Yorkshire Terrier The Yorkshire Terrier (often shortened as Yorkie) is one of the smallest dog breeds of the terrier type and indeed of any dog breed. The breed developed during the 19th century in Yorkshire, England.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 ''Swallows and Amazons'' is a children's adventure novel by English author Arthur Ransome and first published on 21 July 1930 by Jonathan Cape. Set in the summer of 1929 in the Lake District, the book introduces the main characters of John, ...

''). The dog was brought to the studio to meet

Gretchen Franklin Gretchen Franklin (7 July 1911 – 11 July 2005) was an English actress and dancer with a career in show business spanning over 70 years. She was born in Covent Garden, Central London. She played Ethel Skinner in the long-running BBC 1 soap ope ...

, the actress who played Ethel. She took a shine to him straight away and so the pug was cast as Willy. Willy and

Roly Roly is a fictional dog from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Roly is an apricot coloured Standard Poodle, who appears in the first episode of the programme on 19 February 1985 and remained in the show until 19 October 1993. Storylines Roly w ...

the poodle shared a dressing room at

Elstree Studios Elstree Studios is a generic term which can refer to several current and demolished British film studios and television studios based in or around the town of Borehamwood and village of Elstree in Hertfordshire, England. Production studios ha ...

Roly

Roly is an apricot-coloured Standard Poodle, who appears in the first episode of the programme and remains in the show until 1993. Roly was cast less than a week before the filming of ''EastEnders'' began. From the beginning it was decided that the occupants of

The Queen Victoria The Queen Victoria (more often referred to as The Queen Vic or The Vic) is the Victorian public house in the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders''. It has the fictional address of 46 Albert Square, Walford, London E20. Appearance and developmen ...

pub,

Den Den may refer to: * Den (room), a small room in a house * Maternity den, a lair where an animal gives birth Media and entertainment * ''Den'' (album), 2012, by Kreidler * Den (''Battle Angel Alita''), a character in the ''Battle Angel Alita' ...

, Angie and

Sharon Watts Sharon Watts (also Rickman, Mitchell and Beale) is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Letitia Dean. Sharon is one of ''EastEnders'' original characters conceptualised by creators Tony Holland and Juli ...

, were to have an Alsatian named Prince. However, finding an Alsatian that was light enough in colour not to merge into the background of the set proved to be difficult. Eventually, the co-creator/producer of the show, Julia Smith, was contacted by a company named Janimals, who specialised in providing and training animals for television and films. They had found a seven-month-old Poodle, called Roly, who might still be young enough to be trained. Training was said to take three weeks, and as the Poodle was a similar size to an Alsatian, Roly got the part. Roly was made the property of the BBC, given an ID card, and taken to live with Julia Smith at her home in London. Roly and

Willy Willy or Willie is a masculine, male given name, often a diminutive form of William or Wilhelm, and occasionally a nickname. It may refer to: People Given name or nickname * Willie Aames (born 1960), American actor, television director, and scree ...

the

pug The Pug is a breed of dog originally from China, with physically distinctive features of a wrinkly, short-muzzled face and curled tail. The breed has a fine, glossy coat that comes in a variety of colors, most often light brown (fawn) or blac ...

shared a dressing room at Elstree studios.

Tracey

Tracey (known to fans as Tracey the barmaid) 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. 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 apart of the show from the beginning, 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 have taken long-term breaks from the show, and is the only remaining original cast member in the show. Tracey starts working as a barmaid at

(The Queen Vic)

public house A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

in 1989. Her existence is largely to provide somebody to man the bar while one of the main characters resolves disputes, arguments or disagreements, or tends to the main plot of the episode. Despite featuring on the television programme frequently and occasionally having a line to say, her surname and most of her background is unknown. She has also featured in a few minor storylines. As well as being a barmaid, Tracey owns a flower stall on Bridge Street market. Her stall is regularly robbed by new characters who steal flowers for people they are meeting. She employs workers whilst she does shifts in the pub, including

Ina Foot This is a list of characters from the BBC One, BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', ordered by the year in which they made their final appearance. For a full list of present characters, see List of EastEnders characters, list of characters from ''EastE ...

( Ina Clare) and

Jean Slater Jean Slater (also Walters) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders'', played by Gillian Wright. Her first appearance is in the episode first broadcast in the United Kingdom on 16 December 2004. Having only been introduce ...

(

Gillian Wright Gillian Wright (born 5 May 1960) is an English actress, best known for portraying the role of Jean Slater on the BBC One, BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' since 2004, for which she has won a number of awards. She was a teacher and theatre directo ...

). Tracey becomes good friends with

Debbie Bates Debbie Bates (also Tyler) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Nicola Duffett from 1993 to 1995. She was introduced as a love interest for Nigel Bates ( Paul Bradley), but was killed-off in 1995 at Duffett's ...

(

Nicola Duffett Nicola Duffett (born 22 January 1963) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Debbie Bates on ''EastEnders'' and Cat MacKenzie on ''Family Affairs''. Career Duffett had a supporting role in the Oscar-winning film ''Howards End'' ...

), and is godmother to her daughter

Clare Bates Clare Bates (also Tyler) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Gemma Bissix. Bissix originally played the character as a schoolgirl from 1993 to 1998. She left the serial with her screen stepfather Nigel Bat ...

(

Gemma Bissix Gemma Bissix (born 6 June 1983) is an English actress. She has been acting since the age of 9. Her most prominent roles have been in soap operas, as Clare Bates in '' EastEnders'' (1993–1998, 2008) and Clare Devine in ''Hollyoaks'' (2006–200 ...

). Tracey is often seen to be pleased at the prospect of additional overtime in The Queen Victoria when a Mitchell family wedding or other event is planned, as she can always do with extra money. On 25 May 1993,

Sharon Mitchell Sharon Mitchell is an American sexologist and former pornographic film actor and director. In 1998, she founded the Adult Industry Medical Health Care Foundation (AIM), which tested over 1,000 adult film performers per month before a 2011 data ...

(

Letitia Dean Letitia Jane Dean (born 14 November 1967) is an English actress. She is known for her portrayal of Sharon Watts in the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders''. An original cast member from 1985 to 1995, she reprised the role from 2001 to 2006, and again ...

) told

Nigel Bates Nigel Bates is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Paul Bradley from 1992 to 1998. Introduced in 1992 by Leonard Lewis, the character was incorporated gradually and brought back as a regular following a brief ...

( Paul Bradley) that she will be late for his birthday party as she would be attending a

hen party A bachelorette party (United States and Canada) or hen night ( UK, Ireland and Australia) is a party held for a woman (the bride or bride-to-be) who will soon be married. While Beth Montemurro concludes that the bachelorette party is modelled af ...

, which Grant Mitchell (

Ross Kemp Ross James Kemp (born 21 July 1964) is an English actor, author, and television presenter. He rose to prominence in the role of Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. He is also known for his other roles as Graham Lodsworth in ' ...

) confirmed was because Tracey was getting married. After Nigel met and kissed Debbie during his birthday party, he asked Tracey where Debbie was: she replied that she left in a cab, but really liked Nigel and thought he was sweet. In May 2003, Tracey has a one-night stand with

Dennis Rickman Dennis Rickman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Nigel Harman. He made his first appearance on 14 April 2003 at the funeral of his late mother, Paula, before going on to become one of the show's central ...

(

Nigel Harman Nigel Derek Harman (born 11 August 1973) is an English actor, best known for his role as Dennis Rickman in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. He has worked mostly in theatre. He starred in the final series of '' Hotel Babylon ...

), the adoptive half-brother of former pub owner Sharon Watts, 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 Kim Louise Medcalf (born 8 December 1973) is an English actress and singer. She is best known for taking over the role of Sam Mitchell in the long-running BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders'', between 2002 and 2005 and from 2022 onwards. Career '' ...

) 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 Dennis "Den" Watts is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by actor Leslie Grantham. He became well known for his tabloid nickname, "Dirty Den". Den was the original landlord of The Queen Victoria public house fr ...

(

Leslie Grantham Leslie Michael Grantham (30 April 1947 – 15 June 2018) was an English actor, best known for his role as "Dirty" Den Watts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. He was a convicted murderer, having served 10 years for the killing of a West Germ ...

), who is buried in the basement, and when the police arrive, Tracey is comforted by

Little Mo Mitchell Maureen "Little Mo" Slater (previously Morgan and Mitchell) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Kacey Ainsworth from 18 September 2000 to 26 May 2006. Little Mo originally appeared with a turbulent marriag ...

(

Kacey Ainsworth Kacey Ainsworth (born 19 October 1968) is an English actress, best known for portraying the role of Little Mo in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' and Cathy Keating in ITV drama ''Grantchester''. Early life Ainsworth trained at the Royal Centr ...

). 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 Sean Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Robert Kazinsky who made his first appearance on 22 August 2006. Sean's existence was revealed on 9 December 2005 when his sister Stacey Slater (Lacey Turne ...

(

Robert Kazinsky Robert John Appleby (born 18 November 1983), known professionally as Robert Kazinsky, is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Casper Rose in the Sky One drama ''Dream Team'', the Don in '' Captain Marvel'', Sean Slater in the BBC soap ...

) 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 Archibald Lionel "Archie" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Larry Lamb. He first appeared on 8 July 2008 as a newest member of the Mitchell family—who had first appeared on the soap in 1990— ...

(

Larry Lamb Lawrence Douglas Lamb (born 1 October 1947) is an English actor and radio presenter. He played Archie Mitchell in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', Mick Shipman in the BBC comedy series ''Gavin & Stacey'' and Ted Case in the final series of ...

) makes Tracey a cleaner at The Queen Vic, and she is pleased with the extra money. She attends

Peggy Mitchell Margaret Ann "Peggy" Mitchell (also Butcher) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Peggy was initially played by Jo Warne when she first appeared in the episode broadcast on 30 April 1991, featuring in 10 episodes. ...

's (

Barbara Windsor Dame Barbara Windsor (born Barbara Ann Deeks; 6 August 193710 December 2020) was an English actress, known for her roles in the ''Carry On'' films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera, ''EastEnders''.Shirley Carter Shirley Carter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Linda Henry. She first appeared on 7 December 2006, during episodes set in Dorset. This is Henry's second role in ''EastEnders'', as she previously played ...

(

Linda Henry Linda Varilis (''née'' Henry; born 24 August 1959) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Yvonne Atkins in the ITV drama '' Bad Girls'' and Shirley Carter in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', a role she has played since 2006. S ...

) accuses

Phil Mitchell Phil Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Steve McFadden. He was introduced to the soap opera on 20 February 1990 and was followed by his brother Grant Mitchell (EastEnders), Grant (Ross Kemp), s ...

(

Steve McFadden Steve Robert McFadden (né Reid; born 20 March 1959) is an English actor. He is known for his role as Phil Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'', which he has played since 1990. He was also the presenter of the game show, ''Britain's ...

) 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 Rick "Minty" Peterson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Cliff Parisi. He made his first appearance on 11 March 2002. In his initial appearances, he was credited with the name "Rick". His nickname was give ...

(

Cliff Parisi Cliff Parisi (born Clifford R Manley; 24 May 1960) is an English actor, known for his roles as Minty Peterson in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' and Fred Buckle in the BBC period drama ''Call the Midwife''. In 2019, he participated in the nin ...

) 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

Heather Trott Heather Trott (also Peterson) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Cheryl Fergison. She made her first appearance on 26 June 2007. The character was introduced as a guest character, but later became a regula ...

's (

Cheryl Fergison Cheryl Fergison (born 27 August 1965) is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Heather Trott in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' a role in which she starred in from 2007 until 2012. Career After training at Rose Bruford ...

) lost inhaler. On 30 July, she phones in sick with a back injury, and Peggy says it was unlike her to miss a shift, so it must be serious.

Dot Branning Dorothy "Dot" Branning (also Cotton) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, '' EastEnders'', played by June Brown. In a special episode entitled ''EastEnders: Dot's Story'' (2003) a young Dot was played by Tallulah Pitt-Brown in fl ...

(

June Brown June Muriel Brown (16 February 1927 – 3 April 2022) was an English actress and author. She was best known for her role as Dot Cotton on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (1985–1993; 1997–2020). In 2005, she won Best Actress at the ''In ...

) describes Tracey as the person who "sees everything but says very little". On 8 September, Peggy tells Sam (now played by

Danniella Westbrook Danniella Westbrook (born 5 November 1973) is an English actress, best known for originally playing Sam Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' on and off from 1990 to 2000 and 2009 to 2016. Away from ''EastEnders'', she has presented var ...

) that Tracey still holds a grudge against her. On 26 November, Tracey covers for both Peggy and Phil when bailiffs ask for them, by pretending she is just a barmaid from an agency and does not know them. She then informs Ben he needs to tell Phil that the bailiffs are looking for him and want to repossess his car. On 24 December, Archie Mitchell and

Janine Butcher Janine Carter (also Butcher, Evans and Malloy) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', introduced in 1989. The character was played by Rebecca Michael from 1989 to 1993, Alexia Demetriou from 1993 to 1996, and Charlie ...

(

Charlie Brooks Charlene Emma Brooks (born 3 May 1981) is a British actress. Known for the role of Janine Butcher in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'', she has received numerous awards since her first appearance on the soap in 1999, with storylines invo ...

) 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 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 ...

(

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 ...

) is arrested on suspicion of Archie's murder, and looks shocked. She also attends Jean Slater's birthday party on 11 January 2010. When

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 Maureen Oldman (born 1 August 1945), known professionally as Laila Morse, is an English actress. Her roles include Janet in the drama film ''Nil by Mouth (film), Nil by Mouth'' (1997) and Mo Harris in the BBC One, BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. ...

) 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 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 ...

), 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 In labour law, unfair dismissal is an act of employment termination made without good reason or contrary to the country's specific legislation. Situation per country Australia (See: '' unfair dismissal in Australia'') Australia has long-standing ...

tribunal A tribunal, generally, is any person or institution with authority to judge, adjudicate on, or determine claims or disputes—whether or not it is called a tribunal in its title. For example, an advocate who appears before a court with a single ...

, 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 Carter (

) are good friends. In March 2010,

Billie Jackson Billie Jackson (credited as Billy until 2004) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Devon Anderson from 1993 to 1997, and by Bluey Robinson for a brief return in 2004. The character returned in 2010, along wi ...

(

Devon Anderson Devon Carlo Anderson (born 25 August 1987) is an English actor. Anderson's roles include Billie Jackson in ''EastEnders'' and Sonny Valentine in ''Hollyoaks''. Early life Anderson was born on 25 August 1987 in London. Acting career Anderson ...

) holds up The Queen Vic, asking Tracey for cash and saying he has a gun. She fills his bag with cash but Phil takes it off her. In September 2010, following a fire at The Queen Vic, Tracey starts working at

Ian Beale Ian Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Adam Woodyatt. He is the drama's longest-serving main character and, following the departure of Pauline Fowler ( Wendy Richard) in 2006, became the only one ...

's (

Adam Woodyatt Adam Brinley Woodyatt (born 28 June 1968) is an English actor. He is known for his role as Ian Beale in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', which he played between 1985 and 2022. Early life and education Woodyatt was born on 28 June 1968 in W ...

) fish and chip shop. The next month,

Alfie Moon Alfie Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Shane Richie. He made his first appearance on 21 November 2002, and left on 25 December 2005. He returned to ''EastEnders'' on 21 September 2010, following th ...

(

Shane Richie Shane Patrick Paul Roche (born 11 March 1964), known as Shane Richie, is a British actor, comedian, television presenter and singer. Following initial success as a stage and screen performer, he became best known for his portrayal of the charac ...

) offers Tracey her old job back at The Queen Vic, along with

Stacey Branning 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 ...

), after he reopens the pub. In January 2011, during a conversation with

Kat Moon Kathleen "Kat" Slater (also Moon) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Jessie Wallace. She is also played by Kate Peck in a flashback in 2001 and Sumar-Elise Sandford in a flashback in 2018. Kat is the seco ...

(

Jessie Wallace Karen Jane Wallace (born 25 September 1971), known professionally as Jessie Wallace, is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Kat Slater on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' since 2000. Her role as Kat won her the Nationa ...

), it is revealed that Tracey has a son who lives with his father. When Kat asks for her opinion on herself on a down day, Tracey replies that she thinks Kat is scary. When

David Wicks David Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC TV soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Michael French. David originally appeared from 23 December 1993 to 21 November 1996. He returned to the show on 1 January 2012 and departed two weeks later ...

(

Michael French Michael French (born Michael Clark, 17 September 1962) is an English actor, known for his roles as David Wicks in ''EastEnders''; Nick Jordan, a consultant and Clinical Lead, Senior Consultant in emergency medicine in ''Casualty'' and former ca ...

) returned for his mother Pat Evans' (

Pam St. Clement Pamela Ann Clements (born 11 May 1942), known professionally as Pam St Clement, is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Pat Butcher in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' from June 1986 until January 2012, with a guest appe ...

), funeral, he comments to his daughter

Bianca Butcher 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 ...

(

Patsy Palmer Julie Anne Merkell (''née'' Harris; born 26 May 1972), known professionally as Patsy Palmer, is an English actress and DJ, known for her roles as Natasha in the children's drama series ''Grange Hill'' (1985–1987), and Bianca Jackson in the BB ...

) that he was amazed Tracey was still working in The Queen Vic, which prompted Bianca to say that Tracey was one of the few things in the world that was reliable. On 14 June 2012, Tracey gives Jean her job back on the flower stall. However, Tracey later sacks Jean after she rows with customers Michael Moon (

Steve John Shepherd Stephen John Shepherd (born 1 August 1973) is an English actor. He is known for his portrayals of Jo in the TV drama ''This Life'' and Michael Moon in the soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 2010 to 2013. Personal life Shepherd was born in London ...

) and Janine Butcher. In August 2012, after

Billy Mitchell William Lendrum Mitchell (December 29, 1879 – February 19, 1936) was a United States Army officer who is regarded as the father of the United States Air Force. Mitchell served in France during World War I and, by the conflict's end, command ...

(

Perry Fenwick Perry Fenwick (born 29 May 1962) is an English actor. He is known for portraying the role of Billy Mitchell (EastEnders), Billy Mitchell in the BBC One, BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', a role which he has played since 1998. Career Television ...

) announces to the customers in The Queen Vic that Sharon has returned, only Tracey greets her and meets her son

Dennis Rickman Jr The following are characters who first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' during 2012 listed by order of first appearance. New characters were introduced by Bryan Kirkwood, executive producer. He stepped down from the role in April. ...

(Harry Hickles). In December 2013, Phil sells the pub to

Mick Carter Mick Carter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' played by Danny Dyer, making his first appearance in the show in the episode originally broadcast in the United Kingdom on 25 December 2013. Dyer's casting was announ ...

(

Danny Dyer Danial John Dyer (born 24 July 1977) is an English actor and presenter. Dyer's breakthrough role was as Moff in ''Human Traffic'', with other notable roles as Mick Carter in EastEnders, Billy the Limpet in '' Mean Machine'' and as Tommy Johns ...

) and when Tracey arrives to work her shift, Mick's wife,

Linda Carter Linda Carter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Kellie Bright. She first appeared on 19 December 2013 and her casting was announced alongside her on-screen partner, Mick Carter ( Danny Dyer). Linda was ...

(

Kellie Bright Kellie Denise Bright (born 1 July 1976) is an English actress. Her roles include Linda Carter in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', for which she won the 2015 British Soap Award for Best Actress and Best Dramatic Performance, Julie in ''Ali G I ...

) tells her that she is not wanted any more. Shirley witnesses this and tells Linda that Tracey is "part of the furniture" at The Queen Vic. Tracey is then later seen when she and Linda become friends, and she resumes her job at The Queen Vic. In April 2014, the market merges with ''Spring Lane Market'', and this brings in a new florist,

Pam Coker The following are characters who first appeared, or returned, in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' during 2014 listed by order of first appearance. All new characters in 2014 were introduced by Dominic Treadwell-Collins, executive producer. ...

(

Lin Blakley Linda E. Blakley (née Stevens; born 1 July 1947) is an English actress, known for her role as Pam Coker in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Career In 2004, Blakley appeared in the film '' The Football Factory'' as the mother to Tamara (Sophi ...

); however, when discussing the competition with Alfie, Pam states she has no competition, implying that Tracey no longer runs a flower stall. In September 2015, Tracey is shocked when she answers The Queen Vic telephone to Kathy Sullivan (

Gillian Taylforth Gillian Taylforth (born 14 August 1955) is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Kathy Beale on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', and has also appeared as Jackie Pascoe/Webb on ITV's ''Footballers' Wives'' (2002–2006), and as ...

), 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 Fi Browning (

Lisa Faulkner Lisa Tamsin Faulkner (born 19 February 1972) is an actress, presenter and celebrity chef. Early life Faulkner was born in Merton, London, to David Faulkner and Julie (née Day). She lived in Esher and was educated at Tiffin Girls' School in ...

) advises that the pub is overstaffed, and suggests two members of staff need to go. The Carter family refuse to sack Tracey, who they describe as "an institution", but new bar manager

Woody Woodward William Frederick "Woody" Woodward (born September 23, 1942) is an American former professional baseball player, college baseball coach, and general manager. He played in Major League Baseball, primarily as a shortstop from 1963 to 1971 for the ...

(

Lee Ryan Lee Ryan (born 17 June 1983) is an English singer, songwriter and actor, best known as a member of the boy band Blue. Ryan took part in the BBC series '' Strictly Come Dancing''. He was partnered with professional dancer Nadiya Bychkova and was ...

) insists Tracey has to go. An upset Tracey runs from the room after Woody sacks her. A farewell party for Tracey is thrown, but she decides not to show up for it and everyone decides to boycott The Queen Vic.

Vincent Hubbard Vincent Hubbard is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Richard Blackwood. He was introduced by executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins during the show's 30th anniversary celebrations, and was later reve ...

(

Richard Blackwood Richard Clifford Blackwood (born 15 May 1972) is a British actor, presenter and rapper. Between 2015 and 2018, he played Vincent Hubbard in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. In 2020, he began portraying the role of Felix Westwood in the Channel ...

) then offers Tracey a job at his bar, The Albert. When Linda returns from Watford, Fi is annoyed when Linda gives Tracey her job back without consulting her. 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

hat it would last A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

25 years" but she "certainly knew it was special." 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!" Slaughter noted that "She's always there whereas other cast members such as Adam oodyattnbsp;– who's been there as long as I have – wouldn't necessarily have a storyline that puts him in The Vic at all." 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." 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." Slaughter described her character as "lovely", "clever", "loyal but strong" and "opinionated". Jane Simon from the ''

Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print ...

'' described her as "silent". In May 2009, ''

Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...

'' asked ''EastEnders'' 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 ...

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." 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, and in a second poll, 7.1% thought that it was her. 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?" It was later revealed that bookmakers William Hill had slashed the odds on Tracey being the killer, with 7/1 thinking she killed Archie. The killer was later revealed to be

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 ...

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, Winston (

Ulric Browne Ulric Browne is a British actor, known for portraying the background role of Winston (EastEnders), Winston in BBC One, BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Career Since November 1985, Browne has appeared in BBC One, BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', po ...

) and other background characters should have a daytime soap, saying it would be a ratings winner. Kris Green, also from Digital Spy, said that he wanted to ask scriptwriters to give more lines to Tracey, in addition to calling Tracey's scenes with Sean Slater "iconic". Jane Simon from the ''Daily Mirror'' said that whenever Tracey speaks, "it's worth listening to".

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 Christopher Anthony Arthur Hancock (5 June 1928 – 29 September 2004) was a British television and theatre actor. He was born in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, England. His brother was actor Stephen Hancock. He and his brother trained a ...

) and

Dot Cotton Dorothy "Dot" Branning (also Cotton) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, '' EastEnders'', played by June Brown. In a special episode entitled ''EastEnders: Dot's Story'' (2003) a young Dot was played by Tallulah Pitt-Brown in fl ...

(

), and the father of Charlie Cotton

Ashley Ashley is a place name derived from the Old English words '' æsc'' (“ash”) and '' lēah'' (“meadow”). It may refer to: People and fictional characters * Ashley (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name ...

, and

Dotty Cotton Kirsty "Dotty" Cotton is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Molly Conlin from 2008 to 2010 and Milly Zero from 2019 to 2022. She was introduced on 26 December 2008 as the daughter of established chara ...

(

Molly Conlin Molly Conlin (born 23 February 2001) is a former English actress, known for her role as Dotty Cotton on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Personal life Conlin was born in Canning Town, London where she lives with her mother and her brother, Ja ...

). 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 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

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

Sandy Ratcliff Alexandra Ratcliff (2 October 1948 – 7 April 2019) was an English actress, model and counsellor. She made an impression as a model and film actress in the 1970s, but she became known for being one of the original cast members of the BBC soap o ...

, is the wife of

Ali Osman Ali Osman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Nejdet Salih. He was a member of the original ''EastEnders'' cast, appearing in the first episode on 19 February 1985. He remained with the show for nearly fi ...

(

Nejdet Salih Nej Adamson (born 23 December 1958), also credited as Nejdet Salih, is a British actor. Career Born in London, Adamson is of Turkish Cypriot descent. He played Ali Osman in the BBC soap opera, '' EastEnders'', a role he played from the series' ...

). Sue is one of the serial's original characters, appearing in its first episode on 19 February 1985 and departing on-screen in May 1989. Created by

Tony Holland Anthony John Holland (18 January 1940 – 28 November 2007) was a British screenwriter, best known as a writer and co-creator (with Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith) of the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Early life Holland was the oldest of ...

and Julia Smith, Sue is portrayed as argumentative, insecure and tragic. A pivotal storyline in the character's narrative is the cot-death of her son, which is one of the show's first controversial plots. During her four years on-screen, the character contends with a phantom pregnancy, marital breakdown and finally insanity.

Kathy Beale

Kathy Beale (also Mitchell and Sullivan), played by

between 1985 and 2000, and then from 2015 onwards, is the mother of

(

). 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. 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

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 Ben is frequently used as a shortened version of the given names Benjamin, Benedict, Bennett or Benson, and is also a given name in its own right. Ben (in he, בֶּן, ''son of'') forms part of Hebrew surnames, e.g. Abraham ben Abraham ( he, � ...

to his father

Phil Phil may refer to: * Phil (given name), a shortened version of masculine and feminine names * Phill, a given name also spelled "Phil" * Phil, Kentucky, United States * ''Phil'' (film), a 2019 film * -phil-, a lexical fragment, used as a root te ...

(

). In tribute to the character, the soap's café is named "Kathy's". 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, played by Michael Evangelou, is the first son of

(

) and

Sue Osman Sue Osman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Sandy Ratcliff. She is one of the serial's original characters, appearing in its first episode on 19 February 1985 and departing on-screen in May 1989. Created ...

(

), who is only a baby during his short time in ''EastEnders''. Hassan dies in his sleep on 20 June 1985; no official causes of death are given. Sue is left in a state of shock after her son's death. She remains in a trance-like state for weeks and refuses to eat, sleep, cry or acknowledge her grief. She later begins blaming herself unfairly for her son's sudden death. Her mental health continues to deteriorate and she becomes despondent towards Ali and their marriage disintegrates in a welter of depression. Sue eventually manages to come to terms with Hassan's death with the help of

Harold Legg Dr. Harold Legg is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Leonard Fenton. Dr. Legg 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 ...

(

Linda Davidson Linda Davidson (born 18 June 1964 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian-British former actress and writer. She played the wayward punk Mary Smith in the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders''. Mary was one of the serial's original characters; Davids ...

) baby, Annie Smith (Zara Posener), in her lap, finally allowing her to acknowledge her pent-up sadness.

Development

Before ''EastEnders'' initially aired, creators

and Julia Smith had already decided that Sue and Ali Osman would be parents to a young baby named Hassan. However, as further characters were invented they realised that there would be a total of four babies in the show: Annie Smith (Zara Posener), Martin Fowler (

Jon Peyton Price Martin Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders''. The character was played by Jon Peyton-Price from the character's introduction 1985 until 1996, and by James Alexandrou from 1996 until 2007. When Alexandrou took ...

Vicki Fowler Vicki Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Emma Herry from the character's birth in 1986 to 1988, Samantha Leigh Martin from 1988 to 1995, and Scarlett Alice Johnson from 2003 to 2004. She is the daugh ...

(Emma Herry) and Hassan. It was decided that it would be impossible for the studios to cope with four babies and so they invented a storyline to eliminate one from the cast. During this time, the topic of

sudden infant death syndrome Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden unexplained death of a child of less than one year of age. Diagnosis requires that the death remain unexplained even after a thorough autopsy and detailed death scene investigation. SIDS usuall ...

was prominent in the British press, partly due to an increase in casualties, but also because a doctor had gone public with the accusation that parents were to blame for the tragic occurrence. Holland and Smith decided that covering this issue in the soap would be a good way of 'setting the record straight', and so it was decided that Sue and Ali's baby would die from cot death in the early months of the show. This was the first of many controversial storylines in ''EastEnders history. After the storyline aired in June 1985, the show was praised by audience and press alike for the sensitive and unsensational way this harrowing subject was treated. The sudden tragedy came as a surprise to the audience, especially since the bereaved parents were a couple whose feuding, fighting ways had made them appear rather comic in the early episodes of the show. The British Cot Death Foundation initially feared that a soap opera would trivialise the subject and frighten new parents. They tried to stop the episodes from airing, but in the end they were pleased with the way the subject was handled, and provided back-up support after transmission to many viewers who wanted more information on the subject.

Sharon Watts

Sharon Watts (also Rickman and Mitchell), played by

, is the daughter of

(

) and

Angie Watts Angie Watts is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Anita Dobson from the first episode of the series until 1988, when Dobson decided to leave, and the character was written out. Angie is well known for her ...

(

Anita Dobson Anita Dobson (born 29 April 1949) is an English stage, film and television actress, and singer. She is best known for her role from 1985 to 1988 as Angie Watts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. In 1986, she reached number four in the UK Sing ...

). 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 A supercouple or super couple (also known as a power couple) is a popular and/or wealthy pairing that intrigues and fascinates the public in an intense or obsessive fashion. The term originated in the United States, and it was coined in the earl ...

'; 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.

Ian Beale

Ian Beale, played by

between 1985 and 2021, is the longest-serving character and the only remaining original character to have appeared continuously since the first episode on 19 February 1985. The character appeared in his 2,000th episode in the show on 26 March 2007. Ian Beale is one of the original twenty-three characters invented by the creators of ''EastEnders'',

and Julia Smith. Ian is a member of the first family of ''EastEnders'', the Beales and Fowlers, and Holland took the inspiration for some of the series' earliest characters from his own London family and background. Ian's original character outline as written by Smith and Holland appeared in an abridged form in their book, '' EastEnders: The Inside Story''.

Michelle Fowler

Michelle Fowler (also Holloway), played by

Susan Tully Susan Tully (born 20 October 1967) is an English actress, television producer, and television director. Her most prominent television acting roles were those of rebellious teenager Suzanne Ross in ''Grange Hill'' and single mother Michelle Fowl ...

from 1985 to 1995 and

Jenna Russell Jenna Russell (born 5 October 1967) is an English actress and singer. She has appeared on the stage in London in both musicals and dramas, as well as appearing with the Royal Shakespeare Company. She performed the role of Dot in ''Sunday in the ...

from 2016 to 2018, is the daughter of

Arthur Fowler Arthur Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Bill Treacher from 1985 to 1996. The father of the Fowler family, Arthur was essentially a good man but made some foolish choices that he always ended ...

(

Bill Treacher William Charles Treacher (4 June 1930 – 5 November 2022) was an English actor. He was best known for portraying the role of Arthur Fowler in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 1985 to 1996, having been the first person to be cast for t ...

) and

Pauline Fowler Pauline Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders''. She was played by actress Wendy Richard between the first episode on 19 February 1985 and 25 December 2006. Pauline was created by scriptwriter Tony Holland an ...

(

Wendy Richard Wendy Richard (born Wendy Emerton; 20 July 1943 – 26 February 2009) was an English actress, known for her television roles as Miss Shirley Brahms on the BBC sitcom ''Are You Being Served?'' from 1972 to 1985, and Pauline Fowler on the soap ...

). Although she is one of the brighter people in

Walford Walford is a fictional borough of east London in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. It is the primary setting for the soap. ''EastEnders'' is filmed at Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, towards the north-west of London. Much of the location work i ...

, that does not stop Michelle making some huge mistakes during her time in

Albert Square Walford is a fictional borough of east London in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. It is the primary setting for the soap. ''EastEnders'' is filmed at Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, towards the north-west of London. Much of the location work i ...

. Michelle has a habit of choosing the wrong men and her stubborn nature means that she rarely accepts anyone's help or listens to good advice. She is tough, feisty, determined, outspoken and never afraid to defend herself or her beliefs. Early on in the series, the character of Michelle becomes central to the programme and is the focus of a controversial storyline involving her teenage pregnancy. Press interest in the show escalated to "record levels" as journalists continuously tried to predict who had fathered Michelle's baby. In

whodunnit A ''whodunit'' or ''whodunnit'' (a colloquial elision of "Who asdone it?") is a complex plot-driven variety of detective fiction in which the puzzle regarding who committed the crime is the main focus. The reader or viewer is provided with the ...

fashion, the audience had been kept in the dark as to the real identity of the father and were given teasers implicating several residents on The Square. The audience finally discovered the culprit in episode 66 of the programme, October 1985. The episode was written by series co-creator/script editor Tony Holland and directed by co-creator/producer Julia Smith, and was considered to be a landmark episode in the show's history. Four possible suspects are seen leaving the Square in the early half of the episode:

Tony Carpenter Tony Carpenter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Oscar James, from 28 February 1985 until 28 May 1987. Happy-go-lucky Tony tries to carve himself a successful business and steady home for his family, but ...

(

Oscar James Oscar James (born 25 July 1942) is a Trinidadian actor, who is based in the United Kingdom. He has had a long and varied career, but is best known for appearing on British television, in particular the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', where he play ...

(

), Andy O'Brien (

Ross Davidson William Russell "Ross" Davidson (25 August 1949 – 16 October 2006) was a Scottish actor best known for his role as Andy O'Brien in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders''. Career Davidson started his working life as a physical education teacher ...

) and

(

). As Michelle waits by their rendezvous point a car pulls up and finally the fluffy white legs of

the poodle bound out of the car, and give it all away: Den Watts is the man meeting Michelle and it was he who had fathered her baby. The rest of the episode consists of just one long scene, where Den and Michelle discuss whether or not to keep the baby. Up to that time it was the longest scene ever done in a soap-opera, lasting fifteen minutes.

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 David Timothy Scarboro (3 February 1968 – 27 April 1988) was an English actor, best known for portraying Mark Fowler in the British soap opera ''EastEnders'' from the programme's inception in February 1985 until that April before appearing int ...

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 Todd Carty also known as Todd John Jennings (born Todd Robert Carty; 31 August 1963) is an English actor and director who has grown up on television screens in a variety of roles. His stage appearances have ranged from pantomime to serious dram ...

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. 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 Michelle Fowler (also Holloway) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Susan Tully from the show's first episode on 19 February 1985 up until the character's departure on 26 October 1995. She returned on 24 De ...

(

). 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'',

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.

Terry Rich

DS Terry Rich, played by

Gary Whelan Gary Whelan (born 1953) is an Irish actor, known for his work on British television. Early life Whelan was born in Ireland but he relocated to London when he was ten years old. He then attended Holloway School.Reg Cox 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 (producer), Julia Smith. The first episode of ''Ea ...

(Johnnie Clayton), who died the previous week, and his death is believed to be a murder. Rich, of the

CID, arrives in

to conduct an inquiry. The following week, a badge that

Lofty Holloway George "Lofty" Holloway is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Tom Watt. Lofty is one of the serial's near-original characters, making his first appearance in the third episode, which was first broadcast on 26 ...

( Tom Watt) is wearing on his jumper catches the eye of

Dr Legg Dr. Harold Legg is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Leonard Fenton. Dr. Legg 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 ...

(

Leonard Fenton Leonard Fenton (''né'' Finestein; 29 April 1926 – 29 January 2022) was a British actor, director and painter, best known for his role as Harold Legg, Dr. Harold Legg in ''EastEnders''. Early life Fenton was born Leonard FinesteinThe Queen Victoria The Queen Victoria (more often referred to as The Queen Vic or The Vic) is the Victorian public house in the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders''. It has the fictional address of 46 Albert Square, Walford, London E20. Appearance and developmen ...

where Lofty is tending bar and questions him about how he got the badge. Lofty reluctantly admits that he bought it from

Mark Fowler Mark Fowler is a fictional character in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Mark, an original regular character when the series started in February 1985, became a semi-regular after his original portrayer David Scarboro was written out of the ro ...

(

) for five pounds. When questioned by Rich, Mark insists that he found the badge on the street. However, a month into the investigation, Rich learns that Mark had obtained the badge from

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 ...

( John Altman) and ransacked Nick's home to find the remains of Reg's collection along with other incriminating evidence. Nick then flees Walford, but is arrested the following month for Reg's murder, although he is never charged. 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 Debbie "Debs" Wilkins is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Shirley Cheriton, from 21 March 1985 to 14 May 1987. Debbie is Walford's first upwardly mobile character. She has an on/off relationship with her i ...

(

Shirley Cheriton Shirley Cheriton (born 28 June 1955) is an English actress and performer, best known for her roles as Debbie Wilkins in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' and her portrayal of Miss Prescott in the ''Are You Being Served?'' follow up, ''Grace & Fav ...

), 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 Naima Jeffery is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Shreela Ghosh from 19 February 1985 to 19 November 1987. Asian Naima tries to embrace Western culture, but this is not easy since her family constantly try ...

(

Shreela Ghosh Shreela Ghosh (born 25 September 1962) is a former dancer, actress and reporter, became publicly known in the United Kingdom when she was cast as Naima Jeffery in 1985, one of the original characters in the BBC soap opera, '' EastEnders''. She h ...

), 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 Crawley () is a large town and borough in West Sussex, England. It is south of London, north of Brighton and Hove, and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Crawley covers an area of and had a population of 106,597 at the time of th ...

, so Debbie decides to leave Walford with him.

Tony Carpenter

Tony Carpenter, played by

, is a jovial character, who tries to establish a successful business and steady home for his family, but nothing he does is ever good enough for his nagging wife. Tony is one of the original twenty-three characters invented by the creators of ''EastEnders'',

and Julia Smith. Tony was originally intended to be named Alan, and his son

Kelvin Carpenter Kelvin Carpenter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Paul J. Medford from 12 March 1985 to 3 September 1987. Kelvin is a bright spark and full of initiative. He opens several businesses in Albert Square ...

was originally named Kevin. They are the first

black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

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. Additionally, if the programme was to be realistic, it had to reflect the cross-section of society that actually existed in the real location. For these reasons, different sexes, ages, classes, religions and races were all included in the original character line-up. Both Holland and Smith had been at the forefront of the move towards 'integrated casting' in television and had encountered an array of ethnic diversities in the process. Even though the ethnic minority groups were deemed the hardest to research, Holland and Smith called upon their contacts to relay information about their origins and lifestyles and were then able to portray Walford's most recent immigrants more realistically.

Mary Smith

Mary Smith, played by

, is a

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

, and

's original wild child. She often makes life difficult for herself due to her stubborn, defensive nature and she tends to feel that everyone around her is out to get her. In fact, Mary is her own worst enemy and most of her misfortune is down to her irresponsible behaviour and her inability to heed good advice. Mary Smith is one of the original twenty-three characters invented by the creators of ''EastEnders'',

and Julia Smith. Mary's original character outline as written by Smith and Holland appeared in an abridged form in their book, '' EastEnders: The Inside Story''. As Holland and Smith wanted a diverse cross-section from the East End community, it was decided that one of the main cast had to be a young, single mother, and as punk music was prominent in British culture at the time, they decided to use a punk image for the character. Holland and Smith decided to cast an unknown actress in the role. They chose

, who was the right age and had been brought up in northern England and therefore had an accent that would befit the character's background.

Annie 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

Mary Smith (

). 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

. Mary is an incredibly irresponsible mother and Annie is always getting lumbered on neighbours when Mary gets tired of looking after her.

(

) and

(

) are the usual victims, but almost everyone on

has a turn of looking after Annie. Sue, in particular, grows extremely fond of Annie following the death of her son,

Hassan Osman 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 broadca ...

. After bottling up her grief for months, she is forced to hold little Annie, which finally allows her to acknowledge her pent-up sadness. Annie is once left alone in the launderette by accident while Mary goes drinking in

pub.

(

) finds her and returns her to her mother, along with a few choice words for Mary. Mary also has a tendency to leave Annie home alone whilst she goes out to prostitute herself at night. On one such occasion, Annie throws her blanket at the electric fan heater, causing a fire.

(

) rescues her but as a result, Annie is removed from Mary's care and given to her grandparents, Chris Smith (

Allan O'Keefe Allan O'Keefe is a British actor, known mostly for his work on British television. One of his first roles was playing Quando in ''The Villains'' (1964), a series of unrelated televised plays, which only have the subject of villainy in common. He l ...

) and

Edie Smith The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in 1987, by order of first appearance. Tina Hopkins Tina Hopkins, played by Eleanor Rhodes, is introduced as Ian Beale's (Adam Woodyatt) girlfri ...

( Eileen O'Brien), who live in

Stockport Stockport is a town and borough in Greater Manchester, England, south-east of Manchester, south-west of Ashton-under-Lyne and north of Macclesfield. The River Goyt and Tame merge to create the River Mersey here. Most of the town is within ...

. With the help of Mary's boyfriend,

Rod Norman Roderick "Rod" Norman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Christopher McHallem from July 28, 1987, to February 27, 1990. Rod the roadie, is a modern-day hobo. He dosses in squats and never settles anywhe ...

(

Christopher McHallem Christopher McHallem (born 1960) is a British actor, writer, musician and director. McHallem began his career in 1977 with the punk rock/post-punk band the Transmitters under the pseudonym "Dexter O'Brian", but left the band shortly after its ...

), and

Carmel Jackson Carmel Jackson (also Roberts) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Judith Jacob from 5 June 1986 to 24 August 1989. Carmel, a health visitor, was initially introduced in a recurring, minor role in 1986, when ...

(

Judith Jacob Judith Jacob (born 13 December 1961) is a British actress best known for her role as the health visitor Carmel Roberts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', a role she played from 1986 to 1989.Dr Legg Dr. Harold Legg is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Leonard Fenton. Dr. Legg 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 ...

(

Leonard Fenton Leonard Fenton (''né'' Finestein; 29 April 1926 – 29 January 2022) was a British actor, director and painter, best known for his role as Harold Legg, Dr. Harold Legg in ''EastEnders''. Early life Fenton was born Leonard FinesteinLofty Holloway George "Lofty" Holloway is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Tom Watt. Lofty is one of the serial's near-original characters, making his first appearance in the third episode, which was first broadcast on 26 ...

( Tom Watt) and

(

), Mary states that Annie works for the police force. They later light a candle in Dr Legg's memory before leaving Walford again.

Kelvin Carpenter

Kelvin Carpenter, played by Paul J. Medford, is an original ''EastEnders'' character. A bright spark and full of initiative, he opens several businesses in

and even forms a band. He is a bit of a heartbreaker in the early years of ''EastEnders'', but he eventually has his heart broken in return, when his middle-aged girlfriend jilts him. Always a bit too intelligent for

, Kelvin eventually leaves for university and has since married a model wife and has become a songwriter. Kelvin Carpenter was one of the original twenty-three characters invented by the creators of ''EastEnders'',

and Julia Smith. Kelvin was originally intended to be named Kevin, and his father

was originally named Alan. They are the first

characters to appear in the soap.

Andy O'Brien

Andy O'Brien, played by

, 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 Debbie (or Debby or Deb) is a feminine given name, commonly but not always short for Deborah (or Debra and related variants). Notable people * Debbie Allen, American actress, choreographer and film director * Debbie Armstrong, American athlete * ...

(

) 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

, is

's first upwardly mobile character. She has an on/off relationship with her ill-fated boyfriend Andy O'Brien (

). Andy and she tend to be a bit too pretentious for the working class locals of

. Debbie Wilkins is one of the original twenty-three characters invented by the creators of ''EastEnders'',

and Julia Smith. The character of Debbie along with her boyfriend Andy are an attempt by Holland and Smith to represent the influx of upwardly mobile people that were opting to move to the usually working-class areas of the

East End of London The East End of London, often referred to within the London area simply as the East End, is the historic core of wider East London, east of the Roman and medieval walls of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It does not have uni ...

Gentrification Gentrification is the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents and businesses. It is a common and controversial topic in urban politics and urban planning, planning. Gentrification ...

of the East End was on the increase in the 1980s, and in Holland's experience, the new, wealthier residents were never welcomed or truly accepted within the community, and this was what he hoped to convey on-screen with these two characters.

Big Ron

Big Ron, played by Ron Tarr, works in

market and appears as a background character from 1985 to 1997. Ron's first line in the series is, "All right, Den?", said to

(

), five months after Ron first appears. His first credited appearance is episode 177, dated 28 October 1986, when he witnesses

(

) and his brother,

Mehmet Osman Mehmet Osman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Haluk Bilginer. Mehmet is portrayed as a charmer, rogue and a serial womaniser, and makes recurring appearances in ''EastEnders'' from 1985 to 1987, and the ...

(

Haluk Bilginer Nihat Haluk Bilginer (; born 5 June 1954) is a Turkish actor. In addition to his acting career in Turkey, he has also worked in the United Kingdom and remains best known for his role as Mehmet Osman in the television soap opera ''EastEnders'' ...

), arguing and asks Ali's wife,

(

), if she needs any help. He is credited in the episode as "stall holder" and this is also the first time he is named as Ron in dialogue. Ron is involved in a few storylines, including helping his friend

Pete Beale Pete Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Peter Dean. He makes his first appearance in the programme's first episode, on 19 February 1985. The character was introduced by Tony Holland, one of the cr ...

( Peter Dean) to intimidate rapist

James Willmott-Brown James Willmott-Brown (also credited as Willmott-Brown and Mr Willmott-Brown) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by William Boyde. The character originally appeared in Albert Square from 1986 to 1989, where ...

(

William Boyde William Boyde (born March 1953) is a British actor, best known for his work on the British soap opera ''EastEnders'' (1986–1989, 1992, 2017). He was educated at Cheltenham College where he appeared as an extra in the film If...which was filme ...

) into leaving the area, and having a heart attack after he is pushed by a mugger in the market.

Richard Cole Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'strong ...

(

Ian Reddington Ian Reddington (born 25 September 1957) is an English actor with many stage and television credits since the early 1980s. He became widely known for television roles such as the Chief Clown in the ''Doctor Who'' serial ''The Greatest Show in t ...

) gives Ron's pitch away, leading the other stall holders to rebel against him, until his boss orders him to give it back to Ron. In August 1994, Ron sells cheap wallpaper to

(

), which falls off the walls overnight, so Arthur makes Ron help him put up new wallpaper. Ron joins

football team as goalkeeper. He makes three saves during their first match, which they go on to win 2–0. 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 £500,000 on the National Lottery and emigrates to Spain. In a report about Tarr's death in the ''

'', journalist Chris Hughes stated the character had "a cult following". Ron could have appeared in a special episode of the popular science fiction series ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

'', entitled ''

Dimensions in Time ''Dimensions in Time'' is a charity special crossover between the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and the soap opera ''EastEnders'' that ran in two parts on 26 and 27 November 1993. It was filmed on location at Greenwich ...

'' (1993). The episode was specially created as part of BBC's annual fund-raising event, Children in Need. Viewers were asked to phone in and vote which ''EastEnders'' character, Mandy Salter (Nicola Stapleton) or Ron, would appear in the show and save Doctor (Doctor Who), The Doctor from certain death. Two versions were filmed for each voting outcome, but the Mandy version won with 56% of the vote.Doctor Who & Children In Need
, ''Den of Geek''. Retrieved 22 July 2009.

Chris Smith

Chris Smith (initially credited as 'Man', then as Mary's father), played by

, is the father of Mary Smith (

). A haulage driver from

, he is first seen in

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, #Annie Smith, Annie Smith, at home alone while she works. On one occasion, Annie throws a blanket out of her cot straight on to an electric fan heater, causing a fire. Annie is rescued but Mary's neighbour,

(

), phones Chris, who returns to Walford and takes Annie to live with him and his wife,

( Eileen O'Brien), in Stockport. Mary's boyfriend,

(

), 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

, but finds out that his driving licence is to be suspended for 18 months following his drink driving accident. Nevertheless, he contacts his friend, Harry Jameson (Anthony Dutton (actor), Anthony Dutton) to go into partnership and even manages to persuade

(

) to provide some capital. However, Ali pulls out of the deal and Chris turns to alcohol, regularly drinking himself into a stupor to drown his sorrows. A concerned Mary then decides to contact her mother, who returns to Walford to help her husband. By May, Chris succeeds in opening the haulage company open by borrowing money from Walford Investments – the money lending organisation of The Firm – but the antics of his daughter, who starts to use drugs again and neglect Annie, cause further family strife. In a bid to help Mary out, Chris offers her a job at the haulage company but Mary gets annoyed by her parents' interference, and after sabotaging her father's office with paint, she and Annie leave Walford. Chris stays in Walford to run his business, employing Rod as a bookkeeper and Charlie Cotton (

) as lorry driver, although he is extremely unreliable. However, Chris is still short of drivers, so he starts doing deliveries himself, despite having a suspended licence. Darren Roberts (EastEnders), Darren Roberts (Gary McDonald (actor), Gary McDonald), who had had several run-ins with Chris regarding the theft of his Backhoe, JCB earlier that year, informs the police that he is driving illegally and Chris is fined pound sterling, £1000. This severely cripples his business and he is unable to repay his loan. Gregory Mantel (Pavel Douglas), a member of The Firm, then arrives on the Square, looking for Chris and forces him to sign the business over to The Firm, leaving Chris no choice but to return to Stockport. His last appearance is in August 1988. The premises of the haulage company are eventually bought by Frank Butcher (Mike Reid (actor), Mike Reid), who converts it into the car lot.

Mehmet Osman

Mehmet Osman, played by

, is a recurring character appearing from 1985 to 1989. Mehmet is portrayed as a charmer, rogue and a serial womaniser. He was conceptualised by the creators of ''EastEnders'',

and Julia Smith. Mehmet, the brother of original character

(

), is part of a well-intentioned attempt to represent the proportion of

Turkish Cypriot Turkish Cypriots or Cypriot Turks ( tr, Kıbrıs Türkleri or ''Kıbrıslı Türkler''; el, Τουρκοκύπριοι, Tourkokýprioi) are ethnic Turks originating from Cyprus. Following the Ottoman conquest of the island in 1571, about 30,00 ...

s who had immigrated to England and settled in the

. 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. Additionally, if the programme was to be realistic, it had to reflect the cross-section of society that actually existed in the real location. For these reasons, different sexes, ages, classes, religions and races were all included in the original character line-up. Both Holland and Smith had been at the forefront of the move towards 'integrated casting' in television and had encountered an array of ethnic diversities in the process. Even though the ethnic minority groups were deemed the hardest to research, Holland and Smith called upon their social contacts to relay information about their own origins and lifestyles, which they say allowed them to portray Walford's most recent immigrants more realistically.

Hannah Carpenter

Hannah Carpenter, played by Sally Sagoe, is the former wife of

(

). She is a religious woman who is active in the Pentecostal Church but lost all tolerance for her fun-loving husband. After they agreed to divorce, their son,

( Paul J. Medford), moves to the Square to live with his father in February 1985, while their daughter, Cassie Carpenter (Delanie Forbes), stays with her mother. Hannah's first appearance in

is in June 1985 and throughout the year she shows up occasionally to converse with Tony about issues concerning their children. Hannah constantly looks down on Tony's lifestyle and career, so their meetings are never pleasant. When Hannah meets the smooth talking corporate lawyer, Neville Agard (Gordon Case), she invites him to move into her house. Eventually, Neville buys the house and they announce their intention to wed. However, when she discovers that Neville has a violent temper and has beaten her daughter with a riding whip, she confronts him and after a row results in violence she leaves him and turns up on Tony's doorstep at number 3

in April 1986. Tony is furious and goes to confront Neville, returning later covered in blood. Hannah is adamant that she will not return to Neville, so she and Cassie come to live with Tony and they decide to try to give their marriage another chance. 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 Carmel Roberts (

Judith Jacob Judith Jacob (born 13 December 1961) is a British actress best known for her role as the health visitor Carmel Roberts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', a role she played from 1986 to 1989.Mehmet Osman Mehmet Osman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Haluk Bilginer. Mehmet is portrayed as a charmer, rogue and a serial womaniser, and makes recurring appearances in ''EastEnders'' from 1985 to 1987, and the ...

(

). She is also stalked one night by a man known as the Walford attacker, who is guilty of assaulting several female inhabitants of the Square. Hannah is shaken but unharmed. She later relays to Tony that she fears that Mehmet is the culprit, because he had made a pass at her previously. Tony is furious, and he along with

(

) and

( Peter Dean) go to track Mehmet down and teach him a lesson. After Hannah witnesses her husband attacking Mehmet, she takes the moral high-ground and denounces his barbaric actions (Despite previously being happy for Tony to resort to violence against Neville). Hannah then decides that their marriage is over and so she leaves Walford in February that year to go and live with her sister in another part of London. She is not seen again.

Dot Cotton

Dorothy "Dot" Branning (also Cotton), played by

, is the mother of original character

( John Altman). In a special episode entitled "Dot's Story" (2003), a young Dot is played by Tallulah Pitt-Brown in flashbacks. Dot first appears in ''EastEnders'' in July 1985, and worked as a launderette assistant for most of that time along with original character

(

). Dot moved away with her son and his family in 1993. In reality, Brown left the show in 1993, unhappy with the development of her character. Brown returned to the role in April 1997, and on 28 April 2017, Dot overtook Pat Butcher (Pam St Clement) as the second-longest-serving character in EastEnders, surpassed only by original character Ian Beale. 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, portrayed by Ken Wynne, wooed

Ethel Skinner Ethel Skinner is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Gretchen Franklin. Ethel also features in a 1988 ''EastEnders'' special episode, entitled "CivvyStreet", set on Albert Square during World War II, in which ...

(

) during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

but after she married his good friend William Skinner (EastEnders), William Skinner (Ian Brimble), he disappeared from their lives. Many years later, Ernie confesses to Ethel that he fled because he feared that he would either go insane being around an unobtainable Ethel, or that they would do something to hurt William if their association had continued. When

(

) becomes interested in learning to boxing, 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 widowed, Ernie asks her on a date and a few weeks later asks her to marry him. However, the offer is conditional. Ernie is allergy, allergic to dogs and

the

, 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

from 1985 to 1996, James Alexandrou from 1996 to 2007 and James Bye (actor), James Bye since 2014, is the younger son of

(

) and

(

), born in July 1985. His considerably older siblings are

(

and later

) and

(

and

). Martin is the first baby to be born in the serial. His grandmother Lou Beale, Lou (

Anna Wing Anna Eva Lydia Catherine Wing (30 October 1914 – 7 July 2013) was an English actress who had a long career in television and theatre, known for portraying the role of Beale family matriarch Lou Beale in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Ea ...

) is extremely fond of him, and insists that he is named after her late husband Albert Beale, Albert. Pauline and Arthur are against this, and for several months the baby remains unnamed, although Lou continues to refer to him as Albert. The baby's name is finally revealed as Martin Albert Fowler at his christening in October 1985, which satisfies Lou. Martin grows up facing numerous family upsets, including his father's mental breakdown and imprisonment and his parents' temporary separation in 1993, which Martin takes badly. As Martin ages he becomes surly and increasingly troublesome.

Detective Sergeant Quick

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

to put his old adversary,

( John Altman), in prison. He fails at this, but finds the woman he wants to marry,

(

), who is seeing Andy O'Brien (

) in an open relationship. Quick tries to woo Debbie, sending her bouquets of flowers. Andy becomes jealous of their friendship and tries to make them feel as uncomfortable as possible. 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

's (

pub are, "You lot deserve each other, and you deserve what you've got, and what you've got is only the start!" His last appearance is in July 1986.

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's actor

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 Beale, Ian (

). 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, played by Dulice Liecier, first appears on 15 October 1985 when her taxicab breaks down in Bridge Street and she wanders into the café and asks

(

) where she might find another one. Sue tells her that her husband, Ali Osman, Ali (

), might be able to take her where she needs to go and so Mary Smith (

), who is in the café at the time, offers to show her the way to Number 23

in search of Ali. 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 stripper. Weary of trying to live on the Department of Social Security, DSS payments she receives, Mary eagerly accepts Sheena's offer to help her find work as a stripper. Sheena also gives Mary dancing lessons. Whilst out working, Mary leaves her daughter, Annie Smith (EastEnders), Annie, in Sheena's care, but she is caught by Sue 'entertaining' a man in Mary's room with Annie in close proximity. Sheena then leaves Annie alone while she goes for a drink in

The Queen Vic The Queen Victoria (more often referred to as The Queen Vic or The Vic) is the Victorian public house in the BBC soap opera, '' EastEnders''. It has the fictional address of 46 Albert Square, Walford, London E20. Appearance and developme ...

with her guest. When Mary finds out about Sheena's behaviour she calls her a "sluttish bitch" and tells her that Annie could end up in care because of her irresponsible actions. This is the last time Sheena was seen.

Guizin Osman

Guizin Osman, played by Ishia Bennison, is the long suffering wife of the philandering

(

). She first arrives in

in October 1985 when she comes to inform her sister-in-law, Sue (

), that her husband, Ali Osman, Ali (

), had gambling, gambled away the Mortgage loan, mortgage money for the home they were planning to buy. Guizin and her three children, Emine Osman, Emine (Pelin Ahmet), Rayif and Murat, later move in with her brother-in-law and his family in 1987, after her husband gambles away their home and deserts them. She works for Ali and Sue in the café for a few months until her husband returns and she becomes a partner in the business. As part owner of the café, she hires

(

), who later becomes the sole owner. 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 (

), 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."

Cassie Carpenter

Cassie Carpenter, played by Delanie Forbes, made her first appearance on 14 November 1985. She is the daughter of Hannah Carpenter (Sally Sagoe) and

(

) and the younger sister of

( Paul J. Medford). In an early episode, before Cassie appears, she is referred to as being 14 years old, but when Cassie is introduced, she is 11 years old. Cassie's parents are separated and she initially resides with her mother and her mother's new boyfriend, a corporate lawyer named Neville Agard (Gordon Case). Cassie first appears in November 1985 when she comes to visit her father in

. Cassie loves her father and finds her parents' separation difficult, particularly as she does not get on with Neville. 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

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 cannabis (drug), cannabis, which she has stolen from Owen Hughes (EastEnders), Owen Hughes (Philip Brook), a friend of

's (

). Tony is furious and the Carpenters refuse to speak to any of the Fowler family because of it. After a subsequent meeting with Cassie's headmaster, Hannah decides that the only solution is to send Cassie away to boarding school. Cassie is against the idea but nevertheless, she is sent away in September that year. A few weeks later the Carpenters hear news that Cassie has run away from school and is nowhere to be found. She is discovered the following day, stealing food from

(

) and

's ( Tom Watt) kitchen in Albert Square, and returns to the school. 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 is an extra character who is portrayed by

, 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

(

), who gets in Winston's way when he is riding a bicycle. Winston owns the music stall in

's Bridge Street Market, and over the years he proves to be a great friend to his fellow long-standing stall-holder,

(

). His highlights include shaving his tuft of hair off for charity and helping

(

) arrive at her birthday party on the night she dies. He is angry when

's (

) 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, e.g. when

(

) 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

(

), Pat Butcher, Pat Evans (Pam St Clement) and

(Larry Lamb), stag parties for Garry Hobbs (Ricky Groves), Lucas Johnson (Don Gilet) and Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen),

's (

) birthday party and Ricky and Bianca Jackson's (

) wedding. Sometimes characters steal DVDs or CDs from his stall, including Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick). In April 2008, Winston's niece List of EastEnders characters (2008)#Keisha, Keisha (Suzie McGrath) arrives in Walford, and leaves a month later with Gus Smith (Mohammed George). Winston wins a Children in Need raffle in

in November 2008, and in July 2009, Stacey Slater offers him a flower but he refuses. He also appears with

Shirley Carter Shirley Carter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Linda Henry. She first appeared on 7 December 2006, during episodes set in Dorset. This is Henry's second role in ''EastEnders'', as she previously played ...

(

) getting drunk in Ian's chip shop in June 2009 and is seen drunk again in August 2009. He is seen with #Tracey, Tracey (Jane Slaughter (actress), Jane Slaughter) in August 2009 talking about Max and Tanya Branning (Jo Joyner), and in November 2009 Ian invites him for drinks at The Queen Vic but he refuses. 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 Wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine Middleton, wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in The Queen Vic, Winston accidentally rips the cord from the television electrical plug, much to the dismay of the patrons. In January 2012, Winston is distracted by Kim Fox (Tameka Empson) in a bright outfit and accidentally knocks over a ladder, which nearly hits her. In May 2012, Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) buys a CD from Winston for her mother Tanya. However, Lauren's grandmother Cora Cross (Ann Mitchell) misinterprets the exchange and believes that Lauren is buying alcohol from Winston. In July 2012, Winston is chosen as the defender in The Queen Vic's football team. In August 2013, he locks market inspector Tamwar Masood (Himesh Patel) in a portable toilet as a joke, but Bianca and Kat Slater, Kat Moon (

) are blamed. He has another speaking role in April 2014 when he asks

(

) for a black armband, as a mark of respect for the recently deceased Lucy Beale (Hetti Bywater) (see Who Killed Lucy Beale?).

Other characters

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Eastenders Characters (1985) Lists of EastEnders characters, 1985 Television characters introduced in 1985, *, EastEnders 1985 in British television, EastEnders

Den Watts

Ali Osman

Arthur Fowler

Reg Cox

Ethel Skinner

Pauline Fowler

Harold Legg

Saeed Jeffery

Pete Beale

Lou Beale

Naima Jeffery

Angie Watts

Willy

Roly

Tracey

Development

Reception

Nick Cotton

Sue Osman

Kathy Beale

Hassan Osman

Development

Sharon Watts

Ian Beale

Michelle Fowler

Mark Fowler

Lofty Holloway

Terry Rich

Tony Carpenter

Mary Smith

Annie Smith

Kelvin Carpenter

Andy O'Brien

Debbie Wilkins

Big Ron

Chris Smith

Mehmet Osman

Hannah Carpenter

Dot Cotton

Ernie Mears

Martin Fowler

Detective Sergeant Quick

Simon Wicks

Sheena Mennell

Guizin Osman

Cassie Carpenter

Winston

Other characters

References