Howard Saddler is currently starring as creepy Pastor Clayton in EastEnders, but he has a wealth of other roles under his belt.
The sinister church leader, who made his debut in the BBC soap in December, has been embroiled in a huge storyline that has seen him sexually abuse beloved Albert Square stalwart Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter).
Meeting her at the community centre, rumours began to fly among the parishioners who believed there was more to their relationship than initially met the eye.
Shutting down the gossip, Yolande lashed out at ringleader Agatha (Chloe Okora) and the Pastor assured her that there wasn’t anything to worry about.
But Clayton’s true nature subsequently came to light when he locked Yolande in the storeroom at the community centre and sexually assaulted her.
Upon her return to Walford this week, she was dismayed to learn that Levi, the church representative that was going to report him to officials, has left the area.
What did Pastor Clayton do to Yolande in EastEnders?
In stomach churning scenes, Clayton pulled Yolande in for an embrace but slowly moved his hands to the base of her back.
Yolande was left feeling uneasy afterwards and, in scenes that followed, the pastor placed his hand on her thigh. When she questioned his motives, he implied that she was misreading the situation.
In a bid to punish Yolande for speaking out, Clayton employed his wife Stella to take over her responsibilities in their charity work, which devastated her given how much she’d been looking forward to organising a fundraiser.
Yolande subsequently apologised, with the pastor placing her back on organising duties for the fundraiser. But in devastating scenes, he locked Yolande in the storeroom of the community centre and sexually assaulted her – on the very day of the fundraiser, which she was on course to be a success.
The much-loved character broke down in tears and headed straight for the lauderette, where she confided in Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorpe) about her ordeal, urging her to keep quiet.
Where have we seen actor Howard Saddler before?
Before he arrived in Walford, actor Howard Saddler was no stranger to our screens.
According to IMDb, his first credited role was as a paramedic in ITV continuing drama The Bill in 1993, returning to Sun Hill police station seven years later in a separate part.
He then appeared as DC Chambers in two series of Children’s BBC soap opera Grange Hill in 1995.
Returning to kids TV in 2001, he played an estate agent in supernatural series Ghost Hunter.
He also starred as Oliver in hit Ricky Gervais comedy The Office.
Following this he joined the cast of much missed Channel 5 show Family Affairs, which was set in the fictional London suburb of Charnam, appearing as Les Boulter for two years.
Throughout his career he’s appeared in a number of soaps, including Doctors and Holby City.
Has Howard Saddler appeared in EastEnders before?
In December 2002, he made a guest appearance as a separate character that is worlds away from his role as Gideon Clayton.
When Jamie Mitchell (Jack Ryder) was rushed to hospital after being hit by Martin Fowler’s (then James Alexandrou) car, Howard’s character Dr Daniel Rodford was the one who treated him.
It proved to be one of EastEnders most memorable storylines, as the incident resulted in Jamie’s death.
Having thought he’d fathered Sonia Jackson’s (Natalie Cassidy) baby Rebecca, she was devastated to learn that she was in fact the daughter of Martin (whom Sonia had been sleeping with before Jamie).
Despite their troubles the pair reconciled – but before they could get married, Martin plowed his car towards him outside of Walford East tube station.
A devastated Sonia was by his bedside in hospital before he passed away.
Jamie’s death has been referenced by Martin in recent years, calling it ‘the biggest mistake of his life’.
EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One.
If you’ve got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us [email protected] – we’d love to hear from you.
Join the community by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage.
MORE : BBC viewers ‘broken’ after bingeing ‘incredibly moving’ new series in one go
MORE : BBC Breakfast fans spot sign Naga Munchetty ‘couldn’t hide disdain’ for Nigel Farage
The Soaps Newsletter
Sign up for daily Soaps updates and our weekly Editor’s special for juicy exclusives and interviews. Privacy Policy
Share this with