Something went wrong, please try again later. Me and Simone (Janet) had a wonderful relationship. Alison Bettles, now 51, played Fay Lucas from 1982 to 1987 in six series of the show. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Todd Carty said he was 'deeply saddened' by the sudden death of his Grange Hill co-star. In May last year, I approached the BBC with an idea and they said no. Always full of money making schemes, Gonch was a wheeler dealer who ran a toast bar, a dating agency, a homework service and a PE kit lending scheme all from the classroom. When I first heard about it, I was 15 or 16 and I thought this is a bit too much for a childrens show. During the '90s she turned her back on acting and opened shoe shops called Paola in Knightsbridge and Chelsea before starting her own PR company. The storylines focused on hard-hitting issues for its time - including teenage pregnancy to alcoholism and drug addictions. He reunited with some of his Grange Hill class mates for Channel 4's Bring Back Grange Hill and also works for a taxi firm. I bought this special suit, but looking at the pictures now, it was awful the trousers didnt match and I remember wearing white socks. The most popular faces from the early days of pioneering children's drama Grange Hill are reunited. We keep saying we are going to meet up; we will do some time this month. No. Published: 13:03 GMT, 13 January 2021 | Updated: 13:24 GMT, 13 January 2021. She was diagnosed with breast cancer and following a mastectomy was given the all-clear. We were really excited. The storylines focused on hard-hitting issues for its time - including teenage pregnancy to alcoholism and drug addictions. Because I had a character mother and father on set, I did scenes with those and when you have those parent scenes youre acting with adults quite a lot. In certain ways it had an affect on certain individuals. and also made appearances onSoccer AMandCelebrity Juice. Roland Browning was Grange Hill's 'fat kid'. But what became of the actor who played him? The fact that Im always going to look like Roland, unless I become slimmer of the year and change my whole body image means people will always recognise me as him. They even had the same name for the restaurant that Id wrote! What are your favourite memories from your time playing Roland? Its a bit of a mish-mash to be honest. Now I know I get more pleasure from writing than acting. It was basically another comedy, exactly the same as what I had written! Susan Tully landed her Grange Hill role in 1981, aged 13. As well as continuing to act on stage and screen, he's also delved into producing and directing and made a memorable appearance on Dancing On Ice in 2009 because of his lack of flair. It was a bit of a dream come true, really.'. Thats why me and Lee do our own Roland and Zammo thing; we do music shows (mainly because my friend is the booker) but also a couple of charity nights. We always got on well. Whether it's Tucker, Mrs McCluskey, Zammo, Bronson, Fay Lucas, Ziggy Greaves or Roland Browning, you'll find them here! Erkan starred alongside other famous faces including former EastEnders star Todd Carty who played Peter 'Tucker' Jenkins, Casualty's Amanda Mealing, who portrayed Tracy Edwards and Lee MacDonald as Samuel 'Zammo' McGuire. There were some great scenes that were cut, that were really really good. George has also appeared in numerous theatre productions, including some he's written himself and is currently working on a stage version of Papillion. It really bugs me. I think the storyline was handled really, really well. I said to Simone, without Janet, Roland wouldnt have been anybody. When I tracked her down, I had to ask Are you the real Simone? On an orienteering trip Roland declines Janet's offer to pair up to complete an exercise and winds up paired with Mr Baxter. It would get a good response, but its just a case of getting the Grange Hill fans to know about it. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site is dedicated to the BBC TV series Grange Hill which ran from 1978-2008, concentrating particularly on the early years (1978-1990). The two sit at the foot of the cliff as night falls, with Roland admitting he feels everything that goes wrong in his life is his fault. Fans loved how despite horrific bullying, the youngster always stood up for himself and discovered he had a talent for foreign languages. Youre going to have people you like, and people you dont like. Terry Sue-Patt, who played Benny Green, was one of Grange Hill's first-generation cast - Tucker's sidekick - but he and MacDonald overlapped for one series, and MacDonald had known Sue-Patt at. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. It was exciting; going into a recording studio, never done that before. Originally, viewers felt sorry for Roland, as he was a victim of bullying at the hands of Gripper Stebson. Hed found someone he was attracted to, and who was attracted to him basically. authenticate users, apply security measures, and prevent spam and abuse, and, display personalised ads and content based on interest profiles, measure the effectiveness of personalised ads and content, and, develop and improve our products and services. Lee has made several TV appearances since leaving Grange Hill, including an episode of The Bill in which his love interest was played by Melissa Wilkes - who also played his girlfriend Jackie Wright in Grange Hill. Were talking about the most protected building in the world, where a president cant even get a blow job without the rest of the world knowing. Was it difficult to play these scenes? [23.25] Early money-making enterprises, especially hair cutting. Photograph: BBC Shortcuts Grange Hill Just say no! Caroline 'Calley' Donnington - Simone Hyams Simone Hymas is best known for her role as Calley in Grange Hill, which she starred in from 1985 until 1991. They had to be politically correct and they took Amma (Cheryl) and Alison (Louise) and Ricky (Ant) because he was a major part of the record, and Joann Kenny (Jane) because she played a major part in the video. . But Roland showed himself up when he was unable to carry out any of the tasks, and left humiliated and with his confidence even more chipped away. Roland was a very unique character; but some of the bullying he suffered on screen was quite graphic and personal? I took it to a friend of mine who was the head of Light Entertainment at Channel 4. Gripper had picked on Roland during the series, making him give him money and humiliating him. as the character 'Otto' in 1993. Roland 'Roly' Browning - Erkan . Fly to America ; never done that before. Just like any group that you grow up with, there will always be people who have personality clashes and people you dont get on with. I left Grange Hill in about 1986, so thats some time to still be recognised from the show! No, the way I looked at it, at the time, I was just doing a job. GRANGE Hill Roland 'Roly' Browning actor Erkan Mustafa looks very different 39 years after his debut on the popular teen show. She went on to appear in The Bill, Baywatch and had a role in 1993 film Dirty Weekend. "The national press were advertising the fact that they couldn't find a fat child at stage school to appear in Grange Hill. At the end of the day, if they didnt enjoy it; fair enough, but Grange Hill set you on a path. . The national press were advertising the fact that they couldnt find a fat child at stage school to appear in Grange Hill. I never really wanted to be an actor and doing Grange Hill, that made for 10 or 15 years of my life, think I was going to be an actor. At the end of the day, it had 15 million people watching at its peak. Who died in the swimming pool in Grange Hill? The TV star alsoworked as a presenter for E4 Music and previously did some interviews and presenting for a film website. You come up with conversations and it just spurred me on. I came up with a story that bit me on the arse. Eventually they are found by a search party led by Mr Knowles. Ricky Simmonds (Ant) and I have remained friends since we both left. Hotels near Bonar House Clinic, Hadleigh on Tripadvisor: Find traveler reviews, 650 candid photos, and prices for 2,209 hotels near Bonar House Clinic in Hadleigh, England. Theres even talk of a Grange Hill convention that Im discussing with someone at the moment; a meet and greet day, with a Q and A and show some episodes. Theres a girl called Tracey who used to be in Grange Hill, who I tracked down and we met up in a pub in Islington, only to bump into Mark Burdiss (Stewpot)! John said it was about time we all met up again, so I said Id see what I could do. There weren't many black actors about on TV at that time. Erkan starred alongside other famous faces including former EastEnders star Todd Carty who played Peter 'Tucker' Jenkins, Casualty's Amanda Mealing, who portrayed Tracy Edwards and Lee MacDonald as Samuel 'Zammo' McGuire. A few years ago, Channel 4 reunited some of the cast for Bring Back Grange Hill. Roland is the son of Mr Browning and Mrs Browning. Lee had always had an interest in boxing and continued to develop his skill to a high level. His Grange Hill character was so popular, he was given his own spin-off show Tucker's Luck from 1983 to 1985. 'I had a great time, getting time off school to play football. READ MORE: Call the Midwife icon Stephen McGann's co-star wife, 3 famous brothers and Emmerdale role. I was speaking to Mark Savage (Gripper), six months ago, and said even though my character was getting bullied, it was too funny the way we were doing it. Roland's best friends are Zammo McGuire, Jonah Jones and Kevin Baylon and his friends are Fay Lucas, Janet St. Clair, Annette Firman, Jimmy Flynn, Belinda Zowkowski, Julie Marchant, Diane Cooney, Jackie Wright, Banksy Banks, Julian Fairbrother and Cheryl Webb. After leaving the school drama in 1987, he went on to act in two series of Chef! For other inquiries, Contact Us. It was a story he and some of the other cast members made up after becoming tired of being asked the same questions about it, long after he left the programme. How will I know? The show followed the lives of a school based in North London, and dealt with hard-hitting storylines following themes of drugs, racism, crime, mental health, and death. The young actors were there as part of the first ladys anti-drugs campaign but one later claimed to have smoked a joint in the garden. The star, like Roly, wears glasses and rocks a shaved head and stubbly facial hair. . Set at a comprehensive school in a fictional north London suburb, Grange Hill was one of the longest running shows in British television history. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Ukraine soldiers shoot down enemy drones with drones of their own, Fleet-footed cop chases an offender riding a scooter, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Isabel Oakeshott clashes with Nick Robinson over Hancock texts, Dozens stuck in car park as staff refuses to open gate for woman, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA. Roland's best friends are Zammo McGuire, Jonah Jones and Kevin Baylon and his friends are Fay Lucas, Janet St. Clair, Annette Firman, Jimmy Flynn, Belinda Zowkowski, Julie Marchant, Diane Cooney, Jackie Wright, Banksy Banks, Julian Fairbrother and Cheryl Webb. He played the role for six years and became an iconic character in the series, suffering horrific bullying at the hands of Gripper Stebson. Id already sent him my script and he said to come in for a chat. Im alright with it as long as people arent rude. What really happened when Grange Hill met Nancy Reagan at the White House The young. Look at Alex Kingston, who has gone on to do loads of stuff. replace sling stud with rail. Certain episodes. Unfortunately, a car accident in the early 1990s left Lee unable to pursue with the sport. 10. . Schools Out Exhibition Reunion Oct 2013, grangehillgold.wordpress.com/2022/10/26/ken, grangehillgold.wordpress.com/2022/10/25/bbc. Click here to upload yours. 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He was discovered aged 14 by a talent scout while playing football in the park and enjoyed success in 1989 film The Firm, starring alongside Gary Oldman and Phil Davis. That got certain individuals backs up. Zammo, Tucker, Janet and Roland meet for catch-up 43 YEARS after the beloved children's show first aired. Nobody really remembers the cross over between Tuckers year and my year; the Mark Burdiss (Stewpot) era. At the time there was some animosity on the set because only certain people on the set got invited to America. Bullied by others, only child Roland struggled to fit in at Grange Hill. CC shared room with RD in Roland Gardens when RD at St Martin's [School of Art] and CC at Royal College of Art [RCA] in stained glass department. I cant stand listening to Careless Whisper. This is a list of characters from the long-running BBC children's series Grange Hill . "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. The pair left the show in the early 1980s just four years after joining but remained friends throughout their careers. I had a conversation with Anothony Minghella (Script Editor) and said theres no way Roland would ever be playing basketball. Dont be ashamed to talk about your past, because its your past that makes you what you are today. Thoughts with his family RIP xxx.'. Annette Firman had been taunting Roland about his weight, but he had also been unkind to Diane Cooney about her spots. Jonah is the cousin of Jeremy Irvine. Chris Eubank's life from marrying his manager, involvement in fatal car crash, to son's death at a tragically young age, Letitia Dean's life away from Sharon Watts including marriage to Holby City star and net worth, BBC University Challenge viewers joke it's 'too easy' with question '5-year-old could get right', Roland 'Roly' Browning in BBC's Grange Hill. The older actors had to realise that we were just kids; we werent professionals even though some people had been trained. Now 75, the actress went on to act in shows including A Touch of Frost, Casualty, Doctors and Holby City. However the route is sabotaged by Mandy Firth and Sarah Wilks who hide one of the control markers, causing Mr Baxter and Roland to get lost. He recalls that it was quite nerve-racking. So many people, who went on to be really successful started on the show. Grange Hill (TV Series 1978-2008) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Ricky and I lost touch for about a year, but then something sparked it off again and there was no change in our friendship. At one point in the show I was 13 stone and he was getting bullied by someone who was much smaller, so at the end of the day he should have fought back. Roly even had a knack for foreign languages. Just say no! It had taken me a year to write six episodes, and so I was thinking had I told anyone about this? And really well acted by Lee. The long-running series was created by Phil Redmon, who also created Channel 4's. Mustafa laughs wearily. Find out more about how we use your personal data in our privacy policy and cookie policy. Obviously at the time we had a great, great writer, Anthony Minghella, who went on to bigger and better things, God rest his soul. but thats only my joke! . There was an episode where we sing Captain Sensible and dance to it ; God how cringing! I say that to everybody in life! The long-running series was created by Phil Redmon, who also created Channel 4's Brookside as well as Hollyoaks. The whole concept was a 40 minute show of celebrities, who grew up watching Grange Hill, talking about their favourite characters and being interviewed by their favourite characters. I said to Simone that I thank her for that and she told me to shut up! 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It was great fun; it made me the person I am today. You can do it.. The building is awesome as you walk up. On a Welsh trip, Roland got lost and met the farmer, who taught him some Welsh. Fast forward nearly three decades later, the 52-year-old actor looks unrecognisable from his appearance on the show. As the bullied 'fat kid,' Roland 'Roly' Browning was one of Grange Hill's most popular characters from 1982 to 1987. Basically the whole thing is Roland showing people how he developed and how he came on. 72 episodes, 1982-1987 Lisa York . Susan, 54, is extremely. He invites Gripper there and says to him I forgive you for what you did. What are your memories of that? The Ann Wilson was one of Grange Hill's original female pupils and wasted no time in getting herself voted onto the school council. 'At first Mrs McClusky was written as a '"twin set and pearls" role but I was quite young at the time and didn't want to play it like that. He also had minor roles in other TV shows including Desmonds, General Hospital and Jackanory. Former Grange Hill actor Erkan Mustafa still gets recognised, 29 years after making his debut on the groundbreaking school drama. In the show, his character found the courage to defend himself against bullies and became an inspiration to young viewers. lots of reasons. TV series Grange Hill is set to be turned into a film, which will take a "realistic view of what education is like now". Roland attempted to stand up to Gripper by fighting him in the bathroom, but was not capable enough to overpower him and Gripper floored Roland. Erkan Mustafa speaks exclusively to Grange Hill Gold about playing one of Grange Hills most iconic characters, and the legacy of Roland Browning . Susan Tully landed her Grange Hill role in 1981, aged 13. Lee MacDonald - Zammo Maguire MacDonald, who joined the show age 13, went on to have one of the biggest storylines in the school's history when he became addicted to heroin. Can you tell me your middle names? and she said Will you remember all twenty of them?. Do you have a story for The Sun Showbiz team? They made my character dance with his girlfriend, Fabienne. So thats really good ; Ive spoken to her on the phone a couple of times. You could have ex cast members being interviewed.