'EastEnders' legend Pam St Clement based Pat Butcher's style on a woman she saw on a London bus.
Pam St Clement has revealed the inspiration for Pat Butcher's earrings
The 82-year-old actress played the Albert Square stalwart for more than 26 years as a castmember on the BBC soap between 1986 and 2012 - and she's now revealed the inspiration for Pat's signature earrings came during a journey on a bus.
During an appearance in new documentary 'EastEnders: 40 Years on the Square', Pam told former co-star Ross Kemp: "When I got the part of Pat, like any actor I decided to do a bit of homework.
"I saw this bus conductress on a number 38 bus and she was wearing these most dangly earrings."
Pat's earrings became a key part of her look and the actress had a large box filled with different designs which she wore to suit her character's mood - and she's revealed many of them were sent to her by 'EastEnders' fans.
She added: "Pat always wears the earrings that fit her mood. You know those tool boxes you can get that fold up?
"I had one of those and a wall bracket with dangling earrings, but the interesting thing is most of them came from viewers. They’d say: ‘I saw these in the market and I thought they were absolutely right for Pat'."
The documentary airs on BBC One on Monday (17.02.25) and features Ross - who played hardman Grant Mitchell in the soap - interviewing stars including Shaun Williamson (Barry), Gillian Taylforth (Kathy) and Letitia Dean, who played Ross' former onscreen wife Sharon.
Gillian revealed she understood her character Kathy because she had also worked on a London market when she was growing up.
She explained: "Coming from a big family – there are four girls and one boy in my family – and we were born in Islington. And I used to work up Chapel Street Market.
"My boyfriend at the time had a stall there, so Saturday and Sunday I used to help him out."
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