With its catchy theme tune, forged of mischievous pupils and gritty storylines, Grange Hill, set in a fictitious complete faculty in London, offered the backdrop to a era of childhoods.
First broadcast in 1978 and usually attracting audiences of as much as 12 million throughout its 30-year run, the present’s forged grew to become family names.
Among the many characters that featured through the years had been Tucker Jenkins, performed by Todd Carty, Zammo McGuire, Roland Browning and Suzanna Ross.
Todd Carty, 57, who performed hit character Tucker Jenkins. stays one of many present’s most well-known alumni having remained on TV screens for the reason that first collection aired in 1978 – most memorably as Eastenders’ Mark Fowler.
At present, some will likely be reminiscing on Radio 4’s The Reunion – so what occurred after they left Grange Hill?
Grange Hill opening credit
Todd Carty – Tucker Jenkins
Todd’s character was so fashionable that he received his personal spin-off present, Tucker’s Luck.
He then starred as Mark Fowler in EastEnders from 1990 to 2003, with a groundbreaking storyline when his character was recognized with HIV.
However after his departure from the sq., he performed away from kind portraying the villainous PC Gabriel Kent in The Invoice.
Plotting a deranged revenge plot on the mom who gave him away involving incest and raping a colleague, psychopathic Gabriel grew to become a serial killer and ultimately dedicated suicide.
In addition to persevering with to behave on stage and display, he’s additionally delved into producing and directing and made a memorable look on Dancing On Ice in 2009 due to his lack of aptitude.
In addition to starring in panto, he appeared on Movie star Masterchef in 2014 and in 2015, the actor and his eldest son James filmed a documentary, Harmful Adventures For Boys, for Channel 5 based mostly on the ebook by Conn and Hal Iggulden.
Carty and his eldest son, James, filmed collectively in a factual tv collection for Channel 5, Harmful Adventures For Boys, based mostly on the ebook written by Conn and Hal Iggulden
Most just lately, he appeared within the movie Silver Birches in 2017 about an writer struggling to rebuild his life after the premature demise of his spouse.
Todd has been together with his childhood sweetheart Dina Clarkin since 1990, and so they have two sons James and Thomas.
Todd Carty enjoying Tucker Jenkins – the character was so fashionable he received his personal spin-off present, Tucker’s Luck
Todd Carty performed Tucker Jenkins, earlier than happening to seem in a variety of different tv reveals
He performed Mark Fowler for 13 years, pictured at Wendy Richards’ funeral, who performed his on-screen mom Pauline Fowler
Paula-Ann Bland – Claire Scott
Along with her Girl Diana hair-flick, Paula-Ann performed the daughter of over-protective mother and father.
She additionally loved a romance with Stewpot, earlier than discovering he was seeing Annette Firman behind her again.
Due to her success on the small display document firm bosses eyed Paula-Ann as a possible British Kylie and she or he even launched a canopy model of The Locomotion.
She left the collection in 1985 and continued to behave, showing in TV collection corresponding to Spender and Solely Fools and Horses.
In 1988, she brought about a stir by posing topless for males’s journal Mayfair, aged 18.
‘For a little bit time I regretted it, however I don’t now,’ she says. ‘That was the factor on the time.’
Throughout the ’90s she turned her again on appearing and opened shoe outlets referred to as Paola in Knightsbridge and Chelsea earlier than beginning her personal PR firm.
The mother-of-two was recognized with breast most cancers in 2019. ‘I’m simply beginning to really feel regular once more,’ she says.
She’s a mother-of-two and can be an envoy for the Good Grief Belief.
Then and now: actress, entrepreneur and PR boss Paula-Ann Bland performed edgy Claire Scott within the hit present, who had a crush on trainer Mr Hopwood (left). She’s a mother-of-two and can be an envoy for the Good Grief Belief (proper)
Erkan Mustafa – Roland ‘Roly’ Browning
Erkan performed a candy, shy character with a love of crisps who suffered horrible bullying.
He performed the position for six years and have become an iconic character within the collection, struggling horrific bullying by the hands of Gripper Stebson.
By the point he left Grange Hill six years later, Roland was capable of rise up for himself and had developed a expertise for international languages.
After leaving the drama, Erkan, who’s now married with a son, appeared in Chef! with Lenny Henry, and in Blackadder.
He then arrange a home-catering enterprise however continues to put in writing and direct.
He nonetheless groups up with Lee ‘Zammo’ MacDonald for public appearances and charity occasions.
Erkan was additionally instrumental in bringing the forged again collectively for a 2009 reunion at Sound nightclub in London’s Leicester Sq..
Now 50, he continues to behave, write and direct in response to his Twitter profile.
Talking in an interview with weblog GrangeHillGold, he defined he appears again on his reminiscences of the collection and remembers ‘nice enjoyable’.
He defined: ‘It made me the particular person I’m at the moment. It gave me some good reminiscences and a few unhealthy reminiscences. I by no means actually needed to be an actor and doing Grange Hill, that made for 10 or 15 years of my life, suppose I used to be going to be an actor.
‘Now I do know I get extra pleasure from writing than appearing. But it surely was all good actually. I’ve come out with nice experiences.
‘I’ve executed issues that different folks have by no means executed of their life, however most of all, I’ve come out with some good buddies. ‘
Erkan Mustafa performed Roland ‘Roly’ Browning
Erkan Mustafa discovered fame within the Eighties as Roland ‘Roly’ Browning who was bullied for being overweight (left) Now 50, he continues to behave, write and direct in response to his Twitter profile (proper) Talking in an interview with weblog GrangeHillGold , he defined he appears again on his reminiscences of the collection and remembers ‘nice enjoyable’
Lee MacDonald – Zammo McGuire
Lee MacDonald, 52, was the star of one in all Grange Hill’s most hard-hitting storylines when his character Zammo grew to become hooked on heroin.
Because of this, he grew to become concerned in a lot of anti-drugs campaigns encouraging children to ‘Simply Say No’.
After Zammo’s surprising demise from an overdose in 1987, Lee hoped to turn out to be an expert boxer, however his hopes had been dashed by accidents in a street accident.
Lee has made a number of TV appearances since leaving Grange Hill, together with an episode of The Invoice during which his love curiosity was performed by Melissa Wilkes – who additionally performed his girlfriend Jackie Wright in Grange Hill.
Nonetheless Lee had beforehand claimed that enjoying drug addict Zammo in Grange Hill ‘ruined his profession’.
He claims that he struggled to search out any work afterwards as potential employers didn’t need to be related to drug use.
He was working as a locksmith, till his agent advised him to focus on getting his appearing profession again.
In April 2019, it was introduced that he would seem within the BBC cleaning soap opera EastEnders as Terry.
He stays within the public eye showing as himself on reveals corresponding to Movie star Scissorhands and Movie star Pointless. He additionally runs a locksmith enterprise in Wallington, Surrey.
Lee received engaged to his long-time love Jess in March 2020.
He took to social media to disclose he had popped the query and gave a nod to his well-known former on-screen character Zammo.
Sharing an image of the glad couple, Lee wrote: My companion Jess ‘JUST SAID YES’! Marriage ceremony subsequent’ alongside a pink coronary heart emoji.
Lee MacDonald performed Zammo McGuire
Lee as Zammo in Grange Hill
Lee MacDonald as Zammo who was the star of one of many collection’ most hard-hitting storylines when he grew to become hooked on heroin (left) Now 52, he runs a locksmith enterprise and continues to seem on TV as himself on reveals corresponding to Movie star Pointless (proper)
Susan Tully – Suzanne Ross
Susan Tully starred as rebellious faculty lady Suzanne Ross in Grange Hill from 1980 to 1984, and was the daughter of Mrs Ross.
On the age of 17 she was forged as teenager Michelle Fowler in Eastenders, enjoying the position of a 16-year-old single mom after turning into pregnant with 39-year-old adulterer ‘Soiled’ Den Watts.
Susan rose to fame in EastEnders as Michelle, becoming a member of the hit BBC One cleaning soap in 1985 and leaving 10 years later in 1995.
Susan rejected varied affords to return to Eastenders as Michelle, and in 2016 gave the present her blessing to recast her character.
Since her EastEnders exit, Susan has paved a profitable profession in directing with the likes of The Invoice, Silent Witness, Lark Rise to Candleford and Secret Diary of a Name Woman on her résumé.
The actress even returned to her former residence of EastEnders briefly in 1989 to 1999 to direct 12 episodes.
After getting her first style of directing on EastEnders within the 90s, she went on to direct and produce episodes of Tin Star, The A Phrase, Britannia, Musketeers and Silent Witness, and extra just lately Line of Responsibility.
Gifted director Tully was praised for the nail-biting last episodes of Line of Responsibility.
Taking to Twitter after the present aired, present watchers shared their shock after discovering the present had been directed by the Michelle Fowler star.
One particular person mentioned: ‘I’ve solely simply realised that Sue Tully (Michelle Fowler) directs #LineOfDuty She ought to win an award! @BBC.’
Susan Tully performed Suzanne Ross in Grange Hill from 1980 to 1984, and was the daughter of Mrs Ross
Susan Tully starred as rebellious faculty lady Suzanne Ross (seen on the present in 1982) in Grange Hill from 1980 to 1984, and was the daughter of Mrs Ross. After getting her first style of directing on EastEnders within the 90s, she went on to direct and produce episodes of Tin Star, The A Phrase, Britannia, Musketeers and Silent Witness, and extra just lately Line of Responsibility (proper)
On the age of 17 she was forged as teenager Michelle Fowler in Eastenders, enjoying the position of a 16-year-old single mom after turning into pregnant with 39-year-old adulterer ‘Soiled’ Den Watts (seen on the present in 1995), a task which she stayed in from 1985 to 1995
Mark Savage – Norman ‘Gripper’ Stebson
Mark Savage’s character Norman ‘Gripper’ Stebson was one of the crucial recognisable from the present.
Nonetheless, this brought about some issues for the actor.
Having performed Grange Hill’s scariest thug, who was ultimately expelled for bullying black pupils, Mark mentioned his life was made ‘hell’ by the present’s followers, who even attacked him on the street.
‘It was open season on Gripper,’ he says.
Mark has continued to behave in theatre and movie.
Mark Savage performed Norman ‘Gripper’ Stebson
Gwyneth Powell – Bridget McCluskey
Greater than 30 years on from enjoying Grange Hill’s head trainer – she left in 1991 – Gwyneth stays in contact with a lot of her ‘pupils’, as she calls them.
Now aged 76 and married to actor Alan Leith, she appeared in BBC1’s Not Going Out earlier this yr, enjoying a juror.
Gwyneth Powell performed Bridget McCluskey
Sean Maguire – ‘Tegs’ Ratcliffe
Sean joined Grange Hill on the age of 11, and subsequently performed an apprentice footballer on EastEnders – the episode during which his character, Aidan, who had turned to drug abuse, tried to take his personal life, was watched by a large 23 million viewers.
Sean later moved to Hollywood, showing within the sitcom Eve, and performed Robin Hood within the collection As soon as Upon A Time.
He lives in Los Angeles together with his spouse and three youngsters, and runs an appearing faculty.
Sean Maguire performed ‘Tegs’ Ratcliffe
John Holmes – Luke ‘Gonch’ Gardner
The playground Arthur Daley’s money-making schemes included promoting slices of toast.
Now 52, he’s an English trainer in Warsaw.
John Holmes (center) performed Luke ‘Gonch’ Gardner
George Christopher – Ziggy Greaves
Fashionable Scouser Ziggy Greaves arrived at Grange Hill in 1986 and spent 4 years on the present, together with his character in comparison with unique scamp Tucker within the first collection.
He went on to seem in Brookside as Little Jimmy Corkhill.
‘I suppose I used to be typecast from Grange Hill a bit,’ he says.
George has additionally appeared in quite a few theatre productions, together with some he’s written himself.
He reunited with a few of his Grange Hill class mates for Channel 4’s Deliver Again Grange Hill and in addition works for a taxi agency.
The 51-year-old is now a help employee at a psychiatric hospital in Liverpool.
George Christopher performed Ziggy Greaves
Fashionable Scouser Ziggy Greaves arrived at Grange Hill in 1986 and spent 4 years on the present, together with his character in comparison with unique scamp Tucker within the first collection (left) He reunited with a few of his Grange Hill class mates for Channel 4’s Deliver Again Grange Hill and in addition works for a taxi agency (proper)
Michelle Herbert – Trisha Yates
Michelle performed unhealthy lady Trisha Yates within the faculty drama from 1978 to 1982 however after leaving Grange Hill, Michelle gave up appearing and labored for a serious candy producer.
She made a quick return as Trisha within the last episode of Tucker’s Luck, a Grange Hill spin-off based mostly on Todd Carty’s character Tucker.
Michelle moved to Dundee within the early Nineties to convey up her household, the place she works alongside her husband operating their household glazing enterprise.
She observed a small dimple on her breast whereas on vacation in Rome in Could.
She was recognized with breast most cancers and following a mastectomy was given the all-clear.
Michelle is now attempting to boost consciousness of the lesser-known signs of breast most cancers and is urging girls to examine their breasts for dimples.
Michelle Herbert performed Trisha Yates
Michelle performed unhealthy lady Trisha Yates within the faculty drama from 1978 to 1982 however after leaving Grange Hill, Michelle gave up appearing and labored for a serious candy producer (left and proper)
The Reunion is on Radio 4 at the moment at 11.15am.
