91Èȱ¬

EastEnders' much treasured leading lady Pam St Clement will remove the baubles from her earlobes for the final time when she waves a fond farewell to iconic matriarch Pat Evans later this year.

Pam made her EastEnders debut in 1986 just over a year after the show first transmitted, making her one of the show's longest serving and most legendary cast members. She first burst onto our screens as Pat Wicks turning up in Albert Square to tell Pete Beale he wasn't the father of her son Simon.

Pat went on to marry the love of her life Frank in a big East End wedding bash and became Pat Butcher in 1989 but later moved on to become Pat Evans when she wed the ever dependable Roy in 1996. Pat also enjoyed a number of affairs with Walford men including everyone's favourite Walford lothario Den Watts and the charming Patrick Trueman.

But for Pat, Frank Butcher was always "the one" and even when she was married to Roy, and Frank was married to Peggy, the two of them couldn't resist one last dalliance. A momentous episode in 2000 saw Pat on the receiving end of one Peggy's infamously brutal slaps when her affair with Frank was finally revealed in front of a stunned crowd in The Queen Vic.

In between marriages, spats with Peggy Mitchell and out living numerous husbands, Pat has also survived a heart attack, done time in prison for a drunken hit and run, become land lady of The Vic and lived to tell the tale of a vicious encounter with the Walford attacker in 1987.

Pam St Clement says of her departure: "I have enjoyed 25 and a half wonderful years in EastEnders creating the character of Pat but feel it's time to hang up her earrings. Leaving the EastEnders 'family' will be a kin to a bereavement but I'm looking forward to the other work and life opportunities that I will have the time to pursue."

John Yorke, Controller 91Èȱ¬ Drama Production & New Talent, says: "It's always a sad day when one of our stars leaves EastEnders but when those stars are as important as Pam St Clement and the character as iconic as Pat Butcher the blow is doubly hard. Part of EastEnders' 'creation myth' she has been integral to the programme's success from the very beginning; her love of Frank, her 'take no prisoners' nature and her earrings have made her a part of British culture. For most actors that would be legacy enough. The fact that Pam is also a total professional, an endless champion of the programme and a joy to work with is an added bonus."

Bryan Kirkwood, EastEnders Executive Producer, adds: "In Pat Harris-Beale-Wicks-Butcher-Evans, Pam St Clement has created one of the most iconic and loved characters in British TV history. Over the years we've seen her develop from a shrew into a matriarch, and Pat's colour, warmth and steel have given EastEnders some of its most memorable stories. Pam will be missed by everyone in Walford, and we wish her the very best of luck in everything that comes next. Although it's too early to talk about how Pat will leave the Square, we can assure viewers it will culminate in a fitting storyline, not to be missed."

EastEnders Publicity