One of EastEnders’ most iconic characters has finally spoken out after 40 years in Albert Square, as she launched her very own Instagram account.
Jane Slaughter, 63, has played silent Tracey in the BBC soap since the very first episode as has become a real fan-favourite during that time.
Tracey is, of course, one of the many named supporting characters that help cement Walford as a real life suburb of East London.
Originally operating a flower stall on the Bridge Street Market, she was taken on as barmaid at The Queen Vic by Frank Butcher (Mike Reid) in 1989. Her presence in the pub often helps explain other characters’ absence from work, allowing them to be at the centre of the drama elsewhere.
Now, almost forty years on from her first appearance, actress Jane has joined social media.
Alongside a video of herself sunning it up abroad, she wrote: ‘Breaking the silence. My first time on Instagram, so I just wanted to thank you all for your kindness and support over the years.’
‘And yes, it is me…’
In the clip, a male voice can be heard saying: ‘Why are you laughing?’
‘Because of course it’s me’ replies Jane, verifying that the account is her own.
‘I am the real Jane Slaughter’, she continues, ‘I would like to say hello and thank you for all those years of loyalty and I’m saying a big “hi”, and thank you.’
Very little is known about the character due to her limited dialogue, though over the years we have found out some tidbits of knowledge about our mysterious Trace.
We know that she’s married, has a son and grandkids, and in 2003 had a one-night stand with Dennis Rickman (Nigel Harman).
Two years later she was struck over the head with a crowbar by Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf) and has resigned or been let go from The Vic many times over the years.
On one such occasion, the residents staged a protest over Woody Woodward’s (Lee Ryan) decision to fire her.
She also cited that she once slept with Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden), and he was the best she’d ever had!
In 2010, much-missed Fatboy (Ricky Norwood) gave his Walford survival tips in spin-off series E20, one of which was to avoid chatting with Tracey, as ‘she goes on, and on, and on, and on.’
At the same time, she told Digital Spy: ‘I think it would be wrong to suddenly make her into this talkative, all-singing, all-dancing person with a fully-fledged family and surname – it wouldn’t make sense. That’s why it’s been done so well.’
We love you Jane, keep doing a grand job!
