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Former EastEnders executive producer Diederick Santer has quit the BBC to establish his own independent production company Lovely Day.
Operating under the Kudos Film and Television brand, Lovely Day will be "managed, owned and operated" by Santer and will be afforded "full access to Kudos's creative expertise, production and legal affairs teams".
According to Kudos, Lovely Day will "pioneer innovative new drama formats" and produce "distinctive quality, popular TV drama for UK audiences".
Speaking about the move, Santer said: "I'm so excited about Lovely Day and couldn't be happier that it will dawn under the bright sunlight of the brilliant and hugely successful Kudos Film and TV."
He continued: "I've had ten fantastic years with BBC Drama Production, and worked with numerous wonderful people all of whom I will miss hugely.
"But I hope to be back making shows for BBC before long and of course for other UK and international broadcasters too. I hope Lovely Day will herald a whole new era of quality British TV drama."
Kudos creative director Jane Featherstone commented: "This is a thrilling announcement for Kudos. When we heard that Diederick was considering setting up a drama outfit, we leapt at the chance to be part of it. Diederick has a great track record in developing and producing top quality mainstream drama and his work on EastEnders showed how versatile and brilliant he could be in that genre too."
She added: "We feel he's a great fit with Kudos and we're delighted to be able to support him as he takes the first steps in establishing his new company."
Director of BBC Drama Production Nicolas Brown said: "Diederick has had an outstanding decade at the BBC, culminating in his tenure as executive producer on EastEnders. We are very sad to say goodbye but wish him well in his new venture.
"The movement of talent between companies is important for the creative health of the industry and we hope that Diederick will work with BBC Drama Production again at some point in the future."
In March, Santer stepped down from his exec role at EastEnders, making way for former Hollyoaks boss Bryan Kirkwood. He moved to BBC Worldwide in order to develop internationally co-produced programming formats. He was also on the board of BBC Drama Production.
During his three-and-a-half-year tenure as 'Enders exec, Santer introduced, among others, the Mitchell sisters and the Masoods, orchestrated Ricky and Bianca's return and helmed online spinoff E20. The peak of his producership came in February when 16.6m tuned in for the soap's live 25th anniversary episode, which saw Stacey Slater unveiled as Archie Mitchell's killer.
Prior to EastEnders, Santer worked on BBC period drama Jane Eyre and critically acclaimed drama Cutting It.
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EastEnders star Marc Elliott has revealed that he wants to see his screen father-in-law Ramon Tikaram back in Albert Square.
Tikaram filmed his final scenes with the BBC soap earlier this year following a guest stint in the role of Qadim Shah.
Most recently, fans saw Qadim teaming up with a gang of thugs to attack Christian Clarke (John Partridge). He did so after hearing that Elliott's character Syed had been having an affair with the caterer, leaving his daughter Amira (Preeya Kalidas) heartbroken.
Speaking to DS, Elliott explained: "I'd love Qadim to come back. At some point, Qadim will find out that Amira's having Syed's baby because she isn't going to be able to hide it for very long.
"I'm not sure how Qadim could come back, but it'd be a really interesting dynamic. Ramon is so commanding in that role. Qadim didn't get Syed the first time, so maybe when he finds out, he could maybe kidnap Syed!"
Nina Wadia (Zainab Masood) has also recently called for the return of Qadim.
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EastEnders star Laurie Brett has predicted that fans will be shocked by what is in store for Jane Beale and Masood Ahmed in the coming weeks.
The attraction between the pair will bubble to the surface again in next week's episodes as Masood (Nitin Ganatra) has a heart-to-heart with Jane and reminds her about the kiss they shared last year.
Masood's chat with Jane comes following the recent problems he has faced at home with wife Zainab (Nina Wadia) and troubled son Syed (Marc Elliott).
Speaking on This Morning, Brett teased: "The Masoods get about, you know? And Masood and Jane, the spark rekindles for the next few weeks and there's a possible very shocking outcome at the end of it."
The actress also confirmed that her character will eventually discover the truth about stepdaughter Lucy's (Melissa Suffield) abortion.
She said: "Jane thinks it was a miscarriage but it's not and it's going to cook and cook and come out."
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Patsy Palmer has revealed that falling in love and becoming a mother brought an end to a 20-year battle with drink and drugs.
The EastEnders star told the Sunday Mirror that she still relies on addict support programmes to stay clean and sober.
Palmer, 37, said: "You can get dressed up and look great but inside you might be dying. I felt like that. In this business you can get away with murder. You try to make yourself look nice from the outside, but if you’re not feeling good inside, what’s the point?”
The actress joined EastEnders as Bianca Jackson aged 21, but admitted she was still going to all-night parties and binging on drink, cocaine and ecstasy at the time. She went on to reveal that she began drinking at 8, sniffed solvents at 11, and started snorting cocaine aged 13.
"Quite often, I'd party all night and go into work the next morning, just grabbing sleep on the set whenever I could. I don't know how I survived," she said.
Palmer said that marrying taxi driver Richard Merkell, 44, in 2000 provided the stability she needed to become sober. "We don't have drink in our house. Richard is a social drinker but he doesn't drink at home. I follow the 12-step programme from Alcoholics *Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous."
She continued: "Ask yourself, 'Is drinking and taking drugs stopping you from being the best person you want to be?’. And if the answer’s yes, it’s time to knock it on the head. Richard and I didn’t want that for our life. I didn’t want to be falling out of clubs. I wanted a settled home life and now I have."
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EastEnders star Jo Joyner has expressed her love of motherhood but admitted that she is happy to be going back to work.
The mother-of-two - who gave birth to twins Edie and Freddie at the beginning of the year - returned to film one episode last week. She is due to make her full-time comeback in mid-July.
Speaking to Digital Spy on the red carpet at this year's British Soap Awards, she said of motherhood: "It's just been amazing. [The twins] are fantastic and I've loved every minute but it is nice to go back to work as well and... try to work out some kind of balance."
Reacting to the casting of her screen husband Jake Wood's new fictional love interest Zoe Lucker, she joked: "I know! Move over Jo! When I heard that she'd been cast, I thought that they would make a really good pairing, Max and Vanessa. I think they'll work really well together and I'm looking forward to seeing it on screen... Of course Tanya will be put out by it all."
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I never knew that of Patsy Palmer. You heard of Jessie Wallace and the woman who played Lynne Hobbs. But I dont remember anything being in the press about Palmer. It must have been very low key.
I dont know how Jo Joyner is going to juggle being a mother of baby twins and working on Eastenders, thats mad. I wouldnt be able to do that if it was me. I'd rather be at home.
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NEW EastEnders boss Bryan Kirkwood was star-struck when he met icons Barbara Windsor, 72, June Brown, 83, and Pam St Clement, 68.
The former Hollyoaks chief, 33, admitted: “It’s quite extraordinary to have people like them queueing up outside your office to see you.
“I’ve watched them on TV all my life and I’m a massive fan but you have to overcome that and realise you have a job to do.”
Bryan denies critics’ claims that he could turn the show into a version of Hollyoaks.
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Rex Features
EastEnders returnee Lucy Benjamin has admitted that she does not usually watch the soap.
The actress stopped tuning into the BBC drama after bowing out from her role as Lisa Fowler in 2003.
However, Benjamin recently signed up to make a one-off Albert Square comeback, prompting her to try to catch up on events in Walford to prepare for the scenes.
The star's forthcoming plotline will see Lisa make an attempt to retrieve her daughter Louise (Brittany Papple) after the youngster was placed in the care of dad Phil (Steve McFadden).
Benjamin is quoted by The Mirror as saying: "I've not seen the show for such a long time. I tried to tune in to see what Louise looks like now, but I don't know who is who and what is what."
The 39-year-old added that she is excited over her comeback but would not want a full-time return. She said: "It's hard work… I don't miss that."
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HERE'S something to set tongues wagging in Albert Square.
EastEnders co-stars Shona McGarty and Devon Anderson - who play on-screen lovers Whitney Dean and Billie Jackson - look to be pretty close away from the cameras too.
They walked with arms around each other during a filming break, with Devon, 23, stroking 18-year-old Shona's hair.
But they pulled away when they saw a camera while out with soap pals David Proud (Adam Best), Melissa Suffield (Lucy Beale) and Belinda Owusu (Libby Fox).
A show spokesman said they were just pals... but we don't think we've seen the Ender this.
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...#ixzz0oWBEZE00
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i thought that Devon was dating Nathalie Emmanuel who was his sister Sasha in hollyoaks, but maybe not.
