Gretchen Gordon Franklin was an English actress and dancer with a career in show business spanning over 70 years. She played Ethel Skinner in the long-running BBC1 soap opera EastEnders on a regular basis from 1985 until 1988. Following this, she made intermittent returns to the show, her appearances becoming increasingly infrequent and brief. Her final appearance was in 2000, marking the demise of her character.