Who was Bill Treacher and when did he play Arthur Fowler?

EASTENDERS star who played Arthur Fowler has died aged 92.

Bill Treacher was one of the BBC soap’s original cast members and appeared from 1985 until 1996.

Who was Bill Treacher?

Bill Treacher was a British actor born on June 4, 1930, in East London.

He was best known for portraying Arthur Fowler in BBC soap EastEnders.

In 2015, Treacher said he had been diagnosed with ataxia, a disorder which can affect co-ordination, balance and speech.

As a result, he was relying on a wheelchair and had retired from acting.

On November 8, 2022, it was announced that Treacher had died on Saturday, November 5, 2022, after suffering from declining health for some time, his family said.

A statement from his family said: "The family of the actor Bill Treacher are sad to announce that Bill died late Saturday night, 5 November 2022.

"He was 92 years old and his health had been declining for some time.

"He was much loved by his wife, Kate, his son, Jamie and his daughter, Sophie.

"Bill was a brilliant actor and a wonderful husband and father, plus a very fine human being. He will be hugely missed.

"The family respectfully request privacy at this time."

When did Bill Treacher play Arthur Fowler?

Bill was the first person to be cast in EastEnders, joining the soap as Arthur Fowler in 1985.

He featured in the first ever episode as Arthur, Ali Osman and Den Watts forced their way into Reg Cox's flat only to find him near death.

Arthur was married to Pauline, played by Wendy Richards, and the couple had three children, Mark, Michelle and Martin.

He appeared until 1996, when he was killed off after Arthur landed in prison for a crime he did not commit.

This was not his first stint behind bars as he was sentenced to 28 days for stealing the Christmas Club money in 1986.

Arthur also had an affair with Christine Hewitt but reconciled with Pauline

Treacher stated in a 2003 BBC documentary that he felt compelled to leave the show as he was getting old.

He said the gruelling schedule of working long hours was affecting his health.

The doctors told him if he did not leave the job soon and relax that it would kill him.

What else did Bill Treacher do during his career?

In 2006, Treacher had a guest-starring role in the ITV police drama The Bill.

He also appeared as a security guard in an episode of Casualty in December 2007.

Bill appeared in several films, most notably Pop Pirates (1984), The Musketeer (2001), Tale of the Mummy (1998), and George And The Dragon (2004).

Prior to his arrival in Albert Square, Bill was a regular on the Dick Emery Show, and had parts in Dixon Of Dock Green, The Sweeney, and even Grange Hill.

Was Bill Treacher married?

Bill was married to Australian actress Katherine Kessey.

Katherine appeared as Penny Jackson in Emergency-Ward 10 in 1966 and went on to have parts in The Persuaders and Out Of The Unknown.

The pair married on December 1, 1971, and had two children Jamie and Sophie.

Born in 1976, actor Jamie has also starred in EastEnders, playing DC Wayne Hughes in 14 episodes.

He also appeared with his dad in George And The Dragon and had roles in Midsomer Murders and King GAry.

Sophie is a production assistant.