Mike Reid (entertainer) - Death

Death

Reid died in Marbella, Spain on 29 July 2007, aged 67 from a suspected heart attack. Two weeks before he died, he had received a full medical examination and had been given a clean bill of health. The 30 July 2007 EastEnders episode featured a dedication to him following the end credits.

Reid's funeral was held on Tuesday 14 August 2007 at Little Easton Parish Church, Essex, and was attended by over 250 people including his former EastEnders co-stars Pam St Clement, Sid Owen, Michael Greco, Bobby Davro, June Brown, Barbara Windsor and other members of the EastEnders cast.

He was cremated the following day at Chelmsford Crematorium, Essex.

Reid's family decided to allow fans to attend his funeral, and his widow Shirley also invited them to speak. Reid's former co-stars in EastEnders were all given the day off work to attend his funeral.

In November 2007, just over three months after Reid's death, the BBC announced that his EastEnders character Frank Butcher would be killed off in April 2008. The week had been dubbed "Frank Week". In the EastEnders episode on 1 April 2008, Frank's funeral was held. Frank's children, Ricky, Diane and Janine also made a comeback. In the episode in which Frank's funeral took place, Reid appeared in previous scenes which had aired years earlier, in flashbacks in Pat Butcher's head. He was also heard saying "Take care of yourself, babe", to Pat at the very end of the episode. The flashback of the words Frank had spoken were taken from the end of the last-ever scene Reid performed in, in EastEnders, which originally broadcast in December 2005.

It was later revealed that Reid owed £900,000 at the time of his death, which meant that creditors took all his money.