[Redway]

I just thought it would be interesting to get a glimpse of the backstage chaos that happened during her time for anyone who watched her polarising/controversial era (2002 to 2004).

“Louise's first episodes aired in late July 2002, meaning she took office in April. Upon her arrival, Michael Greco (Beppe di Marco) had just told John Yorke he was leaving the show that day and not continuing with his contract (due to expire 7 weeks from that day). Instead, all of Beppe's scenes/exit story were allocated to Joseph Millson who played Lynne's ex-fiancee Jason.

There was a possible grievance taken out by the parents of Jake di Valentine who subsequently would've lost out on work for their son, who would've also had his contract terminated as a result, but this is purely speculaton.

Just a mere couple of weeks after this, Michelle Ryan (Zoe Slater) went missing from her home and her absence was reported to the police, later found at a suicide hotspot and diagnosed with nervous exhaustion. Michelle was at the height of a central plot to the show involving Zoe and Dr. Trueman's wedding; the plot was subsequently re-written with all wedding scenes scrapped and instead Zoe was reported missing, until Michelle Ryan was fit to return four months later.

Prior to Louise joining, Todd Carty (Mark Fowler) had been granted a break from the show lasting three months and was therefore departing screens in early September. Just days after his break began, Wendy Richard (Pauline Fowler) was diagnosed with breast cancer and subsequently had to take emergency leave for treatment.

The following week marked the beginning of a four month break for June Brown (Dot Branning) who had told producers she would be leaving the role unless she had some time out. June then used this time to film a one-off BBC Drama and returned in February 2003.

In December 2002, Michelle Ryan, Wendy Richard and Todd Carty all returned to our screens, with June Brown not far behind. Letitia Dean in this time had been approved a two month break from the show and Steve McFadden had also been granted a month off.

Just when things began to be going well, Jessie Wallace was involved in a drink driving incident and suspended for two months. Her on-screen break occured from February to April 2003.

Up to now, Louise had taken the decision to write out Lucy Benjamin (Lisa Fowler), Colm O'Maonlai (Tom Banks), Alex Ferns (Trevor Morgan), Edward Savage (Steven Beale), Todd Carty (Mark Fowler), Dean Gaffney (Robbie Jackson) and Bindya Solanki (Nita Mistry). Jack Ryder (Jamie) had also taken the decision to leave and was in the process of being fined a significant sum for breaching his contract and selling his and Kym Marsh' wedding photos (now collectors items) to OK! or Hello magazine.

Introductions had included Tara Lynne O'Neill (Nanny Joanne), Shane Richie, Chris Parker & Hilda Braid (the Moon family) and Jill Halfpenny (Kate Morton). We were soon reintroduced to Cliff Parisi (Minty) on a full-time basis following a positive guest stint 9 months prior and Scarlett Johnson had been recast as a teenage Vicki Fowler (complete with American accent).

All seemed to be calming down in early 2003, until Barbara Windsor then announced she too would like to take a break, alongside Steve McFadden. Both were approved and due to depart at the end of the year until Barbara was taken ill in March and unable to return to work. Scripts were hastily re-written and Peggy had an off-screen exit, disturbing a high-profile story featuring Phil, Kate and the briefly returning Lisa (the Portugal episodes).

The show was then hit with numerous scandals throughout 2003; criticism for Vicki Fowler's American accent disappearing overnight, the casting of the Ferreira family in June 2003 and the decision to bring back the shows first dead character; Dirty Den Watts. In addition to this, guest actor Steve Nicolson (noisy neighbour Gavin Sharp) was reportedly at the centre of an off-screen class A drugs scandal.

Autumn 2003 and a string of resignations arrive - Charlie Brooks (Janine Butcher), Lucy Speed (Natalie Evans) and Shaun Williamson (Barry Evans), the latter who decided to quit after being refused a break to appear in pantomime - understanable given the amount of long servers who'd taken time out from the show in the previous 12 months. We were also informed that Hannah Waterman (Laura Beale) and Elaine Lordon (Lynne Hobbs) had been axed way ahead of their contracts expiring, both of whom were reported to have fought at a recent awards do and the latter reportedly told Mal Young to "**** off" at a cast meeting.

Late 2003: Steve McFadden is about to take his break and Leslie Grantham (Den Watts) is having a short spell away too, when Kacey Ainsworth (Little Mo Mitchell) announces she is pregnant. Scripts were re-written and Little Mo was due to depart.

It's now October 2003, there are two blocks of filming taking place. The majority of the cast are in Elstree shooting scenes for Christmas whilst a small group of the younger cast (Shaun Williamson, Gary Beadle and Charlie Brooks included) are in the Scottish Highlands filming top-secret "dramatic scenes", including an alternative ending which was leaked to the press showing Janine at the bottom of the cliff. Little did the show expect that Immigration Officers were at the gates of Elstree with an instruction to remove Dalip Tahil (Dan Ferreira) from the studios and subsequently deport him for failing to have a work permit.

Dalip was about to become the focus of a storyline which saw his children turn against him, kill him and bury him in the garden. Instead, viewers were treated to some re-written material consisting of Ronny Ferreira having a kidney transplant and finding out his best friend Tariq was in fact his brother, who'd been having an affair with his own sister. Are you still with me? Poor Robyn Moore (Shirley Benson) was then written out of the series as her intended involvement in the story, alongside Shirley's friendship with Little Mo had no future on the show with her characters network fastly disappearing.

Then in early 2004, Gary Beadle (Paul Trueman) was suspended for alledgedly failing to turn up prepared for filming. The actor continued to feature in scenes that coincided with the exits of his on-screen love interests Charlie Brooks and Lucy Speed, then departured for two months. He was then axed upon his return.

The show was now firmly under fire, mostly with the Ferreira family coming under criticism. Pooja Shah (Kareena Ferreira) was written out and returned with a sexy new look, Tracy-Ann Oberman was introduced to spice up the Watts family and filming logistics had to be re-worked as Elaine Lordon (Lynne Hobbs) broke her leg in the weeks leading up to her exit. The final straw for the press came when it emerged that Leslie Grantham (Den Watts) had been photographed performing a sex-act via webcam from his BBC dressing room, firing criticism at his colleagues Wendy Richard, Kim Medcalf and Jessie Wallace in particular. He was subsequently suspended and departed for two months in August 2004.

As Summer came to an end, the Miller family arrived, Barbara Windsor was fit to return for two episodes to coincide with Sam Mitchell's wedding, Kacey Ainsworth was due back from maternity and a talented Lacey Turner had been cast as a new member of the Slater family, and then bam - Jessie Wallace fell pregnant. The shows leading lady would finish filming in September 2004.

At the end of the month, the news came, Louise Berridge was leaving EastEnders. All the while this was happening, Louise was also being stalked be an obsessive fan who sent threatening letters, emails and phone calls to the studios and reportedly her home. I'm surprised the show didn't disappear completely during this period as anyone who had to oversee all of the above whilst delivering quality was on a sure path to a nervous breakdown!"

All that was copied from Walford Web. Shines a different light on the 2003/04 era to the blind Berridge haters on forums.