'LOST ONE OF THE GANG'
Who was EastEnders star Melanie Clark Pullen and how did she die?
ACTRESS Melanie Clark Pullen has sadly passed away aged 46.
The star was best known for playing Mary Flaherty in the long-running soap opera EastEnders.
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Who was Melanie Clark Pullen?
Melanie Clark Pullen was a 46-year-old Irish actress, producer and writer.
She studied drama at Trinity College, .
Shortly after she graduated, she was cast in the BBC soap opera EastEnders in 1997.
She stayed in the role for 18 months until her departure in early 1999.
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After leaving EastEnders she admitted to suffering from panic attacks and depression from the sudden rise to fame.
She teamed up with writer, Aoife Maguire, to create Missing Stars - a play that was staged in 2001 to show those suffering from mental illness that help is available.
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Who did Melanie play in EastEnders?
The actress played Mary Flaherty, who was the long-lost great niece of Pauline Fowler (played by Wendy Richard).
In one 1997 episode of the soap opera, Pauline discovers that she has a sister in Ireland, and she decides to take a trip to meet her.
Mary comes back to live in Walford to be close to Pauline and cousin Mark.
After romances with Joe Wicks and Matthew Rose, Mary left in 1999.
She decided to move to Scotland with her father and his pregnant girlfriend, Ruth Fowler.
What other TV shows did Melanie appear in?
Aside from EastEnders, Melanie starred in ITV's big-budget costume drama Lady Audley's Secret.
She also featured alongside Richard Attenborough and Jenny Agutter in the remake of The Railway Children in 2000.
Her other credits include Doctors (2000), The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse (2005) and The Clinic (2006).
Melanie also hosted a podcast called Strut and Bellow and her last TV performance was in 2021 in Channel 4's This Way Up.
How did Melanie Clark Pullen die?
Melanie was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019 and underwent chemotherapy.
During her treatment, it was discovered that she had the BRCA 2 gene, which meant she had an increased risk of developing certain cancers.
As a result of this, she was advised to undergo a double mastectomy.
She also had her ovaries and tubes removed and a total of five rounds of radiotherapy.
In 2020, the actress was given the all clear, and told “I got the all clear; I’m cancer free, which is great, so now it’s all about recovery.”
But in June 2021, she revealed on her website that the cancer had returned and she now had a brain tumour.
She wrote: “I was only given the all clear from cancer 18 months ago and it’s a cruel blow to think that I will now be starting into some kind of treatment again and that this time it will be long term and a permanent fixture of my life.”
Since the announcement, the star informed her followers that she intends to keep a low profile as she works out what her next options are in terms of her treatment.
However, sadly, the star passed away on March 29, 2022, aged just 46.
Her EastEnders co-star Andrew Lynford, who played Tiffany Mitchell's brother, Simon Raymond, tweeted: "How sad to hear we have lost one of the gang. RIP dear Melanie."
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Was Melanie married and did she have children?
Clark Pullen is married to writer Simon Maxwell.
The pair have three children together.
Depression... the signs to look out for
We can all do our bit to help prevent deaths from suicide during these uncertain times.
There are several warning signs that a person is at risk of suicide. But it's vital to know that they won't always be obvious.
While some people are quite visibly in pain and become withdrawn and depressed, others may continue their life as normal pretending everything is fine.
Look out for subtle personality changes in friends and family, especially if you know they have been going through a tough time, Lorna Fraser of the Samaritans told The Sun Online.
These are the key signs to watch out for in not just your loved ones, but yourself too...
- A change in routine, such as sleeping or eating less than normal
- Struggling to sleep, lacking energy or appearing particularly tired
- Drinking, smoking or using drugs more than usual
- Finding it hard to cope with everyday things
- Not wanting to do things they usually enjoy
- Becoming withdrawn from friends and family – not wanting to talk or be with people
- Appearing more tearful
- Appearing restless, agitated, nervous, irritable
- Putting themselves down in a serious or jokey way, for example 'Oh, no one loves me', or 'I'm a waste of space'
- Losing interest in their appearance, not liking or taking care of themselves or feeling they don't matter
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