Leslie Grantham, `Dirty` Den in EastEnders, dies aged 71
(The Guardian Culture News)

Actor best known for playing the London soap opera baddie has diedLeslie Grantham, the soap actor who rose to national prominence with his performance as roguish pub landlord `Dirty` Den Watts in EastEnders, has died aged 71. The news was confirmed by a representative.A former soldier with the Royal Fusiliers, his acting career began relatively late in life. Grantham enjoyed two popular spells in the BBC soap, with more than 30 million viewers tuning in to watch a 1986 Christmas Day episode in which his character served divorce papers to his onscreen wife, Angie, played by Anita Dobson. Continue reading...