Beth Jordache

Beth Jordache
Brookside character
Portrayed by	Anna Friel
First appearance	15 February 1993 (1993-02-15)
Last appearance	25 July 1995 (1995-07-25)
Classification	Former; regular
Created by	Phil Redmond
In-universe information Occupation Student Parents Trevor Jordache Mandy Jordache Sisters Rachel Jordache Ruth Sweeney Jr (half) Aunts Brenna Jordache

Beth Jordache is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera, Brookside. Played by Anna Friel, the character's first appearance was during the episode broadcast on 15 February 1993, where Beth and her family were seen moving into number 10, Brookside Close. Friel made her final appearance on 25 July 1995, with the character dying offscreen in the following night's episode. Beth was paramount to some of Brookside's most famous and controversial plots, such as the killing—and subsequent "patio" burial—of her abusive father and the first ever pre-watershed lesbian kiss in British television history.

Casting

Friel was studying for her A-levels and about to turn 17 when Brookside's casting department contacted her agent. She won the role of Beth after three auditions and made her first appearance on the show in February 1993.

Development and storylines

Domestic abuse

Beth's move to the neighbourhood—along with her mother, Mandy (Sandra Maitland), and younger sister Rachel (Tiffany Chapman)—was a bid to escape the clutches of her violent father, Trevor (Bryan Murray). Eventually tracking the three of them down to their "safehouse" on Brookside Close, Trevor was able to convince Mandy to give their marriage another go. His pleasantness was short-lived, with numerous physical assaults on Beth and Mandy taking place around the home. Viewers learned during this period that Beth had been a victim of incestuous abuse during childhood.

Death of Trevor Jordache

Determined to break the cycle of abuse and protect her sister from her father's sexual advances, Beth and her mother devised a plan to get rid of Trevor permanently. Realising the pair's scheme after several failed poisoning attempts, Trevor flew into a furious rage and attacked Beth—at which point he was lethally wounded by Mandy.

Aftermath and Friel's departure

Fearing what would happen if they went to the police, Beth and Mandy instead chose to bury Trevor's body under the paving in their back garden. They attempted to evade the authorities by going on the run—along with Rachel, who was unaware of their crimes—but were tracked down and arrested after the discovery of Trevor's corpse several months later. Their claim of self-defence was rejected at a joint trial, with both being found guilty of murder and sent to prison. A campaign to free the pair was mounted by local residents and led to the charges being overturned, but, while still incarcerated, Beth collapsed and suffered a cardiac arrest, dying offscreen on 26 July 1995. There were reports at the time that Friel had clashed with the show's producers and been fired. "It wasn't a good ending. I don't know what happened, to be honest", she told a journalist; though in later years she attributed her departure to a stressful workload and fear of typecasting, as well as an overall lack of preparation for fame.

Beth's sexuality

In the interim between her father's death and her arrest for his murder, Beth struck up a friendship with Margaret Clemence (Nicola Stephenson), which resulted in the two of them sharing an intimate kiss. She subsequently revealed to her mother and friends that she was a lesbian; startled by the news and unsupportive at first, Mandy was able to accept her daughter's identity in the end.

Speaking at the time, Brookside producer Mal Young explained, "When the idea for the storyline of Beth's sexuality was born, we knew that Anna could do it. We don't give storylines like that to just anyone". Concerned that the writers may resort to a 'Don't worry, it's only a phase' type of scenario, Friel insisted the story be "handled properly" and that Beth remain a lesbian. She claimed later on that, for a long while, she "couldn't walk anywhere without people shouting 'dyke!'" at her.

Reception

Brookside was commended for its "positive and non-cliched portrayal" of lesbianism, while Graham Kibble-White stated in his book, Phil Redmond's 20 Years of Brookside, that "lipstick lesbians" became fashionable during the 1990s because of Beth. Watched by six million viewers in 1994, her kiss with Margaret was a significant turning point for LGBT representation onscreen, and is considered to be one of the all-time defining moments of British television.

Commenting on the relevance of the domestic abuse plot and its parallels to real-world situations, Sandra Horley noted in her 1995 article for The Independent, "The Brookside trial, which reaches its cliffhanger verdict tomorrow evening, has echoed the plight of numerous battered women in Britain who stand accused of murdering their violent partners. Like Mandy and Beth Jordache, the mother and daughter from the television soap who face life imprisonment if convicted of murder ... many abused women who kill find themselves between a rock and a hard place".

During her time on the show, Friel was contacted regularly by real victims of abuse, as well as by closeted teenage girls. She often responded to their letters, but did not feel comfortable giving advice.

Legacy

Journalist Hilary Mitchell said in 2021 that the "enduring legacy" of Beth's kiss with Margaret could not be played down: "To say that kiss caused a huge sensation is a bit of an understatement, given how often it still comes up [in conversation]". The moment was broadcast around the world—including 76 countries where homosexuality is illegal—when it played during a montage at the 2012 Olympics opening ceremony.

References

Bibliography

• Kibble-White, Graham (2002). Phil Redmond's 20 Years of Brookside. Carlton Books. ISBN 1-84222-764-5.