Tracy-Ann Oberman is an English actress, playwright and narrator. She is known for roles including Chrissie Watts in the BBC soap opera EastEnders (2004–2005) and Valerie Lewis or "Auntie Val" in the Channel 4 sitcom Friday Night Dinner (2011–2020).
Oberman in 2015
Oberman in December 2014
Chrissie Watts is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Tracy-Ann Oberman. She first appeared on 29 April 2004 and transpired to be the second wife of the show's "most enduring character", Den Watts - thus ended up becoming a prominent regular for the next 18 months. In 2005, Chrissie was the focus of one of "the programme's biggest and most high-profile narratives" when she murdered her husband in self-defence at the end of the special 20th anniversary episode. The broadcast, airing on 18 February, was watched by 14.34 million people - with "almost 60% of possible viewers" tuning in to see Chrissie killing Den. The character was credited by former head of BBC Drama Serials, Mal Young, as "anchoring the success of the anniversary storyline", and was described on the news programme BBC Breakfast as the "centrepiece" of the show, with the on-screen drama playing out over the course of the year and culminating in Chrissie's departure on 9 December 2005.
Chrissie Watts
Chrissie kneeling over Den's corpse during the 20th anniversary episode. Consolidated figures reveal the episode was seen by over 17 million viewers (nearly 1/3 of the British population).
Chrissie's style was a prominent aspect of the character. Tracy-Ann Oberman wanted to bring an element of Sex and the City to the character.
The doggy doorstop prop from the British soap opera EastEnders that was owned by the character Pauline Fowler and was used by Chrissie to kill her husband Den Watts.