Anita, Lady May (born 29 April 1949), known as Anita Dobson,[1] is an English actress and singer. She is best known for playing landladyAngie Watts in the BBC soap opera EastEnders from the show's inception in 1985 until 1988. She achieved a top five hit in the UK singles chart in 1986 with "Anyone Can Fall in Love", a vocal version of the theme music of EastEnders, and briefly reprised her role for the show's 40th anniversary in 2025.
Dobson was not the first person to be cast as Angie – another actress, Jean Fennell, had already begun recording when it was decided that her performance was not right and Dobson was substituted in the role. Whilst playing Angie Watts, alcoholic landlady of the Queen Vic, Dobson worked closely with actor Leslie Grantham, who played her adulterous husband 'Dirty Den Watts', landlord of the Queen Vic. On Boxing Day 1986, 30.15million viewers tuned in to witness Den handing Angie divorce papers.
After Dobson left EastEnders in 1988, BBC executives made numerous offers for her to return, but she did not accept any of them; she later commented: "Why tarnish the gorgeous creation that was Angie Watts?"[3] Executives finally decided she could not be persuaded to return, and in 2002 the character of Angie Watts died off-screen of alcoholism and was brought home to be buried by her on-screen daughter Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), who had returned to the show the previous year.
Dobson eventually agreed to reprise her role for EastEnders's40th anniversary, making a surprise one-off appearance as Sharon's hallucination in an episode broadcast on 19 February 2025.[4]
Dobson guest starred in the ITV1 police drama The Bill in 2005 and appeared in the radio Doctor Who serial Blood of the Daleks. Dobson has also played five different guest characters in the BBC medical drama Casualty, appearing in episodes in October 2000, July 2009, July 2011, March 2013 and October 2017; she also had two guest roles in Casualty's sister series, Holby City, in September 2003 and December 2014 respectively. Dobson featured in the film London Road in 2015 and appeared alongside Simon Callow in the Gold comedy series The Rebel in 2016 and 2017.
On 20 January 2023, it was announced that Dobson would be guest starring in the fourteenth series of Doctor Who as the mysterious Mrs Flood. Her casting was announced alongside that of Michelle Greenidge.[5][6] The episode was broadcast on Christmas Day 2023.[7] On 27 April 2023, Dobson appeared in an episode of the BBC series Inside No. 9, "Mother's Ruin", as Frances.[8][9] She returned as Mrs Flood in Doctor Who for multiple episodes in both the 2024 and 2025 seasons, and in the episode "The Interstellar Song Contest" it was revealed that Mrs Flood was an incarnation of Doctor Who villain the Rani.
Musical and stage career
Dobson has also performed as a singer, with varying degrees of chart success. In August 1986 she reached No. 4 in the UK singles chart with "Anyone Can Fall in Love", a song based on the theme music of EastEnders, which was written by Simon May. The song was produced by Queen guitarist Brian May,[10] who later became her husband. She has also released several other singles and albums with minor chart success.
Dobson played the role of Gertrude in the English Touring Theatre production of Hamlet, at the New Ambassadors Theatre in London's West End, following a UK tour in the autumn of 2005.
On 6 September 2011, it was announced that Dobson would take part in the 2011 series of Strictly Come Dancing.[17] In the launch show of the ninth series on 10 September 2011, it was revealed that she would be partnered by Robin Windsor. She was eliminated on 27 November 2011 after Windsor had been unable to dance for a week due to an injury. Dobson therefore rehearsed and danced the Cha Cha Cha and the Swingathon with Brendan Cole.[18]
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