EastEnders' icon 'lost everything' and died penniless after son's murder suicide

He was among Britain's most cherished soap stars - but beneath the trilby hat and mischievous smile of EastEnders rogue Frank Butcher, Mike Reid's real life proved far more chaotic than the role he portrayed.

The comedian-turned-actor climbed from the East End club scene to achieve national fame, but a succession of personal catastrophes and devastating financial woes left him shattered.

When he passed away in 2007, aged just 67, Reid had forfeited both his wealth and, in his own words, "everything that mattered."

Born in 1940 in Hackney, East London, Reid came from humble beginnings and left school at an early age.

Prior to establishing himself in entertainment, he lived a varied life that allegedly involved petty criminality and, most notably, associations with East End personalities such as the Kray twins.

He initially worked as a stuntman on productions including The Dirty Dozen and the James Bond parody Casino Royale throughout the 1960s before transitioning into comedy.

His razor-sharp wit and rapid-fire delivery quickly won over crowds on the stand-up scene.

By the early 1970s, he had become a recognisable face nationwide, appearing on the ITV programme The Comedians.

During the show's peak popularity, it delivered him countrywide recognition and established his reputation as a straight-talking entertainer with his unmistakable cockney manner.

In 1987, Reid secured the part that would come to define his entire career - Frank Butcher in EastEnders. Originally brought in as a part-time character, Frank became a regular presence the following year when he bought the Queen Vic from Den Watts.

With his signature trilby, flamboyant clothes, and rapid-fire dialogue, Butcher swiftly became one of the programme's most iconic characters.

Reid's own character frequently merged with his on-screen persona.

He acknowledged that portraying Frank's mental health crisis storyline in the mid-1990s was so demanding that he experienced anxiety himself and left the show for over a year.

Nevertheless, he returned on multiple occasions, with Frank's stormy relationships with Pat (Pam St Clement) and Peggy (Barbara Windsor) ranking among the soap's highest-rated moments.

Outside EastEnders, Reid pursued his acting career, featuring in Guy Ritchie's Snatch as diamond dealer Doug "The Head" and in numerous lower-budget productions.

He also preserved his ties to the cabaret scene, where his background in stand-up comedy remained integral to his performances.

While Reid's career delivered fame and financial security, his personal life was punctuated by a series of devastating tragedies. In 1990, his youngest son Mark, who had been struggling with serious mental health problems for years, tragically shot dead a friend.

He subsequently set himself alight and died from his injuries.

"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.

"The shooting might have been intentional but the end result wasn't. I know Mark was clear-headed enough to ring his mum then go back to Ian to try to staunch the blood with towels. It was no good because the poor lad must have been dead before he hit the ground.

"As time went on after Ian's death, it appeared Mark got it into his head that he'd caused so much suffering to others, he should inflict as much as possible on himself."

He said: "Mark killed himself in the most horrible way you could imagine."

Months later, Reid's granddaughter - Mark's daughter - tragically passed away from cot death.

Years earlier, his first child had died just five days after birth.

Reid spoke candidly about the devastating toll these heartbreaking losses took on him, confessing that the anguish never truly subsides: "People must see me on TV or in cabaret laughing, singing, cracking gags and imagine that time has healed the pain and the scars. If only they knew. My son is locked away inside - not forgotten, just hidden away in what part we keep our private grief. Otherwise I couldn't function."

Reid's financial fortunes also took a dramatic turn for the worse.

A disastrous investment in Spain swallowed up a considerable chunk of his wealth, plunging not only himself but also several members of his wider family into severe financial hardship.

Despite repeated health warnings, Reid remained a heavy smoker for the vast majority of his life. In July 2007, while residing in Marbella, Spain, he suffered a suspected heart attack and passed away at the age of 67 — tragically, just weeks after receiving a clean bill of health following a thorough medical examination.

Despite enjoying a lengthy career in the entertainment industry, which encompassed prime-time television roles and highly profitable comedy tours, he left behind very little money upon his death in 2007.

Reid's funeral was held at Little Easton Parish Church in Essex, drawing more than 250 mourners, among them many former EastEnders co-stars including Pam St Clement, Barbara Windsor, June Brown, and Sid Owen.

Fans were also welcomed to pay their respects, a testament to the widespread affection the public held for him.

In a fitting tribute to the actor's enormous contribution to the beloved soap, the BBC dedicated an entire episode of EastEnders to honour his memory.