Stan Carter

 ( Eastenders Characters ) 

On 19 February 2015, it was revealed West had already filmed his final scenes and left the show. Former Fawlty Towers star, Andrew Sachs, was announced to be joining the show on 10 March 2015 as Cyril Bishop, roommate of Stan when he is admitted to hospital. Sachs' first scenes were announced to air on 18 March 2015. Cyril died in the following episode, saddening Stan. Bradshaw-White teased Stan's exit week in an interview with Inside Soap, saying that Tina would take over Stan's care when Mick and Shirley become too embroiled in arguing to notice the pain he is going through. Discussing Stan's death, Bradshaw-White said, "Stan has another one of his episodes and Tina just falls apart. So the rest of the family end up sending her home - they think she's not going to be able to cope with him dying. Tina goes back to The Vic thinking that she'll come in and see her dad again in the morning, but then he tragically dies that night." Stan's final scenes aired on 10 April 2015 when after an emotional heart-to-heart with Shirley, he peacefully died in a hospice. Rather than the regular "Doof Doofs" that feature at the end of each episode, "Fly Me to the Moon", as sung by Tony Bennett, was played over the credits in tribute to Stan. Following his on-screen exit, West spoke out in support of Prostate Cancer UK and signed up for the Men United campaign, "Stan was probably the archetypal bad patient. He was very slow in thinking about his condition and recognising what it might be. He was slow to seek diagnosis, slow to act on the diagnosis and reluctant to see doctors. He was terrible really, something we should all look at and not do the same. What Men United seeks to do, and it's terribly important, is to hold out a hand to people to say, 'Come on, you will see people here with whom you can swap experiences, swap ideas, swap thoughts, swap feelings'. You don't have to stand there and wait for people to come, because they won't. You just need a little push and you will like it when you get there."

Stan later flirts with Cora Cross (Ann Mitchell), and offers her a loan when he learns that she is struggling for money. When Nancy Carter (Maddy Hill) has an epileptic seizure, Stan and Shirley unite to help her and successfully deal with the issue. Wanting to reconcile with Shirley further, Stan calls Dean to The Vic. However, the reunion does not go well and Mick ends up punching Dean when he turns nasty with Shirley. Shirley blames Stan for the situation and threatens to throw him out, but he tells her if she does that he will reveal that it was her, not Shirley's mother Sylvie, that tried to drown Mick when he was very young. When the Carters decide to re-paint the exterior of The Vic, Tina tells Mick that she can remember when they were decorating and when Mick nearly drowned in a bath, and that their mother Sylvie was not present. Mick believes that Stan was the culprit who tried to drown him, and orders him to leave The Vic immediately. Mick later violently grabs him and taunts him with drowning in the bath, although Shirley stops with the truth. Stan helps Linda allow her son, Johnny Carter (Sam Strike), some independence after he reveals he is gay. Stan grows closer to Cora when he holds her a late birthday celebration as everyone forgets the date. He refuses to believe Mick is guilty of soliciting a prostitute when he arrested for the crime, despite his plea in court. Cora reveals the offence to the whole pub, and distances herself from Stan. He is suspicious and realises when speaking to Cora's granddaughter Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) that Cora knows the prostitute involved. Cora apologises to the Carters when her daughter Rainie Cross (Tanya Franks), the prostitute, confesses that she lied about Mick.

Babe becomes suspicious when Stan frequently vanishes off the square. She follows him to the hospital, where she discovers he has terminal prostate cancer. She urges him to tell his family, but he insists he wants to deal with it alone. However, an upset Babe reveals the cancer at Lee's 22nd birthday celebrations. He is angry with her and tries to lie his way out of the truth, but later confesses that this Christmas is likely to be his last. Cora is very upset to realise the truth as well, as her husband died of cancer several years ago. Stan confronts Babe and reveals he knows she is hiding Shirley; this leads Mick and Dean to bring her back to Walford. Christmas lunch is unsettled when Stan's ex-wife Sylvie Carter (Linda Marlowe) visits. Cora storms off upset and the day is later upset when Shirley admits that she is Mick's mother. Stan throws Babe out and urges Mick and Tina to carry on as normal, but he is left reeling when Mick tells him that Dean has raped Linda. After he collapses in the Square, Stan tells Tina and Mick he would like them to help him Euthanasia. Although Mick furiously refuses, Tina eventually agrees, but Mick stops her before she can. This causes Mick and Stan to fallout. Stan tries to arrange a trip to the dogs for the Carters, but they are concerned for his health. Before they can leave, he loses feeling in his legs and is rushed to hospital, where he tells them he does not want them to visit and wants the money he loaned Shirley and Dean for Blades' back. He learns that he will never be able to walk again due to his cancerous tumour pushing on his spine. Babe and Cora visit him, and he proposes to Cora, which upsets Babe as she reveals she never stopped loving him. Cora accepts after Babe gives her her blessing, delighting Stan.

Stan returns home temporarily, but is sent into a hospice against his own will as his health continues to deteriorate. On Good Friday 2015, Dean returns to Albert Square alongside his father Buster Briggs (Karl Howman), insisting on visiting Stan at the hospital before he flees the country. Shirley calls the police to stop Dean leaving, and he is arrested for breaking his bail conditions, which saddens Stan. The following week, Stan attempts to bring his family together by asking Mick to make amends with Shirley, but although he tries, she refuses to show up at Stan and Cora's wedding ceremony. The ceremony is interrupted when Stan appears to be in pain, and the nurses give him pain relief. He promises Cora that they will marry the next day and she sleeps over in his room. Shirley also shows up there to be with him in the middle of the night, having had a change of heart after hearing of Jim Branning's (John Bardon) death. Stan's health rapidly deteriorates over the night, and the Carters and Cora keep a bedside vigil by his side. When Mick and Shirley argue, Stan advises them to make peace for his sake. Mick leaves while Shirley stays with Stan. Shirley reminisces the times she had with Mick when he was young. Stan hints to Shirley that she should put her family problems to rest, before dying peacefully.