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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Julie McCaffrey

Original Grange Hill cast now - tragic death, arrest and very different careers

Four of Grange Hill's most iconic cast members held a mini reunion in the summer almost 15 years after the hit BBC show was last on our screens.

Lee MacDonald, who played cheeky chap Zammo, has shared a snap on Instagram with fellow cast members Erkan Mustafa, Simone Nylander and Todd Carty.

Lee wrote in the caption: "Mini Grange Hill reunion with Tucker, Roland and Janet #greatmemories", followed by three heart emojis, and an x.

The BBC high school drama gripped viewers tighter than Gripper Stebson’s headlocks for 30 years and earlier this year producer Sir Phil Redmond has announced the school will reconvene for Grange Hill - The Movie.

Will the film’s opening credits still include cartoon footage of a sausage being thrust in a pupil’s face? And will the new intake include kids - or even grandkids - of the old guard?

Until producers tease us with more information about the film, we look back at some of the most memorable members of the cast and ask, where are they now?

Roland “Roly” Browning

Erkan Mustafa played Roly, the sweet, brainy but badly bullied character who loved Golden Wonder crisps, between 1982 and 1987.

He later starred in Lenny Henry’s 90s sitcom Chef!, made appearances on Soccer AM and Celebrity Juice, had a spell as a caterer and is now a writer and director.

Roly Browning (BBC)
Erkan Mustafa is a writer and director (FilmMagic)


Mrs McClusky

The purse-lipped headteacher was played by Gwyneth Powell, 75, between 1981 to 1991. She went on to appear in Heartbeat, A Touch Of Frost, Casualty, Doctors and Holby City. From 2013-2018 Gwyneth starred as Mum in Channel 4 sitcom Man Down.

Sadly, she died at the age of 76 following complications from an operation. Her death was confirmed by her agent on September 12 and was said to have come as she had a major operation for a perforated colon.

Zammo McGuire

Lee MacDonald’s portrayal of Zammo, the cheeky chap who developed a heroin addiction, is Grange Hill’s most memorable storyline. It sparked a “Just Say No” anti-drugs campaign and saw some of the cast meeting Nancy Reagan at the White House.

Lee, 53, who recently became engaged, spent spells between acting jobs working as a locksmith and recently appeared in EastEnders as Terry until his run ended last year.

Robbie Wright

John Alford’s angel-faced character Robbie enrolled at Grange Hill from 1985 to 1990. He had a solid acting career in London’s Burning after Grange Hill and a stint as a pop star. In 2014 John, now 50, was caught in a drugs sting and 2019 he was given a community order after resisting arrest in a bin lorry incident.

Benny Green

Terry Sue-Patt’s character Benny Green was the first child through Grange Hill’s gates in February 1978. Benny had immense football talent but his family could barely cover the cost of his uniform.

Terry had said of his time in the school drama: “I basically played myself in Grange Hill. I had a great time, getting time off school to play football. It was a bit of a dream come true, really.”

Popular cast member Terry was found dead in his Walthamstow flat in 2015 at the age of 50. Police believed his body had been there for over a month.

Luke “Gonch” Gardner

John Holmes, 51, played a playground hustler who made a fortune at lunchtime any way he could - even selling toast and launching a PE lending scheme. He left acting after Grange Hill, studied at the University of East Anglia where he was head of the student union, and went on to manage a casino.

Norman “Gripper” Stebson

The scariest thug ever enrolled at Grange Hill, Gripper was played by Mark Savage from 1981 to 1983 when he was expelled for picking on a Sikh student and bullying black pupils. Former Prime Minister David Cameron said Gripper was his favourite character.

In 1998 Mark told the Mirror that people mistaking him for Gripper made his life after Grange Hill hell. He said: “It was a nightmare. I was attacked so many times - on the bus, in the street - I lost count. It was open season on Gripper.”

Mark, 56, came close to homelessness after spending a fortune looking after his poorly mum in 1998, but has since had a solid acting career mainly in the theatre and appeared in Morrissey music video.

Grange Hill cast - (L-R) Lee Macdonald, Gwyneth Powell, Erkan Mustapha, Karen Ford and Terry Sue Patt (BPM)

Christopher “Stewpot” Stewart

Remember the “Bev? Kev?” adverts for the AA featuring Olivia Colman? Kev was played by Mark Bidiss who also starred as Stewpot from 1981 to 1985. Mark also had roles in The Bill, EastEnders and Only Fools and Horses. Still acting, Mark also works as a boxing ring announcer.

Suzanne Ross

Susan Tully landed her Grange Hill role in 1981, aged 13. Playing the popular rebel won her the part of Michelle Fowler in EastEnders which she played for a decade.

Susan, 54, is extremely private about her personal life and is now one of the most respected directors in television. Her credits include Line of Duty, Lark Rise to Candleford and Secret Diary of a Call Girl.

Susan was 13 when she joined Grange Hill (PA)

Mr Bronson

Michael Sheard played terrifyingly strict, foghorn voiced deputy headteacher Maurice Bronson between 1985 and 1989. His wig was a source of mirth for the kids. But his temper reduced even the wildest pupils to jelly.

RADA-trained Michael died of cancer on 31 August 2005, aged 67, at his home on the Isle of Wight.

Mr “Bullet” Baxter

Mr Baxter ruled the PE department with an iron fist, rising to deputy head before leaving in 1987 to run a leisure centre. Actor Michael Cronin, 80, reprised the role as Mr Baxter for the ITV sit-com The Grimleys in the late 1990s.

Michael appeared in Fawlty Towers, ITVs Vera, has written film scripts and published three successful children’s novels.

Peter “Tucker” Jenkins

Todd Carty’s character was so popular he landed a spin off series, Tucker’s Luck, once he left Grange Hill after four years as a pupil in 1982.

Grange Hill stars George Wilson - stage name George Christopher - and Todd Carty (submitted picture)
Todd played Tucker Jenkins (PA)

He joined castmate Suzanne Tully in EastEnders as Mark Fowler, a role he held for 13 years.

Married to his childhood sweetheart Dina Clarkin and with two sons, Todd, 58, accidentally performed the funniest mistake ever seen on Dancing on Ice in 2009. Todd still acts and also directs.

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