List of EastEnders characters (1985)
The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera EastEnders in 1985, by order of first appearance. They were all introduced by executive producer Julia Smith. The first episode of EastEnders was broadcast on 19 February 1985, and twenty-three main characters were already created for their first appearance. The first character to be seen was Den Watts, followed by Ali Osman and then Arthur Fowler, all of whom find Reg Cox dying in his flat. Ethel Skinner, Harold Legg and Pauline Fowler appear, after Den alerts them of Reg's death. With Ethel is her pug Willy along with Lou Beale. Saeed and Naima Jeffery are seen working in the local shop whilst Angie Watts is seen in The Queen Victoria, Walford's local pub. Nick Cotton and Sue Osman are next seen, whilst Pete and Kathy Beale work at the fruit and veg stall and Hassan Osman is seen with his parents in the café. Sharon Watts, Ian Beale and Michelle Fowler are next seen and Mark Fowler is seen going into the bookies. Lastly, Roly the dog is seen in the pub when a fight breaks out.
Lofty Holloway is introduced on 26 February along with Terry Rich, and Tony Carpenter is introduced on 28 February. Mary Smith and her daughter Annie are introduced on 5 March. Tony's son Kelvin is introduced on 12 March. Andy O'Brien is introduced on 21 March along with Debbie Wilkins. Chris Smith was introduced on 7 May and Mehmet Osman was introduced on 13 June as a recurring character. Hannah Carpenter arrived on 25 June as Tony's wife and Dot Cotton was introduced on 4 July followed by Ernie Mears on 16 July. Detective Sergeant Roy Quick was introduced on 20 August as Walford's detective. Martin Fowler was born on 30 July and Simon Wicks arrived on 5 October. Lastly, the wife of Mehmet, Guizin Osman arrived on 22 October, and Cassie Carpenter arrived as the daughter of Hannah and Tony.
Den Watts
Den Watts, played by actor Leslie Grantham, is the original landlord of The Queen Victoria. He became well known for his tabloid nickname, "Dirty Den". He is perhaps best remembered for his stormy love-hate relationship with his alcoholic first wife Angie (Anita Dobson), as well as his devoted interaction with their adopted daughter Sharon (Letitia Dean). After nearly 20 years of marriage, he hands divorce papers to Angie in the 1986 Christmas Day episode that was watched by a record-breaking 30.15 million viewers, more than half of the UK population at the time. The character soon departed from the show after getting involved with his local's criminal organization, The Firm – which sparked the events of an attempt on Den's life. For 14 years, it was believed that he had been killed, but he returns to Walford in September 2003. Seventeen months later, his character is killed off again – this time for good – at the hands of his manipulative second wife Chrissie (Tracy-Ann Oberman), on the show's 20th anniversary episode that was watched by over 1⁄3 of the UK population at the time. Den was described by EastEnders executive producer Louise Berridge as being arguably one of the most iconic characters ever portrayed in a soap opera.
Ali Osman
Ali Osman, played by
Arthur Fowler
Arthur Fowler, played by
Reg Cox
Reg Cox | |
---|---|
EastEnders character | |
Portrayed by | Johnnie Clayton |
Appears in | Episode 1 19 February 1985 |
Classification | Former; guest |
Book appearances | Home Fires Burning, Swings and Roundabouts |
Spin-off appearances | "CivvyStreet" |
Reg Cox, played by Johnnie Clayton, is a resident of
In the first ever scene of the programme, the characters of
Reg lived alone at 23b Albert Square. On the morning of 19 February 1985,
Reg, who was 59 years old when he died, was not a popular figure in Albert Square. He is referred to as a 'cantankerous old man' by Arthur, called a 'miserable so and so' by
In 2014, Reg's murderer, Nick, uses the name 'Reg Cox' as an alias after faking his own death. In 2015, Nick dies in the same place that Reg died exactly 30 years earlier, after admitting to his mother,
Ethel Skinner
Ethel Skinner played by Gretchen Franklin, is an elderly resident of Walford. An EastEnders original character, Ethel came in the soap's early years often found wandering the square with her adored pug Willy. She and Dot Cotton (June Brown) are lifelong friends, and although they wind each other up they are dependent on each other. In fact Ethel trusts Dot so much that she even asks her to help her die in 2000, after she is diagnosed with inoperable cancer. Ethel's original character outline states that she was born in 1920. However, during the series this was altered to 1916 and for many years her birthday fell on 19 February. When Ethel comes back to Walford to die in 2000, she reveals to Dot that she had lied about her age for many years.
Ethel, like Reg Cox, also features in the 1988 "CivvyStreet" special, in which the character is played by Alison Bettles.
Pauline Fowler
Pauline Fowler[3] played by Wendy Richard between 1985 and 2006[4] is the wife of Arthur Fowler (Bill Treacher). Pauline was created by scriptwriter Tony Holland and producer Julia Smith as one of EastEnders' original characters. She makes her debut in the soap's first episode on 19 February 1985, and remains for twenty-one years and ten months, making her the second longest-running original character, surpassed only by Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt). Pauline was a staple in the UK press during her time in EastEnders, representative of the symbiosis between Britain's soaps and tabloid newspapers. Widely read tabloids, such as The Sun and Daily Mirror, would routinely publish articles about forthcoming developments in Pauline's storylines.[5] Critical opinion on the character differs. She has been described as a "legend" and a television icon,[6] but was also voted the 35th-"most annoying person of 2006" (being the only fictional character to appear on the list).[7] The character is well known even outside the show's viewer-base, and away from the on-screen serial, Pauline has been the subject of television documentaries, behind-the-scenes books, tie-in novels and comedy sketch shows.
Harold Legg
Dr. Harold Legg, played by Leonard Fenton, is Walford's original GP. He is widely trusted within the community, and is always on hand to dish out advice. Dr Legg appears as a regular character between 1985 and 1989, but continues to appear in a recurring role until 1997. He was officially retired in 1999 by executive producer Matthew Robinson, though he has made cameos since this time in 2000, 2004 and 2007 and returned one final time in late 2018, before the character was killed off in early 2019.[8] Dr. Harold Legg is one of the original twenty-three characters invented by the creators of EastEnders, Tony Holland and Julia Smith. Dr. Legg is an attempt to represent the successive wave of Jewish immigrants that had settled in the East End of London between 1881 and 1914 in order avoid the persecution that they were being subjected to in Europe.[2] The second generation of East End-born Jews (as Dr. Legg was meant to represent) prospered in the area until the 1930s when Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists was formed, and used violence to instil fear in the Jewish population.[9] As the Jewish community grew wealthier, many moved out of the East End to more affluent areas of London,[9] just as the character of Dr. Legg had done on-screen when the show began; living in Islington, but commuting to his practice in Walford.
Saeed Jeffery
Saeed Jeffery, played by
Pete Beale
Pete Beale, played by
Lou Beale
Lou Beale played by
The character is played by
Naima Jeffery
Naima Jeffery, played by Shreela Ghosh, is the wife of Saeed Jeffery (Andrew Johnson). Naima tries to embrace Western culture, but this is not easy since her family constantly try to force her to adhere to their ancient customs. Sick of being forced to live in an arranged marriage with a husband she loathes, Naima makes a stand and shames her family by filing for a divorce. Naima Jeffery is one of the original twenty-three characters invented by the creators of EastEnders, Tony Holland and Julia Smith. Naima and her husband are the first Asian characters to appear in the soap. Black and Asian characters were two ethnic minorities that had previously been under-represented in British soap before EastEnders aired. Holland and Smith knew that for the soap to succeed there needed to be a varied group of characters, so that several different sections of the audience had someone to identify with.
Angie Watts
Angie Watts played by
Willy
Willy is a Pug, who appears in the first episode of the programme and remained in the show until 1992. Willy was cast less than a week before the filming of EastEnders began. From the beginning it was decided that the pensioner Ethel Skinner (Gretchen Franklin) was to have a Yorkshire Terrier named Willy (after her dead husband). The company Janimals, who specialised in providing and training animals for television and films, was contacted by EastEnders co-creator/producer Julia Smith, and informed her that they could provide an experienced pug for the part (he had previously starred in an adaptation of Swallows and Amazons). The dog was brought to the studio to meet Gretchen Franklin, the actress who played Ethel. She took a shine to him straight away and so the pug was cast as Willy. Willy and Roly the poodle shared a dressing room at Elstree Studios.[2]
Roly
Roly is an apricot-coloured
Tracey
Tracey | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
EastEnders character | |||||
Portrayed by | Jane Slaughter | ||||
Duration | 1985–present | ||||
First appearance | Episode 1 "Poor Old Reg" 19 February 1985 | ||||
Classification | Present; extra | ||||
Created by | Tony Holland | ||||
Introduced by | Julia Smith | ||||
Spin-off appearances |
| ||||
|
Tracey[11][12] (known to fans as Tracey the barmaid[13]) is played by Jane Slaughter. She has appeared as a background character since the first episode on 19 February 1985, when she was seen working on the flower stall in Bridge Street Market.[14] Slaughter was not credited in the role until episode 126 (1 May 1986), which was the first episode in which she spoke. She is the longest-serving character and cast member in the show as Slaughter has been part of the show from the beginning without taking any breaks. She is also the longest-serving female member of the cast in terms of continuous appearances, as other original female cast members who are still in the cast as of 2024[update] have taken long-term breaks from the show.
Tracey starts working as a barmaid at
On 25 May 1993,
In May 2003, Tracey has a one-night stand with Dennis Rickman (Nigel Harman), the adoptive brother of former pub owner Sharon, when he arrives in Albert Square, despite the fact that she is married. The next day, he returns her underwear to her publicly over the bar. In 2005, Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf) breaks into the pub with a crowbar, and Tracey discovers her, asking her to leave. Sam knocks Tracey out with the crowbar and drags her, unconscious, into the bathroom, locking her in. Sam goes downstairs to unearth the body of Den Watts (Leslie Grantham), who is buried in the basement, and when the police arrive, Tracey is comforted by Little Mo Mitchell (Kacey Ainsworth). After Sam is released from prison on bail, she apologises to Tracey, but Tracey appears shaken by the ordeal and scared of Sam.
On 7 August 2008, Tracey opens up when Sean Slater (Robert Kazinsky) questions why she is so quiet. She says she wants to keep herself to herself because she thinks that the Mitchells are all "stark raving mad" and that she does not fear any new barmaids, as she has seen them come and go, but knows that she will always be behind the bar. She goes on to say that whoever lives in the pub is "cursed" in her opinion, and that they will never be able to live happily together.
In March 2009, Archie Mitchell (Larry Lamb) makes Tracey a cleaner at The Queen Vic, and she is pleased with the extra money. She attends Peggy Mitchell's (Barbara Windsor) hen party, and Peggy and Archie's wedding on 2 April. On 16 April 2009, Shirley Carter (Linda Henry) accuses Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) of drinking again. However, Phil denies this, saying that he had broken a bottle of alcohol earlier, and Tracey backs him up. On 28 April 2009, Tracey answers the phone to Minty Peterson (Cliff Parisi) questioning Phil's whereabouts from the night before. Tracey tells Phil about having to talk to the bank regarding some money issues. Following that, Phil pressures Tracey into talking about her feelings, supposedly for him, and mentioning her husband in the process. Finally, she appears again towards the end of the episode, wanting to help Ben Mitchell (Charlie Jones) get to school as Phil is too drunk to assist him. Phil, flirting with Tracey, tells her that her husband will not mind.
On 30 April 2009, she finds
On 24 December, Archie and his fiancée Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks) take over the pub, ousting Peggy and her family. Tracey is unhappy with the way Archie and Janine treated Peggy and the rest of the Mitchell family, and when Janine tells Tracey to put some tinsel in her hair and to keep an eye on the Christmas dinner, Tracey leaves a note saying "Gone fishing", implying that she has resigned. The next day, Tracey is present when Ronnie Mitchell (Samantha Womack) is arrested on suspicion of Archie's murder (see "Who Killed Archie?"), and looks shocked. She also attends Jean Slater's (Gillian Wright) birthday party on 11 January 2010. When Mo Harris (Laila Morse) opens a betting circle on the identity of Archie's killer, she lists Tracey as the rank outsider, giving her the nickname "Silent Assassin".
On 18 January 2010, Tracey appears behind the bar in a non-speaking capacity for The Queen Vic's reopening. On 22 January, the pub's new owner, Roxy Mitchell (Rita Simons), gives Tracey a warning for arriving two hours late, but Peggy explains that she asked her to come in late as she has done a lot of unpaid overtime recently. Later, Roxy sacks Tracey because she wants the pub to have younger bar staff. Peggy demands that Roxy beg Tracey to come back for the evening shift as workers like Tracey are "gold dust". Peggy tells Tracey on the phone that she is not sacked but Tracey hangs up. Tracey decides to take Roxy to an unfair dismissal tribunal, so Roxy says she will audition a new barmaid, giving Tracey a chance but making sure she loses.
However, when Roxy realises she does not know how to run a pub, she gives Tracey her job back. Tracey suggests a curry night, and Roxy is happy to leave Tracey in charge of it, saying it is the most she has ever heard her speak. On that same day, viewers find out that Tracey and Shirley are good friends. In March 2010,
In January 2011, during a conversation with
On 14 June 2012, Tracey gives Jean her job back on the flower stall. However, Tracey later sacks Jean after she rows with customers
In December 2013, Phil sells the pub to
In September 2015, Tracey is shocked when she answers The Queen Vic telephone to Kathy Sullivan (Gillian Taylforth), who is believed to be dead. Kathy asks Tracey to pass on an address to Phil. After being confronted by Mick, she finds Phil. Phil tries to persuade her it was a joke, but Tracey is not convinced, and knows it was Kathy; she gives him Kathy's whereabouts. The following month, Tracey finally meets Kathy again and welcomes her home.
Eight months later, Tracey welcomes another old friend back to Walford, as she greets Peggy when she rides around the square in a milk float. In April 2017, the freehold of The Queen Vic is sold when the Carters get into debt. Business consultant
In February 2020, Tracey attends the Queen Vic boat party and tells Mo about the time she and Phil had sex.
Development
Being one of the only remaining original cast members in the show, Slaughter said that when she joined the show "she recognised that EastEnders could run and be something very exciting" and that she "never dreamed [that it would last] 25 years" but she "certainly knew it was special."[15] When asked to pick her favourite storyline she said, "In terms of actually watching and seeing scenes, I've been lucky being in The Vic. I've seen so many good ones – with the Mitchells, with Phil, with Peggy – I've been very, very lucky to see so many, that it's nigh on impossible to single any out. They've all involved different people – I could go on and on and on!"[16] Slaughter noted that "She's always there whereas other cast members such as Adam [Woodyatt] – who's been there as long as I have – wouldn't necessarily have a storyline that puts him in The Vic at all."[14] She also added, "For me as a character, it has to be Tracey speaking to Sean Slater. It was hysterical. For someone who never says anything, she suddenly had an opinion about everything, which I just loved. It was written by Christopher Reason and done so well. To get someone who only occasionally says things like 'out the back' and make what she says make sense – he did a fantastic job. That was very memorable because everyone was so supportive."[15]
In 2010, Slaughter said that it would not make sense to make Tracey into "this talkative, all-singing, all-dancing person with a fully-fledged family and surname."[14] Slaughter described her character as "lovely", "clever", "loyal but strong" and "opinionated".[14] Jane Simon from the Daily Mirror described her as "silent".[17]
In May 2009, Digital Spy asked EastEnders producer Diederick Santer what was in store for Tracey. He said, "You just have to watch out for any script that Christopher Reason writes. Chris is obsessed with Tracey and with Jane Slaughter, who plays her. He gives her loads to do, which is fantastic. When we give her more to do, she absolutely delivers. We think she's fab."[18]
Tracey was one of the 'outsiders' in the "Who Killed Archie?" storyline, with many viewers thinking the culprit could be her. In a poll run by Digital Spy, 7.9% of voters thought that Tracey had killed Archie Mitchell,[19] and in a second poll, 7.1% thought that it was her.[20] When asked if she thought Tracey could kill, she said, "I wouldn't think she's that dark but who knows – she could be. I've heard there are odds at the bookies to be had for her but why? Why would she have killed him? Because he's threatening The Vic? Is it The Vic she protects or the family?"[15] It was later revealed that bookmakers William Hill had slashed the odds on Tracey being the killer, with 7/1 thinking she killed Archie.[21] The killer was later revealed to be Stacey Slater.
Reception
Dek Hogan from Digital Spy hailed Tracey when she had a line of dialogue, and said it was "such a rare event that it's always worthy of a celebration. Fair play, she did mumble it a bit and it was so unmemorable that I've forgotten what it was she actually said but it was a line nonetheless." He also said that she,
Nick Cotton
Nick Cotton, played by John Altman, is a recurring character who appears in the soap's debut episode in February 1985, through to his last appearance, in which he dies, in 2015. Nick is the son of characters Charlie (Christopher Hancock) and Dot Cotton (June Brown), and the father of Charlie Cotton Ashley, and Dotty Cotton (Molly Conlin). His storylines saw him twice committed murder of Reg Cox and Eddie Royle respectively, succumb to a heroin addiction, and attempt to poison his own mother, causing the death of his son Ashley amongst numerous other misdemeanors. Nick is also the subject of a special spin-off episode, The Return of Nick Cotton, which aired in October 2000. He has been voted one of television's all-time most villainous characters in a Channel 4 poll. He is seen as the show's original villain. Nick dies of a heroin overdose on 13 February 2015 in the house in which he killed Reg Cox 30 years earlier.
Sue Osman
Sue Osman, played by
Kathy Cotton
Kathy Cotton (also Beale, Mitchell and Sullivan),[27] played by Gillian Taylforth between 1985 and 2000, and then from 2015 onwards, is the mother of Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt). Though it was never used on screen, in 2010 the BBC website named the character as Kathy Sullivan due to a marriage after she left the show in 2000.[28] Kathy Beale is one of the serial's original characters, appearing in the first episode of EastEnders on 19 February 1985. One of the longest-running original characters, Kathy remains in a prominent role, covering issues such as rape and domestic violence until April 1998, when Taylforth quit. A year later, in 1999, Taylforth returned for a temporary stint to aid the departure of actor Ross Kemp who played her brother-in-law Grant Mitchell, and later in December 1999 for the wedding of her screen son Ian. She made her final appearance in January 2000. Despite various rumours of a possible return for Kathy in the press, this did not occur and the character was supposedly killed off-screen in a road accident in late February 2006 in a storyline to facilitate the return of her son Ben to his father Phil (Steve McFadden). In tribute to the character, the soap's café is named "Kathy's".[29] Kathy returned for the 30th anniversary episode in February 2015, when it was revealed that Kathy never died in a surprise showdown with her ex-husband, Phil.
Hassan Osman
Hassan Osman | |
---|---|
EastEnders character | |
Portrayed by | Michael Evangelou |
First appearance | Episode 1 "Poor Old Reg" 19 February 1985 |
Last appearance | Episode 36 20 June 1985 |
Classification | Ayse Osman |
Hassan Osman, played by Michael Evangelou, is the first son of
Development
Before EastEnders initially aired, creators
Sharon Watts
Sharon Watts (also Mitchell, Rickman and Beale), played by Letitia Dean, is the daughter of Den (Leslie Grantham) and Angie Watts (Anita Dobson). Sharon is a regular character in the first 10 years of the programme, after which she leaves and returns several times. Sharon is the adoptive daughter of the popular 'supercouple'; Den and Angie. She was known to Den as his "princess" and he made sure suitors watched their step around the teenage Sharon. Even though she disapproved of her father's dodgy deals and his constant fighting with binge-drinker Angie, she loved them both nonetheless. She made a permanent return to the show in 2012.[30]
Ian Beale
Ian Beale, played by
Michelle Fowler
Michelle Fowler (also Holloway), played by
Mark Fowler
Mark Fowler is an original regular character in the series starting February 1985 but becomes a semi-regular after his original portrayer David Scarboro was written out of the role in April 1985. Scarboro made brief returns to the role in 1986 and 1987; he committed suicide in April 1988. The role was recast with Todd Carty in 1990. From this point the character, played by Carty, became a permanent fixture in the series until being written out of the series in early 2003.[32] Mark starts out as a delinquent teenager, but returns to Walford a changed man when he was 22. Contracting HIV forces him to grow up fast and accept his responsibilities. He frequently finds it difficult to accept the restrictions of the illness, which finally claims his life in April 2004.
Lofty Holloway
Lofty Holloway, played by Tom Watt, is one of the serial's original characters, making his first appearance in the third episode, 26 February 1985. Lofty is generally depicted as a meek, luckless and hapless victim. A long-running storyline concerns his relationship with the character Michelle Fowler (Susan Tully). Their unhappy marriage finally disintegrates after Michelle has an abortion, and Lofty leaves Walford for a new start. The character's final appearance is in the episode first aired on 19 April 1988. Lofty was one of the original twenty-three characters invented by the creators of EastEnders, Tony Holland and Julia Smith. Both felt that to help complete the community there was a need for a character in his early twenties. He had to be someone a bit different – not brash and confident like a lot of the older men, and not boisterous like the younger ones; a loner, maybe someone forced to be a loner, a person who "stuck out like a sore thumb" – someone that was happiest in a group but still could not find one in which he fitted. Tony Holland had previously been in the army and found that ex-soldiers had these problems when they tried to reintegrate as civilians. So they decided that Lofty would be an ex-soldier, forced to quit because of his asthma. He was happiest in the army and felt incomplete without the group setting, the all-male camaraderie and even the security of the uniformity that the army provides.[33]
Terry Rich
Terry Rich | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EastEnders character | |||||||
Portrayed by | Gary Whelan | ||||||
Duration | 1985, 1987 | ||||||
First appearance | Episode 3 26 February 1985 | ||||||
Last appearance | Episode 235 14 May 1987 | ||||||
Classification | Former; recurring | ||||||
|
DS Terry Rich, played by
The following week, a badge that
Rich returns in 1987 to investigate the case of the 'Walford attacker', who has assaulted several female inhabitants of Albert Square. In April of that year, Debbie Wilkins (Shirley Cheriton), averts an attack using self-defence, which leads to the attacker's arrest. Rich is impressed with the way Debbie conducted herself so he asks her if she would help him out on some police business. Rich asks Debbie to go to a French restaurant with him on an undercover operation to expose French restaurants using English waiters. Debbie agrees, but whilst on their mock date they bond and when they return to The Queen Victoria they make a dinner date for the next night to a Chinese restaurant and they are soon inseparable. Debbie's flatmate, Naima Jeffery (Shreela Ghosh), seems to dislike Rich immensely, but this does not perturb Debbie, and when Rich asks her to marry him, she gleefully accepts. The following month Rich is transferred to another division in Crawley, so Debbie decides to leave Walford with him.
Tony Carpenter
Tony Carpenter, played by
Mary Smith
Mary Smith, played by
Annie Smith
Annie Smith | |
---|---|
EastEnders character | |
Portrayed by |
|
Duration | 1985–1988, 2019 |
First appearance | Episode 5 5 March 1985 |
Last appearance | Episode 5871 19 February 2019 |
Classification | Brendan Smith |
Annie Smith, played by Zara Posener and Jenna Alembick from 1985 to 1986 and by Samantha Crown from 1986 to 1988, is the young daughter of punk Mary Smith (Linda Davidson). Her father was a member of a punk group of which Mary was a groupie, and had no contact with her. Annie returned in 2019, played by Marilyn O'Brien.
Annie, who was born prematurely, is three months old when she arrives, along with Mary, on 5 March 1985 and initially resides with her mother at 23b
Annie is once left alone in the launderette by accident while Mary goes drinking in
Nearly 31 years later, Mary returns to Walford with Annie who is now 34 years old to attend the funeral of
Kelvin Carpenter
Kelvin Carpenter, played by
Andy O'Brien
Andy O'Brien, played by Ross Davidson, is one of the original characters created for the series. Andy makes his appearance one month after the show first broadcast in March 1985. Portrayed as altruistic and middle-class, Andy and his partner Debbie (Shirley Cheriton) are an attempt to represent gentrification of the East End. Despite Davidson claiming that there had been plans for his character, Andy became the first regular character in EastEnders to be killed off. Davidson claims this was due to an altercation between himself and Executive Producer and show creator Julia Smith. His death scene aired in August 1986.
Debbie Wilkins
Debbie Wilkins, played by
Big Ron
Big Ron | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EastEnders character | |||||||||
Portrayed by | Ron Tarr | ||||||||
Duration | 1985–1997 | ||||||||
First appearance | Episode 18 18 April 1985 | ||||||||
Last appearance | 2 December 1997 | ||||||||
Classification | Former; extra | ||||||||
|
Big Ron, played by
The actor Ron Tarr died of cancer in October 1997 and was appearing in pre-recorded episodes several weeks after his death. To explain the character's absence, he was given an off-screen storyline in early 1998 where he wins
Chris Smith
Chris Smith | |
---|---|
EastEnders character | |
Portrayed by | Annie Smith |
Chris Smith (initially credited as 'Man', then as Mary's father), played by Allan O'Keefe, is the father of Mary Smith (Linda Davidson). A haulage driver from Stockport, he is first seen in Walford in May 1985 when he comes to visit his wayward daughter. Mary (or Theresa as she was known to Chris) had left Stockport to escape her family, so she is not pleased when Chris arrives and tries to persuade her to return with him so he can help bring up her young daughter. After several ill-fated attempts, Mary sends him away.
In 1987, Mary begins prostituting herself. She leaves her young baby,
Mary's boyfriend, Rod Norman (Christopher McHallem), tries to help Mary sort her life out so she can get her daughter back. Even though Mary seems to be better, Edie has grown so attached to Annie that she is unwilling to relinquish care. By December, Chris finally decides that Annie should be reunited with Mary. Edie is unhappy about this and tells Chris that he can only come home when he brings Annie back. On Christmas Eve 1987, after desperately trying to convince Mary to return to Stockport, a very drunk Chris abducts Annie and tries to drive her home, only to crash into a wall at the local bed and breakfast on Bridge Street. Mary is forced to spend Christmas Day in hospital so Annie can be monitored. Chris desperately tries to make amends for his mistake, but she cannot forgive him until Annie is given the all clear later that day, so a jubilant Mary accepts her father's apology.
In early 1988, Chris makes plans to open up a haulage company at a disused tyre shop in
Chris stays in Walford to run his business, employing Rod as a bookkeeper and
Mehmet Osman
Mehmet Osman, played by
Hannah Carpenter
Hannah Carpenter | |
---|---|
EastEnders character | |
Portrayed by | Cassie Carpenter |
Hannah Carpenter, played by
When Hannah meets the smooth talking corporate lawyer,
Their reconciliation is not a happy one and it is not long before Hannah had returns to her nagging ways. She is unhappy to be living in a house that is in the throes of renovation and she constantly harangues Tony to do better and try harder. She also manages to upset her children by trying to put a stop to her son's relationship with
In 1987 Hannah begins to become disillusioned with Walford after getting accosted by both
In 2022, Luke Weir from
Dot Cotton
Dorothy "Dot" Branning (also Cotton), played by
In April 2012, Brown took a six-month break from the show to write her memoirs. Dot temporarily departed on 18 May 2012. She returned on 14 January 2013. In February 2015, Dot began appearing less frequently due to Brown gradually losing her eyesight; this aspect of her life was written into her character the following year. In February 2020, Brown announced that her appearance in the previous month would be the character's last, as she was dissatisfied with the storylines being given to her. Following Brown's death on 3 April 2022, the character's off screen death was announced in the Queen Vic on 1 December 2022, following the character's death the previous night.
Ernie Mears
Ernie Mears | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
EastEnders character | |||||
Portrayed by | Ken Wynne | ||||
First appearance | Episode 43 16 July 1985 | ||||
Last appearance | Episode 52 15 August 1985 | ||||
Classification | Former; guest | ||||
|
Ernie Mears, portrayed by Ken Wynne, wooed
When Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) becomes interested in learning to box in July 1985, Ethel joins him on his first trip to the gym, as boxing is her favourite sport. Ian's boxing coach, a retired light heavyweight champion, turns out to be Ernie, who at first thinks Ethel was Ian's mother.
Upon learning that it is Ethel and that she is now
, Ethel's constant companion for the past 9 years, would have to go. Ethel seriously considers Ernie's offer but gently declines, after which Ernie departs broken hearted again. His last appearance is on 15 August 1985.Martin Fowler
Martin Fowler, played by
Detective Sergeant Quick
Detective Sergeant Quick | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
EastEnders character | |||||
Portrayed by | Douglas Fielding | ||||
Duration | 1985–1986 | ||||
First appearance | Episode 53 20 August 1985 | ||||
Last appearance | Episode 146 10 July 1986 | ||||
Classification | Former; regular | ||||
|
Detective Sergeant Roy Quick, played by Douglas Fielding, is a police detective who appears in 51 episodes from episode 53, first shown on 20 August 1985, to episode 146, originally broadcast on 10 July 1986.
He arrives in
After a few months of platonic dating, Quick asks Debbie to marry him. Wanting to stay independent, Debbie turns him down, but Quick continues to pester her, saying that if he was married, it would improve his career. Eventually, Debbie ends the relationship and reunites with Andy. Quick then investigates a burglary at
Simon Wicks
Simon Wicks, generally known as Wicksy, played by Nick Berry, appears between 1985 and 1990. Wicksy was introduced to take on some of the more adult storylines that had been scripted for another character, Mark Fowler; Mark's actor David Scarboro had left the serial prematurely due to personal problems. Wicksy was the soap's first male pin-up, and proved extremely popular with female fans. An early storyline sees Wicksy perform a song in the serial, "Every Loser Wins", which was subsequently released as a single in 1986 and reached number one in the UK singles chart. One of Wicksy's most prominent storylines is Cindy Beale's (Michelle Collins) adultery with him, and a subsequent feud with Cindy's husband Ian (Adam Woodyatt). Nick Berry quit the role in 1990, fearful of typecasting, and after five years on-screen, Wicksy departed in December that year.
Sheena Mennell
Sheena Mennell | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
EastEnders character | |||||
Portrayed by | Dulice Liecier | ||||
First appearance | Episode 69 15 October 1985 | ||||
Last appearance | Episode 81 26 November 1985 | ||||
Classification | Former; guest | ||||
|
Sheena Mennell, played by
When Ali cannot be found, Mary invites Sheena to wait in her flat above and they quickly become friends. Sheena had once been in a similar situation to Mary when she found herself pregnant and alone, although she opted to abort the baby, which she had always regretted. Mary is impressed that Sheena earned £150 per week as a
Whilst out working, Mary leaves her daughter,
Guizin Osman
Guizin Osman | |
---|---|
EastEnders character | |
Portrayed by | Emine Osman |
Guizin Osman, played by
money for the home they were planning to buy.Guizin and her three children,
Guizin and Mehmet's marriage is highly turbulent and they are always involved in intense arguments, mainly concerning money and gambling. Guizin is well aware of Mehmet's flaws and adultery, but unlike Sue, she is willing to turn a blind eye to most of her husband's dealings to keep the marriage together because, in her community, that's what a wife is expected to do. Guizin may put up with a lot from Mehmet, but she is certainly no pushover, and is more than willing to defend herself and her family if anyone should cross her. She has numerous rows with Sue over the years and she nearly comes to blows with Donna Ludlow (Matilda Ziegler) after she informs her that Mehmet had been trying to seduce her on New Year's Eve 1987. Yet more animosity arises when she discovers that Mehmet has been sleeping with prostitute Mary Smith (Linda Davidson), but although Guizin gets extremely angry, she ends up forgiving Mehmet for the sake of the family. However, there is one affair that Guizin is not willing to forgive Mehmet for, and it happens to be the only one that he did not actually have. After Sue discovers that Ali had slept with Donna Ludlow, she kisses Mehmet in front of Ali for revenge, causing a huge fight between the brothers. Ali tells Guizin about Sue and Mehmet's suspected affair, making Guizin furious. She viciously attacks Mehmet in the middle of the Square and leaves for Northern Cyprus, taking her children with her. Her last appearance is in March 1989. Mehmet leaves England soon after to attempt to patch up their relationship.
Bennison has "mixed memories" about her role in EastEnders, commenting in 2003: "it was the start of the soap and the fame was very instant for everybody. You're in everybody's front room and everyone feels they own a bit of you. I'll never forget having to sign people's sickbags on the hovercraft to France. My daughter wouldn't walk down the street with me at the time. She would stay 10 paces behind. I still get recognised from EastEnders. I can't believe it."[37]
Cassie Carpenter
Cassie Carpenter | |
---|---|
EastEnders character | |
Portrayed by | Hannah Carpenter |
Brothers | Kelvin Carpenter |
Cassie Carpenter, played by
Cassie's parents are separated and she initially resides with her mother and her mother's new boyfriend, a corporate lawyer named
In April 1986, Hannah and Cassie arrive on Tony's doorstep with the disturbing news that Neville has been beating Cassie with a riding whip. After Tony fights with Neville, both Hannah and Cassie then come to live in Walford with Tony and Kelvin, and Cassie is delighted when her parents have decided to give their marriage another chance.
Cassie is a mischievous youngster who, like her brother, is bright. In May 1986 she gets into trouble with her school for bullying another girl, and is in even more trouble with her parents for trying to hide it from them. Tony later catches her smoking
Cassie appears infrequently after this, and plays a Herald Angel in the Walford Nativity play on Christmas Eve 1986 and the following day when she, Kelvin and his friends play charades. This is her last appearance, but after her parents attempt at a reconciliation fails, Hannah leaves Walford and Cassie goes to live with her. Tony visits her occasionally, before leaving Walford, too, in 1987.
Winston
Winston | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EastEnders character | |||||||
Portrayed by | Ulric Browne | ||||||
Duration | 1985–present | ||||||
First appearance | Episode 81 26 November 1985 | ||||||
Classification | Present; extra | ||||||
Spin-off appearances | Pudding Lane (1999) | ||||||
|
Winston is an extra character who is portrayed by Ulric Browne, with his first on-screen appearance being in episode 81, originally shown on 26 November 1985. However, he is not credited for his role until later on in the series. His first line is "Bloody pedestrians", said to Den Watts (Leslie Grantham), who gets in Winston's way when he is riding a bicycle. Winston owns the music stall in Walford's Bridge Street Market, and over the years he proves to be a great friend to his fellow long-standing stall-holder, Mark Fowler (Todd Carty). His highlights include shaving his tuft of hair off for charity and helping Ethel Skinner (Gretchen Franklin) arrive at her birthday party on the night she dies. He is angry when Ian Beale's (Adam Woodyatt) car crashes into his stall in October 2006.
Winston is always willing to help when other market traders are called away, for example, to appear in a key development of a current plot, for example when Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) needs someone to guard her clothing stall while she and Max Branning (Jake Wood) slip into an unguarded bedroom to continue the next episode in their illicit affair. Winston generally appears at events held by other Walford residents, such as weddings, funerals and parties or briefly in the background of a scene. He attends the funerals of Pauline Fowler (Wendy Richard), Pat Evans (Pam St Clement) and Archie Mitchell (Larry Lamb), stag parties for Garry Hobbs (Ricky Groves), Lucas Johnson (Don Gilet) and Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen), Jean Slater's (Gillian Wright) birthday party and Ricky and Bianca Jackson's (Patsy Palmer) wedding. Sometimes characters steal DVDs or CDs from his stall, including Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick).
In April 2008, Winston's niece
On 15 June 2010, Winston has a speaking role as he is seen engaging in a minor conversation with Max. On 2 November 2010, he has another minor speaking role asking for 3 drinks at the newly reopened Queen Vic. In April 2011, during the screening of the
In 2020, Sara Wallis and Ian Hyland from The Daily Mirror placed Winston 97th on their ranked list of the best EastEnders characters of all time, calling him a "faithful extra" and referring to him as a legend due him once to yelling "Bloody pedestrians" at Den.[38]
Other characters
Character | Original episode date(s) | Actor | Circumstances |
---|---|---|---|
Michael | 19 February 1985– 23 September 2016 |
Michael Leader | Michael is the milkman in Albert Square, whose first line is episode 122 (17 April 1986) when public house sign to honour Peggy. Leader died on 22 August 2016.[41]
|
Martha | 19 February 1985– November 2006[42] |
Martha Ross | A woman who works on Bridge Street Market. |
Mr Chumley | 21 February | Brian Hoskin | The brewery area manager who visits Den Watts (Leslie Grantham) and Angie Watts (Anita Dobson) to discuss proposed alterations to the pub. When Ethel Skinner (Gretchen Franklin) fails to tell Den to leave whiskey he bought from elsewhere to sell in the car, Den lies to Mr Chumley they are having a private party. Den invites Mr Chumley and on the night of the party, Den learns that Mr Chumley never intended to come. |
DI Marsh | 21 February | Harry Miller | A police officer who visits Dr. Harold Legg (Leonard Fenton) to ask him questions about Reg Cox (Johnnie Clayton) as he is in charge of the murder case. Dr. Legg is shocked that Reg's death is being treated as a murder.
|
Fat Harry | 28 February | Uncredited | The landlord of The Duke of York pub, who public house .
|
Jean Hancock | 14 March | Isabelle Lucas | A health visitor, assigned to the single mother Dr. Harold Legg (Leonard Fenton ) about Mary, telling him that she needs to come to terms with what happened in the flat instead of moving out.
|
Alice | 23 April–18 June (6 episodes) |
Uncredited | A woman who lives on public house , Albert Square gardens, the launderette and the café. She is always seen wearing a green hat with flowers on it.
|
WPC Alison Howard | 30 April 1985– 18 April 1989 |
Elaine Donnelly | A local police officer for Dr. Harold Legg's (Leonard Fenton) car. W.P.C. Howard reappears over two years later following Donna Ludlow's (Matilda Ziegler ) death following a drug overdose and talks to Dr. Legg about Donna's death and the fact that drug related deaths such as Donna's are becoming more common.
|
Gary aka "Spotty" aka "Chas" aka "Carlo" |
9 May | Peter Laxton | Gary (nicknamed Spotty, credited as "Chas") is a friend of Clacton. He pretends to be Chas because of a prank call Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) made to Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), pretending to be Chas, saying he would be visiting on Saturday, because he thinks Chas does not really exist. Michelle is humiliated, so Ian suggests finding someone to pose as Chas, so that Sharon will be none the wiser. He shows up at Ian's flat at Walford Towers, to watch Footloose on video, which Ian has bought from a friend. Gary does not know who Michelle is, and Michelle dislikes him as he has acne. Sharon seems to guess that he is a fake and finds the whole situation extremely amusing. As the group sits down to watch their video, they are startled to discover that Ian's friend has mistakenly given him a pornographic movie. Gary later lends a moped to Kelvin and Michelle.
|
Eric | 21 May | Uncredited | A local paper boy who inadvertently causes Nejdet Salih) taxicab during a driving lesson when he entices Roly with food so that Roly runs across the road into the path of the van.
|
Mustapha | 13 June 1985– 5 August 1986 (3 episodes) |
Vic Tablian | Mustapha is an associate of public house along with Ali, Mehmet, Den and Arthur Fowler (Bill Treacher ).
|
Ayse Osman | 20 June | Mine Keylan | The cot death. She only speaks Turkish .
|
Lil | 30 July 1985 – 12 July 1994 |
Jeannie Taylor | A woman who works on the market on the clothes stall. |
Maude | 1 August 1985 – 26 October 2004 |
Doreen Taylor | A woman who works on the market on the book stall. She is also often seen in public house . In September 1986, she enters a glamorous granny competition in the pub.
|
Dave | 22 August | Uncredited | A delivery man who brings boxes to The Queen Victoria pub. |
Stuart | 29 August–17 September (2 episodes) |
Kieran Parkes | A young patient who nurse Andy O'Brien (Ross Davidson) cares for. Andy grows very attached to the boy and brings him to Walford on several home visits. Andy's girlfriend, Debbie Wilkins (Shirley Cheriton), is initially against this, but Stuart soon charms her by telling her that she has pretty hair. Stuart's health worsens and as the hospital has insufficient funds, they cannot afford the correct equipment to save him. Stuart dies on 26 September 1985. Andy is extremely upset and scolds himself for getting emotionally attached to a patient. He breaks down and cries in the café one afternoon, blaming Stuart's death on the government, who, in Andy's opinion, believe that the purchasing of weapons is more important than the health care needs of children. |
Alan Grout | 29 August | Jon Glentoran | A man who works for the housing department of Walford Council. He visits 45 Albert Square after an application from Pauline Fowler (Wendy Richard) and Arthur Fowler (Bill Treacher) to have their home assessed, to see if they can be rehoused following the birth of a baby. They want to keep the meeting with Alan secret from Pauline's mother, Lou Beale (Anna Wing), but she is there when Alan arrives, and she is furious about the potential rehousing, tears up the Fowlers' application form and orders Alan out of her house. Pauline and Arthur arrive and Alan says they can make another appointment before leaving. |
Mr Papadopolous | 17 September 1985, 6 November 1986 |
Uncredited | The owner of the launderette. Mr. Papadopolous (Lee Warner), who appears in 1992 as the new owner, following his death.
|
Danny Owen | 7 November | Danny Owen | Danny Owen (credited as Singer) is a singer who sings at Angie Watts' (Anita Dobson) ladies' night before the eventual appearance of Fabulous Frankie. The drag artist compere (played by Lori Lee) names the singer as Danny Owen. |
Fabulous Frankie | 7 November | Frank Jakeman | Fabulous Frankie is a stripper, hired for the ladies night at public house. During his act, Frankie grabs an outraged fleeing Dot Cotton (June Brown ), much to her shock and the amusement of the regulars.
|
Adam Steadman | 21 November | Uncredited | KO in the first round, and after Adam loses the fight he attacks Ian again off-screen and is floored for a second time. Ian is upset when everyone credits his coach, Simon Wicks (Nick Berry ), for the win. He gives up boxing directly after.
|
Ruth Lyons | 28 November 1985– 6 February 1986 |
Judy Liebert | A social worker, who offers public house a few times, some locals are led to imagine that a romantic link exists between them. When Pauline mentions this to Dr. Legg, he finds the idea amusing and explains that Ruth is already 'married' – to the woman she lives with.
|
George | 17 December 1985 | Uncredited | A customer of Pete Beale's (Peter Dean) on the fruit and veg stall. |
Raymond | 19 December 1985 | Mark White | A representative from the company responsible for collecting money from the jukebox at public house. Raymond has previously sold Den Watts (Leslie Grantham ) a key to the jukebox so Den can take half the money as long as he leaves enough so the jukebox company do not realise. However, when Raymond empties the jukebox, he finds only one coin in it and accuses Den of trying to get him the sack and Raymond also believes that Den is dishonest and a thief. After Raymond leaves, Den accuses his employees of the theft.
|
Ingrid | 31 December 1985– 2 January 1986 |
Sally Faulkner | Ingrid is an older woman who Mark Fowler (David Scarboro) has been living with in Southend-on-Sea for four months. They live with Ingrid's two children, John and Melanie, who call Mark "daddy". Mark later introduces Ingrid, John and Melanie to his sister, Michelle Fowler (Susan Tully) after she locates him. All three characters are not named in their first appearance and the Short children are not credited for their appearances. |
John | Anthony Short[43] | ||
Melanie | Vanessa Short[43] |
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