EastEnders Legend Mike Reid: The Tragic Story Behind Frank Butcher’s Smile
He was one of EastEnders’ most beloved characters — a cheeky, sharp-tongued charmer whose trilby hat and grin lit up Albert Square. But behind the swagger of Frank Butcher, actor Mike Reid lived a life filled with heartbreak, financial ruin, and unimaginable loss.
When Reid passed away in 2007 at the age of 67, fans remembered him as a national treasure. Yet few realised that the man who brought laughter to millions had died penniless, haunted by personal tragedy and family grief.
From Hackney Hustler to Household Name
Born in Hackney in 1940, Mike Reid came from working-class roots and left school early. Before fame, he lived a rough-and-tumble life that reportedly included brushes with the East End’s criminal underworld — including associations with the Kray twins.
In the 1960s, he found work as a stuntman on film sets, appearing in classics such as The Dirty Dozen and Casino Royale. But it was his razor-sharp humour that would soon propel him to fame.
By the early 1970s, Reid was a star on The Comedians, a hit ITV variety show that made him a household name. His quick wit, Cockney charm, and no-nonsense attitude became his signature — the same qualities that would later define Frank Butcher.
Finding Fame in Albert Square
In 1987, Reid joined EastEnders as Frank Butcher, a flashy used-car salesman with a big heart and an even bigger mouth. Originally meant to be a short-term character, Frank’s charisma made him a fan favourite. By 1988, he was a series regular — buying the Queen Vic, romancing Pat Wicks (Pam St Clement), and sparring with Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor) in some of the show’s most iconic storylines.
But success came at a cost. Reid admitted that playing Frank’s nervous breakdown in the mid-1990s took a severe emotional toll. “It broke me,” he later confessed, explaining that he suffered anxiety and had to step away from the show for over a year.
Still, he returned for multiple stints, with Frank’s stormy relationships with Pat and Peggy delivering some of the soap’s highest-rated moments.
Unimaginable Family Tragedy
Off-screen, Reid’s life was marked by loss. His youngest son Mark had long battled mental illness. In 1990, Mark fatally shot a friend in a tragic incident before taking his own life by setting himself on fire.
“It is my true and honest belief that Mark had gone to scare his mate by firing at the wall beside him but instead shot him point-blank in the heart,” Reid wrote in his autobiography T’riffic.
“Mark killed himself in the most horrible way you could imagine.”
Just months later, Mark’s baby daughter — Reid’s granddaughter — died from cot death. His first child had also died days after birth years earlier.
Reid never fully recovered from the grief. “People see me laughing and think time heals,” he once said. “If only they knew. My son is locked away inside — not forgotten, just hidden in that part where we keep our private grief. Otherwise I couldn’t function.”
Financial Ruin and Final Days
Despite decades of success, Reid’s later life was overshadowed by financial collapse. A failed property investment in Spain wiped out much of his fortune, leaving him struggling to support both himself and members of his family.
By 2007, he was living modestly in Marbella, still performing stand-up and acting in small film projects. He remained a heavy smoker despite repeated health warnings.
On July 29, 2007, Reid died suddenly of a suspected heart attack — just weeks after being given the all-clear in a medical check-up. He was 67.
When he passed, friends said he had “lost everything” — money, fame, and family — but remained loved by those who knew him.
A Final Farewell to a TV Icon
More than 250 mourners attended Reid’s funeral at Little Easton Parish Church in Essex, including EastEnders co-stars Pam St Clement, Barbara Windsor, June Brown, and Sid Owen. Fans also gathered outside to pay tribute.
The BBC later dedicated a special episode of EastEnders to Reid’s memory — a heartfelt tribute to the man who gave so much life to Frank Butcher.
Though he left this world with little more than memories, Mike Reid’s legacy lives on — in the laughter he brought, the grit he embodied, and the generations of fans who will never forget the man behind the trilby.