EastEnders legend Rudolph Walker ’embroiled in secret race row with BBC bosses after he and his black co-stars were snubbed from soap’s 20th anniversary book’

EastEnders legend Rudolph Walker reportedly accused BBC bosses of racism after he and his black co-stars were snubbed from the show’s 20th anniversary book in 2005. 

The actor, 85, who’s played Patrick Truman in the show since 2001, said he was ‘totally disgusted’ and met with then boss John Yorke to demand an explanation. 

Writing in his autobiography Walking With Dignity, which was printed in The Sun, Rudolph said that his photo was nowhere to be seen in the book and co-stars Adam Wodyatt and Shane Richie had demanded it be ‘withdrawn and reprinted’.

He said was told that only characters with prominent stories at the time were featured in the book, despite new family The Millers, who had yet to make their debut, were included. 

Writing: ‘By the end of 2004, I had appeared in 300 episodes over three years and in 2004 had eight ‘doof doofs’ [the iconic sound to mark the end the end of an episode]. 

‘The absence in the book of one of the first black families in the Square — despite their small photos, there were scant references inside to [on screen sons] Gary Beadle and Nick Bailey either, caused many eyebrows to be raised and questions asked.’

He went on to explain that bosses blamed an ‘independent editor’ for the error, before praising the show for continuing to include ‘characters from diverse ethnic backgrounds’.

MailOnline have contacted BBC for comment.  

It comes after the actor revealed he was secretly homeless while starring on the soap and admitted to leading a ‘double life’ after a divorce in his 70s left him ‘penniless’.  

He recalled ‘crying’ on the way to the BBC‘s Elstree studios as he kept his struggle with ‘pain and loneliness from his co-stars.  

Rudolph married his first wife Lorna Ross in 1968, after their divorce he went on to wed his second wife, Dounne Alexander in 1998, but they also split. 

The legal costs of his second divorce took its toll and he was left with ‘only a car to his name.’ 

In an interview with The Mirror, he explained: ‘It was painful. It was extremely difficult. I just didn’t have any financial means. I was literally starting from scratch again in my 70s, with nowhere to live. It was a time of great pain and loneliness.

‘Some days on my way to the studio, I would pull up at the side of the road, have a cry. I suppose it was a sort of double life.

‘Questions of: “Who am I? Why am I in this position?” There was no way the public watching me as Patrick every other night were aware that was what was happening.’

Diane Parish, who plays Denise Fox, was one of the only cast member’s who could see past Rudolph’s happy façade. 

But despite her questions, he never revealed what he was going through. 

He hasn’t even explained the height of his financial difficulties to his children Darren, 52, and Sheona, 48. 

From 2001, the Trinidad and Tobago native’s character Patrick has been central to numerous hard-hitting stories including suffering strokes, being assaulted in his shop, and the death of his adopted son.

He is seen as a father figure to several characters, namely sisters Denise Fox (Diane Parish) and Kim Fox (Tameka Empson).

Over the years, Rudolph has appeared in Love Thy Neighbour, Roman Atkinson police comedy The Thin Blue Line, and films such as 10 Rillington Place, 

He also served as the narrator for CBeebies hit programme Teletubbies in the late 1990s.

In 2010, to mark his 70th birthday, Rudolph launched the Rudolph Walker Foundation to help disadvantaged youths start their careers in the entertainment industry.

The foundation includes an interschool drama award across schools in London, and a Role Model award for students who have demonstrated positive influence on others.

In 2015, he celebrated his 1000th EastEnders episode.

Rudolph’s services to drama and charity resulted in him being appointed a CBE in the 2020 New Years Honours List.

Walking With Dignity by Rudolph Walker CBE will be available from September 26.