The Stage

EastEnders’ executive producer quits

Published Friday 28 January 2005 at 13:35 by Liz Thomas

Just four months after taking on the role as executive producer on EastEnders, Kathleen Hutchison has resigned from the beleaguered soap.

John Yorke, the show’s former executive producer who has returned to the BBC from Channel 4, is taking temporary charge of the show and is thought to be bringing back veteran EastEnders writer Tony Jordan and head of production Nigel Taylor.

Hutchison joined the soap in September after the departure of then executive producer Louise Berridge and developed a reputation for the ruthless culling of characters such as Leslie Grantham’s character Den Watts and axing the entire Ferreira family.

Yorke was executive producer of EastEnders for two and half years in the late nineties and is credited with introducing the Slater family. After 18 months as C4’s head of drama, he returned to the BBC in November as controller of continuing drama series and also shares the position of head of independent drama with Lucy Richer.

Meanwhile, Barbara Windsor is to return to the show after more than a year out of action due to illness. The actress, who plays Peggy Mitchell, is due back on the soap in the summer.