‘EastEnders’ Frank and Pat Butcher have been voted the most loved TV couple.
EastEnders’ Frank and Pat Butcher have been voted the most loved TV couple
The former residents of Albert Square - who were played by the late Mike Reid and Pam St Clement, 80 on the BBC One soap opera - have beaten out other beloved pairs like ‘Neighbours’ power couple Scott and Charlene, who were played by Jason Donovan, 54, and Kylie Minogue, 54 in the late 1980s.
The results come amid a poll of 1,500 people, which gave third place to another Den and Angie Watts, played by the late Leslie Grantham and West End star Anita Dobson, 73.
Elite Singles - who conducted the poll - reflected the results mirrored qualities that “delights” a sensibility unique to “British viewers”.
The pollsters said: “Frank and Pat Butcher are a great example of the kind of tragic couple that never quite manage to find their happy ending, but they certainly gave us a few laughs and thrills on their journey.
“The most bizarre, hilarious, and baffling of these being Frank’s nude doorstep arrival.
“It’s the exact sort of oddball un-romantic romance that delights British viewers and leaves the rest of the world scratching its head.”
Fourth place was snagged by ‘Coronation Street’ couple Jack and Vera Duckworth, played by Bill Tarmey and Liz Dawn on the long-running ITV1 soap.
The on-screen lovers went stateside for fifth place as ‘Cheers’ couple Sam Malone and Diane Chambers, who was brought to life on the 80s sitcom by Ted Danson, 75, and Shelley Long, 73.
Homer and Marge Simpson from the beloved adult cartoon series, ‘The Simpson’ took sixth place and Basil and Sybil Fawlty - played by John Cleese, 83, and Prunella Scales, 90 - from the 70s classic ‘Fawlty Towers’ took seventh.
It was kept vintage blighty again for eighth place as Tom and Barbara Good - played by Richard Briers, 79, and Felicity Kendall, 76 - from ‘The Good Life’ came next.
Trailing behind in the ninth was the beloved ‘Friends’ will-they-won’t-they couple, Ross Geller and Rachel Greene, 54, played by Jennifer Aniston, 54, and David Schwimmer, 56, and finally, ‘Only Fools and Horses’ Del Boy and Raquel, played by Sir David Jason, 83, and Tessa Peake-Jones, 65.
1 - Frank and Pat Butcher, 'EastEnders' - 17%
2 - Scott and Charlene Robinson, 'Neighbours' - 15%
3 - Den and Angie Watts, 'EastEnders' - 12%
4 - Jack and Vera Duckworth, 'Coronation Street' - 11%
5 - Sam and Diane, 'Cheers'- 9%
6 - Homer and Marge Simpson, 'The Simpsons' - 8%
7 - Basil and Sybil Fawlty, 'Fawlty Towers' - 8%
8 - Tom and Barbara Good, 'The Good Life' - 7%
9 - Ross and Rachel, 'Friends' - 7%
10 - Del Boy and Raquel, 'Only Fools and Horses' - 6%
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