueline Leonard
) away from his parents. During this time Lorraine fell pregnant by him and after they married she gave birth to their son Joe
(Paul Nicholls
) in 1980 when David was 18. This was shortly followed by the birth of their daughter Karen in 1982. However David was a restless man who felt he had been tied down too young and after embarking on several affairs he walked out on his wife and children in 1988, losing all contact with them.
(Sid Owen
) with a car lot that they named "Deals on Wheels". He received a blast from the past in the form of Carol and her large brood of children and soon found himself falling for her oldest daughter Bianca
(Patsy Palmer
). Carol was very frosty and hostile towards him, and was horrified when she witnessed the growing relationship between David and Bianca. This resulted in Carol telling David that Bianca was his daughter in March 1994. David was stunned but agreed to keep his distance from Bianca, much to her chagrin. Eventually the truth was revealed to an embarrassed Bianca in March 1995 when, after drunkenly trying to kiss David after he rescued her from almost being mugged, David was forced to confess that she was his daughter. Despite being initially frosty towards David, Bianca soon formed a close relationship with her father.
David received a further shock when his estranged son Joe turned up in Walford in April 1996. With him came the news that his daughter Karen had died in a car accident nine months previously. Joe's return caused many problems for David, and at first David rejected the idea of having his son back in his life. However, after Joe ran away and turned up at David's again, he became more receptive to Joe and having him in his life again. Eventually Joe and Lorraine moved down to London from Bolton and Joe moved in with David. Things went OK for a little while but Karen's death had seriously affected Joe. Joe blamed himself for Karen's death because on the day that Karen died, they'd had an argument over who would sit in the front seat in the car. Joe won and Karen was sitting in the back when a lorry crashed into the car. Karen was horrifically injured and died, whilst Joe walked away with little more than bruises. This led to Joe developing schizophrenia
and exhibiting increasingly weird behaviour that got progressively worse. This was too much for David and one of the reasons why he eventually left Walford
.
David was a notorious womaniser. He had relations with Sam Mitchell (Danniella Westbrook
, later Kim Medcalf
) and an affair with Cindy Beale
(Michelle Collins
), the wife of his half-brother Ian. Unfortunately Cindy became obsessed with the idea of running off with David, and hired a hit man to kill Ian. Ian was shot but survived, and when David found out, he felt it was too much and ended the relationship, but not before helping her escape with her two sons. Shortly after, David had a fling with old flame, Carol.
Eventually, the truth came out about David's affair and fore-knowledge of the attempted murder of Ian, and with the loss of friends and alienation of his family, together with Joe's worsening mental condition with schizophrenia he decided it was too much and left Albert Square for Milan
in a torrent of tears one night after telling Joe he was going. In 2010, David sent Bianca £10,000 for her wedding as he was unable to attend.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
, played by Michael French
Michael French (actor)
Michael French is an English actor, most notable for his role as consultant Nick Jordan in Casualty and former cardiothoracic registrar in Holby City...
. He originally appeared between 1993 to 1996. On 13 November 2011, it was announced French would be returning to EastEnders for 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) departure storyline.
Background
David is the son of Pat EvansPat 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) and her first husband 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
Peter Dean
Peter Dean is a British actor, most notable for his role as Pete Beale in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Career:Dean decided on a career in acting after actress Prunella Scales witnessed him rehearsing Shakespeare in Petticoat Lane Market and advised him to take drama classes...
). Pat and Pete split up when David and his brother Simon
Simon Wicks
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...
(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...
) were young and Pat remarried to 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...
), who adopted both David and Simon (who turned out to be Brian's biological son). Meanwhile Pete remarried to Kathy Hills
Kathy Hills
Katherine "Kathy" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Gillian Taylforth between 1985 and 2000...
(Gillian Taylforth
Gillian Taylforth
Gillian Taylforth is an English actress. She is best known for her roles as Kathy Mitchell on the BBC soap opera, EastEnders and as Jackie Pascoe-Webb on ITV's Footballers Wives , but more recently as Sgt. Nikki Wright in ITV's The Bill...
) and had another son, Ian
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...
). Pete had no further contact with David and Simon when they moved away from Walford in 1976.
During his teenage years David got his girlfriend Carol Branning
Carol Jackson
Carol Ann Jackson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lindsey Coulson. The character was introduced in 1993 as part of a new problem family. Coulson decided to quit the role in 1997, but she returned temporarily in 1999 as part of a storyline that marked Carol's...
(Lindsey Coulson
Lindsey Coulson
Lindsey Coulson is an English actress, best known for her role as Carol Jackson in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.- Career :...
) pregnant. David and the rest of the Branning family tried to persuade Carol to have an abortion and after Carol's brother Derek
Derek Branning
Derek Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Terence Beesley in 1996 and then Jamie Foreman from 2011 onwards. Derek is the eldest child of Jim and Reenie Branning . He made his first appearance on 29 April 1996 and departed not long after...
(Terence Beesley
Terence Beesley
Terence Beesley is an English actor and writer. He was born in London to Irish parents and trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art....
, later Jamie Foreman
Jamie Foreman
Jamie Foreman is an English actor best known for his roles as Duke in Layer Cake and Bill Sikes in Roman Polanski's Oliver Twist . He played opposite Ray Winstone and Kathy Burke in Gary Oldman's Nil by Mouth and also featured in Elizabeth , Gangster No. 1 and Sleepy Hollow...
) severely beat David up the Wicks family left Walford, so David never really knew whether Carol did have the abortion or not. For the next few years David, along with his mother and brother, suffered at the violent hands of his abusive stepfather Brian. Pat also proved to be a negligent mother due to her alcoholism and constant promiscuity and after turning 17, David began living with his girlfriend Lorraine Foster
Lorraine Wicks
Lorraine Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jacqueline Leonard between 1996 and 1997.-Storylines:...
(Jacqueline Leonard
Jacqueline Leonard
Jacqueline Leonard is an English television, film and theatre actress.Best known for her appearances in long-running British television shows, she played Lorraine Wicks in the London-based soap opera EastEnders, and also appeared in the Glasgow-based soap River City as gangster's wife Lydia...
) away from his parents. During this time Lorraine fell pregnant by him and after they married she gave birth to their son Joe
Joe Wicks
Joe Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Paul Nicholls. He appeared on screen between 25 March 1996 and 14 November 1997. EastEnders was praised for the character's portrayal of schizophrenia.-Storylines:...
(Paul Nicholls
Paul Nicholls
Paul Nicholls is an English actor.-Career in TV:Nicholls made his TV debut in 1989, at the age of 10, in Children's Ward. In 1994 he appeared in the BBC children's drama Earthfasts and The Biz, a teenage performing arts drama filmed at Hampton Court...
) in 1980 when David was 18. This was shortly followed by the birth of their daughter Karen in 1982. However David was a restless man who felt he had been tied down too young and after embarking on several affairs he walked out on his wife and children in 1988, losing all contact with them.
1993–96
David returned to Albert Square on 23 December 1993 for the funeral of his father Pete, who had died in a car crash two weeks earlier. A few weeks later he turned up on the doorstep of his mother Pat and soon went into business with her stepson Ricky ButcherRicky Butcher
Richard Francis "Ricky" Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Sid Owen. Introduced as a school boy in 1988, Ricky is one of the longest-running, male protagonists to feature in EastEnders. Owen originally left the role in 2000 to pursue a music career...
(Sid Owen
Sid Owen
Sid Owen is an English actor, television presenter and former singer, most famous for playing the role of Ricky Butcher in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, which he appeared in from 1988 until 2000, 2002 until 2004 and then again from March 2008.-Career:Prior to his role in EastEnders he had a...
) with a car lot that they named "Deals on Wheels". He received a blast from the past in the form of Carol and her large brood of children and soon found himself falling for her oldest daughter Bianca
Bianca Jackson
Bianca Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Patsy Palmer. The character was introduced by executive producer Leonard Lewis and appeared initially from 1993 to 1999, when Palmer opted to leave. In 2002 executive producer John Yorke brought the character...
(Patsy Palmer
Patsy Palmer
Patsy Palmer is an English actress. Palmer made an early television appearance on the children's drama show Grange Hill, but is best known for playing Bianca Jackson in the popular British television soap opera EastEnders. Originally in the cast from 1993–1999, Palmer returned to EastEnders in...
). Carol was very frosty and hostile towards him, and was horrified when she witnessed the growing relationship between David and Bianca. This resulted in Carol telling David that Bianca was his daughter in March 1994. David was stunned but agreed to keep his distance from Bianca, much to her chagrin. Eventually the truth was revealed to an embarrassed Bianca in March 1995 when, after drunkenly trying to kiss David after he rescued her from almost being mugged, David was forced to confess that she was his daughter. Despite being initially frosty towards David, Bianca soon formed a close relationship with her father.
David received a further shock when his estranged son Joe turned up in Walford in April 1996. With him came the news that his daughter Karen had died in a car accident nine months previously. Joe's return caused many problems for David, and at first David rejected the idea of having his son back in his life. However, after Joe ran away and turned up at David's again, he became more receptive to Joe and having him in his life again. Eventually Joe and Lorraine moved down to London from Bolton and Joe moved in with David. Things went OK for a little while but Karen's death had seriously affected Joe. Joe blamed himself for Karen's death because on the day that Karen died, they'd had an argument over who would sit in the front seat in the car. Joe won and Karen was sitting in the back when a lorry crashed into the car. Karen was horrifically injured and died, whilst Joe walked away with little more than bruises. This led to Joe developing schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
and exhibiting increasingly weird behaviour that got progressively worse. This was too much for David and one of the reasons why he eventually left Walford
Walford
Walford is a fictional borough of east London in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. The name Walford is both a street in Dalston where one of the series' creators, Tony Holland, lived and a blend of Walthamstow, where Holland was born, and Stratford. The suffix 'ford' is also found throughout East...
.
David was a notorious womaniser. He had relations with Sam Mitchell (Danniella Westbrook
Danniella Westbrook
Danniella Westbrook is an English actress and television presenter. She is known for being the original actress to play Samantha Mitchell in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders from 1990–93, 1995–96, 1999–2000 and 2009–10. Away from EastEnders she has presented various shows, and was also a...
, later Kim Medcalf
Kim Medcalf
Kim Louise Medcalf is an English actress and occasional singer.She has made occasional appearances as a singer and is best known for playing the character Sam Mitchell in the long running BBC Soap Opera EastEnders from 2002 to 2005....
) and an affair 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...
(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...
), the wife of his half-brother Ian. Unfortunately Cindy became obsessed with the idea of running off with David, and hired a hit man to kill Ian. Ian was shot but survived, and when David found out, he felt it was too much and ended the relationship, but not before helping her escape with her two sons. Shortly after, David had a fling with old flame, Carol.
Eventually, the truth came out about David's affair and fore-knowledge of the attempted murder of Ian, and with the loss of friends and alienation of his family, together with Joe's worsening mental condition with schizophrenia he decided it was too much and left Albert Square for Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
in a torrent of tears one night after telling Joe he was going. In 2010, David sent Bianca £10,000 for her wedding as he was unable to attend.