EastEnders trouble. Co-creator Tony Holland was from a large East End family, and such families have typified "EastEnders". The first central family was the combination of the Fowler family, consisting of Pauline Fowler, her husband Arthur, and teenage children Mark and Michelle. Pauline's family, the Beales, consisted of Pauline's twin brother Pete Beale, his wife Kathy and their teenage son Ian. Pauline and Pete's domineering mother Lou Beale lived with Pauline and her family. Holland drew on the names of his own family for the characters. The Watts and Mitchell families have been central to many notable "EastEnders" storylines, the show
Joe Macer husband, Arthur Fowler. Their marriage was an attempt to give the character Pauline a "new lease of life" and her wedding day was screened to coincide with "EastEnders"' 21st anniversary. Richard was openly opposed to her character remarrying, but she was eventually convinced by the executive producer and battled—successfully—for Pauline to keep her surname, Fowler. In July 2006 however, Wendy Richard announced that she would be leaving the show. She said she made the decision to leave when the producers of "EastEnders" revealed that Pauline was to remarry. Richard thought it was "disloyal" of Pauline to her beloved first husband