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The family of Bill Treacher, best known for playing EastEnders‘ Arthur Fowler, announced the sad news of his death in a statement this afternoon. They said the 92-year-old’s health “had been declining for some time” and that he died last Saturday.
“Bill was a brilliant actor and a wonderful husband and father, plus a very fine human being. He will be hugely missed.”
They added he “was much loved by his wife, Kate, his son, Jamie and his daughter, Sophie”.
An EastEnders spokesperson said: “It is with great sadness that we learnt of the passing of Bill Treacher. As one of our original cast members, Bill created a much loved character in Arthur Fowler and, alongside Wendy Richard, they created an iconic family in the Fowlers who still remain at the heart of the show.
“Bill left EastEnders in 1996 so it is a true testament to both he, and the character that he created in Arthur, that he is still thought of so fondly. Bill will always be remembered for his charm, sense of humour – with a smile that lit up the room – and more importantly as a family man who was devoted to his wife and children.
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Bill Treacher has died aged 92 (Image: GETTY)
Bill Treacher played Arthur Fowler for 11 years (Image: GETTY)
“Bill will forever be held in great affection by everyone at EastEnders and all those that loved watching him.”
The BBC star was the first person to be cast for EastEnders back in 1985 portraying Walford’s Arthur.
He played the role for 11 years up until his departure from Albert Square in 1996.
In a BBC documentary in 2003, Bill said he felt compelled to leave with advancing age and health worries.
Tributes have flooded in for the late EastEnders star Bill Treacher (Image: PA)
Bill Treacher was the first person to be cast for EastEnders back in 1985 (Image: GETTY)
He explained that the stress of the hectic filming schedule was affecting his health, and on doctors’ orders, was advised to leave.
Bill added: “By the time I finished, even the sound of the theme music was making me feel ill. I felt depressed.”
During his time on the soap, he was at the centre of many dramatic storylines including two prison stints, a struggle with unemployment and his daughter Michelle’s (Susan Tully) pregnancy aged 16.
Viewers will also remember Arthur’s affair with Christine Hewitt (Elizabeth Power) behind Pauline’s (Wendy Richard) back which almost broke up their marriage.
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Tributes from his co-stars have flooded in for the late actor.
Former EastEnders star Adam Woodyatt said: “So many memories of working with Bill, most of them involving him making us corpse.
“He would get this twinkle in his eye, you’d start laughing and he never got the blame.
“I used to love it when he was trying to remember his lines in rehearsal and he would just blunder and bluster until the correct word came out.”
Letitia Dean, who plays Sharon Watts, added: “Bill really was the life and soul of the set.
“As an actor, he was meticulous and he went to great lengths to portray Arthur, from the smallest scenes to the heartbreaking stories. Bill was an utter professional, a wonderful man.”
Kathy Beale actress Gillian Taylforth said she had “so many happy memories of Bill”.
“He always had a sparkle in his eyes, usually before he mischievously set us off laughing during scenes,” she added.
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