ANITA Dobson’s Angie in Eastenders was dynamite. Iconic.

Dobson was in the soap only three and a half years but such was her potency it seems much longer.

But she had to leave. Acting was about playing other roles. However, who to play?

The critics were ready to feed her to the wolves. If she remained Cockney, as she did playing alongside Adam Faith in the theatre version of cult TV show Budgie, the critics said it was ‘too Angie.’

If she played posh, worked for the RSC, she was accused of being snooty, ignoring the role, her eastend background which gave her the building bricks of fame.

“I was in no-win situation,” she admits in soft voice. “But I had a lovely time doing Budgie. And I had a lovely time working with Adam Faith.

She certainly doesn’t look back on the Angie years with regret. She giggles; “When you become an established actress people actually send scripts to you. And I wouldn’t have met my husband otherwise.”

Her husband is of course Queen guitarist Brian May whom she married in 2000.

Has marriage been especially difficult given the demands of work?

“Of course,” she says in clipped voice. “We both want to do the job. But then every marriage is difficult.”

She pauses and smiles; “People ask me the secret of a good marriage. Well, the only secret of a good marriage is wanting to stay in the marriage. And working at it. If it’s not good - get out.”