Shabnam Masood Shabnam Masood (also Kazemi) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Zahra Ahmadi from 2007 to 2008, Family matriarch Zainab Masood (Nina Wadia) 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 (EastEnders), 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 Ricky Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Sid Owen. Introduced as a school boy in 1988, Ricky is one of the longest-running male protagonists to feature in ''EastEnders''. Owen originally left the ro ...

(Sid Owen). She appears between 1 and 4 April 2008. Melinda comes to Walford with Ricky for funeral of his father, Frank Butcher (Mike Reid (actor), Mike Reid). 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 Butcher, Pat Evans (Pam St Clement) and is dismissive when Ricky mentions his ex-wife

Bianca Jackson Bianca Jackson (also Butcher) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' played by Patsy Palmer. The character was introduced by executive producer Leonard Lewis and appeared initially from 1993 to 1999, when Palmer opted t ...

's (Patsy Palmer) 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 (James Forde). 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

(Patsy Palmer), 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 (Chris Coghill), and a sexual exploitation storyline involving Rob Grayson (Jody Latham). The storyline with Tony won ''EastEnders'' a Royal Television Society Programme Award in 2008.

Morgan Butcher

Morgan Butcher (also Jackson-King), played by Devon Higgs, is the son of

(Patsy Palmer) and Ray Dixon (Chucky Venn). He made his first appearance on 1 April 2008. However, Higgs was not credited in the role until 8 September 2009. He departed in 2014 along with his mother and half-sister, Tiffany Butcher (Maisie Smith). Morgan made an unannounced return on 3 November 2016 when he and Tiffany return for their sister, Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty), and Lee Carter (EastEnders), Lee Carter's (Danny-Boy Hatchard) wedding.

Storylines

Morgan, his mother and siblings Tiffany Butcher, Tiffany Dean (Maisie Smith), Liam Butcher (James Forde) 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 Butcher, Pat Evans (Pam St Clement). 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 King (Chris Coghill), 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 #Poppy Merritt, Dr. Poppy Merritt (Amy Darcy) 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 (Charlie Brooks) and

Ryan Malloy Ryan Malloy is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Neil McDermott. From his arrival on 28 April 2009, the character remained a mystery in the show for a number of months, until he was revealed as the half-brot ...

(

Neil McDermott Neil McDermott (born 15 December 1980) is a British stage and television actor, who is best known for portraying Ryan Malloy in the BBC television soap opera ''EastEnders''. Career McDermott appeared in the 2008 ''Doctor Who'' episode "The Next ...

) 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 (Devon Anderson). Liam hides it and later tries to wash the stain out but their grandmother Carol Jackson (Lindsey Coulson) 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 (Chucky Venn), his real father. Ray did not know about Morgan's existence 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 realizes 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 (Rebecca Sanneh). Morgan meets Sasha but Bianca is furious when she finds out. Realizing that Bianca is having financial difficulties, Tiffany and Morgan go to see their step-great-grandmother Dot Cotton, Dot Branning (June Brown) 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 (EastEnders), Michael Moon (Steve John Shepherd), along with Ricky, Tiffany and Ricky's sister Diane Butcher (Sophie Lawrence). 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 (Terry Alderton), and his children, TJ Spraggan (George Sargeant) and Rosie Spraggan (Jerzey Swingler), 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 (Annette Badland) 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 [Jackson] 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 (Shona McGarty), 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 (UK newspaper), 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 (also Dean), played by Maisie Smith, is the daughter of long-running character

(Patsy Palmer), 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 (Tiana Benjamin) and ex-husband of

Denise Fox Denise Fox (also Wicks and Johnson) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Diane Parish. She made her first appearance on 11 May 2006 and temporarily left ''EastEnders'' in early 2008 to give birth to her ...

(Diane Parish), who he later remarries. He has a son,

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

(Michael-Joel David Stuart), from his previous relationship with Trina Johnson (Sharon Duncan-Brewster). 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 (Lee Ross (actor), Lee Ross), 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 (Mohammed George) and

Juley Smith The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in 2002, by order of first appearance. Many were introduced by the show's executive producer, John Yorke. Jack Evans Jack Evans, played by the id ...

(Joseph Kpobie). 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, Keisha (Suzie McGrath), and later gives him his mother's engagement ring. She was described as "the fiery aunt" by ''What's on TV'' and "the loud battle axe 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 (Nitin Ganatra). He first appears on 13 May 2008, and returns on 1 January 2010 for the wedding of Masood's son

Syed Masood Syed Masood is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Marc Elliott, and first appeared on screen on 21 April 2009. Syed is a British Pakistani and is the eldest son of Masood Ahmed (Nitin Ganatra) and Zainab Mas ...

(

Marc Elliott Marc Gilbert F Elliott (born 19 October 1979) is an English actor from Stratford-upon-Avon, England, who is known for his role as Syed Masood in the BBC television soap opera '' EastEnders''. Personal life Elliott was born on 19 October 1979 ...

) and Amira Shah (Preeya Kalidas). 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 (Nina Wadia) and daughter

Shabnam Masood Shabnam Masood (also Kazemi) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Zahra Ahmadi from 2007 to 2008,Tamwar Masood Tamwar Masood is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Himesh Patel. He made his first appearance on 1 October 2007. On 12 March 2016, it was announced that Patel would be leaving the show, with Tamwar making hi ...

's (

Himesh Patel Himesh Jitendra Patel (born 13 October 1990) is a British actor, musician, and singer. He is known for portraying Tamwar Masood on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 2007 to 2016, for starring in the 2019 musical romantic comedy film '' Yes ...

) achievements. He is shocked to see that Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) 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 (Ace Bhatti) 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 Inzamam, Fatima and children #Ali Inzamam, Ali (Omar Kent) and #Jamila Inzamam, Jamila (Sara Aisha Kent). 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, Inzamam Ahmed (Paul Bhattacharjee) and Fatima Inzamam, and nephew and niece of Inzamam's brother Masood Ahmed (Nitin Ganatra). They make their first appearance on 13 May 2008, when they and their father attend a meal with Masood's wife Zainab Masood (Nina Wadia) and her children,

(

), as their father wants to check up on his brother's family. They return on 1 January 2010 for

(

) and Amira Shah's (Preeya Kalidas) 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 credited 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 in 2016, is the son of

Lucas Johnson Lucas Johnson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Don Gilet. He made his first on-screen appearance on 3 April 2008. Lucas is introduced as a reformed drug addict and criminal-turned-preacher who appears a ...

(Don Gilet) and the half-brother of Chelsea Fox (Tiana Benjamin), 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 further guest appearance on 1 April 2016. When Lucas arrives in Walford, he tells Chelsea's mother

(Diane Parish) that Jordan's mother Trina Johnson, Trina (Sharon Duncan Brewster) abandoned him shortly after he was born. He was in an incubator, addicted to heroin, as Trina was a drug addict. When Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter) 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 (Chris Coghill) 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 (EastEnders), Ben Mitchell (Charlie Jones) and Abi Branning (Lorna Fitzgerald). 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 Charlie Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Derek Martin. Charlie's first appearance is in the episode first broadcast in the United Kingdom on 4 September 2000. He is played by Jason McGregor in fla ...

(Derek Martin). 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 (Lee Ross (actor), Lee Ross) 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 (Steve McFadden) involved but Jordan insists it was his idea and nothing to do with Ben. Jordan is annoyed when he sees Ben's sister Louise Mitchell, 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 (Cliff Parisi) 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 Lesley Jane Beale (also Clarke and Collins) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders'', played by Laurie Brett. She made her first appearance on 22 June 2004. Brett took maternity leave in 2011 and departed on 19 May. Sh ...

(Laurie Brett), 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 (Rudolph Walker), 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

(Sid Owen) 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 (Michele Austin). 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 (Tameka Empson) 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 (Richard Blackwood) are against him staying even though he owes money to people who want to hurt him. Angry, Jordan pushes Denise but then apologies, 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, List of EastEnders characters (2016)#Amelle Ellington, Amelle Ellington (Sophia Brown), 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 (EastEnders), JJ Johnson (Zayden Kareem). 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 (EastEnders), Paul Coker's (Jonny Labey) 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. In 2021, shortly after Lucas is paroled, he finds out that Jordan has died of a heroin overdose.

Maggie Townsend

Margaret "Maggie" Townsend played by Angeline Ball, is

Bradley Branning Bradley Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Charlie Clements. He made his first appearance on screen on 24 January 2006 and last appeared on 22 February 2010 after he was killed off in the show's 2 ...

's (Charlie Clements (actor), Charlie Clements) boss. She takes over off-screen from Alex French (Pippa Hinchley). She made her first appearance on 27 May 2008 and her last on 11 June 2008. She appears when Sean Slater (Robert Kazinsky) 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 (EastEnders), R&R, where Mickey Miller (Joe Swash) flirts with her, and she flirts with Bradley and

Jack Branning Jack Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Scott Maslen. He made his first appearance on 29 October 2007. He is the youngest child of Jim (John Bardon) and Reenie Branning (Joy Graham) and the brother ...

(Scott Maslen). She also clashes with Chelsea Fox (Tiana Benjamin) and Tanya Branning (Jo Joyner), 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 (June Brown), 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 (Melissa Suffield). He makes his first appearance on 9 June 2008 and his last on 21 August 2008. Lucy introduces her father Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) 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

's (Laurie Brett) brother,

Christian Clarke Christian Clarke is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', portrayed by John Partridge. He first appeared in the show's 3,509th episode, originally broadcast in the United Kingdom on 17 January 2008, and was introduced ...

(John Partridge (performer), John Partridge) 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, Camilla Greenwood (Joanna Van Gyseghem), 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 University of Oxford, Oxford or University of Cambridge, 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 (environmentalist), Swampy.

Brenda Boyle

Brenda Boyle, played by Carmel Cryan, is introduced as

's (Derek Martin) new love interest. She appears from 9 June 2008 to 14 August 2009. Jean Slater (Gillian Wright) 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 (Linda Henry) makes a jokey off-hand comment about Charlie being a womanizer, 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 Mo Harris (also known as "Big Mo") is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', who made her first appearance on 18 September 2000, played by Laila Morse. Mo is also played by Lorraine Stanley in the 2004 soap "bubble" ''Pat ...

(Laila Morse) 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 (Maggie O'Neill), 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 (Lynda Baron) starts flirting with Charlie. On Christmas Day, Sean Slater (Robert Kazinsky) sings the song "Stop The Cavalry" to Roxy Slater (

Rita Simons Rita Joanne Simons (born 10 March 1977) is an English actress and singer from London. She is best known for playing Roxy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 2007 to 2017, when her character was killed-off, alongside her on screen ...

) as a Christmas present, and Brenda and a friend accompany him. When Charlie shared his concerns with Patrick Trueman (Rudolph Walker) 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 (EastEnders), Winston (Ulric Browne) 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 (

Lauren Crace Lauren Rose Crace (born 25 May 1986) is an English actress and radio presenter, known for her portrayal of Danielle Jones in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 2008 to 2009. Early life The daughter of contemporary writer Jim Crace and Pam ...

). 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, List of EastEnders characters (2009)#Clive, Clive (Col Farrell). 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 Stacey Slater (also Branning and Fowler) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', portrayed by Lacey Turner. She first appears in episode 2826, originally broadcast on 1 November 2004. The character is introduced as a fe ...

(

Lacey Turner Lacey Amelia Turner (born 28 March 1988) is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Stacey Slater on the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' (2004–2010, 2014–present), for which she has won over thirty awards, including four ...

) 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 (Mary Tamm).

Archie Mitchell

Archie Mitchell, played by Larry Lamb (actor), Larry Lamb, is the father of established characters Ronnie Mitchell, Ronnie (

Samantha Womack Samantha Zoe Womack (''Birth name, née'' Janus; born 2 November 1972) is an English actress, singer, model and director who has worked in film, television and stage. Womack initially planned a career in singing and she represented the Unite ...

) and

Roxy Mitchell Roxanne "Roxy" Mitchell (also Slater) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders'', portrayed by Rita Simons.Rita Simons Rita Joanne Simons (born 10 March 1977) is an English actress and singer from London. She is best known for playing Roxy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 2007 to 2017, when her character was killed-off, alongside her on screen ...

). He is also a love interest for Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor), his brother's widow. Archie is introduced in a group of episodes filmed on-location in Weymouth, Dorset, 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 [''EastEnders'' villain]

Nick Cotton Nick Cotton is a fictional character from the British soap opera ''EastEnders'' played by John Altman on a semi-regular basis from the soap's debut episode on 19 February 1985. Altman has stated that his initial exit was due to producer Julia ...

" 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

(

Danielle Jones

Danielle Jones, played by

, is introduced as a love interest for fellow new character

Callum Monks The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' which aired in 2008 (by order of first appearance). All characters were introduced by executive producer Diederick Santer. Santer introduced four ...

(Elliott Jordan). It is later revealed that Danielle is the long-lost daughter of

Ronnie Mitchell Veronica "Ronnie" Branning (also Mitchell) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders'', played by Samantha Womack. She and her younger sister Roxy Mitchell (played by Rita Simons) were introduced by executive producer Dieder ...

(

), and therefore a member of the soap's long-running

Mitchell family The Mitchell family is a fictional family in ''EastEnders''. They were first introduced in February 1990, when brothers Phil ( Steve McFadden) and Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) bought the local garage – the Arches. Their sister Sam (Danniella ...

. Her introduction was planned from 2007, when story producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins conceived the idea of two new Mitchell sisters, Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell, Roxy (

). Danielle appears from 18 August 2008 to 3 April 2009, after she is run over and killed by Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks). Her final episode was watched by 11.46 million viewers, and caused a notable power surge on the National Grid (UK), 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 Vinny or Vinnie is a masculine given name, usually a shortened version of Vincent, Vincenzo, or Vicente, which may refer to: Vincents * Vinnie Anderson (born 1979), New Zealand rugby league footballer * Vinny Appice (born 1957), American rock ...

(Bobby Davro), 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

(

Charlie Clements Charlie Clements (born 5 June 1987) is an English actor known for the role of Bradley Branning in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from January 2006 to February 2010. He has won several soap and magazine awards for his performance. Biography ...

) angers her one night, she kisses Callum. Realizing 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 (Gillian Wright), 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 realizing 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 (EastEnders), Leo Taylor (Philip Dowling). 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 Diederick Santer (born 3 July 1969) is a British television producer and is best known for his work on the popular BBC television soap opera ''EastEnders'', a post which he assumed on 23 October 2006 and left on 1 March 2010. He was Chief Execu ...

, 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 (U.S. TV series), Entourage''. Callum was listed by Ladbrokes as a contender for the father of Heather Trott's (Cheryl Fergison) 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 (Jake Wood) 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

(Patsy Palmer), 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 (Shona McGarty). 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 (TV critic), Jim Shelley deeming it to be a "new low" for ''EastEnders''. Tony sexually abuses Whitney, and begins grooming her school-friend Lauren Branning (Madeline Duggan), 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

(Charlie Clements (actor), Charlie Clements). 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

(

). 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 realize 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 (Robert Kazinsky) and his wife Roxy Slater, 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 Butcher, Morgan Jackson-King (Devon Higgs) with chicken pox, and she assumes Morgan's mother

(Patsy Palmer) is married to Tony King (Chris Coghill), which puts the idea of marriage in Bianca's head. She sees Dot Branning (June Brown) when she has food poisoning, and connects it to un-chilled food sold by Patrick Trueman (Rudolph Walker) at his shop, the Minute Mart. She says it is her duty to report Patrick and his wife Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter) to environmental health. Whilst cycling past Pat Butcher, Pat Evans's (Pam St Clement) house, she sees Bianca shouting at her adopted daughter Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) 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 realizing 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 (Cheryl Fergison) 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

(

). 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

(John Partridge (performer), John Partridge) posing as her husband. Lee revealed he is the best friend of Joel Reynolds (EastEnders), Joel Reynolds (Cavan Clerkin), the father of Ronnie's daughter. He revealed that Joel knew about the school reunion but wouldn't be coming. Lee also realized 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

(Laurie Brett) 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 (June Brown) 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

), 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 (TV series), 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. ("Day 44 in the Old Testament House and it's time to burn a witch!"). 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 #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

Mr Lister

Development

Christian Clarke

Ashley Jennings

Tegs Teague

Development

Selina Branning

Penny Branning

Roger Grant

Edward Tunstall

Jalil Iqbal

Melinda

Whitney Dean

Morgan Butcher

Storylines

Development

Tiffany Butcher

Lucas Johnson

Opal Smith

Inzamam Ahmed

Jamila and Ali Inzamam

Jordan Johnson

Maggie Townsend

Olly Greenwood

Development

Brenda Boyle

Archie Mitchell

Danielle Jones

Callum Monks

Development

Tony King

Amir Khan

Poppy Merritt

Lee Thompson

Reception

Stuart Turner

Samantha Keeble

Kendra Hills-Smythe

Amy Mitchell

Development

Ahmet

Louise Hills

Maria de Costa

Paul

Dotty Cotton

Others

References

External links