List of EastEnders characters (2008)
The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera EastEnders in 2008, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by executive producer Diederick Santer. Santer introduced four characters in January, Mr Lister, a new market inspector; Christian Clarke, the brother of Jane Beale and two members of the Branning family, [|Selina] and [|Penny]. In March, he introduced Jalil Iqbal, a new love interest for Shabnam Masood and in April he introduced Ricky Butcher's fiancée, [|Melinda] as well as Bianca Jackson's children, Whitney, [|Morgan] and Tiffany. Also in April he introduced Denise Fox's ex-husband, Lucas Johnson, and Opal Smith, the aunt of Gus and Juley Smith. In May he extended the Johnson family and introduced Lucas's son, [|Jordan] as well as introducing Brenda Boyle, a new love interest for Charlie Slater. In July, he introduced two members of the long-established Mitchell family, Archie Mitchell and Danielle Jones. In August, he introduced Callum Monks, the son of Vinnie and in September, Tony King, arrived as the partner of Bianca, and Poppy Merritt, the new GP of Walford. November saw the only birth of the year, Amy Mitchell, the child of Roxy Mitchell and Jack Branning. The final introduction of the year was Dotty, Nick Cotton's daughter.
Mr Lister
Robert "Bob" Lister, usually referred to as Mr Lister, played by Nick Wilton, is the market inspector at Bridge Street market, the successor of Marie Matthews. He makes his first appearance on 3 January 2008, but his first name is not revealed until 7 June 2013, his last appearance for three years. Wilton reprised the role in 2016 for one episode broadcast on 15 August. The character was reintroduced for a story with Robbie Jackson in July 2017, and again in December 2017. He then further appeared in one episode broadcast in July 2018. The character returns again in the episode broadcast on 7 January 2020.In his first appearance, Lister sacks his assistant, Bradley Branning. He appears on a recurring basis thereafter, his next appearance being when Tamwar Masood seeks approval for a new stall, which Lister accepts. In August 2008, Billy Mitchell gets a job as the market cleaner but Lister sacks him when he loses his cart. In October 2008, Ronnie Mitchell phones him because Danielle Jones is selling stolen nightwear on the clothes stall. In May 2009, Lister closes down Stacey Slater's stall and in September that year, he closes it again and gives it to Ryan Malloy. In February 2010, Stacey and her friend Becca Swanson decide to set up a stall but Lister turns them down as he does not like Stacey. Becca dresses up and pretends to be from Walford Council and tells Lister that Stacey has lodged a complaint against him and makes legal threats. Lister then gives Stacey her stall.
In April 2010, Lister is seen investigating Fatboy's van, as Fatboy is trying to sell T-shirts from the vehicle without a market license. In May 2010, Syed Masood asks Lister if he can start a market stall, and Lister suggests a mobile phone stall, whilst having a drink with Syed, Roxy Mitchell refuses to serve Syed, Lister interprets this as racism. In October 2010, Kat Moon squirts water at him, so he orders Stacey to discipline or sack Kat, but Stacey refuses and squirts him as well, so he revokes Stacey's market traders' licence. In March 2011, Lister offers Fatboy a month's trial on his own stall after Fatboy and Mo Harris argue over it.
In April 2011, he complains to Billy that his stall is in the wrong position, but Billy says nobody cares. Whitney Dean asks for her stall back, and they get chatting. He moans about his life as he gets abused by stallholders regularly, and his wife has left him so he rarely sees his two children. He then invites Whitney for a drink and comforts her saying that her stepfather, Ricky Butcher, is doing what is best for her. Lister gets up to leave but falls onto Whitney, so Janine Butcher threatens him and calls him a pervert. In May, Denise Fox asks Lister to get involved with Patrick Trueman but Lister says he has no say over the shop, which Patrick owns. In June, Whitney and Lauren Branning ask Lister for a stall, but he is reluctant as Whitney lost a stall for not paying her rent. However, he agrees as long as the owed rent is paid and a month's rent is paid in advance. In July, Lister issues Fatboy with a warning for kicking his own stall, but Fatboy decides to abandon his stall before he can be disciplined. He warns Eddie Moon about flytipping, and is threatened by Eddie's son Tyler. Lister later accepts a bribe from Eddie. In November, Lister appears following reports that someone is selling Dutch Father Christmas toys, and asks Alfie Moon if he knows anything. Alfie denies this, although it is his relatives Tyler and Anthony Moon who have done it. Anthony asks Fatboy to change them so they no longer speak Dutch, and when Lister sees Fatboy with one, it plays a jingle in Fatboy's voice.
In April 2012, Lister complains to Bianca Butcher that the rubbish from the café is overspilling into the market, so she angrily empties the rubbish into the street. A few days later, Bianca attempts to steal a handbag belonging to a market seller. She is caught and in the struggle, Lister is injured after Bianca hits him. He calls the police, resulting in Bianca's arrest and imprisonment. It later emerges that he has taken out a restraining order against Bianca, meaning that she cannot go to the market or Bridge Street. In September, Lister threatens to call the police on Shirley Carter, who is lying drunk in the street. Later that month, he reprimands Syed for not selling his usual stock. In November, Lister accuses Cora Cross of stealing a bag that he donated to the charity shop she manages. This leads to Cora being fired. Lister goes to the salon for a haircut, where Bianca gives him a shampoo. It is awkward at first, but then they start to bond when they talk about their children, as Lister's daughter is getting married and he thinks he will feel left out at the wedding. Lister agrees to have the restraining order dropped and gives Bianca a £5 tip, accidentally leaving £20 behind. He later accuses Bianca of stealing it, but when it is found, he apologises and gives her the money. In April 2013 Lister temporarily bans Bianca and Kat from trading on the market after they play various pranks on him. Kat pretends to seduce Lister and Bianca takes a photo of him with his trousers down, which they use to blackmail him to get their stall back. In June, Lister speaks to Ian Beale about his new restaurant and introduces him to Danny Pennant. Ian hopes that Danny will find someone to invest in his new business. After Lister loses his job, he is replaced by Aleks Shirovs. after apparently being given a promotion from the council.
In August 2016, Mr Lister interviews Carmel Kazemi for the market inspector position. In July 2017, Mr Lister has a meeting with new Market Inspector Robbie Jackson to discuss 'big changes' to the market and orders Robbie that he has until Christmas to eject Donna Yates from the market.
Development
In April 2013, when Bianca and Kat puts a note on Lister's back saying "prat", Heat said, "we know Lister is a prat, and a pompous one at that, but you were never going to get away with it." Wilton confirmed his departure on his website, adding that he was unable to film Lister's departure scenes as planned, due to pantomime commitments. Wilton said, "I originally went into the soap for three episodes that went out in January 2008, and ended up staying for 6 years, during which time I met some lovely people, had a lot of fun and a few really good storylines".Christian Clarke
Christian Clarke, played by John Partridge, is introduced to the show as a new gay character and the brother of Jane Beale as the show's bosses had seen how popular Antony Cotton was in the role of Sean Tully in Coronation Street. However, Partridge's character is not as camp as Cotton's, and is described as "very suave and a real charmer" and a "savvy, bright character very fun." He made his first appearance on 17 January 2008. His main storyline is having an affair with Muslim character Syed Masood, while Syed is engaged to Amira Shah.Ashley Jennings
Ashley Jennings played by Tony Boncza, is the fiancé of Christian Clarke, who appeared in the episode broadcast on 17 January 2008. He was described by Soaplife as Christian's rich "sugar daddy". In the episode, Ashley and Christian have a meal with Christian's sister Jane Beale and her husband Ian Beale. Ashley leaves the meal early after Christian reveals that he was in love with Jane's ex-husband David Collins. He and Christian break up, and Christian moves in with the Beales.Tegs Teague
"Tegs" Teague, played by Ben Smith, is the main leader of a gang called the 'E20'. He appears between 17 and 22 January 2008 along with the rest of the gang. The gang harass Dot Branning by wolf-whistling at her and calling her a "zombie". Shirley Carter sees them and tells them to leave her alone. The gang, including Tegs' friend [|Ziggy], steal DVDs from Winston's market stall with the help of Jay Brown. Tegs asks Jay if he wants to join the gang and gives him a mobile phone so they can call each other. Jay later sneaks out and Tegs hands him a knife, which is found by Jay's father, Jase Dyer and his girlfriend Dawn Swann. The next day, the gang steal several packs of cigarettes from the local shop, the Minute Mart. They harass Dot by making silent phone calls and knocking on her door and running away. Tegs pulls a knife on Minty Peterson, who confronts the group of youths. After Jay criticises Tegs's harassment of Dot, they have a fight. After appearing to have reconciled their differences, Tegs is asked by his gang whether he is with them or Jay, at which point he stabs Jay in the leg, leaving him bleeding on the ground in the park. Tegs' mum, Tina Teague arrives before the trial to try and persuade Jay to drop the charges against Tegs but he does not and Tegs is sentenced in an off-screen trial on 29 February to two years in a Young Offenders Institution for his crime.Development
The storyline in which Tegs stabs Jay was to be the first teenage gang-related attack that EastEnders has featured. Kris Green from Digital Spy described him as 'out of control'. Ofcom received seven complaints about the stabbing episode. A BBC spokesperson responded to the complaints about the scenes being shown before the watershed: "The BBC has a strict set of editorial guidelines that all programmes must adhere to, to ensure that the violence portrayed was suitable for pre-watershed viewing." Kris Green from Digital Spy defended the episode saying, "I have to say that it wasn't as gruesome as I'd imagined it would be. There's no screaming, no scuffling—it's all quiet and it happens in about 10 seconds."Selina Branning
Selina Branning, played by Daisy Beaumont, is the ex-wife of Jack Branning, and mother of their daughter Penny Branning. This was Beaumont's second role in EastEnders as she previously played Helen Graham in 2000. She was listed by Digital Spy as a suspect in Max Branning's hit-and-run. However, Lauren Branning was the culprit. She appears between 21 January and 1 February 2008.Selina is first heard when she leaves a message for Jack and Ronnie Mitchell speaks to her on the phone. Ronnie later visits Selina and speaks to her about Jack not being allowed to see their daughter, Penny. It is revealed that Penny is in a wheelchair, paralysed from the waist down. Jack sleeps with Selina in his club's office and they are seen by Ronnie's sister Roxy Slater. A week later, Selina phones Jack to say that she and Penny are leaving to live in France. On 1 December 2008, Jack tells Ronnie that Selina is engaged to remarry. It is revealed on 2 March 2009 that Selina got married over the weekend to a man named James and that Jack did not attend.
Penny Branning
Penny Branning, played by Mia Mckenna-Bruce, is the daughter of Jack Branning and his first wife Selina Branning. She appears between 21 January and 1 February 2008, and returns from 15 to 18 April 2008. Maslen who plays Penny's dad revealed that Penny will be returning to the serial intermittently, though she has not returned since her departure.Jack's girlfriend Ronnie Mitchell finds tickets for a ballet, which Jack says are for Penny as it is her birthday on the day of the performance and she loves dancing. Later, Jack finds a message on his answerphone from Selina, ranting about the birthday present. Ronnie answers the phone and meets Selina. At the house, while talking to Selina about the circumstances of her and Jack's relationship, Penny enters the room in a wheelchair. Selina asks Ronnie if she knows why Penny is paralysed from the waist down. Later, Jack tells Ronnie that when he was a police officer, he caught a drug dealer who deliberately hit Penny with his car when she and Selina were waiting at a bus stop, causing Penny's spine to be severed. It is later revealed that it was due to Jack being a corrupt police officer and taking payment from a drugs baron in return for tip-offs. When Jack was unable to tip off the baron and he was arrested, one of his associates carried out the attack in revenge.
Jack takes Penny and Selina out for Penny's birthday and they go back to Selina's flat and kiss. Selina reveals the next day how upset Penny was that Jack was not there when she woke up. Selina decides to move to France where her parents live and takes Penny with her. Penny visits Jack in April 2008 and is cold towards Ronnie, preferring her aunt Tanya Branning with whom she goes shopping. Tanya cooks Penny a farewell meal, but Ronnie still struggles to bond with her. She decides that she does not want to return to France but is persuaded to go back to Selina by Jack. In March 2010, Ronnie asks Jack about Penny and he says she is doing fine without him and that Penny made the right decision to go to France. In October 2013, Jack moves to France to reconnect with Penny, briefly returning to Walford for a visit during Christmas 2015. After Jack permanently returns to Walford, Penny calls Jack in December 2016 to tell him she cannot attend his second wedding to Ronnie because of a doctor's appointment in Paris.
Roger Grant
Roger "the Dodger" Grant, played by Max Gold, is a dodgy old friend of Mo Harris. He appears on 5 February 2008, selling some clothes to Stacey Branning for her stall. Mo insists that the stock is faulty, and tries to make the dye on a shirt run by pouring tea over it, and when Stacey's mother Jean Slater tries to wash the tea stain out, the top gets ruined. Gold also played Dougie Briggs in 1994, and his casting as Roger was criticised by entertainment website Digital Spy's television critic Dek Hogan, as Briggs was "such an iconic role", calling it "an insult to the audience".Edward Tunstall
Edward Tunstall, played by Miles Anderson, is a councillor who appears between 7 and 29 February 2008. He meets Ian Beale at a council lunch and wants to throw a party, so decides to use Ian and Christian Clarke's events organising business, Fit for a Queen, to organise it. He assumes Ian is gay, and asks him out for a meal. During the meal, Ian admits that he is not totally in love with his wife, Jane Beale. Edward invites him to be his guest when he collects his MBE from the Queen, but due to Ian's daughter Lucy Beale's disappearance, Ian is unable to attend. In January 2009, Tunstall is reported to be involved in a scandal with a young man, mentioned in the Walford Gazette newspaper. It is then revealed that he has stepped down as councillor.Jalil Iqbal
Jalil Iqbal, played by Jan Uddin, is a friend of the Masood family who appears between 17 and 28 March 2008. Jalil was described as a "hunk" and it was said that he and Shabnam Masood would embark on "an affair of the heart".Family matriarch Zainab Masood invites Jalil to stay with the family and work in their post office for a while, trying to set him up with her daughter, Shabnam. Shabnam is initially against this, as she remembers Jalil as a "geek" from her childhood, though when she sees him, she is attracted to him. Zainab sets them up with a romantic meal, listening in on their conversation using a baby monitor. Shabnam discovers that Jalil has a girlfriend, though Zainab sees a picture of her and says she is ugly and that her make-up looks like it has been done by Edward Scissorhands. Shabnam later bumps into Jalil on a night out in R&R nightclub, where they flirt. Jalil and Shabnam later share a kiss, but during a conversation with the Masood family, he says that he thinks modern Muslim women like Shabnam provide "great entertainment" but are not marriage material. Zainab is offended by this and sends him away.
Melinda
Melinda, played by Siobhan Hayes, is the fiancée of Ricky Butcher. She appears between 1 and 4 April 2008. Melinda comes to Walford with Ricky for funeral of his father, Frank Butcher. Throughout the day, she spends most of the time on the telephone to her father asking him for £25,000 as a property deposit, which he later fails to provide for her. She makes several attempts to introduce herself to Pat Evans and is dismissive when Ricky mentions his ex-wife Bianca Jackson's absence from the funeral. At Frank's wake, it becomes clear that Melinda is only interested in what Frank has left to Ricky in his will. There is no financial gain, so Melinda quickly leaves in a bad mood. Later, Ricky announces that he and Melinda have split up, and Bianca tells Pat that Melinda was responsible for Ricky's lack of contact with their son Liam Butcher.Speaking of the announcement of Melinda's arrival, an EastEnders source told Digital Spy: "Ricky returns to the Square for his dad Frank's funeral and turns up with Melinda—but is it true love or just a fling between them?"
Whitney Dean
Whitney Dean, played by Shona McGarty, is the adopted daughter of long-running character Bianca Jackson, and was introduced in April 2008 when Palmer returned to the series after a six-year absence. Whitney was described as "a teenage drama queen, unable to engage brain before mouth and constantly finding herself in and out of trouble". She made her first appearance on 1 April 2008. Her storylines have revolved around her fractured family life, including her sexual abuse by Bianca's partner Tony King, and a sexual exploitation storyline involving Rob Grayson. The storyline with Tony won EastEnders a Royal Television Society Programme Award in 2008.Morgan Butcher
Morgan Butcher, played by Devon Higgs, is the son of Bianca Jackson and Ray Dixon. He made his first appearance on 1 April 2008. However, Higgs was not credited in the role until 8 September 2009. He departed in 2015 along with his mother and half-sister, Tiffany Butcher Sonia Fowler. Morgan made an unannounced return on 3 November 2016 when he and Tiffany return for their sister, Whitney Dean, and Lee Carter's wedding.Storylines
Morgan, his mother and siblings Tiffany Dean, Liam Butcher and Whitney, are evicted by their landlord. After the family sleep at a bus shelter and Bianca assaults a police officer, Morgan and his siblings spend a week in care, but the family later move to Walford, where they move in with his great-grandmother Pat Evans. The same week, a family party is held, where Morgan and his half-siblings meet their extended family. Bianca enters Morgan into a 'Beautiful Baby Competition' held at The Queen Victoria public house but is forced to withdraw, due to his age. A few days later he celebrates his third birthday by going to a restaurant with his family. Initially it is thought that Morgan is the son of Bianca's partner, Tony, but it is apparent that this is not the case when Tony is released from prison, due to Morgan's ethnicity. Bianca reveals that Morgan was the result of a one-night stand she had with an unknown man but has always seen Tony as his father as they met while she was pregnant and he has always been a consistent figure in Morgan's life.Morgan becomes ill and is diagnosed by Dr. Poppy Merritt with chicken pox. This leads to Pat having to move out briefly as she had never had the illness. When Tony is arrested for having had a sexual relationship with Whitney, Morgan starts asking for his dad, so his family make up an excuse as he is too young to understand what Tony had done. Janine Butcher and Ryan Malloy use Morgan to raise money for their rent, pretending they are his parents and they are collecting money for a new playground. While trying to make a sandwich, he accidentally squirts tomato ketchup on a hoody belonging to his newly deceased uncle, Billie Jackson. Liam hides it and later tries to wash the stain out but their grandmother Carol Jackson sees it and slaps him. Morgan starts to follow Liam around, fearing that he will die as well but Ricky and Janine reassure him. He runs away from home after Bianca is put into prison but is found. Morgan starts asking questions about who his father is so Bianca tells him that his father is Barack Obama. Knowing the truth, Whitney secretly takes Morgan to see Ray Dixon, his real father. Ray did not know that he was a father and is delighted to meet his son. However, Whitney pleads with Morgan not tell Bianca that he has met his father. Ray soon comes to Walford to see Morgan and Bianca tries to hide Morgan from him but soon realises that they have already met. She does not want Ray to have contact with Morgan until Whitney convinces her, and they spend time together. Bianca allows Ray to cook a meal for the family but tells him to leave when he mentions his daughter, Sasha Dixon. Morgan meets Sasha but Bianca is furious when she finds out.
Realising that Bianca is having financial difficulties, Tiffany and Morgan go to see their step-great-grandmother Dot Branning at the launderette. She tells them that when she had problems as a child, she felt better after being given a bath. Tiffany and Morgan then decide to run a bath for Bianca but leave the taps on when they go out. When they get home, the bath has overflowed and is leaking into the living room. Bianca is later caught stealing money and returns to prison, this time in Suffolk. Morgan and his family then moves to Suffolk to be near his mother, leaving his father in Walford. He returns for Janine's wedding to Michael Moon, along with Ricky, Tiffany and Ricky's sister Diane Butcher. Ricky and Ray argue over Morgan but eventually reconcile before Ricky and Morgan leave again. Morgan returns to Walford with his family for when Bianca is released from prison but is saddened when his father moves away. He is also not pleased when Bianca returns from a trip to Manchester announces that her new boyfriend, Terry Spraggan, and his children, TJ Spraggan and Rosie Spraggan, are moving in. The couple split up but later reunite and decide to move to Milton Keynes, taking Tiffany, Morgan, TJ and Rosie with them.
Morgan and Tiffany return in November 2016 for Whitney's wedding to Lee. They tell her that Bianca cannot make it to the wedding because she is ill. Morgan offends Babe Smith by heaving over her food, which infuriates her. Morgan attends the wedding and leaves again with Tiffany after the reception.
Development
Morgan is described by the Daily Mirror as "the most spoilt out of all of the kids. He's a boisterous, adventurous lad and can hold his own among Bianca's rabble. Morgan only eats chicken nuggets". Morgan is the result of a one-night stand between Bianca and a man who is unknown to viewers. The man his family thinks is his father, Tony King, is serving a prison sentence for assaulting a teenager who had allegedly threatened Morgan's stepsister, Whitney Dean, though it is found out that Tony is not his biological father. Morgan along with Bianca, Liam, Whitney and Tiffany, have been called 'The Jackson Five' In 2011, the character of Ray Dixon was announced, played by Chucky Venn, who was to play Morgan's biological father.In April 2014, Palmer announced she was leaving EastEnders and in July 2014, the departure of Higgs and Smith was announced. Show bosses said that whilst they are "sad" about them leaving after six years, the decision "was right for the Butcher family as Bianca would never leave her youngest children behind." Vicky Prior from Metro commented that Morgan "recently proved an excellent comedy partner for Tiffany" and was "looking forward to seeing these two grow in character and also as actors."
Tiffany Butcher
Tiffany Butcher, played by Maisie Smith, is the daughter of long-running character Bianca Jackson, introduced on 1 April 2008 when Palmer returned to the series after a six-year absence. Tiffany is described as having a "cute, butter-wouldn't-melt exterior", which "masks her somewhat mature understanding of adult matters. She sees all, hears all and knows all". She is also described as "a troublesome and cheeky lass" with a "feisty, red-head personality, which she no doubt inherits from Bianca". For her portrayal of Tiffany, Smith won the 'Best Dramatic Performance for a Young Actor or Actress' award at the British Soap Awards in 2009.Lucas Johnson
Lucas Johnson, played by Don Gilet, is the estranged father of established character Chelsea Fox and ex-husband of Denise Fox, who he later remarries. He has a son, Jordan, from his previous relationship with Trina Johnson. His profile on the official EastEnders website describes him as "an upstanding member of the community, a far cry from the youth he once was." His storylines include causing Trina's death and covering it up, murdering Denise's ex-husband Owen Turner, and attempting to kill Denise. For his portrayal of Lucas, Gilet has received several award nominations, including Serial Drama Performance at the 2011 National Television Awards. He appeared from 3 April 2008 to 30 July 2010 and again from 1 January to 10 March 2016.Opal Smith
Opal Smith, played by Rustie Lee, is the aunt of Gus Smith and Juley Smith. She was introduced in February 2008 for two episodes, on 8 and 10 April 2008. Opal is first mentioned on screen in May 2007, when Gus has to go to Wolverhampton to look after her following a fall. In April 2008 she visits Gus out of the blue, as she has a coach ticket to use. She embarrasses him by assuming that he is dating [|Keisha], and later gives him his mother's engagement ring.She was described as "the fiery aunt" by What's on TV and "the loud battleaxe aunty of Gus" by BBC Birmingham. Speaking of her arrival, Lee said, "I'm absolutely over the moon to think I'm going to be in the Square. I can't wait." She said the opportunity was tremendous and brilliant as she had always wanted to appear in EastEnders.
Inzamam Ahmed
Inzamam Ahmed, played by Paul Bhattacharjee, is the brother of Masood Ahmed. He first appears on 13 May 2008, and returns on 1 January 2010 for the wedding of Masood's son Syed Masood and Amira Shah.Inzamam first visits Walford to check up on his brother's family while Masood is in Karachi visiting their sick father. He is rude and sexist towards Masood's wife Zainab Masood and daughter Shabnam Masood, but praises his son Tamwar Masood's achievements. He is shocked to see that Jay Brown has graffitied "Shabnam is a " on the Masoods' wall. He later meets up with Zainab, and she asks him for money. He makes a sexual advance to her, and she leaves, forcing her to consider selling her house. On the day before Syed's wedding to Amira, Masood takes Inzamam to dinner to ask if he can help with some money. Inzamam does not know who is getting married as nobody has told him about it and also does not know that Zainab is pregnant. Masood asks Zainab why she did not invite Inzamam to the wedding and she says she forgot, but he realises she did it deliberately. She tells him that Inzamam sees her as a fallen woman as she was previously married to Yusef Khan when she met Masood, and Imzamam made many advances toward her. Masood orders Inzamam to stand and tells him that he knows what he has done. Masood returns Inzamam's money and says he is not invited to the wedding and is not welcome in their home and he walks out of their house with his wife, Fatima and children [|Ali] and [|Jamila].
In May 2015, Fatima returns to Walford after being contacted by Shabnam, and reveals to Masood that she and Inzamam have separated and Inzamam has moved back to Pakistan.
Jamila and Ali Inzamam
Jamila Inzamam, played by Sara Aisha Kent and Ali Inzamam played by Omar Kent, are the children of Inzamam Ahmed and Fatima Inzamam, and nephew and niece of Inzamam's brother Masood Ahmed. They make their first appearance on 13 May 2008, when they and their father attend a meal with Masood's wife Zainab Masood and her children, Shabnam Masood and Tamwar Masood, as their father wants to check up on his brother's family. They return on 1 January 2010 for Syed Masood and Amira Shah's wedding. along with their father and mother Fatima Inzamam, when they are due to attend Syed and Amira's wedding, but they leave with their parents after Masood tells Inzamam he is not welcome. Unlike Inzamam and Ali, Jamila and Fatima are not creditied in this appearance.In May 2015, Fatima returns to Walford and reveals that she and Inzamam have separated and Inzamam has moved back to Pakistan, so only Ali is living with her. It is implied that Jamila went to live with either her father or another relative.
Jordan Johnson
Jordan Johnson, played by Michael-Joel David Stuart from 2008 to 2010 and Joivan Wade from 2016, is the son of Lucas Johnson and the half-brother of Chelsea Fox, who arrives on Chelsea's birthday with his father. He is described on the EastEnders website as a "cheeky chap" who "lights up the room with his winning smile". He is also described as a "talented boy who works hard at school". He first appears on 23 May 2008, and leaves on 21 December 2010. On 9 January 2016, it was announced Jordan would be returning with Joivan Wade taking over the role, and he made his first appearance on 8 February 2016. He appeared until 10 March 2016 when he was arrested for trying to help Lucas escape from prison. He made a previous guest appearance on 1 April 2016 before making an unannounced departure.When Lucas arrives in Walford, he tells Chelsea's mother Denise Fox that Jordan's mother Trina abandoned him shortly after he was born. He was in an incubator, addicted to heroin, as Trina was a drug addict. When Yolande Trueman tries to get Chelsea to bond with Jordan, he finds cocaine in her handbag. Chelsea claims it is sherbet but Jordan is not deceived and tells her that their father helps drug addicts. When Jordan forgets his key to Lucas's flat, Yolande takes him to her B&B. Denise is not pleased that he is there but eventually enjoys his company. Jordan leaves with his father after locals blame him for Tony King being allowed to work with children. Jordan and Lucas return a month later and stay at the B&B before preparing to leave for Leeds.
After Denise proposes to Lucas, Jordan reveals that Lucas is still married to Trina. Unknown to Jordan and Denise, Trina had been looking for Lucas and he knows her whereabouts. She asks about Jordan and says she is no longer addicted to drugs, and he says he is going to marry Denise. Eventually, Jordan and Trina bond, but he is unhappy that Trina is excluded from a family holiday. He tells Trina about the holiday and she arrives to try to stop it. Jordan becomes friends with Ben Mitchell and Abi Branning. Trina is killed while trying to seduce Lucas, and he leaves her in a shed on the allotment. Jordan tries to contact her on her mobile phone as she has promised to contact him. Jordan and Abi discover her body when they volunteer to clean the shed for Charlie Slater. They decide to raise funds for a tree to be planted in Trina's memory in Albert Square's gardens, but unknown to everyone, Lucas murders Denise's ex-husband Owen Turner and buries his corpse under the tree.
Ben dares Jordan to drink alcohol that Ben stole from his family's pub. Lucas catches him and threatens to get Ben's father Phil Mitchell involved but Jordan insists it was his idea and nothing to do with Ben. Jordan is annoyed when he sees Ben's sister Louise kicking Trina's tree and she later blames him for locking her in a shed when it was actually Ben. Jordan swears on the bible that he did not do it, so Lucas believes him, and he tells Phil that he thinks Ben did it. This eventually turns out to be true, and Ben reveals that Jordan has been bullying him, so Phil and Lucas leave them with Minty Peterson to help them bond. After Minty leaves them alone, Jordan insults Ben, so Ben throws him to the ground and attacks him with a spanner, leaving him there. The next day he is found by Phil and taken to hospital where he is left in a coma with a fractured skull. Wracked with guilt, Ben confesses to the police that he attacked Jordan, while Jordan is brought out of his medically induced coma. When he is discharged, his family throw him a party. In Jordan's police statement, he says that Ben attacked him for no reason. However, after Denise is visited by Jane Beale, who doesn't believe Ben would attack Jordan for no reason, she talks to Jordan and gets him to reveal that he had been bullying Ben. Jordan then decides to change his statement.
When Owen's corpse is discovered under the tree, Jordan gets upset every time the tree is mentioned and reveals he had a dream where a hand came out of the ground. Lucas promises to get the council to replace the tree. Jordan and Abi argue when he feels she does not care and their friendship ends. He wonders if it is his fault that the people around him are dying. When the truth emerges that Lucas allowed Trina to die, killed Owen and kidnapped Denise, Jordan tries to stick by his father when the rest of the family run out, but then leaves in fear when he discovers that, rather than outright killing Trina, Lucas could have saved her but chose not to. Lucas is then arrested. When Jordan visits Denise with the rest of the family, he does not speak and just clutches his Bible. Finding it hard to come to terms with what has happened, Jordan eventually opens up to Patrick Trueman, crying on his shoulder. The next day he worries that no one will want to be friends with him because they all know about Lucas. However, after he ends his romance with Abi, he is happy that they agree to remain friends. Jordan then says goodbye to his sister Chelsea and Libby, who are moving away after their ordeal in Walford. On his birthday, Jordan receives a card from his father, but asks Ricky Butcher to throw it away, and says he has to now look after Denise. However, Jordan is unable to speak to Denise about Lucas, so stays in contact with his aunt Gloria MacDonald. Denise discovers they have been in contact for several months and allows Jordan to spend Christmas with her. Jordan is happy at his aunt's house, so Denise reluctantly lets him stay there.
Almost five years later, Denise receives a visit from the police, who say someone in custody has been arrested and given her address as theirs. Eventually, Denise discovers that it is Jordan, and he has been involved in a knife attack and has been released on bail. After learning from Gloria that she hasn't seen Jordan in years and after visiting Lucas in prison following her concerns, Denise decides to track Jordan down. After she gets into contact with him, Jordan arrives in Walford and confronts her in the gardens, warning her to leave him alone. Denise's sister Kim Fox-Hubbard sees Jordan and hits him with her bag, cutting him, so Denise takes him home to clean his wound. Kim, Patrick and Kim's husband Vincent Hubbard are against him staying even though he owes money to people who want to hurt him. Angry, Jordan pushes Denise but then apologises, but Patrick says he is just like Lucas, so Jordan leaves. He is then kicked and beaten by a gang. The next day, Denise hears from police that Jordan is in trouble again, so tracks him down to his squat, where he reveals that it was his girlfriend, Amelle Ellington, who took drugs but died from an overdose, and now he has inherited her debt. When Denise returns to Walford, she has brought Jordan back as well and it is revealed that he has a son, JJ Johnson. Vincent pays off the drug debt and Jordan decides to enrol on a carpenter course at college. Jordan visits Lucas in prison when he finds a torn up visiting order and again with Denise, where Lucas tells Jordan he has a plan to get a job in the kitchens and then escaping. They persuade Denise to put in a good word so Lucas can get a job and on the day they plan to escape, Jordan takes Paul Coker's car and tries to get Denise to come. Denise tells Jordan that Lucas is poisoning him and she wants to protect him as he is her child like Chelsea and Libby. Jordan gets angry when he finds out the police have been called and Denise persuades him to tell them about Lucas. Jordan is then arrested and held on remand. Denise visits Jordan in prison, having discovered that JJ's mother, Amelle, is alive. Jordan convinces Denise that Amelle is a bad mother, but when Denise meets Amelle, Denise finds out Amelle is not a drug addict and JJ is actually called Jamie. Denise allows JJ to live with Amelle permanently.
Maggie Townsend
Margaret "Maggie" Townsend played by Angeline Ball, is Bradley Branning's boss. She takes over off-screen from Alex French. She made her first appearance on 27 May 2008 and her last on 11 June 2008.She appears when Sean Slater steals a crane from the building site she is in charge of, and later goes on a corporate night out at local nightclub R&R, where Mickey Miller flirts with her, and she flirts with Bradley and Jack Branning. She also clashes with Chelsea Fox and Tanya Branning, when Chelsea does her manicure wrong, then shouts at her in the beauty salon. She later invites Bradley to dinner, but he pretends to be ill and does not go, as he is not attracted to her. He confides in Dot Branning, who goes to the restaurant without Bradley's knowledge, and argues with Maggie, telling her to "keep her filthy hands to herself." Maggie later sees Bradley at a singles' night at The Queen Victoria public house, and fires him for lying to her. He runs after her when she leaves, and she takes him home and they have sex, but Bradley does not get his job back.
Olly Greenwood
Oliver "Olly" Greenwood, played by Bart Edwards, is the boyfriend of Lucy Beale. He makes his first appearance on 9 June 2008 and his last on 21 August 2008.Lucy introduces her father Ian Beale to Olly, whom she met when she was homeless and is five years Lucy's senior, and tells Ian that Olly is moving in or she will leave. Lucy tries to antagonise Ian by telling him that she and Olly are getting matching tattoos, and insinuating that they are sexually active, at which point Ian throws Olly out. Lucy later persuades her stepmother Jane Beale's brother, Christian Clarke to let her use his flat to see Olly. Ian catches Lucy participating in foreplay with Olly, so takes him outside with Olly dressed in his underwear and makes everyone hurl sponges at him during a "Best of British" day on Albert Square. Ian then tells him to leave, which Olly does in an embarrassed state. Olly returns in August 2008 when Lucy throws a party at Christian's flat, then decides to go on the contraceptive pill after pressure from Olly to have sex with him. Ian finds out and visits Olly's mother Camilla Greenwood, inviting her and Olly to a meal at the Beales' house. Lucy is shocked to learn that Olly is not all he seems; he comes from a privileged background and is expected to attend Oxford or Cambridge University. When this is revealed, Ian tries to set Lucy up for life by seeking Camilla's approval of Olly and Lucy's relationship. However, Camilla storms out of the house, followed by Olly.
Development
19-year-old Edwards was cast in the role after being seen in a musical by one of the directors of EastEnders. The casting was announced on 13 May 2008, when he was described as "mysterious". Speaking of his casting, Edwards said, "It is just amazing. Everybody is lovely on the set. I watch EastEnders... but I never expected to be on TV with those people." He described his character as "a laid back person who takes each day as it comes" and as 'scruffy' by the official EastEnders website. Olly was also dubbed "the son of Swampy.Brenda Boyle
Brenda Boyle, played by Carmel Cryan, is introduced as Charlie Slater's new love interest. She appears from 9 June 2008 to 14 August 2009.Jean Slater meets Brenda on a dating website and starts e-mailing her on Charlie's behalf. She visits Walford and Jean is forced to reveal the truth to an unsuspecting Charlie, and Brenda later discovers the deception. She is a member of the Salvation Army and plays the horn. When Shirley Carter makes a jokey off-hand comment about Charlie being a womaniser, Brenda leaves Walford, forgetting her horn. She gives Charlie a second chance when she comes to collect it, only to find out that Mo Harris has sold it. She participates in a pub quiz with him and his family, and starts a relationship with Charlie, comforting him when he gets a spray tan to impress her and it goes wrong, leaving him orange. He later visits her in Clacton, where she lives.
Brenda buys Charlie a summerhouse for his allotment, but the concrete flooring is smashed by Suzy Branning, which looks like it will ruin the gift. However, the following day, Charlie sorts the problem so the concrete can be re-laid. Brenda helps raise money for Children in Need in The Queen Victoria but walks out of the pub after Linda Clarke starts flirting with Charlie. On Christmas Day, Sean Slater sings the song "Stop The Cavalry" to Roxy Slater as a Christmas present, and Brenda and a friend accompany him. When Charlie shared his concerns with Patrick Trueman that his and Brenda's relationship is moving too slowly, Patrick tells him to invite her to dinner and use candles to make it romantic. Charlie asks Winston for some romantic music but he gives him club music. After this, Charlie gives Brenda some drink but spills it on her. As he wipes it off, he touches her breast and is interrupted by Danielle Jones. Brenda reassures Charlie that she has feelings for him but leaves with a worried look on her face.
Brenda is supposed to join Charlie in pottery class but she calls him to say she cannot make it. This upsets Charlie, making him leave the class. Brenda is seen by Mo with another man, and she takes a picture of them embracing to show Charlie. The man is revealed to be her brother, Clive. He tells her to tell Charlie about something before it is too late as it will be in two months. Brenda later announces to Charlie that she wants to end their relationship. Mo overhears this and confronts Brenda, who says she is emigrating, but promises to tell Charlie. A day later, Mo tells Charlie, and Brenda confirms she is moving to Madeira with Clive and his family. The couple decides to spend one last day together, and Brenda hints to Charlie that she wants to see more of him in Madeira. Charlie gets the hint at the last moment, and tries to stop the bus Brenda is leaving on. Brenda delays leaving, and the next day, after having a farewell meal in the house, Stacey Slater and Mo give Charlie their blessing to go with Brenda and they leave in a taxi after receiving an emotional farewell. Whilst in Madeira, Charlie and Brenda end their relationship and he returns to Walford with another woman, Orlenda.
Archie Mitchell
Archie Mitchell, played by Larry Lamb, is the father of established characters Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell. He is also a love interest for Peggy Mitchell, his brother's widow. Archie is introduced in a group of episodes filmed on-location in Weymouth, Dorset. The audience learned that Ronnie had given a child up for adoption. Tim Teeman, critic for The Times, has described Archie as "a thousand times more terrifying than Nick Cotton" and "a psycho in a golf jersey." Dominic Treadwell-Collins has described him as "the worst villain that Albert Square has ever seen". He made his first appearance on 8 July 2008. After originally leaving Walford following the revelation of his true character and evil capabilities, Archie returns on 9 July 2009, and his last appearance is as a corpse on 28 December 2009 after being murdered by Stacey Slater.Danielle Jones
Danielle Jones, played by Lauren Crace, is introduced as a love interest for fellow new character Callum Monks. It is later revealed that Danielle is the long-lost daughter of Ronnie Mitchell, and therefore a member of the soap's long-running Mitchell family. Her introduction was planned from 2007, when story producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins conceived the idea of two new Mitchell sisters, Ronnie and Roxy. Danielle appears from 18 August 2008 to 3 April 2009, after she is run over and killed by Janine Butcher. Her final episode was watched by 11.46 million viewers, and caused a notable power surge on the National Grid.Callum Monks
Callum Monks, played by Elliott Jordan, made his first appearance on 18 August 2008 and his last on 6 March 2009.Arriving in Walford in search of his father Vinnie, Callum is instantly attracted to Stacey Branning. Unperturbed by her rejections, Callum attempts to woo Stacey, despite discovering that she is married. He briefly dates Stacey's friend Danielle Jones, but only to make Stacey jealous. Stacey continues to reject Callum, but after her husband Bradley Branning angers her one night, she kisses Callum. Realising that her marriage is over, Stacey finishes with Bradley, allowing a casual relationship with Callum to begin. Their romance does not last, as Callum cannot bear to be around Stacey's mother Jean Slater, who has bipolar disorder. Blaming Jean for the relationship's demise, Callum aggressively tells her that she is ruining her daughter's life. When Stacey discovers this, she punches Callum and he reveals that his mother, who was also mentally ill, used to abuse him and lock him in cupboards when he was a child. He has scars on his legs from an incident where his mother attacked him with a wire coat hanger at the age of ten. Due to this and realising that Stacey would never leave Jean, Callum declares there is nothing left for him in Walford. He bids a final goodbye to Stacey and leaves to pursue Vinnie, who has already departed. The EastEnders website showed that Callum went to live with his father in Southend.
Development
It was announced on 26 June 2008 that a new character, Callum, would be introduced to EastEnders as the son of already-established Vinnie. Callum was described as a "lothario". The role was given to Elliott Jordan, who had previously appeared in EastEnders in August 2005 as Gavin, an acquaintance of Leo Taylor. Of his casting, Jordan said: "I am thrilled and really excited to be joining EastEnders. Callum is a great part to play and I can't wait for him to make his mark in Walford." He also said it was an "honour". EastEnders executive producer, Diederick Santer, commented: "Callum will bring a breath of fresh air to Walford. Bright, twinkly, and with the gift of the gab, he'll get the women of Walford all of a flutter." Describing his character, Jordan said, "he's a very laid back and easy going character. He doesn't think too far ahead. He's a bit of a Casanova, definitely a jack the lad. He's very confident and streetwise and he reads people and situations very well, which allows him to get what he wants." Jordan said that one of the writers told him that Callum reminded him of Vincent Chase in Entourage.Callum was listed by Ladbrokes as a contender for the father of Heather Trott's baby, and was ranked by them as an outsider with odds of 16/1. He was also named by website Digital Spy as a possible suspect in Max Branning's hit-and-run. It was reported on 20 January 2009 that the character was to depart from the series in March 2009. An EastEnders insider told Digital Spy, "Viewers will learn a little more about Callum before he leaves Albert Square behind." Speaking of his departure, Jordan said: "I've had a really great time at EastEnders and I've enjoyed working with all the cast. I've loved every minute of it and I'm looking forward to trying new things."
Tony King
Tony King, played by Chris Coghill, is the partner of established character Bianca Jackson, and a father-figure to her four children. He made his first appearance on 12 September 2008. It was reported in July 2008 that Tony would be arriving in the serial as part of a child sexual abuse storyline involving Bianca's adopted daughter Whitney Dean. BBC News described the plot as an ongoing "predatory paedophile storyline", noting that this was the first time this subject matter had been tackled by a UK soap opera. The Daily Mirror Beth Neil branded the plot strand "one of the darkest and most disturbing storylines EastEnders has ever attempted", with critic Jim Shelley deeming it to be a "new low" for EastEnders. Tony sexually abuses Whitney, and begins grooming her school-friend Lauren Branning, before his predatory nature is uncovered and he is arrested for his crimes. Tony appeared between 12 September and 12 December 2008 and returned in December 2009 to stand trial. The NSPCC praised the storyline for "helping to raise awareness of the hidden nature of sexual abuse". The storyline also gained EastEnders a Royal Television Society Programme Award in March 2009 in the Soap and Continuing Drama category.Amir Khan
Amir Khan, played by Alton Letto, is an estate agent and colleague of Bradley Branning. He appears between 22 September and 6 November 2008. He attends a sales pitch with Bradley and they sell all the flats available. To celebrate, they go to Fargo's restaurant, and are joined by Bradley's wife Stacey Slater. Amir tells Bradley and Stacey that he has two children, and has booked an adventure holiday with his wife as they have not had time away from the children for two years. He receives a telephone call from his wife telling him one of the children is ill, and is forced to cancel the holiday. This makes Stacey realise that she does not want children at the time as she feels she is too young. Bradley and Stacey take Amir and his wife's places on the holiday. Amir later shows Sean Slater and his wife Roxy a home, and is supposed to go inside and show them round, but Sean intimidates him into staying outside.Poppy Merritt
Doctor Poppy Merritt played by Amy Darcy, is the general practitioner for Walford, succeeding May Wright. She made her first appearance on 22 September 2008, and her last on 30 April 2009.Poppy is first seen diagnosing Morgan Jackson-King with chicken pox, and she assumes Morgan's mother Bianca Jackson is married to Tony King, which puts the idea of marriage in Bianca's head. She sees Dot Branning when she has food poisoning, and connects it to unchilled food sold by Patrick Trueman at his shop, the Minute Mart. She says it is her duty to report Patrick and his wife Yolande Trueman to environmental health. Whilst cycling past Pat Evans's house, she sees Bianca shouting at her adopted daughter Whitney Dean for being miserable. Poppy tries to talk to Whitney, who admits to feeling suicidal so Poppy tells Bianca that Whitney should see to a psychiatrist. Bianca disagrees initially but after realising Whitney needs professional help, she agrees and Poppy refers Whitney to a psychiatrist. The next day, Poppy leaves Bianca a message asking her to rearrange the psychiatrist's appointment after Whitney fails to attend.
Poppy receives an emergency call-out to check on pregnant Roxy Slater after she has a fall at Walford East tube station. Later, Poppy tells Roxy that she and her baby are fine. Later, a removal van is seen outside the surgery with a man removing the placard with Poppy's name on it. Poppy helps Heather Trott after she has an asthma attack, and notices her breasts are sore so advises that Heather go to a clinic, which she does and finds out she's pregnant. Poppy leaves Walford to retrain as a pathologist.
Lee Thompson
Lee Thompson played by Carl Ferguson, was a former school friend of Ronnie Mitchell. It was revealed in October 2008 that Ferguson would be playing the part and the role would see him 'become involved in a tangled love affair'. He appeared from 2 to 10 October 2008.He first appeared when Ronnie attended a school reunion, with Christian Clarke posing as her husband. Lee revealed he is the best friend of Joel Reynolds, the father of Ronnie's daughter. He revealed that Joel knew about the school reunion but wouldn't be coming. Lee also realised that Christian was not Ronnie's husband and was in fact gay, so slid his own contact details into Christian's blazer pocket. Christian later went out for a drink with him and got Joel's contact details for Ronnie. Over the next few days Lee and Christian started a relationship, this was thanks to Christian's sister Jane Beale sending Lee a text from Christian's phone. A few days into this relationship, Lee said that he was surprised he was attracted to Christian, as he tended to prefer younger men. They later kiss but are told by Dot Branning that she is as liberal as the next person, but does not approve of canoodling in public places. Christian later invited Lee for a lunch with some 'friends', Jane and Roxy Mitchell, who had both insisted on meeting Lee. However, Lee ended up being rude to both Jane and Roxy, and later left while Christian was out buying wine, telling Jane and Roxy that Christian was too old for him and they ended their relationship.
Reception
After screening the kiss on 7 October 2008 between Lee and Christian 145 complaints were made after screening the kiss before the watershed. Writing on the Points of View message board, one viewer said: "I am appalled by the display of homosexual kissing before the watershed shown on EastEnders. This is disgraceful whilst young children are watching and sets the wrong example." Though one viewer said, "I don't see what the fuss is about, given the context of their kissing and messing about and the way it was portrayed." The BBC defended it though saying,Gareth McLean from The Guardian defended the kiss saying, Who are the people that complain about gay kissing in EastEnders? Don't they have anything better to do? Other than sell their daughters into slavery, kill their neighbour for working the Sabbath and stone infidels, I mean.. Every time there's a bit of man-on-man kissage in Walford, the BBC gets complaints that "this filth", or words to that effect, shouldn't be on the telly. "How do I explain this to my child?" runs the gist of some of the gripes. He finished of saying 'Let's congratulate the BBC'.
Stuart Turner
Detective Inspector Stuart Turner played by Ray MacAllan, first arrived in Walford along with Kenny Morris after Max Branning reported a burglary at his home. He made his first appearance on 27 October and his last on 11 November 2008.After Sergeant Morris found bullet holes in the wall, Max said that they were the work of his brother Jack Branning. This however turned out to be a ploy of his to prevent Jack moving away to France with Max's wife Tanya Branning and their three children. As a result, Jack was arrested for attempted murder, but was later released due to lack of evidence. The gun had been found by Turner, however he later met Jack and handed the gun over to him, as he had respect for him as a former police officer. He later appeared after Max was mowed down by a moving car. He was worried about being discovered for giving Jack the gun, but Jack assured him that he was safe. However things got worse for him when Samantha Keeble turned up and announced that she was taking over the case of the Branning brothers' feud. After Tanya confessed to the hit and run and later refused bail, Jack enlisted DI Turner to help find the witness of Max's hit-and-run. He was reluctant, but after being blackmailed by Jack over his involvement with the "missing" gun, he relented and later revealed that the witness was Stacey Slater.
Samantha Keeble
Detective Inspector Samantha Keeble, played by Alison Newman, is a police officer who appears between 3 and 27 November 2008, and then again from 15 July 2014 to 16 June 2016.Keeble investigates Max Branning's hit-and-run. She is angered by his former wife Tanya Branning who does not let her speak to their daughter Abi Branning. Abi was in Max's house and near the 'accident' and is a key witness. In July 2014, Keeble takes over the investigation into the murder of Lucy Beale, and interviews Billy Mitchell about an argument he had with Lucy on the night she died. The following day, Keeble visits Ian Beale and brother Peter Beale informing them of Jake Stone's release from custody after the case against him is dropped and admitting that the investigation has stalled, and asks him to participate in a televised appeal for information from the public about the murder. At the appeal, she highlights details of the case to the assembled reporters and plays CCTV footage of Lucy on a bus on the night she died. When reporter Beth Kennedy upsets Ian by asking questions about Lucy's drug using, Phil Mitchell, who had seen Keeble talking to Kennedy before the press conference, thinks that Keeble believes Ian is hiding something, which is why she allowed the questioning. Two days later, Ian and Peter visit Keeble to be told that they have received new leads from members of the public about a man seen getting off the bus at the same stop as Lucy. Keeble speaks to Jay Brown having identified him as the man from the bus.
In October, with DC Emma Summerhayes, she bumps into Max as he is leaving Ian's house. Summerhayes is surprised to discover Max and Keeble know each other. Keeble informs Ian that they had traced and eliminated all the witnesses from the bus. Keeble takes Summerhayes off the case, after discovering that she has been having a sexual relationship with Max. Keeble tells Summerhayes that she has jeopardised the murder investigation and faces an investigation by the force's professional standards department. Keeble visits Max when he complains about a reporter stalking his daughter Lauren. Keeble assures Max that the police have spoken to the so-called journalist, who is actually Detective Sergeant Cameron Bryant, and told him to back off. Keeble then warns Summerhayes, telling her not to put her police career at any further risk by remaining with Max.
Keeble and Bryant later arrest Max for Lucy's murder, and they find her blood on his shoes. Max is found guilty after his trial but escapes the court. He soon realises that Bobby Beale killed Lucy and tries to pass this information on to the police, but they dismiss it as an act of desperation, and take him back into custody, and he is sentenced to 21 years in prison. Bobby later confesses to the police that he killed Lucy, but Keeble is reluctant to reopen the case. She is stunned when Bobby says he still has the murder weapon. Bobby is later sentenced to three years for killing Lucy. Keeble is later shocked when she discovers that Ian has known Bobby was Lucy's murderer since his wedding day. However, she chooses not to do anything about it and simply wishes him good luck. When she is confronted, she says that everyone has made mistakes in the murder investigation and insists that the case is well and truly over.
Inside Soap praised Keeble's part in Lucy's murder investigation, calling her "flinty" and saying she "brought some proper policing" to the case.
Kendra Hills-Smythe
Kendra Hills-Smythe played by Rebecca Egan, was a solicitor employed by Jack Branning to defend his partner Tanya Branning.She first appeared on 11 November and made two brief appearances on 1 December 2008 and 2 January 2009. She returned between the 7 and 10 April 2009.
In the upcoming case, Tanya had been arrested for attempted murder on her estranged husband Max Branning. Despite promising Jack Tanya's freedom and helping her client in every way she could to see that she would be given bail, she admitted to Jack that Tanya didn't stand a chance of getting released. This proved true when Tanya's bail application was denied later that day. She later appeared, when she visited Tanya in prison to inform her that Max is concerned she is covering for Jack. However, this has been proven incorrect, although it has been revealed that Tanya is covering for her daughter, Lauren Branning . She returned to accompany Tanya in court, she asked Tanya to think about what her plea would be. When the truth about Lauren was revealed, she asked Kendra to contact social services because she felt that she will only make things worse for her family. She appeared later when she seemingly attended Lauren's court appearance.
Amy Mitchell
Amy Mitchell, played by Kamil Lipka-Kozanka and Natalia Lipka-Kozanka until 2010, Amelie Conway until January 2014 and Abbie Burke from March 2014 onwards, is the daughter of Roxy Mitchell and Jack Branning. She made her first appearance on 17 November 2008, the episode in which she is born.For the first few weeks of her life, she is raised as the daughter of Roxy's husband Sean Slater and was briefly given his name, as he and Jack are unaware of Amy's true paternity. Amy is born two months premature and is put on a ventilator from birth. She is named after the daughter of Roxy's sister Ronnie Mitchell, whom she put up for adoption. Roxy initially decides to raise Amy with her friend Christian Clarke, after Sean misses Amy's birth but changes her mind when she and Sean reconcile.
Jack asks Roxy for a paternity test, aware that Amy may be his daughter. It transpires that this is so on Christmas Day 2008, when Suzy Branning gives Sean the results as a present, which leads to Sean abducting Amy. There is a fierce argument when Sean is found with Amy, which leads to Sean leaving and Amy is returned to Roxy by Sean's sister Stacey Slater on New Year's Day. Jack then spends more time with Amy and Ronnie decides Amy should be Christened and Roxy agrees. Amy's godfather is Christian and her godmother is her step-grandmother Dot Branning, although Ronnie is originally meant to be her godmother, but gets drunk and turns up late to the ceremony. Christian and his partner Syed Masood look after Amy for a day and decide that they want a child. While Amy is being looked after by Ronnie, she draws a picture, which upsets Ronnie has Ronnie interprets it as including her son who died. Amy escapes from the house, which leads to everyone discovering Ronnie has been bailed from prison after swapping her dead baby James with Kat Moon's healthy son Tommy. Amy also escapes when Roxy's boyfriend Michael Moon leaves the door open. Amy is almost hit by Carol Jackson's car but is saved by Eddie Moon. When Amy suffers a fall at home, Roxy thinks nothing of it. Roxy goes on a night out with friends, leaving Ben Mitchell babysitting Amy. When he leaves Amy alone for a while to get a DVD from Jack's flat with Jay Brown, Amy runs herself a bath, gets in and almost drowns. When Ben discovers her, Dr. Yusef Khan is called and he revives her. Amy is taken to hospital in a critical condition. She recovers, but she is found to have a fracture from her previous fall, so a social worker awards temporary custody of Amy to Jack. Roxy later is allowed to see Amy, whilst a social worker evaluates Roxy's parenting skills. Jack refuses to allow Roxy to see Amy other than at arranged times. A solicitor tells Roxy to dig up as much dirt on Jack and his family as she can, but this does not work as a court grants full custody to Jack. When Roxy's cousin Phil Mitchell has Jack's car crushed, Jack tells Roxy she cannot see Amy until it is replaced. Jack does not allow Roxy to give Amy her gift at Christmas, so Roxy shows Amy her puppet toy through the window, meaning Jack is forced to let Amy see Roxy. Amy starts scratching other children at nursery because of the tension between Roxy and Jack. Eventually, Roxy wins her custody case, though Jack reveals he dropped it because Roxy threatened to report him for fraud, as he forged her signature to get Amy a passport. When Roxy catches head lice, she blames Bianca Butcher's children, but she finds out she actually caught them from Amy. Amy's father, Jack moves away in October 2013, and Amy lived full-time with Roxy and her fiancé, Alfie Moon until the couple separate on their wedding day in November 2013.
On New Year's Day 2014, Amy, Roxy and Ronnie move to Ibiza for an extended break. She returned to Walford a couple of months later with Roxy and Ronnie now played by Abbie Knowles. Amy has a strong personality and can often be quite naughty. In 2015, Roxy reveals that she arranges monthly trips for Amy to go to France to visit Jack. During Christmas, Jack returns to Walford to visit Roxy and Amy, and upon finding out that Roxy's fiancé Dean Wicks raped Linda Carter, he packs Amy's bags and sends her to Ronnie's house, scolding Roxy for letting Dean control her.
Roxy leaves Amy with Jack in January 2016 after Dean tries to rape her. Jack and Amy temporarily leave Walford but return when Jack decides to move back to the square permanently so he can be with Ronnie. Roxy returns to Walford but when Jack finds out Roxy agreed to be a drug mule and smuggled £10,000 of cocaine into the country, he is reluctant to let Roxy see Amy. Eventually, Ronnie persuades him to let Amy stay in Roxy's flat overnight but while Jay and Roxy argue over the drugs, Amy finds them and her rabbit Hercules dies after eating cocaine. Amy runs away but is soon found by Andy Flynn. Jack worries that Amy may have taken drugs so takes her to hospital. Amy is fine but upon realising Social Services are going to be involved, Jack threatens to go for full custody of Amy. However he drops the case when he realises how much Roxy has suffered after Dean attacked her.
Roxy begins to feel distant from Amy and tries to do things right for her, deciding she wants Ronnie to adopt Amy. Ronnie reluctantly agrees. On Jack and Ronnie's wedding night, both Ronnie and Roxy drown and die in the hotel swimming pool. Jack does not want Amy to know but she asks questions about their whereabouts, so he confuses her by saying they have "gone away" and will never return. Amy and her half-brother Ricky continue to question Jack, so Dot explains to them with sensitivity that they have gone to heaven. Ronnie and Roxy's mother and Amy's maternal grandmother, Glenda Mitchell returns to Walford and convinces Jack not let Amy and Ricky attend their funerals, but he later changes his mind. Jack allows Glenda to move in to help raise Amy, Ricky and Ronnie's young son, Matthew Mitchell Cotton. Jack and Glenda talk to Amy when they find out she has been wetting the bed over Ronnie and Roxy's deaths. When Glenda has Amy's ears pierced like Roxy's, Jack throws Glenda out because he does not want Amy to see Roxy as a role model. Jack hires Ingrid Solberg as an au pair and she fails to connect with Amy and Ricky by preparing a Norwegian meal, but they bond over pizza. At Halloween, Amy, her cousin Janet Mitchell and neighbour Riley Taylor go missing and when a child is hit by Tina Carter's car, Jack fears that is it is Amy. The child is revealed to be Janet. Amy is later found with Kim Fox-Hubbard.
Development
Robert Kazinsky who plays Sean Slater teased the Christmas storyline saying, "Sean ultimately deceives Roxy and snatches baby Amy from The Vic. Then there's a whole week of the Mitchells trying to track Sean and Amy down. Sean's holed up in a squat with the baby to give them more time together. He's simply looking after Amy, who's become the most important person in his life. Even if she isn't his child, mentally and emotionally, she is to Sean. Eventually, Sean's found and it all kicks off, culminating in a stunt with an icy lake…" Kazinsky said that he thinks Sean would be a good dad to Amy saying, Sean was 16 when his father died, so for Sean, bringing up baby Amy was a way for him to make it up to his dad – by being the father to Amy that his father was to him."Ahmet
Ahmet played by Tamer Hassan, is an ex-boyfriend of Suzy Branning. He makes his first appearance on 5 December 2008. He made his last appearance on 15 December 2008. He was described by the South Wales Evening Post as the 'evil ex of Suzy'.Suzy's dog, Prince, went missing but after she received a "special postcard" she immediately knew who had taken him. She met up with Ahmet in a café where it was revealed that the gold bar Suzy had originally had belonged to him and she stole it. On 15 December 2008, he returned, leaving a heart in a box on Suzy's doorstep. He later threatened her, demanding that she give him the gold bar by the end of the day. Phil Mitchell arranged to meet with him to make him back off, he handed him a wad of cash and in return, Ahmet gave Prince back. He later met up with Suzy in the park and revealed that Suzy had previously lied about a pregnancy with him. He gave her until Christmas to get the money she owed him.
Louise Hills
Detective Sergeant Louise Hills played by Adie Allen, is a sergeant who investigated the child sexual abuse involving Tony King and Whitney Dean. She initially appeared on 11 and 12 December 2008, and then appeared for three more episodes, on 5 February 30 November and 17 December 2009.She first appeared when she visited Bianca Jackson on 11 December 2008 to interview her and Whitney. Whilst there, Lauren Branning also came forward and told her the story of how Tony treated her. The next day, she returned to Pat Evans' house to let Bianca know that Tony had been released on police bail because Whitney hadn't given her statement. Whitney later gave her statement to the police and Tony was later charged. She returned to tell Whitney and Bianca that Tony had pleaded "Not Guilty" to the charges and she later informs them that Tony attempted suicide while in custody. She returned to tell Whitney that a verdict is expected on whether Tony will be sentenced.
Maria de Costa
Maria de Costa played by Judy Browne, is a social worker. She makes her first appearance on 11 December 2008 and returns on 20 January 2009. She reappears on 13 September and then on 30 September and then once again on 23 November. She then left on 6 December 2010. She returned on 22 March 2012.She first appears when she visits Whitney Dean following her abuse by Tony King. She later informs Tanya Branning that her daughter Lauren Branning wanted to remain in care. She visits Stacey Branning and her baby Lily Branning, and notes that Stacey appears agitated. She visits Stacey again after Janine Malloy reports Stacey for neglecting Lily. However, Maria concludes that Lily is not being neglected. She returns and comes to see Stacey for a home visit, not knowing that Stacey has gone missing with Lily. She visits again where Ryan Malloy pretends to be Stacey's partner. Maria is so impressed that she says she will not need to visit Stacey again. Maria returns in March 2012 to take custody of George Trott after the death of his mother, Heather. She later returns George to Shirley Carter, who is George's godmother, while Social Services try to locate George's father, Darren Miller. A week later she returns to collect George to reunite him with Darren.
Paul
Paul, played by Jack Gordon, is a barman who Ronnie Mitchell employed to help run R&R for a Christmas Party. He made various appearances, between December 2008, and his last being on 9 March 2009.He appears first when he gets Danielle Jones drunk and they sleep together. He reappeared taking her out on a date. Then he returned when Danielle discovered she was pregnant and met Paul to tell him but backed out when he told her that he already had a girlfriend. Paul re-appeared at an '80s theme night at R&R. He bumped into Danielle and her friend Stacey Slater, and offered to buy them a drink. Stacey later revealed to Paul that Danielle had aborted his baby. This made him feel guilty and realised that he should have supported her. Later he had a heart to heart with Stacey and told her about how he felt. However this led to them kissing, while a heartbroken Danielle looked on.
He then later appears when Stacey and Danielle are in the club with some boys Paul knows. Danielle spills her drink on one of the boys and Paul appears offering to buy her another one. At first she refuses but then after Stacey butts in, she accepts his offer. When Stacey goes outside to take a call from her mother, Paul talks to Danielle and apologises for the way he has behaved. He walks her to the bar and confronts her about her abortion. He thanks her because he believes he is too young to be a father. Danielle realises Stacey has told him and throws her drink at Paul and Danielle walks out before disowning Stacey.
Dotty Cotton
Kirsty "Dotty" Cotton is played by Molly Conlin. She was introduced on 26 December 2008 as the daughter of established character Nick Cotton. Dotty was used as Nick's partner in crime, as the duo planned to kill her grandmother Dot and inherit the money from her will. She and Dot subsequently became friends after the Nick's failed murder attempt, due to Dotty sabotaging their murder plan at last minute. In her final storyline, airing on 23 February 2010, she left with her mother Sandy, whom she had believed to be dead.Critics disliked Dotty, with her accent being criticised by Jane Simon from The Daily Mirror and critics from The Guardian and The Daily Mirror glad to see her leave. However, executive producer, Diederick Santer praised Conlin for her portrayal of Dotty and both Brown and Altman opined that the storyline was one of their highlights.