Shirley Cheriton
Encyclopedia
Shirley Cheriton is a British
actress and performer, best known for her roles as Debbie Wilkins
in the BBC
soap opera
EastEnders
and her portrayal of Miss Prescott in the Are You Being Served?
follow up, Grace & Favour
. Her EastEnders
role ran from her arrival in the Square in March 1985 until her departure with Detective
Terry Rich (Gary Whelan
) in May 1987. Her character is widely remembered as Walford
's original middle-class yuppie
, as well as for her stormy relationship with the Scottish
nurse, Andy O'Brien.
Other television credits include Angels
, where she played Katy Betts/Smart in one of EastEnders
creator Julia Smith
's earlier projects and M.I.T.: Murder Investigation Team
in 2003. She also appeared in at least one episode of The Cuckoo Waltz
.
Cheriton left her first husband for her EastEnders co-star Ross Davidson
, who played her on-screen boyfriend Andy O'Brien. She ended her relationship with Davidson via mobile phone
after five years, then married an accountant and is now a mother of two. Cheriton's elder son, Mark, was born in 1983.
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...
actress and performer, best known for her roles as Debbie Wilkins
Debbie Wilkins
Deborah "Debbie" Wilkins is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Shirley Cheriton.Debbie was Walford's first upwardly mobile character...
in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
soap opera
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...
and her portrayal of Miss Prescott in the Are You Being Served?
Are You Being Served?
Are You Being Served? is a British sitcom broadcast from 1972 to 1985. It was set in the ladies' and gentlemen's clothing departments of Grace Brothers, a large, fictional London department store. It was written mainly by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft, with contributions by Michael Knowles and John...
follow up, Grace & Favour
Grace & Favour
Grace & Favour is a British sitcom sequel to the long-running series Are You Being Served? It aired on BBC1 for two series from 1992 to 1993 and marked the return of Are You Being Served? creators and writers Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft.-History:The idea of a spinoff was originally suggested by...
. Her 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...
role ran from her arrival in the Square in March 1985 until her departure with Detective
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
Terry Rich (Gary Whelan
Gary Whelan
Gary Whelan is an Irish actor, known for his work on British television.Although born in Ireland, Gary relocated to London when he was ten years old.-Acting:He has portrayed several roles in the police force...
) in May 1987. Her character is widely remembered as 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...
's original middle-class yuppie
Yuppie
Yuppie is a term that refers to a member of the upper middle class or upper class in their 20s or 30s. It first came into use in the early-1980s and largely faded from American popular culture in the late-1980s, due to the 1987 stock market crash and the early 1990s recession...
, as well as for her stormy relationship with the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
nurse, Andy O'Brien.
Other television credits include Angels
Angels (TV series)
Angels was originally a British television seasonal drama series dealing with the subject of student nurses and was broadcast by the BBC between 1975 and 1978. The show's format then switched to a twice weekly soap opera format from 1979 to 1983. The show's title derived from the name of the...
, where she played Katy Betts/Smart in one of 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...
creator 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...
's earlier projects and M.I.T.: Murder Investigation Team
M.I.T.: Murder Investigation Team (TV series)
MIT: Murder Investigation Team was a British police procedural drama series produced by the ITV network as a spin-off from the long running series, The Bill. The series is based around the investigations of a London Murder Investigation Team, and is closely styled after the American series CSI:...
in 2003. She also appeared in at least one episode of The Cuckoo Waltz
The Cuckoo Waltz
The Cuckoo Waltz was a British television sitcom made by Granada Television for the ITV network between 1975 and 1977 and in 1980.The series which was set in 1970s and Manchester, written by Geoffrey Lancashire, produced and directed by Bill Gilmour, dealt with the comic complications that ensue...
.
Cheriton left her first husband for her EastEnders co-star Ross Davidson
Ross Davidson
William Russell "Ross" Davidson was a British actor best known for his role as Andy O'Brien in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Career:...
, who played her on-screen boyfriend Andy O'Brien. She ended her relationship with Davidson via mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
after five years, then married an accountant and is now a mother of two. Cheriton's elder son, Mark, was born in 1983.