St Clement 'in mourning' after 'Eastenders' exit
Pam St Clement was "too exhausted" to cry when she filmed her 'EastEnders' exit scenes.
The 69-year-old actress - who played Walford matriarch Pat Butcher in the BBC One soap for 25 years before bowing out in Sunday's Christmas Special - explained she reserved her tears for when the episode was aired and she now plans to go into "mourning".
She said: "I didn't cry because for me it isn't the end. My contribution to the show will not have ended until my last scenes are transmitted. It's like grieving. I haven't had the death so I can't mourn yet. Then I will go into mourning.
"There were a lot of people watching. Everybody seems to come out of the woodwork so they can say they were there when they saw an actor's last scene.
"There were tears from quite a lot of people. They would look at me and start crying. Every time Shane Richie, who plays Alfie Moon, looked at me, he'd start.
"But having done those last scenes it was the best night's sleep I've ever had. I was exhausted. I'd been filled up like a vessel to do these last scenes as Pat and suddenly it was all empty."
Pam admitted she had been thinking about quitting 'EastEnders' ever since the soap celebrated its 25th anniversary with a special live episode in 2010, but she is now hoping to try her talents on a period drama such as 'Downton Abbey'.
She added in an interview with The Sun newspaper: "I thought while I could still remember lines and not bump into furniture it would be a good idea to get out there and do other things that tickle my fancy.
"I'd like to do some period dramas. Maybe 'Downton Abbey', so long as Dame Maggie is prepared to give up some of her one-liners, which I doubt she is."
