The Cindy Beale actress never got to share the screen with the late Charlie Slater actor

EastEnders star Michelle Collins has revealed that she only met Derek Martin last year as she said the late actor had a ‘huge career’ in a candid tribute.

It was announced over the weekend that Derek passed away at the age of 92 on Saturday (March 10). A statement from his family, shared by his agent Sharon Henry, said: “Derek wasn’t just a dad to us he was a friend and supported us through our highs and lows.

“He never stopped learning, he loved meeting people and was always generous with his time. We both miss him terribly. The family ask that their privacy be respected at this difficult time.”

Derek played the role of Kat Slater’s father Charlie on the BBC soap between 2000 and 2011, and made guest appearances in the years following that, with his character featuring in a number of major storylines.

The actor’s final EastEnders appearance was in 2016, with his character suffering a fatal heart attack as Kat told him she forgave him for the trauma she suffered at the hands of his brother growing up.

One person who Derek never got the chance to work with on EastEnders was Michelle Collins, who plays Cindy Beale. Michelle returned to the BBC soap in 2023, 25 years after her exit from the show, when Cindy was said to have died during childbirth in 1998.

With Charlie debuting on the soap two years after Cindy left and making his final appearance eight years before she returned, viewers never got the chance to see how the fan  characters would have interacted.

Cindy is currently involved in an intense storyline with the Slaters, with Jasmine revealing herself as Zoe Slater’s daughter after she spent lots of time targeting her. It remains to be seen how Cindy will tackle the issue once she cools things off with Max Branning.

Taking to Instagram on Wednesday (January 13), Michelle shared an image of her and Charlie at an event as she reflected on being a big fan of his work in spite of them never sharing the screen together.

She captioned her post: “So sorry to hear about #derekmartin I never worked with him on @bbceastenders but we met last January @chickenshed_uk and also at a @bbcdoctorwho #convention.

“He had a huge career and worked consistently as an #actor still working well into his #90s . #RIP Charlie Slater!”

The comments section of Michelle’s post saw EastEnders fans rushing to extend their sympathies to Derek’s family and to have their say on some of his performances from over the years.

@liam.may17 said: “So sad he was such an amazing actor, RIP Derek Martin.” @dawnboweryphotography added: “So sorry to hear this.”

@psrleeming1 wrote: “Played some great roles…Rest in peace.” @lichfieldhenderson posted: “Only knew him from eastenders and one episode of only fools and horses. Great bloke R.I.P.”

@stephanie_mcallister74 commented: “@michelledcollins Sad news. He was in the film Boston Kickout, if you remember it. I was an extra, but I never met him. May he rest in peace.”