Adam Brinley Woodyatt (born 28 June 1968) is an English actor. He is known for his role as Ian Beale in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, which he played between 1985 and 2022. Early life and education Woodyatt was born on 28 June 1968 in Walthamstow, and grew up in east London. He was educated at two independent schools: Forest School, on the edge of Epping Forest, in Walthamstow in north east London, where he shared classes with comedy writer Sharat Sardana and cricket captain Nasser Hussain; and the Sylvia Young Theatre School. He also attended Llanidloes High School, Llanidloes, Wales. Career Aged 13, Woodyatt appeared on stage at the National Theatre in Tom Stoppard's play On the Razzle. Following the completion of his studies at the Sylvia Young Theatre School, Woodyatt appeared in the BBC's children's drama series The Baker Street Boys (1983). He then put his acting career on hiatus and worked as a butcher in Wales for a brief period, before joining the cast of BBC soap opera EastEnders. Not expecting to stay much beyond the first year, Woodyatt has become the longest-serving male cast member in EastEnders. In 2013, his longevity was honoured at the British Soap Awards, where he received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his portrayal of Ian Beale. Woodyatt has also appeared as a guest personality on several BBC game shows and charity fundraisers, including A Question of Sport, Robot Wars (winning the show's Celebrity Special with the robot Pussycat) and Children in Need. In 2015, Woodyatt played the henchman of the Wicked Queen in a pantomime production of Snow White at Swindon’s Wyvern Theatre. Speaking about joining the production, Woodyatt commented: "I absolutely love performing in front of an audience as it’s so different to camera – I love the reaction of the audience. I am very much looking forward to spending the Christmas season at the Wyvern Theatre, which I know has a reputation for staging outstanding pantomimes." On 24 April 2015, the comedy singer Gavin Osborn released a song titled "Adam Woodyatt", with the lines "Imagine how it feels, being Ian Beale". In 2019, he appeared on Celebrity Masterchef. In August 2020, it was announced Woodyatt would be taking an "extended break" from appearing in EastEnders. In 2022, he made a brief return for the funeral of Dot Branning (June Brown). In November 2021, Woodyatt was announced as one of