# UK Soap and Drama Discussion > EastEnders > Spoilers >  Jean Slater (Gillian Wright)

## Florijo

I read on another website that, according to the TV Times, EE are planning to bring back Jean Slater in the summer. 

I think this might mean that Stacey's brother might make an appearance too. I think EE need to be carefull with this though, as Stacey is in danger of being overused. Still it could be interesting. I really hope it is the same actress who played Jean last time as she was really good.

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## littlemo

I read that on DS too. I put it on the Stacey/Bradley thread though because I thought if it had a source it didn't need to be in the rumour mill, just a thought.

Anyhow I am really glad Jean is coming back, and possibly Sean (did hear he was back in the autumn, I think that was DS again). The storyline with her and Stacey was fabulous, really emotional. In my opinion Stacey couldn't be overused, she is a fantastic character, and I wouldn't mind if she was in every episode. And Bradley of course! 

I think the hospital would only let Jean out if she had somebody she could go to. We saw that none of her neighbours or 'friends' were very helpful to her, and she would definetely want to be with Stacey so Charlie is the obvious choice.

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## megan999

> she would definetely want to be with Stacey so Charlie is the obvious choice.


I don't understand how Jean Slater is related to Charlie   :Searchme:

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## Florijo

> I read that on DS too. I put it on the Stacey/Bradley thread though because I thought if it had a source it didn't need to be in the rumour mill, just a thought.


Good thinking, littlemo. Maybe this thread should be closed then?   :Confused:

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## littlemo

> I don't understand how Jean Slater is related to Charlie


I'm not quite sure either! Characters do tend to have long lost relatives that spring up from nowhere. We didn't hear about Stacey until she arrived. I've heard that Stacey is Charlie's great niece, so seeing as Jean is her mum she must be some kind of sister-in-law I would think. Wouldn't Stacey be Charlie's siblings granchild? It can't be Harry because he didn't have kids (apart from Zoe). Has he mentioned any other brothers and sisters?

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## BlackKat

Going by the BBC family tree: Stacey's father Brian Slater is the son of Charlie's (and Harry's) sister Violet.  :Smile:  Violet didn't marry Brian's father, hence why he (and Stacey) have the Slater surname.

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## littlemo

> Going by the BBC family tree: Stacey's father Brian Slater is the son of Charlie's (and Harry's) sister Violet.  Violet didn't marry Brian's father, hence why he (and Stacey) have the Slater surname.


Thanks for clearing that up. I wonder what Violet is doing now? is she alive? I can't remember her being mentioned. She should be involved in this Jean storyline shouldn't she?! Maybe her and Jean don't get on, and Jean's depression has something to do with her mother.

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## Kim

Violet is dead. On the night when Zoe discovered that Kat was her mother, Kat said something like 'The next time I saw him I was 18, hw came back for aunt Vi's funeral', which would mean that Violet died in 1988.

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## BlackKat

Vi would be Stacey's paternal grandmother. I'd like to see Stacey's grandparents from Jean's side as well.  :Smile:

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## LostVoodoo

crikey the Slater family tree is all a bit complicated!

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## Perdita

Depends on how much screen time there is for him; lets think positive and give romance a chance... just for a change

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tammyy2j (01-08-2013)

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## tammyy2j

Jean deserves a happy ending

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lizann (01-08-2013), Siobhan (11-09-2013)

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## Perdita

EastEnders actress Gillian Wright is to star in a new play.

The actress - Jean Slater in the soap - will star in Steven Berkoff's Religion and Anarchy, which runs at Jermyn Street Theatre, London from September 24 to October 26.

Anthony Barclay, Lucy Hollis, Tom Lincoln and Clive Mendus are also set to be in the play. It is one of a season of short plays by writer, director and actor Berkoff.

They each centre around the theme of anti-Semitism that the dramatist believes still prevails within Britain.

Wright's last scenes on EastEnders will be aired in October. She is quitting the show after eight years as madcap character Jean.

She said at the time: "It has been a huge privilege to play Jean Slater these last eight years.

"I treasure the viewers' care and love for the character not only through her hard times but through all the laughter too.

"I will miss EastEnders enormously, but it is time for me to step back and enjoy other acting challenges.

"I would love Jean to return to The Square one day, so let's hope this is not goodbye, but au revoir."

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## Perdita

Jean Slater makes a big decision on EastEnders next week as she tells boyfriend Ollie Walters that she has bipolar disorder.

A nervous Jean (Gillian Wright) confides in Ollie (Tony O'Callaghan) after Alfie Moon urges her to be honest with him.

With the pressure of hiding the truth becoming too much for Jean to handle, Alfie fears that she will have another manic episode if the situation doesn't change.

Taking a leap of faith, Jean works up the courage to tell Ollie about her condition, but she's hurt when he doesn't know how to react.


Jean finally works up the courage to tell Ollie that she is bipolar. 
Â© BBC
Jean confides in Ollie


Ollie later returns and tells Jean that he's been busy researching her condition as he believes they have a future together. Although Jean is delighted by his support, her concerns return when she sees that he isn't comfortable as her manic behaviour starts to resurface.

Believing that Ollie would never be able to cope with the dark times she can sometimes suffer, Jean makes the difficult choice to call time on their relationship, leaving both of them devastated. Is this the end for Jean and Ollie's story?

EastEnders airs these scenes on Thursday, August 29 and Friday, August 30 on BBC One.

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## Perdita

EastEnders star Gillian Wright has said that she is glad her character Jean Slater's story has changed the way people think about bipolar.

Jean will bow out of Walford next week to begin a new life with Ollie.

Speaking on ITV's This Morning, Wright said: "When I first hit the screens, people would shout derogatory terms at me in a funny way - nothing ever cruel. But as the years have gone on, that name calling has stopped.

"Jean's bipolar has taken her to the edge, certainly in the early years where she wanted to remove herself from this world, and she has come back from it. 

"Those experiences have got her to a place where she knew what the signs were. We have seen how it affects the other people in the square and the family and friends who are also dealing with it. It doesn't always have to be about the extremes."

Jean leaves to start her new life.
Â© BBC
Jean leaves to start her new life.


Speaking about her decision to leave the role after eight years, Wright said: "I have got to a point where I felt that I just needed to step back from the character for a bit. 

"I have played her so intensely for so long and needed to experience other acting opportunities."

EastEnders airs Jean's final scenes on Tuesday, September 17 at 7.30pm on BBC One.

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LostVoodoo (15-09-2013), Siobhan (11-09-2013), tammyy2j (10-09-2013)

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## Perdita

EastEnders bosses have confirmed that Gillian Wright is reprising her role as Jean Slater for a short stint.

Jean will be back on screen later this year, when she will be reunited with her daughter Stacey.

Fans know that Stacey is currently awaiting trial in prison after confessing to the murder of Archie Mitchell. However, there are more twists and turns ahead as Lacey Turner - who plays Stacey - is returning to EastEnders on a permanent basis in the summer.

Speaking of the upcoming storyline, Wright commented: "I feel very honoured to be asked to reprise my role as Jean Slater for a short while. The storyline promises to be challenging and exciting! 

"I look forward to playing again with old friends and new, and to pick up the special relationship between Stacey and Jean."

EastEnders' executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins added: "We are so pleased to have Gillian back with us to reprise her role as Jean Slater, albeit briefly. Stacey and Jean have such a rich, loving but difficult history. 

"There is still so much to plumb between them as we delve deeper into what it means to have bipolar disorder as a mother but also as a daughter. There are some truly heartbreaking scenes ahead for our audience."

Jean was last seen on Albert Square in September 2013, when she left to start a new life with her boyfriend Ollie. She has been part of the show on and off since 2004.

Wright's portrayal of Jean's bipolar disorder has been widely acclaimed over the years, with the storyline being recognised by the charity Mind at the Mental Health Media Awards in 2009. 

*I hope she will stay with Ollie and is not coming back because they have split!*

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tammyy2j (18-05-2014)

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## Perdita

Jean Slater's EastEnders return storyline will see her plotting to get her daughter Stacey out of prison, it has been revealed.

Gillian Wright recently returned to the show's set to film a guest stint as Jean, while Stacey will be back on our screens on a permanent basis.

New details of Jean's return were revealed on This Morning today (July 10) as EastEnders released some exclusive story teasers to the ITV daytime show.

Soaps correspondent Sharon Marshall, also a regular scriptwriter for EastEnders, commented: "We know Stacey's on remand for Archie's murder, but her mother Jean thinks she's got a way of getting her out of prison. 

"But how far is Jean willing to go to make her daughter listen?"

Last month, new pictures were released showing Wright and her on-screen daughter Lacey Turner filming scenes in a hospital together. The pair last shared screen time on Christmas Day 2010.

Gillian Wright and Lacey Turner behind the scenes
Â© BBC
Gillian Wright and Lacey Turner behind the scenes

Meanwhile, fans can also expect a storyline for cash-strapped Alfie Moon as the show explores how far he will go for his family in time for his newborn twins arriving this summer.

Mick and Linda Carter's relationship will also be taking a dark turn, while there is new drama for Phil Mitchell and Sharon Rickman in the build-up to their wedding.

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tammyy2j (10-07-2014)

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## Kim

From the latest spoilers, I'm starting to think that Jean is dying.

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## tammyy2j

Jean Slater is returning to EastEnders for another guest stint.

Gillian Wright, who plays the popular character, has already resumed filming at the BBC soap.

It's thought that Jean's return will see her getting married, after Wright was seen sporting a T-shirt reading "Bride-To-Be" in feel-good scenes filmed on location.

Wright's on-screen daughter Lacey Turner (Stacey Branning) and other members of the cast have also been spotted wearing wedding outfits for the upcoming storyline.

While no plot details have been confirmed by EastEnders bosses, fans know that Jean's current boyfriend is Ollie Walters (Tony O'Callaghan), a fruit and veg salesman she met in 2013.


The couple were last seen in EastEnders in summer 2014, when a new crisis for Jean prompted Stacey to appeal her prison sentence.

Jean's return could also tie in with the ongoing mystery of Stacey's key, which was given to her by her brother Sean and has an unknown connection to their father.

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lizann (08-05-2015), Perdita (08-05-2015)

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## lizann

did sean kill his dad, did he tell tanya this?

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## xx_Dan_xx

> did sean kill his dad, did he tell tanya this?


I read that Sean hit him and he died later due to a brain hemorrhage at work.

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## xx_Dan_xx

> did sean kill his dad, did he tell tanya this?


I read that Sean hit him and he died later due to a brain hemorrhage at work.

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## tammyy2j

Is there more to come of Jean and the key?

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## Kim

As far as I know, nothing has been announced but she must be returning again. I can't think why else they'd leave the key with her. Maybe it'll be a surprise and we'll learn what the key is for when we're least expecting it. They're certainly dragging it out though - 16 months and counting!

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Dazzle (12-07-2015), lizann (13-07-2015), parkerman (12-07-2015)

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## lizann

jean slater staying bye bye jean walters, ollie another cheat

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## lizann

she develops ovarian cancer

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## lizann

mental health bipolar issues again off her meds

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## lizann

Jean Slater (Gillian Wright) is on a mission in EastEnders to bring her daughter Stacey Fowler (Lacey Turner) back home, and therefore she sets out to seduce Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) in order to make her dream a reality, but will she prove successful?


Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2020/05/22/easte...tacey-12743832

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## lizann

cancer back, breast lump?

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## lizann

no cancer result and caring for all the kids

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