Actor Michael Melia played troublesome Queen Vic landlord Eddie Royle for one year before the character was famously killed off in a mysterious murder plot

EastEnders viewers love a thrilling “whodunnit” and the mysterious death of Eddie Royale captivated audiences in 1991.

The Queen Vic landlord rocked up to the BBC One soap during the summer of 1990 after buying the boozer from Frank Butcher (Mike Reid), and as a retired copper, he has a very serious head on his shoulders.

In fact, Eddie was a world away from previous owners of The Vic, including Dirty Den Watts (Leslie Grantham). But thanks to his brazen

Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) was his nemesis after the gangster beat him up for trying it on with his then-girlfriend, Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean). Eddie was always rubbing people up the wrong way, and it all caught up with him.

Eddie’s on/off relationship with Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth) was complicated still further when his father reintroduced him to his old flame, Eibhlin O’Donnell (Mary Conlon).

In September 1991, Eddie left The Vic to take a short walk to post a letter, and his dog Roly accompanied him when he was accosted by a mysterious figure. Moments later, he was stabbed to death and discovered by local gossip queen Dot Cotton (June Brown), with a string of suspects confirmed.

Clyde Tavernier (Steven Woodcock) was initially framed for Eddie’s murder and imprisoned, it was soon revealed that local villain, Nick Cotton (John Altman) was the culprit.

Nick stabbed Eddie during an attempted robbery. He was arrested but famously found ‘not guilty’ at his 1993 trial due to a lack of evidence.

What is Eddie Royale star Michael Melia up to now?

Actor Michael Melia, now 80, played Eddie Royle in EastEnders between 1990 and 1991.

After bowing out of the show, Michael carved out a successful career in acting and went on to star in a string of popular TV series, including Casualty and The Detectives, before landing the role of DI Frank Dagley in Dangerfield between 1996 and 1997.

He then played Jerry Block in Sky One drama Dream Team from 1998 until 2002.

In 2007, Michael played businessman Colin MacFarlane in Emmerdale for two episodes. The character was introduced at an upmarket hotel where he met and spent the night with Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter).

However, when Chas woke up the next morning, Colin was dead after passing away during the night. In an unexpected twist, Colin’s wife Brenda (Judy Holt) arrived in the Dales and thanked Chas, killing her husband despite the cheater dying from natural causes.

But Brenda also got caught up in a Dingle drama when a planned robbery at her nightclub went wrong, and she disappeared after four episodes.

Over the decades, Michael also starred in The Bill, Doctors, Coronation Street, and New Tricks, among other shows.

Michael most recently played Grandad in the children’s sitcom Dani’s House between 2010 and 2012, and it would appear he has since retired from acting.