BBC legend 'lost everything' and died penniless after son's murder suicide

He was amongst Britain's most cherished soap stars - but beneath the trilby hat and mischievous smile of EastEnders villain Frank Butcher, Mike Reid's real life was considerably more troubled than the role he portrayed.

The comedian-turned-performer climbed from the East End nightclub scene to achieve fame across the nation, yet a series of personal catastrophes and catastrophic financial difficulties left him devastated.

When he passed away in 2007, at just 67, Reid had forfeited both his wealth and, as he put it himself, "everything that mattered."

Born in 1940 in Hackney, East London, Reid came from humble beginnings and left school prematurely.

Prior to establishing himself in entertainment, he lived an eventful life that allegedly encompassed minor criminal activity and, notably, associations with East End personalities including the Kray twins, reports the Express.

He initially served as a stuntman on productions such as The Dirty Dozen and the James Bond parody Casino Royale during the 1960s before transitioning to comedy.

His razor-sharp wit and rapid-fire presentation quickly established him as a crowd favourite on the stand-up scene.

By the early 1970s, he had become a recognisable figure nationwide, appearing in the ITV programme The Comedians.

During the programme's peak popularity, it secured him widespread recognition and established his reputation as an uncompromising entertainer with a characteristic cockney approach. In 1987, Reid secured the part that would come to define his entire career - Frank Butcher in EastEnders.

Originally brought in as a semi-regular character, Frank became a mainstay the following year when he bought the Queen Vic pub from Den Watts.

Sporting his signature trilby hat, garish suits, and rapid-fire dialogue, Butcher swiftly emerged as one of the soap's most unforgettable personalities.

Reid's own character frequently merged with that of his television counterpart.

He confessed that portraying Frank's mental breakdown storyline during the mid-1990s proved so demanding that he experienced stress himself and departed the programme for over a year.

Nevertheless, he made several comebacks, with Frank's volatile relationships with Pat (Pam St Clement) and Peggy (Barbara Windsor) ranking amongst the soap's highest-rated episodes.

Outside of EastEnders, Reid pursued his acting career, featuring in Guy Ritchie's Snatch as gem trader Doug "The Head" and in numerous low-budget productions.

He also stayed engaged with the cabaret scene, where his background in stand-up comedy remained with him throughout.

Whilst Reid's career delivered fame and financial security, his personal life was plagued by a series of tragic events.

In 1990, his youngest son Mark, who had battled serious mental health problems for years, murdered a friend.

He subsequently set himself ablaze and perished from his wounds. "It is my true and honest belief that Mark had gone to scare his mate by firing at the wall beside him but instead shot him point-blank in the heart," Reid wrote on his autobiography T'riffic.

"The shooting might have been intentional but the end result wasn't. I know Mark was clear-headed enough to ring his mum then go back to Ian to try to staunch the blood with towels. It was no good because the poor kid must have been dead before he hit the ground.

"As time went on after Ian's death, it appeared Mark got it into his head that he'd caused so much suffering to others, he should inflict as much as possible on himself."

He said: "Mark killed himself in the most horrible way you could imagine."

Months afterwards, Reid's granddaughter - Mark's daughter - tragically passed away from cot death.

Years before, his first child had died just five days after birth.

Reid opened up about how these devastating losses affected him, confessing that the anguish never disappeared: "People must see me on TV or in cabaret laughing, singing, cracking gags and imagine that time has healed the pain and the scars. If only they knew. My son is locked away inside - not forgotten, just hidden away in what part we keep our private grief. Otherwise I couldn't function."

Reid's financial situation also crumbled.

A disastrous investment in Spain destroyed much of his wealth and left not just him but members of his extended family struggling. Despite health warnings, Reid was a heavy smoker for much of his life.

In July 2007, while residing in Marbella, Spain, he suffered a suspected heart attack and passed away at the age of 67. Just weeks prior, he had been given a clean bill of health following a comprehensive medical examination.

Despite a long career in showbusiness, including prime-time television roles and profitable comedy tours, he passed away in 2007 with very little money to his name.

Reid's funeral, held at Little Easton Parish Church in Essex, was attended by over 250 people, including many of his former EastEnders colleagues such as Pam St Clement, Barbara Windsor, June Brown, and Sid Owen. Fans were also invited to pay their respects, reflecting the affection in which he was held by the public.

The BBC dedicated an episode of EastEnders to his memory, a fitting tribute to the actor who contributed so much to the soap.