Carmel Cryan (born 8 July 1949) is a British actress, best known for the role of Brenda Boyle in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders. She was married to the actor Roy Kinnear, until his death in 1988. They had three children together, including Rory Kinnear, who is also an actor; and Kirsty who works as a casting assistant. Since August 2008, when she signed a six-month contract and she and the character of Charlie Slater (actor Derek Martin) took their relationship to the next level, she has played the role of Brenda Boyle in EastEnders.