Wendy Richard

Who was Wendy Richard?

Wendy Richard, MBE was an English actress best known for playing the roles of Miss Shirley Brahms on Are You Being Served? and Pauline Fowler on EastEnders, the latter for nearly 22 years. Until her character's onscreen death in December of 2006, she was one of only two original cast members to appear continuously from the first episode in 1985, along with Adam Woodyatt, who played her screen nephew Ian Beale. Richard was first educated at St George's Primary School in Mount Street, Mayfair, west London, before attending the Royal Masonic School for Girls in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, and then the Italia Conti Academy stage school in London.

She died on 26 February 2009 at the Harley Street clinic where she was being treated for breast cancer.