The star who played Roland 'Roly' Browning in Grange Hill looks unrecognisable 29 years after his television debut. She was diagnosed with breast cancer and following a mastectomy was given the all-clear. He made his first appearance in episode 1 of series 5 and made his final appearance in episode 18 of series 6. A teacher put me up for the role and said Go on. Annette Firman had been taunting Roland about his weight, but he had also been unkind to Diane Cooney about her spots. Now she campaigns to raise awareness of the lesser-known symptoms of breast cancer. Ricky Simmonds (Ant) and I have remained friends since we both left. Your email address will not be published. The way I look at it; the demographics of the group that went there was right. Originally, viewers felt sorry for Roland, as he was a victim of bullying at the hands of Gripper Stebson. I was like a normal school kid; I never went to stage school or belonged to an agency. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site is dedicated to the BBC TV series Grange Hill which ran from 1978-2008, concentrating particularly on the early years (1978-1990). Did the character develop along the lines of your own personality? There was some animosity, and when we came back it was like them and us on the set. Fans loved how despite horrific bullying, the youngster always stood up for himself and discovered he had a talent for foreign languages. In 1988, Alison appeared in an Eastenders spin-off called Civvy Street, set during the second world war, playing a young Ethel Skinner. Bullied by others, only child Roland struggled to fit in at Grange Hill. The fact that Im always going to look like Roland, unless I become slimmer of the year and change my whole body image means people will always recognise me as him. A recovered Roland returned for the new school year, although Gripper showed no mercy for him and made clear to Roland that he still wants paying from him. but thats only my joke! Do you have a message for the thousands of Grange Hill fans out there? WHERE ARE THEY NOW. I never thought all those years ago that we would even be friends. This is a list of characters from the long-running BBC children's series Grange Hill . I was always a completely different personality to Roland. The two sit at the foot of the cliff as night falls, with Roland admitting he feels everything that goes wrong in his life is his fault. Fly to A. merica ; never done that before. GRANGE Hill's Zammo, Tucker, Roland and Janet look unrecognisable in a 'mini reunion' picture. On his first day Roland locked himself in the school bathroom, although was forced out thanks to Zammo McGuire and Jonah Jones throwing a stink bomb through the window. You can do it.. Ive written a couple of pieces and taken things around, not just about Grange Hill. Did you get much reaction to your character from the public? Were they actually even friends and how did you get on with Simone who played Janet? This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. The first scene would be a hand writing out letters (though it would probably be email or Facebook now) saying did you want to meet up again. The As a result, he became involved in a number of anti-drugs campaigns encouraging youngsters to 'Just Say No'. Gripper began picking on a new kid at Grange Hill named Roland Browning, mostly because Roland was overweight and shy with no friends. 5. . A few years ago, Channel 4 reunited some of the cast for Bring Back Grange Hill. If you would like to customise your choices, click 'Manage privacy settings'. But the BBC turned it down and I feel theyve let the public down. Can you tell me your middle names? and she said Will you remember all twenty of them?. The actor was found guilty by a jury at London's Snaresbrook Crown Court in 1999 of one count of supplying 2.036 grammes of cocaine to Fake Sheikh Mazher Mahmood, as well as a similar charge involving 11.9 grammes of cannabis resin. The show focused on dealing with issues like bullying and learning difficulties in a fictional school in the fictional borough of Northam. The actual show came across a bit strangely. Thats why it is never going to be rerun, because there is huge costs involved for any broadcaster. It should have been a huge thing. You come up with conversations and it just spurred me on. So many people, who went on to be really successful started on the show. . Subscribe to Daily Star and Daily Star On Sunday newspapers, Waterloo Road star Lauren Drummond looks unrecognisable 15 years after BBC show, Sacked CBeebies star felt 'lost' after job axe for stripping naked for racy photoshoot, BBC Breakfast fans beg for show improvement as tech blunder slips into segment, BBC News presenter dazzles as she slips into plunging Santa frock to deliver presents, BBC Breakfast host ends Lenny Henry chat as he warns 'you shouldn't say that', BBC Breakfast's Charlie Stayt abruptly ended his chat with Sir Lenny Henry on Thursday when the loveable comedian made a cheeky quip about getting free books from the library, Art Attack legend Neil Buchanan unrecognisable after quitting TV role for rock band, Neil Buchanan, best known for being the face of iconic CITV series Art Attack, looks worlds away from his clean-cut children's presenter days as a rock star, The Chase fans swoon over 'gorgeous' ITV player before she sparks complaints, The Chase viewers couldn't help but swoon over contestant Rachael who they branded 'gorgeous' - but the praise didn't last long after she made a shocking decision, X Factor winners now - unrecognisable star, Corrie stint and 'devastating' diagnosis, The X Factor introduced the world to music stars such as Little Mix, Alexandra Burke and Leona Lewis, and here, Daily Star takes a look at where former winners are now, Love Island fans accuse bosses of 'hiding the real Lana' after spotting key clue, Love Island fans think the main show, which airs throughout the week, is doing Lana Jenkins 'dirty' with producers 'hiding' her personality and instead airing a 'scripted' show, New series of Mrs Brown's Boys heading to BBC despite lowest ever ratings, A new series of Mrs Brown's Boys has been confirmed despite a serious drop in ratings - but after only airing specials in recent years, a mini series is about to hit TV screens, Love Island's Claudia Fogarty admits it's 'been hard' as she breaks silence on exit, Love Island bombshell Claudia Fogarty has admitted that she's struggled after her brutal dumping from the villa, which followed Casey O'Gorman breaking things off with her, Rylan Clark admits bizarre phobia after being 'obsessed' with Monster Munch crisps, This Morning presenter Rylan Clark said he used to love eating Monster Munch crisps as a youngster, but things took a turn when he scoffed too many of the snacks, Johnny Depp shocks locals with unexpected arrival at Lincolnshire antique shop, Pirates Of The Caribbean actor and Hollywood icon Johnny Depp rocked up and bought several guitars at the Lincolnshire antiques shop after arriving by helicopter, Bride left in tears as 88 guests RSVP to wedding but over half don't show up, Gray and her partner Nyx were disappointed as they looked at the empty ceremony room where she was expecting 88 guests but less than 40 turned up to their wedding, Britain faces -11C Nordic snowstorm that threatens to keep nation on ice until April, Meteorologists predict that Brits up and down the country will be hit with arctic winds on Sunday (March 5) as a Nordic snow 'shock' threatens to freeze us over until April, Rebel Wilson claims Meghan Markle is 'not as warm' as 'lovely' Prince Harry, Recently engaged Rebel Wilson has recalled the moment she first met Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on a trip to California with her mum, claiming the Duchess was "not as cool", Prince Harry 'exaggerated' gestures talking about struggles, body language expert claims, Body language expert Judi James analysed Prince Harry's gesticulations in his interview with Dr Gabor Mat, which was live-streamed online at a viewing cost of 17, Pamela Anderson reveals she was 'painfully shy' before nude Playboy centrefold shoot, Former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson, 55, has opened up about the shyness she suffered from prior to appearing nude for Playboy, for whom she would be a cover star 14 times, Kim Kardashian 'ready to date again' but doesn't want famous Hollywood star partner, Kim Kardashian is on the lookout for a new relationship and wants to date someone who isn't a Hollywood star, a source close to the reality star has confirmed, TEE-RIFFIC: Golf influencer who is 'too beautiful' loves bikini shots and could rival Paige Spiranac, Golf influencer Waiyi Chan is growing in popularity with her glamorous Instagram posts and is seen as a possible rival for social media sensation Paige Spiranac, Bikini-clad carpenter claims 'old fashioned' co-workers don't like her racy work outfits, A female carpenter, who is known online as "The Bikini Woodworker", claims "old fashioned" people in the trade aren't a fan of her videos where she dons a two-piece swimsuit to work, Stephen Bears fiance breaks silence as reality star is jailed for revenge porn, Stephen Bear's fianc Jessica Smith threw her support behind the disgraced TV star, insisting she will "always" be by his side despite his 21-month prison sentence, Putin's 'secret brood of children' with ex-Olympic star 'raised in luxury', Vladimir Putin is said to be secretly raising several children with his alleged girlfriend, Alina Kabaeva, in a 'luxury forest palace' fit for a 'royal' as the leak reportedly comes from Kabaeva's friends, 'Sonic boom' mystery that felt like 'explosion' to people across country is solved, People in Leicester, Oxford and Northampton all reported hearing a "sonic boom" that sounded like a "bomb had gone off" earlier today, causing ground shakes and the cause has finally been determined, Erling Haaland loses the plot in scrap with Dan Burn - before laughing it off, Erling Haaland has bullied numerous defences since his arrival in the Premier League, but the Manchester City forward's took on his largest opponent yet - Dan Burn, Only 1% of players can find hidden ghost inside room in under 11 seconds. Your email address will not be published. So we spent the whole evening chatting about the reunion! We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. When Roland began at Grange Hill he was singled out by bully Gripper Stebson who would threaten him for his lunch money and with further threats of violence if he didn't comply. Susan Tully landed her Grange Hill role in 1981, aged 13. Erkan, who starred in the show from 1982 until 1987, said: "I was just a normal child attending school. At the end of the day, if they didnt enjoy it; fair enough, but Grange Hill set you on a path. CC shared room with RD in Roland Gardens when RD at St Martin's [School of Art] and CC at Royal College of Art [RCA] in stained glass department. Deep down inside, he really did want her. Some people say lines from the show, which I find a bit strange. Roland, Its a real shame that the BBC has let down the public when it comes to the 30, They should have done a whole Grange Hill 30. Roland Browning was a student at Grange Hill from 1982 to 1987, played by Erkan Mustafa. Roland's most memorable storylines included being the victim of sustained bullying by school thug Gripper Stebson and forming friendships with Zammo McGuire, Fay Lucas and Janet St. Clair. Grange Hill is for everyone." Now, 44 years since the bell first rang in February 1978, it's heading back to our screens. Its a shame that Michael Sheard has passed away because I know, damn well, that he would have loved to come to the reunion. She left the series in 1985 and continued to act, appearing in TV series such as Spender and Only Fools and Horses. To me it made no difference whether I worked with an adult or a child. Holiday in Ibiza aged 16 and first real girlfriend, Wendy. In reality, myself and Roland are two completely different people. The question is how far do you go? Gripper wrote on the board that Roland is a headcase and that he goes to the shrink, which prompted Roland to bunk off school yet again. The show followed the lives of a school based in North London, and dealt with hard-hitting storylines following themes of drugs, racism, crime, mental health, and death. The first 4 series of Grange Hill were released on DVD in November, but subsequent releases have been cancelled due to poor sales. Email nicole.karageorgi@reachplc.com. Little brother to Jaqui, Robbie is best remembered for his romances with Calley Donnington and his friendship with Ziggy Greaves. He had issues. . Now 75, actress Gwyneth Powell went on to act in shows including A Touch of Frost, Casualty, Doctors and. They could have had a whole night of the public voting for their favourite characters in the show. Something went wrong, please try again later. She reached out to shake our hands. In 2016, Mahmood was foundguilty of plotting to pervert the course of justice and following the case, it was suggested thatup to 72 defendants in criminal cases in which he played a role could apply for convictions to be quashed. . She's a mother-of-two and is also an ambassador for the Good Grief Trust. You can ask as much as you like about Roland and Janet. It had an affect on people out there. He made his first appearance in episode 1 of series 5 and made his final appearance in episode 24 of series 10. Were talking about kids of 14 and 15; theyre going to have fun; theyre going to get bored. I cant tolerate rudeness in people. Fans loved that kind hearted Roland always stood up for himself and discovered he had a talent for foreign languages. Basically the whole thing is Roland showing people how he developed and how he came on. leaving it . There were a couple of people who were a few years older than me. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Mustafa told Grange Hill Gold: "I was just a normal child attending school. He did at one point, but he never won. Whether it's Tucker, Mrs McCluskey, Zammo, Bronson, Fay Lucas, Ziggy Greaves or Roland Browning, you'll find them here! Strictly's Danny Miller, Emily In Paris' Lucien Laviscount and Corrie's Georgia May Foote also appeared on the later seasons of the show. As Benny Green, Terry Sue-Patt was the first character to ever be seen on the show and became one of the most popular characters. She made a brief return as Trisha in the final episode of Tucker's Luck, a Grange Hill spin-off based on Todd Carty's character Tucker. [23.25] Early money-making enterprises, especially hair cutting. Pupils [ edit] * On joining the actors' union Equity at the age of 16, it was necessary for some Grange Hill actors to change their professional names to avoid confusion with existing artists with the same name. Roly even had a knack for foreign languages. "The national press were advertising the fact that they couldnt find a fat child at stage school to appear in Grange Hill. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. The BBC had to take a ceratin group and unfortunately others were left behind. Janet St. Clair noticed that Roland had started having school dinners. In January were doing something for Mercedes. He also appeared on Soccer AM and Celebrity Juice. 'I was told by lots of people she was a great fillip to young women teachers who started applying for headships.'. After sixyears as Zammo, Lee left Grange Hill with critical acclaim for his portrayal of Zammo. He reunited with some of his Grange Hill class mates for Channel 4's Bring Back Grange Hill and also works for a taxi firm. Lee, now 54, tried his hand at professional boxing after leaving the show, but a car accident in the early 90s left him unable to return to the ring. That got certain individuals backs up. Lee has made several TV appearances since leaving Grange Hill, including an episode of The Bill in which his love interest was played by Melissa Wilkes - who also played his girlfriend Jackie. Id already performed Just Say No at School Disco, three or four months prior to that. The TV star also worked as a presenter for E4 Music and previously did some interviews and presenting for a film website. Erkan Mustafa rose to fame when he was cast as Roly all those years ago. The long-running series was created by Phil Redmon, who also created Channel 4's Brookside as well as Hollyoaks. Grange Hill's headteacher was in charge between 1981 and 1991. Something went wrong, please try again later. They should have done a whole Grange Hill 30th Anniversary celebration. But Roland showed himself up when he was unable to carry out any of the tasks, and left humiliated and with his confidence even more chipped away. The Grange Hill cast then and now: Erkan Mustafa who played Roland 'Roly' Browning (Image: HullLive) Erkan, now 50, played one of the most popular stars of the show.. His character Roly. Roland was one of Grange Hill's most recognisable faces, Roland, Jonah and Zammo were hugely popular. Emily Atack won't stop accepting sexy TV roles despite cruel online trolls, The Inbetweeners actress and comedian Emily Atack has vowed to keep accepting racy on-screen roles despite the horrific abuse she's received from online abusers, Police hunt for East London gang setting foxes on fire with 'lighter fluid', The sickening criminals have reportedly been torturing foxes, setting them on fire, and smoking out their dens with police are appealing for more information from the public. He was always seeking acceptance from his parents. A teacher put me up for the role and said Go on. I took it to a friend of mine who was the head of Light Entertainment at Channel 4. Hotels near Bonar House Clinic, Hadleigh on Tripadvisor: Find traveler reviews, 650 candid photos, and prices for 2,209 hotels near Bonar House Clinic in Hadleigh, England. personal? I remember a scene I had in which Roland was supposed to be playing basketball. Luke 'Gonch' Gardener stepped into the shoes of Pogo Patterson as Grange Hill's ginger entrepreneur, joining the cast in 1985. replace sling stud with rail. Actor John Alford played happy go lucky Robbie Wright between 1985 and 1991. Roland made friends with a couple of bullies, and was caught red handed stealing Annette Firman's bike. Looking back, you live and learn. So the fact that he cant remember much about the visit wasnt to do with being high, but a more prosaic reason. She also starred as Mum in . I cant stand listening to Careless Whisper. Even now if I hear it I just cringe!! 72 episodes, 1982-1987 Lisa York . He then starred as Mark Fowler in EastEnders from 1990 to 2003, with a groundbreaking storyline when his character was diagnosed with HIV. As well as starring in panto, he appeared on Celebrity Masterchef in 2014 and, In 2015, the actor and his eldest son James filmed a documentary, Dangerous Adventures For Boys, for Channel 5 based on the book byConn and Hal Iggulden, Carty and his eldest son, James, filmed together in a factual television series for Channel 5, Dangerous Adventures For Boys, based on the book written by Conn and Hal Iggulden. who played Tucker, Janet actress Simone Nylander, and Erkan Mustafa, who starred as Roland. Grange Hill was a children's television show that began in 1978 on BBC1 and ran all the way up until 2008. It first aired on BBC1 on February 8 1978. A few notable people who starred in the show include Todd Carty (Mark Fowler in EastEnders ), Gary Love (Casualty), Lee MacDonald (The Bill) and John Alford (London's Burning). Contents 4 6 7 8 9 Character History Series 5 (1982) I live with it every day. In the last ten years, fans may have spotted the child actor on Celebrity Juice, Pointless Celebrities and Soccer A.M. Erkan spoke about his time on the show: "I was just a normal child attending school. But the actor has also found success on other shows. I get asked Were you Roland in Grange Hill? and I say No, Im Erkan from Stratford. That always gets a giggle. While dropping his girlfriend, Jackie, off at Brookdale, Zammo is chased by Gluxo Remington the Brookdale Bully. But his fortunes turned when he was written out after being caught in a drugs sting. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Roland 'Roly' Browning became one of the most inspiring characters on hit show Grange Hill, Actor Erkan Mustafa looks very different 29 years after show debut, Grange Hill star Lee 'Zammo' MacDonald joins EastEnders as Terry and has showdown with Danny Dyer's Mick Carter over Spice Girls tickets, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). All fun! Menu. Followed about by the ever helpful Janet, Roland's time at Grange Hill saw him develop from an unhappy eleven year old to a more confident teenager. In reality, only 3 years later, we had the whole beginning of the ecstasy movement. There were 2000 people actually went for the role and I think the reason I got it, was because I was quite a shy child at one point, and the fact that I wore glasses. We ask about each others lives. . Whos that? Because of my sense of humour I can play on that. I left Grange Hill in about 1986, so thats some time to still be recognised from the show! He still teams up with Lee 'Zammo' MacDonald for public appearances and charity events. Me and Ricky have met so many times, and we speak at least once a month. He also runs a locksmith business in Wallington, Surrey. The Grange Hill gang meet Nancy Reagan in 1986. Actor John Holmes left the show to complete his education and studied at the University of East Anglia, where he eventually became president of the Student Union for several years. There weren't many black actors about on TV at that time. Grange Hill wasn't afraid to tackle controversial subjects and that's why people loved it so much. But it was all good really. . In an interview, somebody asked me if there was an episode of a Grange Hill school reunion, what would happen? So I already had people on board to be interviewed, back at their own schools.