| Clare Bates | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EastEnders character | |||||||||||||
 Clare in 2008 | |||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Gemma Bissix | ||||||||||||
| Duration | 1993–1998, 2008 | ||||||||||||
| First appearance | Episode 879 6 July 1993 | ||||||||||||
| Last appearance | Episode 3626 7 August 2008 | ||||||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Leonard Lewis (1993) Diederick Santer (2008) | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Clare Bates (also Tyler) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Gemma Bissix. Bissix originally played the character as a schoolgirl from 1993 to 1998. She left the serial with her screen stepfather Nigel Bates, when his actor Paul Bradley opted to leave. After a ten-year hiatus, Bissix returned to the role on 1 February 2008.[1] The character was transformed from "cute and sweet" into a gold digging "maneater", chasing wealthy men for their money. The British media focused on the character's penchant for revealing clothing, and while she was praised by some critics, it was suggested that she was underused upon her return. Bissix again left EastEnders at the end of her contract in the summer of 2008.[2] Her departing episode aired on 7 August 2008.[3]
- ^ "Ex-'Hollyoaks' actress returns to 'EastEnders' Archived February 9, 2009, at the Wayback Machine", Digital Spy. URL last accessed 22 September 2007.
- ^ "Gemma Bissix to leave 'EastEnders' Archived March 29, 2009, at the Wayback Machine", Digital Spy. URL last accessed 23 May 2008.
- ^ "Clare makes her decision to leave Walford Archived June 2, 2009, at the Wayback Machine", Digital Spy. URL last accessed 30 July 2008.