EastEnders star Charlie Brooks looks back: ‘We were just two kids from Wales. That fed into never quite feeling worthy’

Born in Hertfordshire in 1981, Charlie Brooks is best known for her role as Janine Butcher in EastEnders. Charlie’s acting experience began at Ravenscourt Theatre School in Hammersmith, which she attended with her brother, Ben, whose career as a child actor began with leading roles in 90s kids shows Aquila and Samson Superslug. Aged 17, Charlie became one of EastEnders’ most notorious villains, and she has remained a prominent TV actor. Along with Ben, who is now a director and writer, she has founded iampro – an online drama and production school. Charlie is currently touring in the stage adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

Ben