Clare Bates

Clare Bates
EastEnders character
Portrayed by	Gemma Bissix
Introduced by	Leonard Lewis (1993) Diederick Santer (2008)
Duration	1993–98, 2008
First appearance	6 July 1993
Last appearance	7 August 2008
Classification	Former; regular
Profile
Date of birth	19 May 1985
Family Father Liam Tyler Mother Debbie Bates Adoptive father Nigel Bates Grandmothers Maxine Palmer

Clare Bates (née Tyler) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Gemma Bissix. Bissix originally played the character as a schoolgirl from 1993 to 1998. She left the serial with her screen stepfather Nigel Bates, when his actor Paul Bradley opted to leave. After a ten year hiatus, Bissix returned to the role on 1 February 2008.^[1] The character was transformed from "cute and sweet" into a gold digging "maneater", chasing wealthy men for their money. The British media focused on the character's penchant for revealing clothing, and while she was praised by some critics, it was suggested that she was underused upon her return. Bissix again left EastEnders at the end of her contract in the summer of 2008.^[2] Her departing episode aired on 7 August 2008.^[3]

Storylines

1993–1998

Clare as she appeared in 1994.

Clare, the daughter of Debbie Tyler, arrived in Walford in 1993 when her mother moved in with her new love interest Nigel Bates. Her father, Liam was abusive towards Debbie, which had led to them separating. Liam followed them to Walford and tried everything possible to break Nigel and Debbie apart. Despite problems, Debbie went on to marry Nigel in 1994 and Clare was happy with them; however, her happiness was cut short when her mother died in a hit-and-run accident in 1995. Nigel fell apart, and it was left to Clare to look after him. After Debbie's death, Liam returned, wanting to gain custody of Clare, but Clare doted on Nigel and did not want to leave her stepfather. A custody battle ensued, but Nigel fought hard to keep Clare. He was successful, Liam withdrew the case after his girlfriend admitted in court that Liam had also been violent towards her.

Clare was friendly with the other young girls in Walford, Janine Butcher and Sonia Jackson. They caused trouble for the barber Felix Kawalski in November 1995, when they spread rumours that he was a pervert who had murdered his wife, and kept her mutilated body in his barbershop cellar. Clare broke into Felix's barber shop one evening to uncover the body, but she tripped on the cellar stairs and was knocked unconscious. The adults of Walford feared Clare had been abducted by Felix; they went to confront him, but found Clare safe and sound. Felix had only been hiding a collection of butterflies.

In 1997, Clare started socialising with a bad crowd at school, and subsequently began bullying her good friend Sonia. This led to her teacher, Julie Haye, reprimanding her. Nigel took her back to his old school to show her the pain that bullies inflict upon their victims, which made her see the error of her ways. She made peace with Sonia and then fell for a pupil at her school, Josh Saunders, who rescued Clare from the same gang of bullies after they turned on her for leaving their clique. They started dating — despite objections from Nigel — though their romance hit a brief setback when Clare discovered that his mother was also her teacher, Julie. Despite her initial upset, Clare came round and she was happy when Nigel and Julie began dating. When Julie got a job in Scotland, Nigel and Clare decided to join her and Josh. They left Walford for Scotland in April 1998.

2008

On 1 February 2008, Clare returned to Albert Square; she was thrown from the back seat of a car. Nigel's former landlady, Dot Branning, persuaded her to remain in Walford. Clare moved in with Dot and found employment as a receptionist at Tanya Branning's beauty parlour. With money as her motive, Clare tried to attract attention from wealthy men in Albert Square. Jack Branning and his brother Max showed no interest; however, Ian Beale proved more susceptible to Clare's seduction, even though he was already married to Jane. Clare led Ian on by flirting, wearing revealing clothing and talking suggestively, but it was all just a game; she had no intention of taking things further, and acted shocked when Ian suggested that she did. She blackmailed Ian, threatening to inform Jane of his dishonourable intentions unless he gave her money. To stop Clare's manipulation, Ian told Jane the truth; she confronted Clare and ordered her to keep away from Ian.

Clare developed an interest in Bradley Branning when he got a lucrative property development job. She grew closer to him and gradually attempted to seduce him. Bradley, who was getting over his split from his wife Stacey, rebuffed Clare's advances for months; however, he finally relented when Clare dressed up as Princess Leia to impress him. He propositioned her, but Clare told him she was not ready for sex and then broke down and informed him about an affair she'd had with an aggressive, married man named Arnold. Arnold had traced Clare to Walford in a failed attempt to rekindle their affair. Clare had only been using Arnold to buy her expensive gifts, and when he stopped doing this, she had fled. Clare was aware that Arnold had bought his wife expensive jewelry; she manipulated Bradley to help her steal it by pretending that it belonged to her. Believing Arnold was a bully, Bradley agreed. The robbery went off without a hitch, but Arnold saw Clare leaving and returned to Walford to confront her. Clare confessed that she never loved Arnold and had only been using him for his money. When he threatened to phone the police, Clare threatened to ruin his marriage and Bradley eventually threw him out after Clare lied that he had been verbally abusing her. Satisfied with her pay off, Clare realised she had no more use for Bradley; she informed him that he was too good for her and rebuffed his subsequent attempts to begin a relationship. She was, however, jealous when Bradley reunited with Stacey.

Despite starting as enemies, Clare grew friendly with her work colleague, Chelsea Fox; both would regularly socialise together looking for wealthy men. When Chelsea started using drugs, her behaviour became erratic and she stole £100 from her employer, Tanya. Sensing an opportunity to make money, Clare also stole £100 and blamed the theft solely on Chelsea, who was fired from her job. Subsequently, Clare and Chelsea's friendship ended.

Revealing a more vulnerable side, Clare became morose and upset on the anniversary of her mother's death, revealing to Dot that she felt alone and could only rely upon herself. The following month she was devastated when Nigel failed to show up to visit her. She broke down in tears, confessing to Bradley that she and Nigel had grown apart as she had aged. Later, she confessed to Garry Hobbs that Nigel had been unsupportive when she had sex with a boy at school and got a reputation for being promiscuous, merely putting her on the pill. Bradley's support made Clare realise the error of her ways. She vowed to put her gold digging behind her; however, Bradley discovered her diary outlining her plan to manipulate money from him. He subsequently turned against her. In retaliation, Clare threw a party at Dot's house, inviting random people who trashed the place. Dot, realising Clare was depressed, tried to get her to seek counsel from God. Clare reacted with fury, but following advice from Lucas Johnson, she tried to make amends with Dot and even attempted to pray; however, Bradley was not convinced and he orderd Clare to leave Walford. Clare did so, leaving behind a goodbye letter for Dot and stealing £200 from Bradley. She departed in a black taxi on 7 August 2008 for a destination unknown.

Character creation and development

Initial stint (1993–1998)

Clare Tyler (later Bates) was introduced by the executive producer of EastEnders, Leonard Lewis.^[4] Gemma Bissix was cast in the role. Reflecting on the casting process in 2001, Bissix said, "I was nine when I started on EastEnders. I did drama classes after school and my mum took me to an audition. There were about 50 others. I read through the script and by the time I was home they had phoned my dad to tell him I had the role. I was only supposed to be in it for three episodes, but it turned into five years."^[5] It was her first acting job and she had received no formal training.^[6] In 2008, Bissix stated, "that was my training [...] quite a lot of people [attend] drama school, I was trained by EastEnders."^[6] The character made her first appearance in July 1993 as the daughter of Debbie Tyler (played by Nicola Duffett), a love interest for an EastEnders regular, Nigel Bates (played by Paul Bradley).

Clare’s introductory storyline focused upon domestic violence—her father Liam's physical abuse of her mother—and being caught between her feuding parents. Later storylines involved the death of her mother, who was killed in a hit-and-run accident in 1995, and a subsequent custody battle between her father and stepfather, which ultimately led to Nigel being given custody of Clare. After six years in the serial, the character was written out in 1998 as a result of Paul Bradley's decision to leave, reportedly for fear of being typecast in the role of Nigel the "nerd".^[7] The writers of EastEnders wanted to give Nigel a happy ending, so a character named Julie Haye (Karen Henthorn) was invented to be a love interest for Nigel, whilst her son, Josh Saunders (Jon Lee), was invented to be a love interest for Clare.^[8] In the storyline, Nigel fell for Julie, Clare’s teacher, as they tried to sort out Clare’s problematic behaviour at school. Simultaneously, Clare fell for Julie’s son Josh, and when the storyline reached its climax in April 1998, the Bates family relocated to Scotland to begin a new life with Julie and Josh.^[7] Since her initial departure, actress Gemma Bissix has commented on her character’s exit from the soap: “it was the right time for the character to go. Besides, when you get to 15 and haven't been able to cut your hair for six years, you want a change.”^[9]

Reintroduction (2008)

"Prepare for the return of an old face, as Gemma Bissix returns to Walford in the New Year to reprise her role as Clare Bates…Drama always followed Clare when she was in Walford, and her return promises no change. Clare comes back to stay with Dot, who is thrilled to see her. But why does Clare behave so strangely when she's asked about Nigel?"

bbc.co.uk, 19 September 2007^[10]

In September 2007, an official BBC press report announced that actress Gemma Bissix had agreed to reprise the role of Clare, ten years after her initial departure.^[10] Bissix was approached about returning by the executive producer of EastEnders, Diederick Santer, following her successful stint as soap villain Clare Devine in Channel 4's Hollyoaks.

Commenting on her reintroduction, Bissix has said, "To be able to reprise the role of Clare, who I played when I was a child, is such a great compliment. It’s fantastic to grab something that once was and try and develop it into something different. I’m loving every minute."^[11] Clare Bates made her reappearance on-screen on 1 February 2008 — in her first scene she was thrown out of the back of a car by her lover, the CEO of a big company.^[12]

Characterisation

Unlike the "cute, sweet" character she appeared to be during the 1990s, Clare was transformed into a "maneating bitch" upon her reintroduction in 2008; a gold digger, chasing after wealthy men for their money.^[12] Bissix has said, "Myself, Diederick [Santer] and [story producer] Dominic [Treadwell-Collins] had a characterisation session and we discussed what Clare's been doing and how she's got to where she is now. Her back story has played a big part in how I'm developing the character."^[13]

She adds, "She's a minx now. She flaunts her assets to get what she wants!"^[14] As part of the character's new look, Bissix was required to wear revealing clothing regularly. She has commented, "That is her character. She thinks she looks sexy and she reckons that's what it takes to get blokes on their knees. You can't blame her - it works for most."^[15]

Explaining the reasons for her character's personality change, Bissix said "I think it’s just the fact that she’s lonely. When she was in Scotland Nigel and Julie were getting on with their own thing. Through no fault of Nigel’s she just got pushed out of the family. She’s not his real child, her mum’s dead and her dad was in prison and is a bit of a wrong un. She went to university and was mistreated by a few men. Now she uses her looks to her advantage. Now she’s using the men and treating them badly...she's never felt settled. Her mother died, her father was abusive and she doesn't even know him. She's never felt like she's fitted in. Clare's 'mystery' is brought about by her looking for that father figure and needing that kind of attention, which then leads her into preying on the men of Walford. That's how she makes her money. Her forté is finding men with money and using her assets to entice them and rip them off..."^[11][13]

Clare makes her return to EastEnders being thrown out of a car (2008).

Gold digging

The character's first return storyline concentrated on her attempt to seduce and then blackmail wealthy resident Ian Beale (played by Adam Woodyatt). "Clare's a chancer," explains Bissix, "She sees Ian as a route to easy money!"^[14] The Sun newspaper reported that "Ian is mesmerised" by Clare's attempts to lure him away from his wife Jane (Laurie Brett). Commenting on the storyline, Bissix said "Clare knows Ian is married! But that makes it more of a challenge."^[16] Eventually Clare's true motive was unearthed. After Ian nearly relented to her attempts at seduction, she proceeded to blackmail him.^[17] An EastEnders insider said: "Ian has been completely blown away by Clare ever since she returned to the Square. She is a saucy little minx and will stop at nothing to get him into bed. But she’s not really interested in him – she just wants his money. So Ian is really playing with fire and risking his marriage just by being alone with Clare. But he’s more of a silly old fool than anything – although I’m not sure that Jane will see it like that, especially if she finds out about their kiss. And Clare being Clare, she probably will – unless of course Ian pays her to keep quiet."^[18] However, in the storyline, Clare's games were eventually halted when Ian confessed to Jane and she ordered Clare to "Stay away from Ian!".^[19] According to Bissix, filming these scenes was particularly hard for Adam Woodyatt, who knew her well when she was only a child from her first stint in the soap: "Poor Adam. He spent a day staring at my chest for one scene, trying to get the fact that the last time he saw me I was 14 out of his head. He was a friend of Nigel so he was around all the time when I was first here and we'd done scenes together. Now, instead of this snotty-nosed little girl making Nigel's tea, she was trying to seduce him and get him in his Y-fronts."^[15]

Clare was later shown to develop an interest in Bradley Branning (Charlie Clements). Bissix revealed the reason behind Clare's interest in Bradley: "Clare sees Bradley as someone she can manipulate into earning money for her! It is purely about cash [...] Bradley is love-sick, pathetic and a bit of an easy ride as far as Clare's concerned!"^[20] In an interview with Digital Spy at the 2008 British Soap Awards, Bissix was asked about Clare's relationship with Bradley. She said, "[Their relationship] will be explored to a certain degree, but at the same time [...] it is Bradley at the end of the day, and unless he earns money, it's not going to get very far." ^[21]

Other characters that Clare has tried to seduce for their wealth have included Bradley's father Max (Jake Wood),^[18] and her former sugar daddy, Arnold (Richard Lumsden) — a guest character who was introduced in a storyline that saw Clare steal all his wife's expensive jewellery.^[22] In May 2008, Bissix revealed that the "depths to Clare are going to start to be unraveled", which she welcomed as, in her words, she'd had "enough of [Clare's] maneating for a while."^[21]

Exit (2008)

Despite Bissix stating early in May 2008 that she was going to be with EastEnders for "a while",^[21] it was announced a few weeks later on 23 May 2008 that she would be leaving EastEnders when her contract ended in the summer of 2008. Bissix has since revealed that she decided not to renew her contract.^[23] Bissix commented, "I've had a great time at EastEnders and I have loved having the chance to play Clare again. I'm looking forward to trying new things."^[24] Press reports suggested that Clare would depart the soap after she was exposed as a "thoroughly nasty piece of work". A source told the press, "Clare has been toiling away, trying it on with all the affluent men of Walford including Bradley Branning, Jack Branning and even Ian Beale but what she had thought was a masterplan to bag the man of her dreams soon gets out of hand. She is forced to flee as it is clear she is not welcome in Albert Square anymore."^[25][26]

Despite Clare showing a more "vulnerable" side in the weeks prior to her departure, in episodes that aired in July 2008, Bradley discovered her original plan to manipulate money from himself and other men in Walford, and subsequently shunned her, leaving Clare "feeling isolated and unwanted by her closest friends and family".^[27] Bissix has discussed her character's departure and the "softer side" to Clare that emerged: "she does genuinely care for [Bradley] [...] When he turns against her, it turns into a bit of a drunken mission for her and she wrecks Dot's house. When Dot comes back, she finds her in a bit of a state and hands her a Christianity leaflet. [Clare] actually sits and tries to pray". Kris Green from Digital Spy has suggested that the programme "only really ever scratched the surface with [Clare]" and that there was still a lot that was undiscovered about the character, which Bissix has agreed with. She comments, "This isn't a closed chapter. At the end of the day, she's been outed off the Square and with the character she is, she doesn't even know what's going on in her own head. Someone like Clare doesn't stick around Walford unless there's a reason. I like to believe in what I do and believe in my characters. I'm not going to stay in a job for no reason. Clare would definitely leave in this situation."^[27] After one last "huge row" with Bradley and realising that she had no friends in Walford, Clare decided to leave, making her exit in an hour long episode that aired on 7 August 2008.^[28] Discussing her exit, Bissix said, "I leave Albert Square in the back of a Black Cab, of course! Which is how I left with Nigel 10 years ago so it feels kind of right. It’s better than going out in a [coffin] isn’t it? I don’t want to be killed off!" She also revealed that she is hoping Clare Bates will return to EastEnders again one day, commenting, "I don’t think it’s the end of Clare. I’m sure she’ll be back to cause trouble at some point."^[29] In 2009, Bissix added that producers told her when she left in August 2008 that they were thinking of bringing her character back in a year or so. She added, "but it's one of those things. I'll just have to wait and see."^[30]

Reception

The character's return in 2008, where Clare was thrown out of a car's rear door into the gutter, was called a "sensational entrance" by Daily Mirror critic, Tony Stewart, and "yet another reason to watch Enders again". He speculated that she would be "compulsive viewing", suggesting that there was "an air of desperate mystery" about her and added that the "sweet teenage schoolgirl has grown up to be a self-possessed and manipulative stunner who'll give the Mitchell sisters a run for their money. If Clare's just had a bumpy ride, then Walford should buckle up as she's about to return the favour!".^[31]

According to a May 2008 article by Martin Smith, television critic for the Coventry Telegraph, the character of Clare Bates is one of only two reasons to watch EastEnders. He commented, "She's sassy, stylish, sexy and supremely manipulative - and far foxier than either of the Mitchell [sisters]." Though he continued that the character had been underused, saying "Unfortunately, for 'Enders, she's sidelined more often than Harry Kewell in a Champions League final. At least Hollyoaks knew her worth."^[32]

Clare dressed as Princess Leia (2008).

EastEnders was criticised in April 2008 by The Sun columnist Ally Ross for recycling characters. At the time, several former characters had returned for the screen funeral of Frank Butcher, including his daughter Janine Evans played by Charlie Brooks. Ross accused the "formula driven" show of replicating those former characters by regenerating them into "another arse ache’s body." Among others, he used the characters of Clare and Janine as an example of this, commenting, "Gold-digging super-bitch mark III, Janine, has become gold-digging super-bitch mark IV, Clare." He added that it was "A farcical situation for the production team, who [had to] ensure none of the personality doubles [appeared] in the same scene."^[33]

The character's "scantily clad" attire has been commented on in the British tabloid press,^[15] with Tony Stewart from the Daily Mirror suggesting that Gemma Bissix might "turn up in Albert Square starkers next".^[22] In May 2008, Clare was shown dressed as Princess Leia, and according to Stewart she looked like "a porno version" of the Star Wars character, "in white hot pants and a skimpy top that [allowed] her galactic orbs to bounce about".^[22] In an article in the Daily Mail, the journalist suggested that the character had quickly made a name for herself "thanks to her plunging necklines and knee-high boots [...] dressed in a tight, short silver dress and fishnet tights [...] her love of fitted clothes has attracted the attention of many of Albert Square's male residents."^[34] Commenting on her character's revealing clothing, Bissix has said, "I wasn't aware she was going to be so scantily clad. I knew she was going to be a minx but not that she was going to wear so little so often. Samantha Janus [who plays Ronnie Mitchell] told me she was in low-cut tops all the time when she started so I think it's a bit of an initiation."^[15]

It has also been noted that the 2008 "minx" version of Clare Bates is similar to the character Clare Devine from the Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks, whom Bissix played during a break from EastEnders between 2005 and 2007. Despite them being entirely different characters, it was suggested in The Herald that Gemma Bissix actually reprised the role between the two soaps.^[35] Bissix has acknowledged the comparison between the two characters, but maintains that they differ: "A lot of people ask me this. Clare Bates is a minx and dresses to impress, using her sexuality to get where she wanted [...] Clare Devine doesn't have the emotion Clare Bates does. Clare Devine kills people, she tells little children that they're the reason for their parents' death!"^[27]

In reference to the character's brief dallience with Christianity in 2008, TV critic for heat magazine, Julie Emery commented, "Stop right now, EastEnders. Please do not even try to make us believe that tarty, conniving Clare is about to find God, start wearing sensible floral frocks and run off to be a missionary in Africa [...] we ain't buying Clare realising the error of her ways and turning into a Bible basher. Anyway, we like her nasty bad-girl ways."^[36] Bissix was nominated in the "Best Bitch" category at the Inside Soap Awards in 2008, for her role as Clare Bates.^[37]

References

1. ^ "Ex-'Hollyoaks' actress returns to 'EastEnders'", Digital Spy. URL last accessed 2007-09-22.
2. ^ "Gemma Bissix to leave 'EastEnders'", Digital Spy. URL last accessed 2008-05-23.
3. ^ "Clare makes her decision to leave Walford", Digital Spy. URL last accessed 2008-07-30.
4. ^ Brake, Colin (1995). EastEnders: The First 10 Years: A Celebration. BBC Books. ISBN 0-563-37057-2. 
5. ^ "The soaps' lost children; HOW YOUNG STARS COPED WHEN AXE FELL ON FAME.". The Mirror. 2001-05-02. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+soaps'+lost+children%3b+HOW+YOUNG+STARS+COPED+WHEN+AXE+FELL+ON+FAME.-a073966802. Retrieved 2010-04-09. 
6. ^ ^{a b} "This Morning". This Morning. ITV. ITV1. 2008-02-01.
7. ^ ^{a b} "LOVE AT LAST FOR NIGEL THE NERD". The Mirror. 1997-11-16. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4161/is_19971116/ai_n14470623. Retrieved 2007-10-21. 
8. ^ "Interview with Karen Henthorn". Walford Gazette. http://www.wgazette.com/wint04-henthorn.html. Retrieved 2007-10-21. 
9. ^ "SAGGY, BAGGY, OLD & ALONE". The People. 2008-02-24. http://www.people.co.uk/news/tm_headline=saggy-baggy-old-alone&method=full&objectid=20329500&siteid=93463-name_page.html. Retrieved 2008-03-02. 
10. ^ ^{a b} "Gemma Bissix Returns". BBC. 2007-09-19. http://www.bbc.co.uk/eastenders/news/news_20070924.shtml. Retrieved 2008-03-02. 
11. ^ ^{a b} "Gemma Bissix Interview". BBC. 2008-02-21. http://www.bbc.co.uk/eastenders/characters_cast/interviews/interview_gemma_b.shtml. Retrieved 2008-03-02. 
12. ^ ^{a b} "Clare's back and she's no cutie, says Gemma Bissix". What's on TV. 2008-01-29. http://www.whatsontv.co.uk/soaps/eastenders/interviews/2688. Retrieved 2008-03-02. 
13. ^ ^{a b} Kris Green (2008-02-01). "Gemma Bissix: "I'm back home". Digital Spy. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a88468/gemma-bissix-im-back-home.html. Retrieved 2008-03-02. 
14. ^ ^{a b} "Enders: Gemma Bissix in town". The Sun (London). 2008-01-26. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/soaps/article727857.ece. Retrieved 2008-06-25. 
15. ^ ^{a b c d} "Gemma Bissix On Her Racy Return To EastEnders". Sunday Mail. 2008-03-23. http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/tv-showbiz-news/entertainment-news/2008/03/23/gemma-bissix-on-her-racy-return-to-eastenders-78057-20359341/. Retrieved 2008-06-25. 
16. ^ Batey, Neil (2008-02-16). "EastEnders: Money for love". London: The Sun. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/soaps/article807954.ece. Retrieved 2008-06-25. 
17. ^ "Trousers off for sexy Clare!". London: The Sun. 2008-02-20. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/soaps/article825041.ece. Retrieved 2008-06-25. 
18. ^ ^{a b} "BEALE TICKET". Daily Star. 2008-02-10. http://www.dailystar.co.uk/posts/view/29135/Beale-ticket/. Retrieved 2008-06-25. 
19. ^ "EASTENDERS (BBC1, 8PM)". Daily Star. 2008-03-07. http://www.dailystar.co.uk/posts/view/31498/EASTENDERS-BBC1-8pm-/. Retrieved 2008-06-25. 
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22. ^ ^{a b c} "Leia it out, love". The Mirror. 2008-03-05. http://www.mirror.co.uk/showbiz/tv/soapbox/2008/05/03/leia-it-out-love-89520-20403225/. Retrieved 2008-06-25. 
23. ^ "EastEnders Gemma: How I lost my beer belly in 2 weeks". Closer. 2008-06-07. 
24. ^ "Gemma Bissix set to leave". BBC. 2008-05-23. http://www.bbc.co.uk/eastenders/news/news_20080523.shtml. Retrieved 2008-06-25. 
25. ^ "EastEnders: Clare in the community". Daily Mirror. 2008-05-23. http://www.mirror.co.uk/showbiz/tv/tvland/2008/05/23/eastenders-clare-in-the-community-89520-20426750/. Retrieved 2008-06-25. 
26. ^ Allen, Kelly (2008-05-23). "Clare off! Vamp forced to flee". London: The Sun. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/article1200884.ece. Retrieved 2008-06-25. 
27. ^ ^{a b c} "Gemma Bissix (Clare Bates, 'EastEnders')". Digital Spy. 2008-07-29. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a112553/gemma-bissix-clare-bates-eastenders.html. Retrieved 2008-07-29. 
28. ^ "Gold-digger Clare flees Albert Square after failing to land a sugar daddy". London: Daily Mail. 2008-08-01. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1040688/Gold-digger-Clare-flees-Albert-Square-failing-land-sugar-daddy.html. Retrieved 2008-08-08. 
29. ^ "EASTENDERS’ GEMMA BISSIX: I DON’T WANT TO BE KILLED OFF". Sunday Express. 2008-07-25. http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/53723/Eastenders-Gemma-Bissix-I-don-t-want-to-be-killed-off. Retrieved 2008-08-08. 
30. ^ "Gemma Bissix hopes for soap comeback". Digital Spy. 2009-08-17. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a171972/gemma-bissix-hopes-for-soap-comeback.html. Retrieved 2009-08-17. 
31. ^ "Calamity Clare". Daily Mirror. 2008-01-26. http://www.mirror.co.uk/showbiz/tv/soapbox/2008/01/26/calamity-clare-89520-20297751/. Retrieved 2008-05-17. 
32. ^ "The only two reasons to watch EastEnders....". Coventry Telegraph. 2008-05-14. http://blogs.coventrytelegraph.net/passtheremote/2008/05/the-only-two-reasons-to-watch.html. Retrieved 2008-05-17. 
33. ^ "You're better off dead, to be Frank". London: The Sun. 2008-04-10. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/columnists/ally_ross/article1027397.ece. Retrieved 2008-05-17. 
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36. ^ Emery, Julie (August, 2008). "heat magazine, p.131
37. ^ "Soap storylines competing for award", The Press Association. URL last accessed 2008-10-05.

External links

• Clare Bates at BBC Online (archive)