Pamela Ann Clements (born 11 May 1942), known professionally as Pam St Clement, is an English actress. She is known for portraying Pat Butcher in the BBC soap opera EastEnders from 12 June 1986 until 1 January 2012, with guest appearances in May 2016 and December 2025, thereby becoming one of the programme's longest-serving cast members.
Early life
St Clement's parents, Ann Tribe and Reginald Clements, married in 1940. Shortly after St Clement's birth in 1942, her mother died of tuberculosis, and she was put into foster care when her father remarried. St Clement subsequently grew up in various foster homes until she was taken in by a family who owned a farm in Devon.
She has commented: "I was very fortunate in the end. I was always being farmed off to holiday homes, then when I was just pre-teens I went down to Devon to some people who were very good at taking on youngsters, and what originated as a business arrangement became my home." However, this career proved unobtainable because she didn't pass Latin at school.
Instead she decided to become a teacher
Career
Early career
St Clement has worked extensively on the stage, in films and on television. Subsequent television credits have included: Van der Valk (1977); A Horseman Riding By as Meg Potter (1978); Emmerdale Farm (1980) as Mrs. Anne Eckersley; Thomas & Sarah (1980); Enemy at the Door (1978; 1980); Play for Today (1980); Minder (1980); Shoestring (1980); Dangerous Davies (1981); Angels (1981); as Frau Bodelschwingh in Private Schulz (1981); The Chinese Detective (1982); The Tripods (1984); Bottle Boys (1984); and Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense (1986). She has also appeared in films, including roles in Doomwatch (1972), Hedda (1975), The Bunker (1981), Scrubbers (1983) and Hitler's SS: Portrait in Evil (1985).
EastEnders
In 1986, St Clement was cast in her most notable role to date—Pat Wicks, the troublesome former prostitute and former wife of Pete Beale (Peter Dean), in BBC's EastEnders (the show's producers wrote that the marriage had taken place more than 20 years before EastEnders was launched).
She featured in a multitude of high-profile storylines, which included a total four marriages (two of which had happened before the show's launch) — most notably to Frank Butcher (played by Mike Reid) – numerous affairs, feuds and a spell in prison for drink-driving (which led to a pedestrian dying). As of April 2017, she was the third longest serving cast member at EastEnders surpassed only by Adam Woodyatt and June Brown. In 2012, St Clement won a Lifetime Achievement Award at the British Soap Awards, previously having been won by her co-stars Wendy Richard, June Brown and Barbara Windsor.
In July 2011, it was announced that St Clement would be leaving EastEnders after 25 years. Of her departure St Clement said "I have enjoyed 25 and a half wonderful years in EastEnders creating the character of Pat but feel it's time to hang up her earrings. Leaving the EastEnders 'family' will be akin to a bereavement. But I'm looking forward to the other work and life opportunities that I will have the time to pursue." She filmed her final scenes in November 2011, and the character departed on 1 January 2012. She has since been associated with EastEnders and on 14 November 2014, St Clement reprised the role of Pat for a short stint for Children in Need after Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) knocks his head and sees the deceased women in his life. In February 2015, St Clement, alongside Windsor, took part in EastEnders: Back to Ours, which celebrated 30 years of the soap opera. St Clement and Windsor looked back on some of their characters' most infamous moments. On 17 May 2016, she reappeared as Pat, again playing opposite Windsor, for a few minutes as an imagined figure in conversation with the terminally ill Peggy Mitchell. St Clement also appeared at the EastEnders Meet and Greet event in June 2016. And she returned briefly in the pre-Christmas episode of 23 December 2025, in the imagination of Nigel Bates.
Other work
In 2006, St Clement appeared as Aunt Sponge in The Queen's Handbag at the Children's Party at the Palace – an all-star event to celebrate the Queen's 80th birthday. She has also made personal appearances on various television programmes including Grumpy Old Women (2005–06) and the wildlife programme, Countryfile (2000). She was also the subject of an episode of This Is Your Life in 1995. She made her first appearance on 13 March and her last on 20 December 2012. St Clement would appear as "grumpy patient" Sally Hodge who "makes life hell" for charge nurse Charlie Fairhead (Derek Thompson) because she is "distrustful" of him. She revealed that she smokes cannabis every day for pain relief and has argued that it should be legalised.
Charity work
St Clement is an animal lover and a keen conservationist. She supports several charities, which includes the Global Wildlife Fund. She is also the Vice-President of her local RSPCA and works with them to promote their "Home for Life" campaign. In 2007, she lent her support to Hearing Dogs for Deaf People and the Pets as Therapy campaign. In February 2007, St Clement, who is a keen horse-rider, became the patron of Veteran Horse Welfare.
Awards and nominations
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Award
! Category
! Nominated work
! Character
! Result
! Ref
|-
| rowspan=3|2012
| rowspan=3|The British Soap Awards
| Best Single Episode
| EastEnders – Pat: An End of an Era
| rowspan=3| Pat Butcher
|
| rowspan=3| <br><br>
|-
| Best Exit
| rowspan=2| EastEnders
|
|-
| Lifetime Achievement Award
|
|-
|}
- Awarded honorary degree from Plymouth University.
Personal life
St Clement is bisexual and is a supporter of gay rights—campaigning with Stonewall against Section 28 and for lowering the age of consent for gay men. St Clement is known to be an intensely private person who seldom speaks about her personal life. She later commented: "I have since decided I wasn't made to be slim. When I was thinner the paparazzi got some pictures where I looked ill. I had to come out and speak about it."
References
External links
- Pam St Clement at the British Film Institute