Charlene Emma Brooks (born 3 May 1981) is an English actress, best known for her role of Janine Butcher in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.

Brooks has also performed in British television shows The Bill, Wired and Bleak House, as well as portraying Anna Fallmont in the Network 10 drama Lie With Me.

Brooks has also appeared on several reality television shows, winning the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special in 2011 and the twelfth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!

Charlene Emma Brooks was born on 3 May 1981, in Ware, Hertfordshire, England, and moved to Barmouth, Gwynedd when she was a child.

[2] On television, Brooks has appeared in episodes of The Bill, London's Burning, Jonathan Creek and The Demon Headmaster.

[6] In theatre, Brooks, whilst on a break from EastEnders in 2003, appeared in the play Office Games alongside Adam Rickitt.

In January 2019, it was announced that Alex Oates's play All in a Row, starring Brooks as Tamora, the mother, was going to be produced by Paul Virides Productions at the Southwark Playhouse.

[16] Criticisms of the play started to emerge when a video trailer for the production was released showing the autistic character, Laurence, portrayed by a puppet.

During rehearsals, Brooks visited the Queensmill School for autistic children in Shepherd’s Bush, talking to the pupils, their teachers and carers.

"[19] In 2011, Brooks won the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special, after performing a Jive with Vincent Simone.