Wendy Richard

Wendy Richard, MBE (born Wendy Emerton, 20 July 1943 – 26 February 2009) 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 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.