Peter Dean (actor) why he was always seen drinking from a pewter tankard in "EastEnders", because he does not drink beer and would only drink lemonade. He also races greyhounds, although after a recent appearance on the BBC's Pointless Celebrities, there have been questions about how ethical his disposal of his retiring dogs might be. Peter Dean (actor) Peter Dean (born 2 May 1939) is a British actor, he is best known for his roles as Pete Beale in "EastEnders", Jeff Bateman in "Coronation Street" and Sergeant Jack Wilding in "Woodentop". Dean decided on a career in acting after actress Prunella Scales witnessed
Peter Dean (actor) Beale, an original character in the BBC's new soap opera "EastEnders"; Dean was chosen after the actor who originally auditioned for the role (Leslie Grantham) was selected to play the character Den Watts instead. Dean played the cockney fruit and veg trader from the show's inception in February 1985 until his departure in May 1993. In reality, Dean's contract was terminated following irreconcilable differences with the show's producers. Since his departure, he has publicly slammed the producers for culling his character and did an exposé with "the Sun" newspaper, where he revealed some of the show's secrets and his opinions