EastEnders legend Pam St Clement has revealed never-before-shared details about her character's iconic earrings.
Pam played Pat Butcher on the hit BBC soap for 25 years, from 1986 to 2012, most recently returning for a one-off appearance in 2016 as part of a major character death.
Pat was as much known for her run-ins with Peggy Mitchell (the late Dame Barbara Windsor) as she was her decadent choice in jewellery, specifically her earrings.
Talking to Grant Mitchell actor Ross Kemp in a new documentary celebrating the soap's 40th anniversary, Pam shared her surprising inspiration behind Pat's accessories.
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"When I got the part of Pat like any actor I decided to do a bit of homework," she said. "I saw this bus conductress on a number 38 bus and she was wearing these most dangly earrings… Pat always wears the earrings that fit her mood."
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Asked how many earrings she got through in her 25 years as Pat, Pam explained: "You know those tool boxes you can get that fold up? I had one of those and a wall bracket with dangling earrings, but the interesting thing is most of them came from viewers."
Pam went on to reveal how fans posted earrings to her, thinking they were fitting for her character.
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"They’d say - I saw these in the market and I thought they were absolutely right for Pat!"
Kemp also catches up with original The Vic landlady Angie Watts, played famously by Anita Dobson, who sits down with her on-screen daughter Letitia Dean (Sharon Watts).
Longstanding cast members Gillian Taylforth (Kathy Beale) and Adam Woodyatt (Ian Beale) also feature in the documentary which airs on February 17 (Monday) on BBC One at 8pm.
EastEnders: 40 Years on The Square kicks off the big anniversary week which sees a number of specials set to air in celebration.
Past and present cast members will also be appearing in special episodes of both Celebrity Antiques Road Trip and Celebrity Bridge of Lies.
Actors Danielle Harold (Lola Pearce) and Max Bowden (Ben Mitchell) will be going to auction on Celebrity Antiques Road Trip which airs on Friday, February 14.
This is followed by Celebrity Bridge of Lies on Saturday, February 15, once again seeing Ross Kemp on presenting duties, with contestants including Adam Woodyatt, Michelle Collins (Cindy Beale), Micah Balfour (Junior Knight) and Molly Rainford (Anna Knight).
EastEnders airs on Mondays-Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.
