# Adam Woodyatt

Adam Brinley Woodyatt (born 28 June 1968) is an English actor. He is known for his role as Ian Beale in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, a role he has portrayed since the show's inception in 1985.

## Early life and education

Woodyatt was born on 28 June 1968 in Walthamstow, and grew up in east London. He was educated at two independent schools: Forest School, on the edge of Epping Forest, in Walthamstow in north east London, where he shared classes with comedy writer Sharat Sardana and cricket captain Nasser Hussain; and the Sylvia Young Theatre School. He also attended Llanidloes High School, Llanidloes, Wales.

## Career

Aged 13, Woodyatt appeared on stage at the National Theatre in Tom Stoppard's play On the Razzle. Following the completion of his studies at the Sylvia Young Theatre School, Woodyatt appeared in the BBC's children's drama series The Baker Street Boys and the ITV fantasy series The Witches and the Grinnygog, both airing in 1983. He then put his acting career on hiatus and worked as a butcher in Wales for a brief period, before joining the cast of BBC soap opera EastEnders in the role of Ian Beale. Not expecting to stay much beyond the first year, Woodyatt has become the longest-serving male cast member in EastEnders. In 2013, his longevity on the show was honoured at The British Soap Awards, where he received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Woodyatt has also appeared as a guest personality on several BBC game shows and charity fundraisers, including A Question of Sport, Robot Wars (winning the show's Celebrity Special with the robot Pussycat) and Children in Need. In 2015, Woodyatt played the henchman of the Wicked Queen in a pantomime production of Snow White at Swindon's Wyvern Theatre. Speaking about joining the production, Woodyatt commented: "I absolutely love performing in front of an audience as it's so different to camera – I love the reaction of the audience. I am very much looking forward to spending the Christmas season at the Wyvern Theatre, which I know has a reputation for staging outstanding pantomimes."
On 24 April 2015, the comedy singer Gavin Osborn released a song titled "Adam Woodyatt", with the lines "Imagine how it feels, being Ian Beale". In 2019, he appeared on Celebrity Masterchef.
In August 2020, it was announced Woodyatt would be taking an "extended break" from appearing in EastEnders. In 2022, he made a brief return for the funeral of Dot Cotton (June Brown). He returned on a permanent basis in August 2023, alongside the character's wife Cindy Beale who was supposedly killed off 25 years prior.
In November 2021, Woodyatt was announced as one of the two annual late entrants during the twenty-first series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, entering alongside Coronation Street actor Simon Gregson. He was eliminated on day 18 from Gwrych Castle (hosting its second season) in Wales on 10 December 2021, finishing in sixth place.
Woodyatt is also a photographer, a hobby he took up while performing On The Razzle at the National Theatre when he was 13 years old.
In 2008, he won the Architectural Photographer of the Year Award of The Societies of Photographers with a picture he took at St Pancras, where he was filming EastEnders.

## Personal life

On 8 April 1998, Woodyatt married dancer Beverley Sharp in a private ceremony at Disney World, Florida. The couple have two children. For many years, the family lived in Southam, Warwickshire, some 72 miles northwest of the BBC Elstree Studios in south Hertfordshire, where EastEnders is recorded. On 21 August 2020, it was revealed that Woodyatt had decided to separate from Sharp the previous year, after more than twenty years of marriage. Woodyatt is a supporter of Liverpool F.C. and has been described by Digital Spy as a "huge sci-fi fanatic".

### Charity

Inspired by his father's death from cancer aged 58, Woodyatt has helped raise money for various cancer research initiatives, and broke his collarbone in June 2003 whilst training for a charity bicycle ride.
Woodyatt was also involved in launching an Aid for Haiti event at Coventry's Ricoh Arena in February 2010, with many of his actor colleagues posing for photographs, signing autographs, and providing items for an auction, which raised £30,000. Woodyatt is also a supporter of Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance and an Ambassador for the Children's Air Ambulance.
In January 2019, it was announced that he would be running the London Marathon with some of his EastEnders co-stars for a Dementia campaign in honour of former Eastenders actress Barbara Windsor.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role |
| 1990 | Happy Birthday, Coronation Street! | Himself |
| 1998 | Reasonably Scary Monsters | Himself |
| 1999 | An Audience with Tom Jones | Himself |
| 2000 | A Question of EastEnders | Himself |
| 2001 | An Audience with Des O'Connor | Himself |
| 2001 | Wendy Richard: A Life on the Box | Himself |
| 2002 | Test the Nation: The National IQ Test 2002 | Himself |
| 2003 | EastEnders: Slaters in Detention | Ian Beale |
| 2003 | Test the Nation: The National Relationship Test | Himself |
| 2004 | How Soaps Changed the World | Himself |
| 2007 | EastEnders Feuds: The Beales vs. The Mitchells | Himself |
| 2008 | Happy Birthday Brucie! | Himself |
| 2009 | The British Soap Awards 2009: After Party | Himself |
| 2009 | Donny & Marie: Las Vegas Live | Himself |
| 2010 | Coronation Street: The Big 50 | Himself |
| 2010 | EastEnders: Last Tango in Walford | Ian Beale |
| 2011 | EastEnders: Greatest Exits | Ian Beale |
| 2012 | The Walford Apprentice | Ian Beale |
| 2014 | The Ghosts of Ian Beale | Ian Beale |
| 2015 | EastEnders: Backstage with Zoe Ball & Joe Swash | Himself |
| 2015 | Neighbours 30th Anniversary Tribute: Ramsay Square | Ian Beale |
| 2016 | Bobby Beale: The Story So Far | Ian Beale |
| 2017 | June Brown at 90: A Walford Legend | Himself |
| 2018 | The Best of EastEnders | Himself |
| 2022 | 'Allo 'Allo! Forty Years of Laughter | Ian Beale |
| 2022 | Queens for the Night | Himself |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1983 | The Baker Street Boys | Shiner | 8 episodes |
| 1983 | The Witches and the Grinnygog | Dave Firkettle | 6 episodes |
| 1985–present | EastEnders | Ian Beale | Regular role 3,477 episodes+ |
| 1987 | First Class | Himself | Episode: "Celebrity First Class 1987" |
| 1988–1989, 1992 | Going Live! | Himself | 3 episodes |
| 1990–1991 | Motormouth | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 1991 | Family Fortunes | Himself | Episode: "Series 11, episode 5" |
| 1992, 1994 | Noel's House Party | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 1993 | The Main Event | Himself | Episode: "Series 1, episode 4" |
| 1993 | Dimensions in Time | Ian Beale | Charity crossover between Doctor Who and EastEnders |
| 1994 | You Bet! | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 1994 | Live & Kicking | Himself | Episode: "Series 2, episode 11" |
| 1995 | The James Whale Show | Himself | Episode: "Series 1, episode 35" |
| 1995–1996 | That's Showbusiness | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 1998 | Computers Don't Bute: The Beginner's Guide | Himself | Episode: "Series 2, episode 1" |
| 1998, 2000, 2003 | This Is Your Life | Himself | 4 episodes |
| 1999 | EastEnders: Fighting Fit | Himself | 5 episodes |
| 1999 | The Other Half | Himself | Episode: "Celebrity Special" |
| 2000 | Robot Wars | Himself | Episode: "Celebrity Robot Wars" |
| 2000–2001 | Auntie's Bloomers | Ian Beale | 2 episodes |
| 2000–2001, 2010 | The Weakest Link | Himself | 3 episodes |
| 2001 | The Generation Game | Himself | Episode: "Series 22, episode 15" |
| 2001 | Celebrity Ready, Steady, Cook | Himself | Episode: "6 May 2001" |
| 2001 | A Question of TV | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 2001 | Big Impression | Ian Beale | Episode: "Christmas Special 2001" |
| 2002 | The Kumars at No. 42 | Himself | Episode: "Series 2, episode 4" |
| 2002, 2008–2009 | EastEnders Revealed | Himself | 5 episodes |
| 2003 | A Question of Sport | Himself | Episode: "Series 32, episode 29" |
| 2003, 2011, 2023 | Children in Need | Ian Beale | 2 episodes |
| 2003, 2011, 2023 | Children in Need | Freddie Mercury | Episode: "2011" |
| 2003, 2011, 2023 | Children in Need | Bet Lynch | Episode: "2011" |
| 2003–2004 | EastEnders: Christmas Party | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 2004 | Celebrity Mastermind | Himself | Episode: "2004 Episode 3" |
| 2004 | They Think It's All Over | Himself | Episode: "Series 18, episode 1" |
| 2005 | Dick and Dom in da Bungalow | Himself | Episode: "Series 5, episode 15" |
| 2005 | Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two | Himself | Episode: "Series 2, episode 25" |
| 2005, 2014 | Strictly Come Dancing | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 2006 | Screenwipe | Ian Beale | Episode: "Series 2, episode 1" |
| 2006 | School's Out | Himself | Episode: "Series 1, episode 2" |
| 2007 | Would I Lie to You? | Ian Beale | Episode: "Series 1, episode 2" |
| 2007 | Would I Lie to You? | Himself | Episode: "Series 10, episode 8" |
| 2007 | Doctor Who Confidential | Himself | Episode: "Meet Martha Jones" |
| 2007, 2009, 2013–2016 | The British Soap Awards | Himself | 6 episodes |
| 2008 | The Podge and Rodge Show | Himself | Episode: "Series 4, episode 18" |
| 2009 | The 4th TV Now Awards | Himself | Episode: "2009" |
| 2010, 2015, 2023–2024 | National Television Awards | Himself | 4 episodes |
| 2010 | EastEnders: The Greatest Cliffhangers | Himself | Episode: "Series 1, episode 2" |
| 2010 | EastEnders: The Greatest Cliffhangers | Ian Beale | Episode: "Series 1, episode 2" |
| 2010 | Dancing on Ice | Himself | Episode: "Series 5, episode 2" |
| 2010, 2023 | Breakfast | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 2010 | EastEnders: E20 | Ian Beale | 2 episodes |
| 2011 | 24 Hour Panel People | Himself | Episode: "Series 1, episode 5" |
| 2015 | Gogglebox | Ian Beale | Episode: "Series 5, episode 2" |
| 2015 | EastEnders: Back to Ours | Himself | Episode: "Adam Woodyatt & Laurie Brett" |
| 2015 | The Graham Norton Show | Himself | Episode: "EastEnders Special" |
| 2016 | BAFTA Television Awards | Himself | Episode: "2016" |
| 2016, 2020 | The One Show | Ian Beale | Episode: "Peggy Mitchell Special" |
| 2016, 2020 | The One Show | Himself | Episode: "17 February 2020" |
| 2017 | All Round to Mrs. Brown's | Himself | Episode: "Series 1, episode 2" |
| 2017 | Saturday Morning with James Martin | Himself | Episode: "At Christmas – Adam Woodyatt & Paul Rankin" |
| 2017–2018 | Sunday Brunch | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 2017, 2023 | Good Morning Britain | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | Loose Women | Himself | Episode: "Series 23, episode 30" |
| 2018, 2021 | This Morning | Ian Beale | Episode: "Series 30, episode 237" |
| 2018, 2021 | This Morning | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 2019 | Lorraine | Himself | Episode: "16 January 2019" |
| 2019 | Celebrity Masterchef | Himself | Episode: "Series 14, episode 10" |
| 2020 | EastEnders: Secrets from the Square | Ian Beale | 2 episodes |
| 2020 | EastEnders: Secrets from the Square | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 2020 | The Noughties | Ian Beale | 2 episodes |
| 2020 | What We Were Watching | Ian Beale | Episode: "Christmas 1995" |
| 2021 | I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! | Himself | Regular role, 16 episodes |
| 2024 | Tracey: A Day in the Life | Ian Beale | 1 episode |
| 2025 | Bridge of Lies | Himself | 1 episode; Eastenders special |
| 2025 | EastEnders: 40 Years on the Square | Himself | Interviewed guest |

### Theatre

* Aladdin
* Mother Goose
* Cinderella
* Oliver
* Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
* Looking Good Dead (2021–2022)
* My Fair Lady (2022–2023)