Charlie Brooks: 'I love that Janine's getting away with murder - again - in EastEnders

(Image credit: BBC/Jack Barnes)

EastEnders star Charlie Brooks has praised her exit storyline from the BBC soap.

The latest episode saw Janine Butcher (Brooks) being cleared of murdering Michael Moon (Steve John Shepherd) after setting up Alice Branning (Jasmyn Banks) to take the blame.

In a behind-the-scenes video of the soap trial, Charlie said: "I love that she's kind of getting away with murder again, you know, I love that.

"But the fact is that it was self-defence and that he would have killed her if she hadn't have killed him. And there I go defending her again, but it's true."

Director Karl Neilson said of shooting the scenes: "For us it was exciting because it's EastEnders on the road... We're in a location which is a proper location, it feels and sounds and looks exactly like what it is, it's a real court.

"So that helped particularly Charlie and Jessie (Wallace, who plays Kat and was giving evidence) because they had to take the witness stand and give evidence and make it feel like a real court, and I think they really enjoyed it. And it certainly helped me capture that moment as well."

Recently, Charlie said of another possible EastEnders return: "Never say never. I've loved my time on the show and loved playing Janine so I'd hate to think that I might never get to play her again, but it's time for a new challenge in my life."

 

Press Association

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 


An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.