| Jane Clarke | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EastEnders character | |||||||||||||||||||||||
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Laurie Brett | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 2004–2012, 2014–2017, 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | Episode 2750 21 June 2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | Episode 6982 19 September 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Louise Berridge (2004) Dominic Treadwell-Collins (2014) Chris Clenshaw (2024) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spin-off appearances | EastEnders: E20 (2010) East Street (2010) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
Lesley Jane Beale (also Clarke and Collins) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Laurie Brett. She made her first appearance on 21 June 2004. Brett took maternity leave in 2011 and departed on 19 May.[1] She returned on 8 November[2] and departed again on 27 January 2012.[3][4] Jane made a temporary return to the show on 6 January 2014 until 20 May of that year and permanently from 24 November 2014 to 23 October 2017.[5]
Jane's storylines have included her relationship and later marriages to Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt), an affair with Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp), accidentally shot by Ian's stepson Steven Beale (Aaron Sidwell) which results her desire to have a child of her own following a hysterectomy, a relationship with Masood Ahmed (Nitin Ganatra), her popular friendship with Tanya Branning (Jo Joyner), covering up her adopted son Bobby's (Eliot Carrington) role in the murder of her stepdaughter Lucy Beale (Hetti Bywater), being paralysed after being brutally attacked with a hockey stick by Bobby, caught up in the fire at Beale's restaurant, which was started by Steven before she was then left in the blaze by Max Branning (Jake Wood) and being forced by Max to leave Walford which led to a second departure.
Following the conclusion of her second stint, she made two voiceover appearances on 8 and 25 December 2017.[6][7] The character made an unannounced return in the episode broadcast on 15 July 2024, and appeared until 17 July, before making a further appearance on 19 September of the same year to accommodate the exit of Bobby (Clay Milner Russell).[8]
- ^ Kilkelly, Daniel. "Kat has an angry confrontation with Ronnie". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi UK. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
- ^ Kilkelly, Daniel. "Ben claims that Christian molested him". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
- ^ Kilkelly, Daniel. "Phil has a difficult request for Shirley". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines. Archived from the original on 8 January 2012. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
- ^ Kilkelly, Daniel. "'EastEnders' Laurie Brett: 'Door left open for Jane'". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
- ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (23 October 2017). "EastEnders exit confirmed as Laurie Brett bows out as Jane Beale". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
- ^ "BBC One – EastEnders, 24/11/2014". BBC.
- ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (17 April 2014). "EastEnders: Jane Beale to return permanently in late 2014 – EastEnders News – Soaps – Digital Spy". Digital Spy. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
- ^ "EastEnders airs emotional exit with surprise cameo in early BBC iPlayer release | Radio Times". Radio Times. Retrieved 19 September 2024.