They Did What?! 5 Most Iconic British TV Villains of All Time
Prepare to be shocked by our list of the 5 most iconic British TV villains of all time and their dastardly deeds.
Who doesn’t love a great villain? They provide the foil to the heroes, make them challenge themselves, and prove their mettle. As much as we may despise them at times, we all must agree they are necessary for wonderful stories, thrilling plot twists, and that priceless shock value. British TV has offered us some of the most iconic villains in history.
Here are the 5 and some reasons why they deserve the title:
Jim Moriarty from Sherlock
When it comes to villains, Sherlock Holmes’ arch nemesis James Moriarty is the supreme overlord. He is intelligent, sadistic, cruel, and the very definition of a psychopath. He was needed in the books, films, and of course, BBC’s Sherlock, where he was played by Andrew Scott.
Even though watching the great detective Sherlock Holmes solve seemingly impossible crimes is fascinating, Moriarty provided a unique depth to the story. Murder, blackmail, kidnapping, and toying cruelly with almost everyone he encounters, Moriarty is a true villain.
Daleks from Doctor Who
Few beings strike as much terror into the hearts of an audience than Daleks. They have been one of The Doctor’s main enemies since he first graced TV screens back in 1963.
Their creator, Davros, made them with one simple goal: to destroy all life in the universe that isn’t Dalek. Considering genocide is arguably the worst crime, the Daleks have earned their place on this list.
Wolf from Gladiators
This list would be remiss without at least one fun villain that we loved to hate. Wolf from Gladiators, real name Michael van Wijk, was the premiere bad boy on the show for an impressive eight seasons before semi-retirement.
He returned for some specials later, striking panic into the hearts of several contestants. His crime? He absolutely hates to lose and makes no attempt to hide his rage.
Nasty Nick Bateman from Big Brother
Big Brother has shown us many sides of many people over the years. But one whose name will go down in infamy is Nasty Nick Bateman. A contestant from the first season who lasted 35 days.
His crimes included lying to the other contestants to gain sympathy and seek to pit them against one another. Finally confronted when the truth came out, he was ejected from the house, much to the joy of viewers everywhere.
Dirty Den Watts from Eastenders
No list of British TV villains would be complete without someone from Eastenders. And Dirty Den Watts, played by the late Leslie Grantham, is by far the worst of the worst. He was charming and vicious. A true narcissist who was simply awful to his wife and daughter, as well as his mistress.
He was killed off by his second wife, following Grantham being embroiled in an online sex scandal. Leslie Grantham passed away in 2018.