Jean Slater
Jean Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Gillian Wright. Her first appearance is in the episode first broadcast in the United Kingdom on 16 December 2004. Having only been introduced for one episode, Wright was reintroduced for four more episodes the following year and became more of a regular character in the following two years. The character is introduced as the mother of Stacey Slater who suffers severely with bipolar disorder. Her disorder strains her relationship with her children, Stacey and Sean Slater. Wright researched the disorder to prepare for the role. In April 2010, it was announced that Jean would be written out of the series, however, Wright was awarded a reprieve in late 2010. Jean departed on 13 January 2011 and returned on 29 March 2011. Wright announced her intentions to leave the series in July 2013, and Jean departed on 17 September 2013. Following her departure, Wright reprised the role for 15 episodes between 2014 and 2017. In December 2017, it was announced that Jean would be reintroduced as a regular character, along with Kat Slater and Mo Harris. She returned on 20 March 2018. On 11 December 2023, Wright appeared in her 1000th episode as Jean.
Jean's storylines include supporting Stacey with her bipolar disorder, relapsing and attempting suicide after Stacey flees Walford due to being framed for attempted murder by Janine Butcher, a feud with Pat Butcher, an unlikely friendship with Michael Moon in which he begins conning Jean in a storyline tackling investment fraud, revealing to Stacey that her deceased husband Brian had been bigamous, being diagnosed with ovarian cancer, suffering another bipolar episode after her medication becomes ineffective and a feud with Zoe Slater after blaming her for causing Stacey's departure in 2025. Other storylines include a failed marriage to Ollie Walters, and relationships with Billy Mitchell, Ian Beale, Daniel Cook, and Harvey Monroe.
Creation and development
Casting
Jean was originally a guest-character, appearing for a storyline where her daughter Stacey Slater, played by Lacey Turner, struggles to look after her in December 2005. The character eventually became a regular, but Wright said she did not believe this was originally intended: "She's a character that's grown after being created for a week of episodes back in 2005 for that big storyline where Stacey found Jean in the flat that was all boarded up. There was the odd little bit here and there over the following months and it just gradually built up to becoming a regular. It was quite hard to turn her from someone who was quite an intensive character to someone who could be watched on a regular basis."Bipolar disorder
In Jean's original storyline and initial episodes, which show a much grittier persona, Stacey returns to live with her mother, who suffers from bipolar disorder, amidst one of her mental breakdowns. Scenes showed a very ill Jean, "as she sank into the dark despair of her illness", living in squalor, off her medication, starved, petrified, drinking heavily, suicidal, and being abused and ridiculed by her neighbours. Stacey is forced to admit her to a psychiatric hospital for her own safety. For the storyline, Wright contacted a bipolar sufferer who she continued to remain in contact with when researching the condition. Wright received an immensely positive reception from her character's bipolar storyline, with viewers of the serial approaching her with their stories relating to Jean's. She told Louisa Baldwin of Eastern Daily Press that a woman approached her on the tube and informed her that after watching Jean's storyline, she realised her son has bipolar disorder. The actress commented, "I was touched and realised the huge responsibility I had playing the character".In May 2009, Stacey started showing signs of bipolar disorder. Series consultant Simon Ashdown said the storyline tests Jean, adding, "you'll see her attempt to adopt more of a maternal role towards Stacey. Up till now it's Stacey who has been the 'carer' in the relationship." In an interview with entertainment website Digital Spy, Wright discussed Jean's complex character, saying "She's slightly quirky and off-kilter but also has bipolar, if that makes sense? The disorder's different for everybody. I wait until the scripts come in and sometimes I think 'we've been on a flat level for too long' so I find a way within the dialogue to make it a bit different." The actress also revealed that she greatly enjoys working on EastEnders as it is always full of surprises.
Departure and return (2011)
On 29 April 2010, it was announced that Jean and Stacey were both to depart from the soap later in the year. Wright said of her departure: "It's been an honour to play Jean especially as the public response to her has always been so supportive. It's been a real privilege to be able to heighten awareness of bipolar disorder. I've thoroughly enjoyed working with my onscreen Slater family, in particular working with Lacey and developing such a great rapport over the years." Executive producer Bryan Kirkwood added: "Gillian has brought real heart and pathos to the role of Jean Slater, a complex and fragile character who has really been taken into the public's affection." In May 2010, Wright told Kris Green of Digital Spy that working with EastEnders is a privilege. She said of her departure: "Things can't last forever. I am an actress and it's all a big adventure, isn't it? It's wonderful to have been in it for so long. wasn't meant to be a regular character, so to have crept in slowly, then become a regular...for the audience to love and for me to be able to play something a little quirky, fun and also bipolar has been a privilege." However, Wright was given a reprieve in late 2010, when it was announced that a storyline had been created for Jean and Wright had signed a new contract to return in 2011. Jean left EastEnders on 13 January 2011 and returned on 29 March 2011.Investment fraud
In April 2012, it was announced that Jean would form an unlikely relationship with Michael Moon. Michael seizes this opportunity to trick Jean into giving him a large sum of money. Michael tells Jean, that because one of the suspects for the murder of Heather Trott had a large sum of money, the police could easily target Jean as an additional suspect. Jean gives her scratch card winnings consisting of £8000 to Michael so he can invest it into his gym, but in fact Michael plans to use it to pay for his wedding to Janine Butcher. Michael, seeing that Jean is an easy target, decides to con her again by asking her for a second investment by "lending" him Alfie Moon's savings. Even though Jean is initially reluctant at first, she hands over the VAT money from The Queen Victoria. Shepherd expressed his excitement for forthcoming storylines for his character Michael and Wright's character Jean. Speaking to All About Soap, Shepherd said: "We are building up to something, but I don't know what the pay-off is. It'll be a real crescendo and the thing with Jean becomes extremely intense. It's a bubbling cauldron." Shepherd later confessed that Michael doesn't care if Janine finds out where the money is coming from. He added: "He balances the risk he might be thrown out of the relationship against the benefits and decides it's worth the gamble."Wright has said that viewers are "protective" of Jean and that Michael's scam against Jean has led to people supporting her. Wright told Inside Soap: "It's funny how protective the viewers are of Jean," she said. "The other night, I was putting the bins out and a woman screeched up in her car, wound the window down and said, 'Don't give him the money! He's a git!' I thought that was very sweet." Shepherd later said on 24 May 2012 that Michael is playing a "dangerous game" as his scam intensifies. Wright later reassured viewers that Jean will fight back against Michael and will not remain a victim. Wright commented: "This quite special, I think – it's the longest one I've ever had, but also it's taking advantage of someone with bipolar and making them feel like they are losing the plot – that's a tough story." Wright also said that the storyline is a "huge responsibility". It was later revealed in 2012 that Jean will become an unlikely Ally to Michael after she urges him not to make a terrible mistake. Wright said that she is thrilled that Jean is standing up for herself as the storyline continues. Speaking on This Morning, Wright said: "Jean is a victim and the storyline is about a victim, I suppose. I didn't want it to be played as a victim. So I'm looking for any opportunity for her to seize her own power. Sometimes that might be the smallest thing, like breaking into somebody's house and searching. That's a big thing – hiding under a table is a big thing!"