EastEnders: All you need to know about soap legend Michael French as David Wicks returns

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The man responsible for the legend of the soap opera

EastEnders legend David Wicks made his way back to Walford in last night’s episode. The character, portrayed by Michael French, was last seen on Albert Square more than ten years ago. He had several brief appearances thereafter, during which he buried his mother Pat Butcher and made an effort to patch things up with his former partner Carol Jackson.

And now David is back, his daughter Bianca having mental health issues. After being ejected from The Vic, Bianca was left in a state of distress and was lying in a heap of trash when he returned to the Square last night (Thursday, October 3).

However, what is known about David’s actor, Michael French? Here’s our low-down on the soap legend.

When was Michael French on the BBC soap?

In 1993, David Wicks made his soap opera debut as Pete Beale’s and Pat Evans’ son. David, the half-brother of Ian Beale and Simon Wicks, assumed the Wicks surname upon his mother’s second marriage to Brian, his adoptive father.

David gained notoriety as a bit of a lothario when living on the Square, having children with Carol Jackson and Lorraine Foster (with whom he shares daughter Bianca). The most notorious thing about him may be that he had an affair with Cindy Beale and then dumped her before they could carry out their escape plan—but not before she hired a hitman to kill Ian first!

David made brief cameos on the soap opera following Cindy’s “death,” first to bid farewell to his mother Pat and then again in 2013 when he attempted to reconcile with his former girlfriend Carol. He and Carol ended their relationship when he suffered a mild heart attack, and he reportedly moved to New Zealand permanently.

Why did Michael French leave?

In order to explore other acting jobs, Michael French and Michelle Collins, the star of Cindy Beale, made the decision to depart the serial opera in 1996. He was enticed to return momentarily as part of Pam St. Clements’ exit in 2012.

He was then persuaded to return for another excursion at that point, which he did until 2014. May of that year marked the airing of his last episode, and we haven’t seen the character since.

How old is the David Wicks actor?

Michael was born September 27, 1962, and is currently 62 years old. The teenage actor was discovered by a BBC casting agent while performing in Les Misérables. The actor was then cast as David Wicks in the soap opera by the bosses.

As they say, the rest is history.

Is Michael French back on EastEnders for good?

The 40th anniversary of EastEnders coincides with Michael’s latest return, which the show’s executives have guaranteed would only be temporary. “It may only be a brief visit, but we know from his past that David never fails to create a lot of drama in a very short time,” Michael noted in reference to reprising his role as David.

What else has he been in?

Michael’s other well-known role is that of Nick Jordan in the BBC medical drama Casualty. In Born and Bred, a drama set in the 1950s, he also made an appearance as Dr. Tom Gilder.

Other appearances include voice work in the video games Timesplitters: Future Perfect and C-12: Final Resistance, as well as two episodes of Dalziel and Pascoe and the 1997 TV series Crime Traveller.

Is Michael French married?

Relatively little about Michael’s personal life is known to us. But in 1996, just three years after making his EastEnders debut, the actor was outed by the Sunday Mirror, causing a terrible invasion of his privacy.

The article quoted a BBC insider as claiming that the actor “has no option but to leave because his credibility as the show’s heartthrob has been destroyed.” This was shockingly one of the calls for the actor to be dismissed. However, the broadcaster stuck by the actor, stating simply that it was a “personal matter.”

Michael and the role went on to become one of EastEnders’ most cherished characters and a fan favorite.



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