An EastEnders star has paid a heartfelt tribute to her "fiercely independent" grandmother following her death, pledging to be reunited with her one day. Charlie Brooks, best known for portraying Janine Butcher on the BBC soap, took to Instagram to inform fans that her grandmother, Jean, had died at the age of 90.

The actress shared a collection of photographs of herself and Jean on the social media platform, capturing cherished moments throughout their lives together, including snaps from a holiday in Ibiza. Charlie wrote in the caption: "We say goodbye to nanny Jean today.

"She took me to see my first 'profesh' show, Copacabana. She was a mum of 4 boys. She tap danced, and swam, travelled the world, had it large with me in Ibiza, was fiercely independent and did things exactly the way she wanted to do things. No f**** given."

Charlie continued: "I'll miss her. Today is a celebration of her 90 years. I'll see you again one day Nan." Fellow actresses and former co-stars flooded the comments section with messages of support, among them Kellie Bright.

Kellie, who portrays Linda Carter in EastEnders, wrote: "Sending you all the love [heart emoji]." Simone Lahbib, who played Katy Lewis, added: "So sorry for your loss lovely." Lucy Speed, who played Natalie Evans, also commented: "You are from an epic line of women Charlie and they certainly live on in you! Sending you all my love Xx"

Charlie last graced EastEnders screens in 2022. She initially joined the programme in 1999 as Janine Butcher, daughter of Frank Butcher (Mike Reid), inheriting the role from Alexia Demetriou, who had departed the soap three years prior.

Janine became one of EastEnders' most notorious female antagonists, featuring in storylines such as murdering her husband Barry Evans (Shawn Williamson), falsely accusing Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) of attempted murder against her, attempting to kill her third spouse Ryan Malloy (Neil McDermott) and murdering her fourth husband, Michael Moon (Steve John Shepherd).

During breaks from the programme, Charlie also took part in the 12th series of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here, emerging victorious.

The actress triumphed over Ashley Roberts and David Haye, both of whom featured in this year's edition of I'm A Celeb All Stars.

The 2026 series concluded dramatically, with the finale descending into turmoil following David's dispute with Adam Thomas.

Last year, Charlie also participated in series 17 of Dancing on Ice. During her time on the programme, she ended her relationship with TV producer boyfriend James Fuller. The actress had only publicly confirmed their romance weeks earlier, but the couple parted ways in February 2025.

At the time, a source told The Sun: "They're still really close but she wanted to concentrate on Dancing On Ice." Charlie finished sixth on the programme alongside her skating partner Eric Radford.