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An Unofficial Site for Prisoner Cell Block H
by March

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A-Z
Bitparts

C is for Cynthia Leach

Despite her involvement in several plots, we never got to see her face, let alone her comeuppance. Joan's friend, and evil counterpart in Blackmoor.

Cynthia was Joan's main contact in Blackmoor Prison. When she was first mentioned, she was known as Cynthia Drewin, and Joan phoned her to put pressure on Marie Winter, in order to implicate officer Heather Rogers in an escape, after Marie had been blackmailing her.

About 40 episodes later, her surname had been changed (or more likely forgotten) and she was known as Cynthia Leach. When prison cook Ray Proctor left Wentworth, he had written a letter making various accusations about Joan. Joan called Cynthia to put pressure on Reb Kean (in Blackmoor at the time) who was supporting Ray's statement.

When Ruth Ballinger was sent to Blackmoor, Cynthia agreed to let certain information about her less savoury crimes leak to the other inmates, to provoke a bashing. Cynthia left a message for Joan soon after, saying her "cousin" was "seriously ill" and would be in hospital for several days.

Reb Kean was returned to Wentworth, and Cynthia wanted Joan to find out how much the mentally abused inmate could remember about what happened to her at Blackmoor. When Joan told her Reb was "harmless" she wasn't convinced, and demanded that Joan fake Reb's suicide, but it wasn't successful.

A few episodes later, the disembodied voice of Cynthia finally became a physical presence for the first time, even though she was only seen with her back to the camera. (See picture at top of page.) We can only assume she was far too hideous (or worse, far too mumsy) to be shown on national television.

By the time Cynthia's domain of Blackmoor was seen (towards the end of the series when Rita was transferred there) we heard the disappointing news that Cynthia was "on long term leave" at the time, so we never got another tantalising glimpse of her hairdo or the back of her ear again.

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