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The following is a list of fictional characters that first appeared in the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
soap opera ''
EastEnders'' in 1996, by order of first appearance.
Michael Rose
Michael Rose, played by
Russell Floyd
Russell Floyd (born 29 May 1962 in Croydon, London, England) is a British actor. After graduating from RADA, he played Rick in 3 episodes of London's Burning as firefighter Sally Reid's swimming instructor. He also played Bridge Street Market I ...
, first appears 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 ...
as a Market Inspector in 1996. He initially has very few storylines, but he is chosen to be the
best man
A groomsman or usher is one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony and performs the first speech at the wedding. Usually, the groom selects close friends and relatives to serve as groomsmen, and it is considered an honor to be ...
at
Terry Raymond
Terry Raymond is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Gavin Richards. Terry is initially introduced briefly in 1996 as the drunken father of Tiffany (Martine McCutcheon) and Simon Raymond ( Andrew Lynford). H ...
(
Gavin Richards
Gavin Richards (born 3 July 1946) is an English actor, writer and director.
He is best known for playing Captain Alberto Bertorelli in the BBC sitcom Allo 'Allo!'' from 1987 to 1989, and Terry Raymond in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' ...
)'s wedding (which is later called off). He has a crush on
April Branning (
Debbie Arnold
Debbie Arnold (born 14 June 1955) is an English actress, producer and voice artist. She is known for her portrayal of April Branning in BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' between 1995 and 1996. Arnold has portrayed regular characters in ''EastEnder ...
) but no relationship ever develops between them. Then there is the arrival of his teenage son
Matthew
Matthew may refer to:
* Matthew (given name)
* Matthew (surname)
* ''Matthew'' (ship), the replica of the ship sailed by John Cabot in 1497
* ''Matthew'' (album), a 2000 album by rapper Kool Keith
* Matthew (elm cultivar), a cultivar of the Ch ...
(
Joe Absolom
Joe Absolom (born 16 December 1978) is an English actor known for his roles as Matthew Rose in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' and Al Large in the ITV comedy drama '' Doc Martin''.
Early life
Absolom was born in Lewisham, London. A former ...
) and former wife
Susan Rose (
Tilly Vosburgh
Matilda Vosburgh (born 17 December 1960) is a British character actress.
Early life
Born in the Westminster district of London, Vosburgh is the daughter of comedy writer and lyricist Dick Vosburgh and former actress Beryl Vosburgh (née Roques ...
) in 1997.
His ex-wife Susan is suffering from
multiple sclerosis and Michael ends up caring for her. Eventually he and Susan get back together and seem happy until the arrival of
Lisa Shaw (
Lucy Benjamin
Lucy Benjamin (born Lucy Jane Baker; 25 June 1970) is an English actress. After appearing in various television series including '' Close to Home'' (1989–1990), ''Press Gang'' (1989–1993) and '' Jupiter Moon'' (1990, 1996), she was cast in ...
) who is also a Market Inspector. He and Lisa become attracted to each other and have an affair behind Susan's back. Michael ends the affair and decides to leave Walford with Susan and start a new life in
Leeds
Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popula ...
, with Susan unaware of the affair.
He returns occasionally in 1999 when his son Matthew is wrongly imprisoned for the murder of
Saskia Duncan (Deborah Sheridan-Taylor). Michael's last appearance is in December 1999, visiting Matthew in prison.
Dan Zappieri
Dan Zappieri, played by Carl Pizzie, made his first screen appearance on 19 March 1996. Pizzie was out of work and had just opened a bar with fellow actor
Nick Pickard
Nicholas Pickard (born 27 May 1975) is an English actor. He is known for his portrayal of Tony Hutchinson in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'', a role he has held since its first episode in 1995; he remains the longest-serving cast member.
...
when he was cast as Dan.
''EastEnders'' was his first major television role.
Pizzie relished the chance to play a bad guy role, as he had only ever played "regular guys" before.
Dan was a drug dealer, who befriended
Tony Hills
Tony Hills is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Mark Homer from 7 September 1995 to 15 April 1999.
Storylines
Tony arrives in Walford from Norfolk on 7 September 1995 with his sister, Sarah Hills (Daniell ...
(
Mark Homer
Mark Homer (born 1973) is an English actor and writer. He is best known for playing Tony Hills in the popular British soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 1995 to 1999. His subsequent work includes guest appearances in ''Silent Witness'' and ''Spine ...
). They sold drugs together and Pizzie commented that Tony was easily drawn into Dan's world as he thought it was exciting and he liked having money.
When two of Dan's customers suffered serious side effects from his drugs, he was unconcerned and Pizzie noted that all Dan cared about was money. He said "He likes playing the bad guy, he thinks his life is a bit like an
Al Pacino movie."
Pizzie found parts of Dan's storylines challenging to play, as he did not touch drugs. But he liked that the show was tackling the subject matter and the negative effects taking drugs had on people.
An ''
Inside Soap'' columnist branded the character "Desperate Dan" and "Walford's latest villain".
Aunt Sal
Aunt Sal
is played by
Anna Karen
Ann Harrison McCall (19 September 1936 – 22 February 2022), professionally known as Anna Karen, was a British actress best known for playing Olive Rudge in the ITV sitcom ''On the Buses'' from 1969 to 1973 including its film spin-offs and s ...
, and has appeared sporadically since 21 March 1996, usually for only one or two episodes at a time. She is
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 (franchise), ''Carry On'' films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera, ''EastEnders''. ) sister.
Ben Mitchell
Ben Mitchell has been played by six different actors. Matthew Silver appeared as an infant Ben from 1996 to 1998, and Morgan Whittle played him as a toddler from 1999 to 2000. After a six-year absence from the series, Charlie Jones assumed the role of Ben in 2006. Executive producer
Bryan Kirkwood
Bryan Kirkwood (born 1976) is a British television producer. He was the producer of the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' from 2006 until 2009, and was the executive producer of the BBC soap ''EastEnders'' from 2010 until 2012. He returned as ...
axed Jones as part of a series revamp in 2010; the role was recast to Joshua Pascoe later that year. Pascoe portrayed Ben until 24 August 2012, when he was sent to prison for the murder of
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 ...
(
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 ...
). Ben returned to the serial in September 2014, with the role recast to
Harry Reid
Harry Mason Reid Jr. (; December 2, 1939 – December 28, 2021) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States senator from Nevada from 1987 to 2017. He led the Senate Democratic Caucus from 2005 to 2017 and was the Sena ...
, before departing on 12 January 2018. Havingously appeared as a baby and a toddler, Ben returned to ''EastEnders'' in 2006 played by child actor Charlie Jones. Jones was cast alongside
Megan Jossa
Megan Carmel Hollie Jossa is an English actress, known for portraying the role of Courtney Mitchell in BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' in 2006. She is the real life cousin of former ''EastEnders'' actress Jacqueline Jossa, who played Lauren ...
, who would play his cousin
Courtney Mitchell
The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in 1997, by order of first appearance. Many were introduced by the show's executive producer, Jane Harris.
Neelam Kapoor
Neelam Kapoor is played ...
. While Ben is partially deaf, Jones is a hearing actor. ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' Rebecca Atkinson suggested that, as only the second disabled character in ''EastEnders'' history, Ben was introduced to fulfil a BBC quota. She criticised Jones' casting, and opined, "The use of able-bodied actors to play disabled characters is endemic. Maybe in theory there's nothing wrong with that, but while real disabled people are invisible it is downright offensive to persistently cast able-bodied people in disabled roles."
Joe Wicks
Joe Wicks, played by
Paul Nicholls, appears on screen between 25 March 1996 and 14 November 1997. ''EastEnders'' was praised for the character's portrayal of
schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social wit ...
. ''EastEnders'' story editor, Ian Aldwinkle, decided to introduce a character with schizophrenia after working on the drama series ''
Casualty
Casualty may refer to:
*Casualty (person), a person who is killed or rendered unfit for service in a war or natural disaster
**Civilian casualty, a non-combatant killed or injured in warfare
* The emergency department of a hospital, also known as ...
'', which featured violent and dramatic incidents involving people with the illness, but only focussed on the medical side. Aldwinkle researched the illness and says he was shocked to discover that it affects one in 100 people, but it was rarely spoken about. He said: "Because it has a continuing storyline, ''EastEnders'' was able to look at the effect that schizophrenia has on a family and on individual relationships. I wanted to humanise it and look at the emotional impact it has on people."
He said he hoped that the storyline would be helpful, saying "It seems to me that mental illness is one of the last subjects that you can still make jokes about without being labelled politically incorrect, and that seems wrong. If I get just one letter from one person saying that the character of Joe Wicks has helped to change their life for the better, then I will be pleased."
Lorraine Wicks
Lorraine Wicks, played by
Jacqueline Leonard
Jacqueline Jackie Leonard is a Scottish actress. She is known for playing Sarah Preston in the ITV drama ''Peak Practice'' from 1993 to 1996, Lorraine Wicks in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' from 1996 to 1997, Dr. Caroline Powers in the BB ...
, is introduced in April 1996, as the former wife of the already established character
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 late ...
(
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 ...
). She is brought into the serial along with her son
Joe Wicks (
Paul Nicholls).
Author Kate Lock has described Lorraine as "relentlessly sensible, fair and nice" but with a "rogue gene" that prompted her to select the wrong kind of men.
As well as a high-profile storyline concentrating on Joe's diagnosis of
schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social wit ...
, Lorraine's most prominent storyline is a love triangle between herself,
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 ' ...
) and Grant's wife
Tiffany (
Martine McCutcheon
Martine Kimberley Sherrie McCutcheon (formerly Ponting, born 14 May 1976) is an English actress and singer. She began appearing in television commercials at an early age and made her television debut in the children's television drama '' Bluebir ...
). In the storyline, Lorraine discovers that Tiffany is keeping a secret from Grant – that he is potentially not the father of her unborn child. When Tiffany refuses to tell Grant the truth, Lorraine does, making way for them to become a legitimate couple, albeit briefly. Leonard commented in December 1996, "Lorraine has had a year on her own and she feels that she probably needs a bit of contact – and Grant's quite macho. It was very interesting from my point of view because Lorraine could be perceived as being bitchy and she's not. She genuinely cares about Tiffany and their marriage and the baby and she wants the whole situation sorted out. But she and Grant do like each other and care about each other and it loses control a bit."
Alistair Matthews
Alistair Matthews, played by
Neil Clark, is a store manager who catches
Sarah Hills
The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in 1995, by order of first appearance.
Tiffany Mitchell
Tiffany Mitchell (also Raymond) is played by Martine McCutcheon from 1995 until 1998. The ...
(
Daniela Denby-Ashe
Daniela Jolanta Denby-Ashe (born 9 August 1978) is an English actress. She is best known for playing Sarah Hills on the soap opera ''EastEnders'', Margaret Hale on the period drama ''North and South'', and Janey Harper on the BBC sitcom ''My ...
) shoplifting in April 1996, but promises not to call the police if she attends his Christian fellowship and turns her back on her sinful ways. Sarah is captivated by Alistair's Christian preachings and joins his fellowship.
Frankie Pierre
Frankie Pierre is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders''. She appears between 24 June 1996 and 25 March 1997, played by Syan Blake
Sian Samantha Blake (September 1972 – 14 or 15 December 2015), also known by her stage name Syan Blake, was a British actress, best known for playing Frankie Pierre on the British television show ''EastEnders'', appearing in 56 episodes in 1 ...
) is drawn to Alistair too, and when he turns her advances down, she spreads rumours that they were sexually involved; although Alistair publicly denies this, causing Frankie's downfall in Walford.
Alistair condemns Sarah for having pre-marital sex with
Robbie Jackson
Robbie Jackson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Dean Gaffney. The character was introduced in 1993, but axed in 2003 by executive producer Louise Berridge. He made brief returns in 2004 and 2010 for two ...
(
Dean Gaffney
Dean Martin Gaffney (born 14 February 1978) is an English actor, known for his role as Robbie Jackson on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 1993 to 2003 and 2017 to 2019; he also made guest appearances in 2004, 2010 and 2015. In 2006, he ...
) during a crisis of faith. However, Sarah is hurt to discover that Alistair does not practice the piety that he preaches, and when she realises that he is having pre-marital sex with his girlfriend Sue Taylor (
Charlotte Bellamy
Charlotte Bellamy (born 19 March 1973) is an English actress. She is known for her long-running role as Laurel Thomas in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale''. Her other television roles include Sue Taylor in ''EastEnders'' (1997) and Harriet Potter ...
), she denounces him publicly in front of his congregation.
Jim Branning
Jim Branning is a fictional character from the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
soap opera ''