Who was Celebrity MasterChef’s Phil Daniels in EastEnders?

Phil Daniels on Celebrity MasterChef
(Image credit: BBC/Shine TV)

The EastEnders actor has swapped Albert Square for the kitchen...

Phil Daniels has joined the Celebrity MasterChef 2020 lineup, but many will recognise him from EastEnders.

He was a soap regular from 2006 - 2008, but who did he play?

Here's everything you need to know about the former soap star...

Who was Phil Daniels in EastEnders?

Phil played Kevin Wicks, who was first introduced into the square in 2006.

In the soap, Kevin married Shirley Carter (Linda Henry) and had one son with her named Jimbo (Lloyd Richards).

However, his marriage was a turbulent one, as Shirley had several affairs resulting in two pregnancies, which Kevin brought up as his own.

Shirley eventually left him in 1989, and didn't return even for Jimbo's funeral when he died due to cystic fibrosis.

Kevin was first seen in Albert Square after following Shirley's son Deano to Walford in February 2006 and stays with his aunt, Pat Evans (Pam St Clement).

He was involved in several storylines, mainly involving Deano and his ex-wife Shirley.

In 2008, his character was killed in a car accident where he died in Shirley's arms,

Phil Daniels

Phil Daniels as Kevin Wicks in EastEnders.

What band was Phil Daniels in?

As well as being an actor, Phil is also a talented musician. He formed a new wave band called Phil Daniels & The Cross.

They were active in the late 1970s and early 1980s, releasing an album and a single.

Phil also leant his voice for Blur's iconic song Parklife in 1994.

How old is Phil Daniels?

He is 61 years old, and was born on 25 October 1958.

Phil was born in Islington, London, and trained at the Anna Scher Theatre School there.

Is Phil Daniels in Call the Midwife?

Yes, Phil played a 60-year-old man named George who lives on a street marked for demolition.

But George doesn't want to leave, as he'd be separated from his beloved pigeon called Dot.

He has only starred in one episode.

Did Phil Daniels play Grandad Trotter in Only Fools spin off Rock & Chips?

He did!

Phil played Ted Trotter aka "Grandad" in the spin-off series, alongside a great cast including original Only Fools star Nicholas Lyndhurst.

Phil Daniels

Phil Daniels starred in Only Fools and Horses spin off Rock & Chips. (Picture: Getty)

The spin-off was created by Only Fools and Horses' John Sullivan, and also starred EastEnders' Kellie Bright, and The Inbetweeners' James Buckley.

Was Phil Daniels on Strictly Come Dancing?

The actor and musician put on his dancing shoes for the 2008 series of the competition.

His dance partner was Flavia Cacace, an Italian-born professional dancer.

Sadly Phil was the first to be eliminated, with Holby City's Tom Chambers lifting the trophy for that year.

Lucy Buglass
Senior Staff Writer

Lucy joined the WhatToWatch.com team in 2021, where she writes series guides for must-watch programmes, reviews and the latest TV news. Now she works for our sister site TechRadar in the same role. Originally from Northumberland, she graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in Film Studies and moved to London to begin a career writing about entertainment.

She is a Rotten Tomatoes approved film critic and has a huge passion for cinema. She especially loves horror, thriller and anything crime-related. Her favourite TV programmes include Inside No 9, American Horror Story, Stranger Things and Black Mirror but she is also partial to a quiz show or a bit of Say Yes to the Dress