Frank Butcher

Frank Butcher
EastEnders character
Portrayed by	Mike Reid
Duration	1987–2000, 2002, 2005
First appearance	Episode 268 8 September 1987 (1987-09-08)
Last appearance	Episode 3060 9 December 2005 (2005-12-09)
Classification	Former; regular
Introduced by	Julia Smith (1987) Corinne Hollingworth (1995) Jane Harris (1997) Mike Hudson (1998) John Yorke (2002) Kate Harwood (2005)
Spin-off appearances	Dimensions in Time (1993) Perfectly Frank (2003)
In-universe information Other names Neville Occupation Businessman Barman Car salesman Pub landlord Father George Butcher Mother Mo Butcher Sisters Joan Garwood Wife June Simmonds (until 1987) Pat Wicks (1989–1996) Peggy Mitchell (1999–2002) Sons Ricky Butcher Danny Daughters Clare Butcher Diane Butcher Janine Butcher Grandsons Jacques Butcher Liam Butcher Granddaughters Natasha Butcher Tiffany Butcher Scarlett Butcher

Frank Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Mike Reid. Frank makes his first appearance on-screen as a guest character in 1987, but due to a positive viewer reception, he is reintroduced in 1988 as a regular. Reid took a long hiatus from EastEnders in 1994 and Frank remained off-screen for over a year and a half. Frank made his return as a recurring character from December 1995 to January 1998.^[1] Frank eventually becomes a regular once again from May 1998 to November 2000, when Reid quit the show. Frank makes three brief reappearances after that, the final one in December 2005. Following Reid's death in July 2007, Frank died off-screen and the character was celebrated with a special week of episodes in April 2008.

Frank is a wheeler-dealer who likes to think of himself as a "big player" in the business world, but in reality, he is little more than a wily conman. He is a smooth-talker and full of charm, but his actions are often thoughtless and he tends to run instead of facing up to his responsibilities, leaving his loved ones to pick up the pieces. His love affair with Pat Harris (Pam St Clement) stems back to his teens, and he can never quite let her go, always breaking her heart, disappearing, and returning to break it all over again.