Bill Treacher was born in 1930 in Dagenham.

After serving in the RAF and a spell at sea travelling the world with P&O, all the while saving his earnings to put himself through drama school, Bill Treacher had a long and successful acting career.

From weekly rep theatre in the fifties and sixties, through to his most popular and long-running role as Arthur Fowler in EastEnders, and the rich character roles of his later career – not to mention the many other varied roles peppering the decades in between – Bill Treacher entertained millions.

After many years of physical decline, he was diagnosed with ataxia in 2013. The steady progress of his condition hindered his ability to work and eventually prompted his retirement from acting. Following his diagnosis, he always sought to mention ataxia in press interviews, keen to use his profile to raise awareness of this little-known condition. An enthusiastic reader of Ataxia Magazine, Bill was deeply moved and inspired by the lives and achievements of other sufferers, feeling especially for those who were diagnosed at a young age.

Bill died from an unrelated condition on 5th of November 2022 in Suffolk, at the grand old age of 92. Ataxia was such a prominent feature of his last decade or so, and he always hoped that one day a treatment could be found. The research into this condition is the vital driving force that may, someday, lead to an easier life for those diagnosed.

With this in mind, this donation page has been set up by Bill’s family to help raise awareness and funds for the charity, and to support ongoing research into this debilitating disease.