EastEnders fans have seen the last of Derek Harkinson
Ian Lavender won’t be making any further appearances in EastEnders, reports suggest.
The actor re-joined the beeb saga as Derek Harkinson last Christmas, but hasn’t been seen in the role since the summer.
“It has been decided Derek is no longer part of the show,” a source told the Daily Star. “Everyone loved working with Ian but the writers didn’t feel there was anything more they wanted to explore with his character.”
First appearing in the programme in November 2001, Derek was a childhood friend of Pauline Fowler (Wendy Richard). The pair became reacquainted through Pauline’s involvement in a Christmas play.
Pauline initially took a romantic interest in Derek and was left mortified when he revealed that he is gay. Their friendship survived and Derek became Pauline’s lodger and a father-figure to her son Martin. Derek decided to move away in 2005.
Wendy Richard and Ian Lavender during his first stint in EastEnders
The BBC One soap’s former Executive Producer Sean O’Connor took the decision to reintroduce the character last year in scenes that saw him involved with another Christmas play. He hung around and later landed a job at the Minute Mart which an historic conviction threatened to put paid to.
Lavender is best known to television viewers for his role as Private Frank Pike in long running BBC wartime sitcom Dad’s Army. Set in the fictional Walmington-on-Sea during WWII the show ran from 1968 to 1977; with Lavender’s character working during the day at the local bank alongside his alleged father (although it was often implied but never said) Sergent Arthur Wilson (John Le Mesurier) and bank manager Captain George Manwaring (Arthur Lowe).
In the evening the three assisted the ‘home guard’ protecting Britain from Nazi invasion. The main plots revolved around the adventures and mis-adventures of the platoon which also starred Clive Dunn as Lance Corporal Jones and Arnold Ridley as Private Godfrey. Wendy Richard appeared twice in Dad’s Army in two differing roles.
The characters were devised by Jimmy Perry, who noted Private Pike was based upon himself during that period of time in the 1940s.
