List Of EastEnders Characters (1993)

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The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the

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soap opera ''

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...

'' in 1993, by order of first appearance. 1994 was a historic year for ''EastEnders'', as in April, a third weekly episode was introduced. Due to the programme's increased frequency, a number of new characters were introduced to the regular cast in the latter part of 1993 and early 1994. Among them were the Jackson family: mother Carol (

Lindsey Coulson Lindsey Coulson (born 13 April 1960) is an English actress, known for her role as Carol Jackson in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders''. For this role, she won the 2000 British Soap Award for Best Dramatic Performance. Coulson is also well known ...

), her four children,

Bianca Bianca is a feminine given name. It means "white" and is an Italian cognate of Blanche. Variants * Blanche: French * Bianca: Italian * Bianka ( Polish, Hungarian, Slovak, German, English, French, Icelandic, Finnish, Dutch, Norwegian, C ...

(

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 ...

Robbie Robbie or Robby is a surname. It is usually encountered as a nickname or a shortened form of Robert, Rob (given name), Rob or Robin (name), Robin. The name experienced a significant rise in popularity in Northern Ireland in 2003. People Given nam ...

(

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 co ...

Sonia Sonia, Sonja or Sonya, a name of Greek origin meaning wisdom, may refer to: People * Sonia (name), a feminine given name (lists people named, Sonia, Sonja and Sonya) :* Sonia (actress), Indian film actress in Malayalam and Tamil films :* Sonia ...

(

Natalie Cassidy Natalie Ann Cassidy (born 13 May 1983) is an English actress. She has played Sonia Fowler in ''EastEnders'' since 1993, appeared in the BBC Two sitcom-horror '' Psychoville'' and was a contestant on the seventh series of ''Strictly Come Dan ...

), and Billie (

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 ...

), as well as Carol's partner

Alan Jackson Alan Eugene Jackson (born October 17, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for blending traditional honky-tonk and mainstream country pop sounds (for a style widely regarded as "neotraditional country"), as well as penning many o ...

(

Howard Antony Howard Antony (born 19 April 1963) is a British actor, best known for playing the role of Alan Jackson, in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 1993 to 1997 and briefly again in 2010. He left ''EastEnders'' and went on to become a drama teacher ...

). Though Carol and Alan were not initially married in the serial, and though Alan was only the biological father of Billie, the whole family took on Alan's surname. The family was created by writer

Tony McHale Tony McHale (born Anthony John Wright, Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire) is a British actor, writer, director and producer, who is known for starring in ''Coronation Street'' and also known as a "stooge" to Jeremy Beadle on ''Game For A Laugh'' ...

. None of the actors cast as the Jackson family were matched for appearance or screen compatibility. Cassidy has commented, "it was all decided without doing that. I don't think it particularly mattered that none of us Jackson kids looked like each other because all our characters had different dads!" Carol was Coulson's first major television role. Various members of the family began to appear sporadically from November 1993 onwards, but in episodes that aired early in 1994, the Jacksons moved from Walford Towers, a block of flats, to the soap's focal setting of

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 ...

. Their slow introduction was a deliberate attempt by the programme makers to introduce the whole family over a long period. The Jacksons have been described by ''EastEnders'' scriptwriter

Colin Brake Colin Brake (born 1962) is an English television writer and script editor best known for his work for the BBC Television, BBC on programmes such as ''Bugs (television programme), Bugs'' and ''EastEnders''. He has also written Doctor Who spin-off ...

as a "classic problem family".

Danny Taurus

Danny Taurus (real name Danny Travis), played by

Billy Boyle Billy Boyle is an Irish actor and singer on British film, television and stage. His recording career included five 45rpm singles for the Decca and Columbia labels, including the novelty song "My Baby's Crazy 'Bout Elvis" (Decca F 11503) in 196 ...

, first appears on 5 January 1993 and leaves on 1 June 1993. Danny, an

East End 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 ...

rock and roll singer, uses the stage name Danny Taurus, and was nearly famous locally when

Pete Pete or Petes or ''variation'', may refer to: People * Pete (given name) * Pete (nickname) * Pete (surname) Fictional characters * Pete (Disney), a cartoon character in the ''Mickey Mouse'' universe * Pete the Pup (a.k.a. 'Petey'), a character ...

( Peter Dean) and Pauline Beale (

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 ...

) were teenagers. In 1993, Danny visits Pete and invites him to a gig. He is more than a pub singer, who dreams of making a comeback. Danny is pleased to meet Pauline again, as he always fancied her when they were at school. Pauline is flattered by the attention and she and Danny go on a few platonic dates—Pauline's motive being to see if Arthur might respond to a bit of competition—but Danny takes it seriously and asks Pauline to go away with him. Pauline is tempted, but she eventually turns Danny down and he goes off in search of his big break.

Rose Chapman

Rose Chapman, played by

Petra Markham Petra Mavis Markham (born 17 March 1944 in Prestbury, Cheshire) is a British theatre, television and film actress. She is a daughter of actor David Markham and writer Olive Dehn (1914–2007). She has three sisters: actress Kika Markham, Sonia ...

, is an old friend of

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 ...

(

) from school.

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) and Rose get on well, particularly when Rose reveals that she once had a crush on him while they were at school together. Over the weeks a romance develops. Despite professing to be very happy with Pete, Rose frequently lets him down, standing him up on dates and disappearing for days without word. Eventually Pete confronts her and she reveals that not only is she married, but she was married to a local gangster named Alfie Chapman, who had a reputation for extreme violence. Although Alfie is in prison, his family are not and they make it clear that they do not approve of Rose seeing Pete. Pete mulls over what to do but eventually decides to brave the Chapmans and remain with Rose. Alfie's sister Annie warns Rose to finish with Pete, or face severe repercussions from his two brothers. Rose remains defiant and goes to visit Alfie in prison, demanding a divorce. This is curtailed when she discovers that Alfie is suffering from terminal cancer and after a period of contemplation she decides to stop seeing Pete so that she can nurse Alfie through his remaining months. However, Rose cannot keep away from Pete and in May she re-enters his life, telling him that she misses him. When Alfie's brothers discover she was seeing Pete again, they beat her badly, causing her to be hospitalised. Pete goes to visit Rose in hospital and they make plans to go into hiding to escape the wrath of the Chapmans. The following day, Pete smuggles Rose out of hospital with

Frank Butcher Frank Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Mike Reid (actor), Mike Reid. Frank makes his first appearance on-screen as a guest character in 1987, but due to a positive viewer reception, he is reintr ...

's ( Mike Reid) help and they then make their getaway to start a new life. In December, news of Alfie Chapman's death reaches Walford. Pauline places an advert in a newspaper, pleading for Pete and Rose to return. They reply, and the residents of Walford plan a party to celebrate their homecoming. However, on the day they are due back, Pauline is contacted by the police with the news that Pete and Rose have been killed by a car accident arranged by the Chapman family.

Aidan Brosnan

Aidan Brosnan, played by

Sean Maguire Sean Maguire (born 18 April 1976 in Ilford, London) is a British-American actor and singer, who rose to fame in 1988 when at the age of eleven he took on the role of "Tegs" Ratcliffe on the BBC children's drama ''Grange Hill'', in which he rem ...

, appears between January and December 1993. A popular character, Aidan is involved in storylines about homelessness, drug-abuse and suicide. His relationship with the character

Mandy Salter Mandy Salter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Nicola Stapleton. Introduced on 12 March 1992 by producer Leonard Lewis, Mandy was portrayed as a teenage tearaway. She was featured in storylines about teen ...

(

Nicola Stapleton Nicola Kathleen Stapleton (born 9 August 1974 in Elephant and Castle, London) is an English actress. She is best known for her roles in ''EastEnders'' as Mandy Salter and ''Emmerdale'' as Danielle Hutch. A graduate of the Sylvia Young Theatre S ...

) is a dominant storyline in the serial throughout 1993. The character of Aidan was introduced on-screen in January 1993 by executive producer,

Leonard Lewis Leonard Jack Lewis (29 November 1927 – 2 December 2005) was a British producer and director. He was most active in television. He was the Executive/Series Producer for BBC's ''EastEnders'' during the early 1990s, though he had success with ma ...

. The role was cast to actor Sean Maguire. Having been a familiar face on children's television for many years, Maguire was previously most famous for playing Tegs in BBC's school drama, ''

Grange Hill ''Grange Hill'' is a British Children's television series, children's television drama series, originally produced by the BBC and portraying life in a typical Comprehensive school (England and Wales), comprehensive school. The show began its ru ...

''. At his audition, Maguire had to show off his football skills and talk in a convincing Irish accent. Although the character's duration was relatively short – he appeared in only 63 episodes of the soap – Aidan became "a very popular" character, particularly with the young audience. ''EastEnders'' scriptwriter Colin Brake has suggested that by the end of his stint in the soap, Sean Maguire's status as a teen pin-up "put him in the

Take That Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead singe ...

league". Sean Maguire's departure upset his fans, though the actor attempted to develop his appeal towards the young audience by becoming a television presenter and a pop singer.

Sanjay Kapoor

Sanjay Kapoor, played by

Deepak Verma Deepak Verma MBE (b. 11 February 1969) is a British actor, writer and television/film producer of Indian Punjabi descent and Hindu heritage. His role as market-stall trader Sanjay Kapoor in long-running BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' brought ...

, is a market trader who has an eye for the ladies and a weakness for gambling. He is always full of big ideas and

get-rich-quick scheme A get-rich-quick scheme is a plan to obtain high rates of return for a small investment. The term "get rich quick" has been used to describe shady investments since at least the early 20th century. Most schemes create an impression that partic ...

s, which never work. In 1998, ''EastEnders'' acquired a new executive producer, Matthew Robinson. Robinson was dubbed "the axeman" in the British press, after a large proportion of the ''EastEnders'' cast either quit, or were culled, shortly after Robinson's introduction. It was reported that Robinson hoped the changes would attract more viewers and "spice up

he soap's fictional setting of He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...

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 ...

". Among the departing characters were long-running Asian family the Kapoors, including Sanjay,

Gita The Bhagavad Gita (; sa, श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता, lit=The Song by God, translit=śrīmadbhagavadgītā;), often referred to as the Gita (), is a 700-Sanskrit prosody, verse Hindu texts, Hindu scripture that is part o ...

(

Shobu Kapoor Shobu Kapoor (born 28 May 1961) is a British actress of Indian descent. Life and career She is most notable for playing the role of Gita Kapoor, the long-suffering wife of market trader Sanjay ( Deepak Verma), in the BBC soap opera ''EastEn ...

) and

Neelam Kapoor 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 b ...

(

Jamila Massey Jamila Massey (born 7 January 1934) is a British actress and writer. Massey has had a long career on UK television and radio. She is known for playing Auntie Satya in the long-running radio soap ''The Archers'', Jamila Ranjha in ''Mind Your Lan ...

). As they were the only Asian characters in the show, ''EastEnders'' received criticism for axing them from MPs including

Oona King Oona Tamsyn King, Baroness King of Bow (born 22 October 1967) is a business executive and former British Labour Party politician. She was a Labour Member of Parliament for Bethnal Green and Bow from 1997 until 2005. Early life Oona King was ...

, MP for

constituency

Bethnal Green Bethnal Green is an area in the East End of London northeast of Charing Cross. The area emerged from the small settlement which developed around the common land, Green, much of which survives today as Bethnal Green Gardens, beside Cambridge Heat ...

and Dr Ashok Kumar.

Gita Kapoor

Gita Kapoor, played by

, has a fierce temper, which is needed to keep her troublesome husband in check. Any success they achieve is down to her. She is the brains behind the Kapoor's clothes business. Gita played by Shobu Kapoor and her husband

Sanjay Sanjay, also spelled Sanjai, Sanjey, Sanje, Sanjaey and Sunjay, is a male given name of Sanskrit origin meaning "triumphant" (from Sañjaya) and may refer to: People * Sanjaya, an important character in the ancient Indian epic ''Mahabharata'' * San ...

(

) were introduced early in 1993 by producer

. They were the first characters of Asian descent to be introduced since the

Karim family The Karims are a fictional family that appear in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' between July 1987 and June 1990. Creation and development The Muslim Karim family are introduced as the owners of the soap's grocery store, the First til Last, f ...

, who departed from the serial in 1990. The Kapoors are the programme's first attempt to portray non-Muslim Asian characters; the Kapoors are practising

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

s, descending from India. Shobu Kapoor auditioned for the role of Gita along with actress

Nina Wadia Nina Wadia (born 18 December 1968) is a British actress and comedian. She is known for portraying Zainab Masood in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', Aunty Noor in Citizen Khan Mrs Hussein in the BBC comedy ''Still Open All Hours'', and for st ...

. Both had been working together on a play prior to auditioning, and neither knew that the other would be attending the audition until they bumped into each other at the casting call. It was Kapoor who was offered the part; Wadia would later go on to play another character years later,

Zainab Masood Zainab Khan (also Masood) is a character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Nina Wadia.

Snip Gibbons

Clive "Snip" Gibbons, played by Steve Sweeney, is a friend of

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 ...

(

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 ...

) and 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 ' ...

). He begins frequenting

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 at the invitation of the Mitchells in February 1993, along with several of their other friends. Nigel Bates ( Paul Bradley) shows obvious dislike for Snip, mainly because he is frequently teased and tormented by him. Bar manager,

Clyde Tavernier Clyde Tavernier is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Steven Woodcock. Introduced on 5 July 1990, Clyde featured in prominent storylines including an inter-racial relationship with Michelle Fowler (Susan Tull ...

(

Steven Woodcock Steven Woodcock (born 23 February 1964) is an English actor, best known for his role as Clyde Tavernier in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''; a role that he played from July 1990 to July 1993. Other television credits include ''Grange Hill'' (1 ...

), also has several run-ins with him. Snip orders him around, acts in a rowdy manner and antagonises him. Clyde becomes too annoyed so he throws Snip and his friends out of The Vic one night, much to the anger of Phil and Grant, who are trying to secure a business deal with Snip. When Snip and his friends refuse to vacate the pub after closing time one evening, Clyde threatens to quit his job unless they leave. They don't, so Clyde quits but he contacts his boss,

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 ...

), who is holidaying in America. Sharon returns to find that many of her regulars are refusing to drink at The Vic, mainly because of Snip. She takes control and bars Grant's friends (including Snip), causing him much humiliation, and he ends up hitting her.And Grant was later arrested for hitting Sharon and a police officer during a disturbance at the Vic a week later witnessed by

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 ...

(

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 ...

Audrey Whittingham

Audrey Whittingham, played by

Shirley Dixon Shirley may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Shirley'' (novel), an 1849 novel by Charlotte Brontë * ''Shirley'' (1922 film), a British silent film * ''Shirley'' (2020 film), an American film * ''Shirley'' (album), a 1961 album by Shirley Bas ...

, kidnaps

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 ...

(

Samantha Leigh Martin 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 ...

) while she is waiting to be collected outside Walford Primary School. A police investigation is launched. Prime suspect is Jack Woodman (

James Gilbey James Gilbey is a former British actor. He is possibly best known for playing the character Jack Woodman in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' during the early 1990s. Gilbey has since given up performing to work "behind the camera" and worked as ...

), who is infatuated with Vicki's mother

(

), however Audrey and Vicki are identified by the shopkeeper of a toy store several days later. Audrey had used a cheque to pay for Vicki's toys and the police were able to trace her to her home. Vicki is returned to her mother unharmed and Audrey is arrested. Michelle becomes very emotional and protective over Vicki for a while after, refusing to let her outside or attend school. She think she can see glimpses of Audrey everywhere she goes, which everyone tells her is impossible, as Audrey has been imprisoned. However, Michelle isn't being paranoid as Audrey turns up on her doorstep shortly after hoping to explain her actions. She has endured a series of tragedies, starting with the death of her baby daughter many years earlier, and later in life the death of one of her sons and her husband. Her other son lives abroad and she has become lonely and desperate. She began to wonder what her daughter would have turned out like and when she saw Vicki alone she decided to take her, although she claims that she intended to bring her back eventually. Michelle is furious and can not forgive Audrey for the trauma she put her and Vicki through.

Sharmilla Kapoor

Sharmilla Kapoor, played by Priya Bilkhu, is the daughter of

and

Gita Kapoor Gita Kapoor is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Shobu Kapoor, from 18 February 1993 to 24 September 1998. Gita has a fierce temper, which is needed to keep her troublesome husband in check. Any success th ...

(

and

), born a month after they arrive in

in 1993. In October 1997, she leaves with her mother to stay with relatives. They are due to return in January 1998, but Sanjay is late to collect them from the station. When he arrives Gita is nowhere to be seen. When there was no sign of Gita or Sharmilla days later, Sanjay contacts the police. Months later, they are still missing and coincidental evidence has led the police to think that Sanjay may have been responsible for their disappearance. He is even arrested and accused of murder, although he is later released without charge. Everyone assumes that Gita and Sharmilla are dead. But in July 1998 Sanjay finds Gita in Birmingham with a new baby boy, Arjun, conceived during a one-night stand. He takes his family home, vowing to raise Arjun as his own. Sanjay and Gita are happy until local reporter

Polly Becker Polly Becker is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Victoria Gould from 25 March 1997 until 22 September 1998. Storylines Polly, a journalist, turns up in Albert Square in March 1997 to report the local happen ...

(

Victoria Gould Victoria Gould is a British actress, best known for playing the character of journalist Polly Becker on the BBC television soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 1997 to 1998. Gould moved on to professional theatre work, and is now a member of progress ...

) discovers their recent scandal and gets it published in the ''Walford Gazette''. Suddenly all of Walford know what had transpired in Gita's absence. Reporters make their lives miserable and Sharmilla is even bullied at school, so they finally decide to leave Walford with Sharmilla in September 1998.

Sylvia Weng-Chung

Sylvia Weng-Chung, played by

Rachel Hiew Rachel () was a Biblical figure, the favorite of Jacob's two wives, and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, two of the twelve progenitors of the tribes of Israel. Rachel's father was Laban. Her older sister was Leah, Jacob's first wife. Her au ...

, is introduced on 1 April 1993. Hiew believed her real-life waitressing experience helped her secure the role. She explained that she served the food well during her audition, but while filming her first scene, she accidentally dropped the food all over the place. An ''

Inside Soap ''Inside Soap'' is a weekly magazine published in the United Kingdom, released every Tuesday. It covers current and future storylines in soap operas in the United Kingdom, including '' Coronation Street'', ''Doctors'', ''EastEnders'', ''Emmerdal ...

'' writer described Sylvia as "a bit of a wild child who speaks her mind", and thought

Kathy Beale Kathy Beale (also Mitchell and Sullivan) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Gillian Taylforth. Portrayed as "an attractive, bright, caring and highly moral woman", Kathy is one of the serial's original ch ...

(

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 ...

) does not know what she was letting herself in for when she hires Sylvia to work in her café. Of her character's personality, Hiew stated: "She's a manic partygoer and she wears the sort of clothes I'd never have the nerve to put on!" When

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 ...

) catering business is closed down, his wife

Cindy Beale Cindy Beale (also Williams) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Michelle Collins. She first appeared 10 May 1988 and originally departed on 27 December 1990, before returning as one of the show's central ...

(

Michelle Collins Michelle Danielle Collins (born 28 May 1962) is an English actress and TV presenter, best known for her roles in the British soap operas ''EastEnders'' and ''Coronation Street''. Collins played Cindy Beale in the BBC soap ''EastEnders'' from ...

) turns to Kathy for help. Kathy employs Ian to work in her café, but as a result, she becomes overstaffed and is forced to fire Sylvia in November 1993. Sylvia is extremely angry and says several unpleasant things about Kathy and her café before departing. Sylvia's surname is never mentioned on screen, and only stated on her official cast card.

Gidea Thompson

Gidea Thompson, played by Sian Martin, made her first appearance on 18 May 1993. Martin recalled that her mother's cleaning lady prayed for her when she auditioned for the role, so when she got it, she immediately went to see her and gave her a hug. Martin admitted that nerves led her to appear awkward and clumsy during her first days on set, so someone had to tell her to correct the way she walked, as she looked ungainly. Martin's character Gidea was introduced as a "mysterious long-lost relative of the Taverniers". An ''

'' writer observed that her short stint would impact the family for years to come. Martin said Gidea's presence "blows up some of the other problems within the family. Things are going to change. People will be coming back and people will be leaving." She also said that things between Gidea and her cousin

(

) would "get pretty steamy", but Gidea initially sees their relationship as just a holiday romance, so Cylde could be hurt if he takes things too seriously. Gidea comes to

from

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...

to visit her grandfather, Jules Tavernier (

Tommy Eytle Thomas Daniel Hicks Eytle (16 July 1926 – 19 June 2007)Wilmer, Val"Tommy Eytle" (obituary) ''The Guardian'', 27 July 2007. Retrieved 3 March 2017. was a Guyanese calypso musician and actor. Although born in Guyana, Eytle's career was based in ...

). Gidea's mother was the result of an affair Jules had in his early 20s and Jules had previously been unaware of her existence. Jules is apprehensive about pursuing a relationship with Gidea at first, and Gidea's arrival upsets the 'status quo' in the Tavernier family.

Hattie Tavernier Hattie Tavernier is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Michelle Gayle between 5 July 1990 and 21 December 1993. Hattie and her family were introduced in July 1990 by producer Michael Ferguson. The Tavernier ...

(

Michelle Gayle Michelle Patricia Gayle (born 2 February 1971) is a British singer, songwriter, actress and writer. Gayle had success as a soul and R&B singer in the 1990s, having achieved seven top 40 singles in the UK Singles Chart. These include "Sweetness" ...

) takes an instant dislike to her. Gidea decides to leave Walford in the same month, however, her cousin Clyde Tavernier has grown close to her, so he sets about searching London to track her down. The following month, Clyde manages to find her, and after much persuading, Gidea decides to return to Walford so she can get to know her family. She meets her uncle

Celestine Tavernier Celestine and Etta Tavernier are fictional characters from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Leroy Golding and Jacqui Gordon-Lawrence respectively. Both appear primarily in the serial as a married couple between 1990 and 1992. Celest ...

(

Leroy Golding Celestine and Etta Tavernier are fictional characters from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Leroy Golding and Jacqui Gordon-Lawrence respectively. Both appear primarily in the serial as a married couple between 1990 and 1992. Celest ...

) when he returns for Hattie's cancelled wedding, and tells him Jules is her grandfather. She also supports a pregnant Hattie, who considers having an abortion and later changes her mind. Gidea and Clyde grow a lot closer, and even though they are half-cousins, they embark on a relationship. Clyde tries to convince Gidea to extend her visa, but she tells him that she is only in England for a holiday and her life is back in Trinidad. Jules is opposed to their relationship and tries to put a stop to it, but Gidea and Clyde ignore his protests and they eventually decide to leave Walford for a new life together in Trinidad with Clyde's son

Kofi Tavernier The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in 1990, by order of first appearance. Harry Osborne In January 1990, a mysterious old man ( John Boswall) is seen lingering around Albert Square ...

(Marcel Smith).

Debbie Bates

Debbie Bates, played by

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'' ...

, appears from 1993 to 1995. She was introduced as a love-interest for Nigel Bates ( Paul Bradley), but was killed off in 1995 on Duffett's request. Duffett grew weary of playing Debbie saying she became too boring and drippy, and asked the producers of ''EastEnders'' to kill her character off in 1995, which they did; Debbie was killed in a hit-and-run motor accident. Duffett has commented, "I left ''EastEnders'' of my own accord, without a shadow of a doubt. I begged to be killed. I ran to the script editor's office. Every time I see him at a party he says, 'I'll never forget you.' Because I ran in crying, 'Kill me NOW! I can't stand it.' Because the part was so boring. I played this simpering wimp, Debbie. All I did was walk into the Vic and say, 'Where's Nigel?'" Duffett has stated that she has no regrets about leaving the role, and that she wanted her character killed so she had no opportunity to ever return as she worried about being typecast.

Nadia Mitchell

Nadia Mitchell (also Borovac), played by Anna Barkan, is

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 ...

's (

) first wife. They have a marriage of convenience so Nadia can stay in the country, but Phil soon regrets his decision as a result of personal problems between them.

Storylines

Nadia Borovac first came to Albert Square in June 1993 and she soon catches the attention of local hardman

(

). They soon bond up to the point where Nadia admits to Phil her reasons for coming in to the square. Phil responds by giving fellow neighbour

(

) a lift to

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

so she can stop her boyfriend,

Steve Elliot Steve Elliot is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Mark Monero between 8 October 1991 and 12 February 1996. Storylines Steve is first seen in Albert Square in October 1991 as an old school friend of Hattie ...

(

Mark Monero Mark Monero (born 1968) is a British actor and musician. He has had various roles including parts in ''Babylon'', ''Wilt'', ''Prayer for the Dying'', ''Sid and Nancy'' and remains best known for his role as Steve Elliot in the BBC soap opera '' ...

), from leaving the country. Phil waits for her in a nearby bar and meets Nadia. Nadia is a Romanian refugee who came over to England to be with her boyfriend,

Marku Marku is an Albanian surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Albion Marku (born 2000), Albanian footballer * Antonio Marku (born 1992), Albanian footballer * Florian Marku (born 1996), Albanian boxer * Herald Marku (born 1996), Albani ...

(

Ravil Isyanov Ravil Akhmedullovich Isyanov (russian: Равиль Ахмедуллович Исьянов; 20 August 1962 – 29 September 2021) was a Russian actor who appeared in over 70 film and television roles, primarily in the United States. He was most ...

) – another immigrant, who has been able to stay in the UK due to a marriage of convenience with an English woman. Nadia is sure that she will be

deported Deportation is the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. The term ''expulsion'' is often used as a synonym for deportation, though expulsion is more often used in the context of international law, while deportation ...

. Feeling sorry for her, Phil agrees to marry her so she can stay in the country. He brings her to

and they marry on 8 July 1993. Nadia then leaves to live with her boyfriend. Nadia returns in November, needing Phil to play her husband in more realistic ways to prevent her from being deported. While she has been away, Phil has started dating

(

) and has not told Kathy about Nadia. When he does tell Kathy, she takes an instant dislike to Nadia. Nadia persuades Phil to allow her to move in with him while the home office investigate and convinces the representative that the relationship is legitimate. However, she does not tell Phil this so he feels that he has no choice but to let her live with him. Feeling jealous of her husband's real girlfriend, Nadia makes things as difficult as possible for them and finally seduces Phil at Christmas 1993 and sleeps with him. Phil regrets it instantly, but Nadia refuses to give up and after getting drunk, she tells Kathy about their tryst. Phil denies it and throws Nadia out in January 1994. She disappears after Grant Mitchell (

) threatens to kill her if he ever sees her again. Phil and Kathy decide to get married later that year and consequently he goes looking for Nadia as he needs to find her but is unsuccessful. However, Phil visits Marku and finds Nadia with him. She is still angry about the way Phil and Grant had treated her and when Phil asks for a divorce, she refuses. Phil threatens to report her to the authorities, but she promises that if he does, she will disappear and he will then have to wait another two years for a divorce without her consent. However, the following week, Nadia returns to Walford and tells Phil she will divorce him and move to Germany if he gives her £1,000. Phil is angry about her blackmail but has no choice so he gives her the money, after which Nadia leaves and is not seen again.

Clare Bates

Clare Bates, played by

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 ...

, appears from 1993 to 1998, and again in 2008. She first left the serial with her screen stepfather Nigel Bates, when his actor Paul Bradley opted to leave. After a ten-year hiatus, Bissix returned to the role on 1 February 2008. The character was transformed from "cute and sweet" into a gold digging "maneater", chasing wealthy men for their money. The British media focused on the character's penchant for revealing clothing, and while she was praised by some critics, it was suggested that she was underused upon her return. Bissix again left ''EastEnders'' at the end of her contract in the summer of 2008. Her departing episode first aired on 7 August 2008.

Meena McKenzie

Meena McKenzie, played by

Sudha Bhuchar Sudha Bhuchar (born ) is a Tanzanian-born British Asian actor, playwright, and co-founder of the Tamasha Theatre Company. She is best known for Tamasha's ''Balti Kings'' (1999), ''A Fine Balance'' (2005), ''The Trouble with Asian Men'' (2005), and ...

, is the sister of

(

). Meena and Gita's husband,

Sanjay Kapoor Sanjay Surinder Kapoor (born 17 October 1965) is an Indian actor and film producer. He works in Hindi cinema, Indian television and web series. He is a member of the Surinder Kapoor family. Kapoor is the founder and director of Sanjay Kapoor ...

(

) do not get along with each other, so when Gita suspects Sanjay of having an affair in 1993, Meena is the last person she expects; she discovers their infidelity by catching them in bed together. The Kapoors separate for a while and the McKenzies marriage ends, while Gita refuses to see her sister ever again. However, Gita eventually forgives Sanjay, and in 1995, Meena constructs a ploy to make contact with her sister again. She instructs her new fiancée

Guppy Sharma 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 ...

(

Lyndam Gregory Lyndam Gregory (c. 1955 – 15 July 2014) was an Indian-born British theatre, television, soap opera, and voiceover actor. His best known credits include his portrayal of Sammy Patel on ''Coronation Street'' in 1983, his recurring role as Guppy Sh ...

), to liaise with Gita about a business proposition for their clothing stall while keeping his connection to Meena a secret. However, Guppy and Gita develop feelings for each other, although nothing sexual occurs. When Meena eventually unveils that she had masterminded Guppy and Gita's meeting in January 1996, she is furious to discover that Guppy is actually smitten with Gita and has kissed her. Refusing to believe that Guppy feels anything for Gita other than pity, Meena goes ahead with her plan to marry Guppy, although Guppy later reveals that the wedding was cancelled.

Zoe Newton

Zoe Newton (also Cotton), played by Elizabeth Chadwick in 1993 and then by Tara Ellis in a spin-off episode in 2000 and a few episodes in 2001, arrives in

as the girlfriend of

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), along with their son

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 ...

(Rossi Higgins). She was in an on and off relationship with Nick since 1982 but had not appeared previously in Walford and had never met Nick's mother Dot (

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 ...

) until she arrives in 1993. She is keen that Dot gets a chance to meet her grandson, and Dot and Ashley eventually grow close after a few meetings. She and Nick are planning to move away to

Gravesend Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, situated 21 miles (35 km) east-southeast of Charing Cross (central London) on the Bank (geography), south bank of the River Thames and opposite Tilbury in Essex. Located in the diocese of Ro ...

and Zoe wants Dot to come and live with them. Dot is reluctant at first but later agrees to move away and leaves Walford with them in August 1993. When Dot returns to Walford in 1997 she reveals that off-screen Zoe and Ashley had moved away after Zoe grew tired of Nick's criminal activities and he had been arrested for drugs possession. Zoe is seen onscreen in a special spin-off episode entitled ''

Return of Nick Cotton ''EastEnders'' is a British soap opera that has aired on BBC One since 19 February 1985. Several spin-off shows have been made, some of which use the narrative of flashbacks to look at the history of the characters such as " CivvyStreet". Others ...

'' which first aired on 1 October 2000. In the episode, Nick is released from prison and reunites with Ashley and Zoe after Zoe's brother Eddie tells Nick about her whereabouts. Zoe isn't happy to see him back and offers him money and a divorce to leave for good. Some thugs then come after him. After trying to escape from the thugs, he and Ashley steal a car to escape them. Zoe doesn't want Ashley to go with Nick knowing how much of a bad influence he is but she cannot stop him and he drives off with Nick back to Walford. When Nick and Ashley return to Walford in November 2000, Nick gets into a feud with his old enemy

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 ...

(

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 ...

). It leads to Nick cutting the brakes on Mark's motorbike in June 2001. Ashley steals the bike and dies after crashing into a shop window. Zoe is devastated when she returns for his funeral and attacks Nick, blaming him for Ashley's death. She knew that Nick would never be a good father to Ashley and Ashley should have never come with Nick to Walford. After the funeral, she leaves Walford and has not been seen or heard from since.

Ashley Cotton

Ashley Cotton, played by Rossi Higgins in 1993 and then by

Frankie Fitzgerald Frankie Fitzgerald (born 28 April 1985, in South London) is an English actor, best known for his role as Nick Cotton's son Ashley in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. Career Fitzgerald trained at The Webber Douglas Academy of Performing Arts, ...

in 2000 to 2001, is the son of

( John Altman). The character first appears in July 1993, after coming to Walford for the first time with his mother and meeting his grandmother, Dot (

). However, in August he leaves Walford with his family to move to Gravesend. Writing for ''

The People The ''Sunday People'' is a British tabloid Sunday newspaper. It was founded as ''The People'' on 16 October 1881. At one point owned by Odhams Press, The ''People'' was acquired along with Odhams by the Mirror Group in 1961, along with the ' ...

'' in July 2000,

Sharon Marshall Sharon Jean Marshall (born 21 September 1971) is a British entertainment journalist and screenwriter best known for being the resident "Soap Expert" from 2003 to 2022 on ITV's '' This Morning''. Television career In 2006, Marshall appeared as ...

revealed Ashley would be returning to ''EastEnders'' now played by Frankie Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald was appearing in a variety show when he was spotted by a talent scout who suggested he send some photos to the

...
's casting department. A few months later, Fitzgerald was asked to audition for the role of Ashley. While on his way home from the audition, Fitzgerald was told he had won the part. Marshall revealed Fitzgerald was hired after producers noted his resemblance to John Altman, who plays his on screen father, Nick. An ''EastEnders'' spokesperson said "They could easily be father and son. They've got the same brooding dark-haired looks." Marshall said Fitzgerald was set to "steal the show – as well as a few young Walford hearts" as Ashley. She also stated the character would be a chip off the old block, spelling trouble for the residents of Albert Square. Of his casting, Fitzgerald said "I am thrilled and honoured to be playing Nick Cotton's son and can't wait to work with John. People keep asking me what the storylines are but I am as eager as everyone to know." Fitzgerald made his debut as Ashley on 27 July 2000, and appeared until June 2001.

Liam Tyler

Liam Tyler, played by

Francis Magee Francis Magee (born 7 June 1959) is an Irish actor. He portrayed Liam Tyler in British soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 1993 to 1995. He has also appeared in numerous television shows and feature films, including ''Sahara'' (2005), ''Layer Cake'' ...

, is the biological father of

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 ...

(

) and the former husband of

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 ...

(

). Liam first appears not long after Debbie and Clare arrive in

, having tracked them down after he had been abusing Debbie. Liam does everything in his power to split up Debbie and her new love interest, Nigel Bates ( Paul Bradley), but his efforts fail. Liam returns to the Square again after Debbie's sudden death in 1995, attempting to gain custody of Clare. Clare wants to stay with Nigel and a court case ensues, Nigel ultimately wins when Liam's girlfriend Caroline Webber (Francesca Hall) admits that he had been abusive toward her. Nigel subsequently adopts Clare, who takes his surname.

Bianca Jackson

Bianca Butcher (also Jackson) is played by

. The character was introduced by executive producer

and appeared initially from 1993 to 1999, when Palmer opted to leave. In 2002 executive producer John Yorke brought the character back for a special spin-off show. She returned to ''EastEnders'' as a full-time character in April 2008, reintroduced by executive producer

Diederick Santer Diederick Santer (born 3 July 1969) is a British television producer and is best known for his work on the popular BBC television soap opera ''EastEnders'', a post which he assumed on 23 October 2006 and left on 1 March 2010. He was Chief Execu ...

. Palmer took maternity leave in 2010, and Bianca was temporarily written out on 21 January 2011. She announced her return on 19 July and made her return on 15 December 2011. During her first run on the show during the 1990s, she is known for her bizarre sense of style, her sharp tongue and fiery temper and for screaming "Rickaaaaaaay!" at her husband. Bianca has been featured in storylines including affairs, feuds, bereavements, family problems, spina bifida and abortion, a problematic marriage to

Ricky Butcher Ricky Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Sid Owen. Introduced as a school boy in 1988, Ricky is one of the longest-running male protagonists to feature in ''EastEnders''. Owen originally left the ro ...

(

Sid Owen Sid Owen (born David Sutton; 12 January 1972) is an English actor, television presenter and former singer, who played Ricky Butcher in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' on and off since 1988. He also appeared in the tenth series of ''Strict ...

) and the revelation of her 15-year-old adoptive daughter

Whitney Dean Whitney Dean (also Carter) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Shona McGarty. The character is the ward of long-running character Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer) and was introduced on 1 April 2008 when Pal ...

(

Shona McGarty Shona McGarty (born 14 October 1991) is an English actress and singer who portrays Whitney Dean in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Career Before joining ''EastEnders'', McGarty had been involved in amateur musical theatre for six years, in ...

) being sexually abused by her fiancé Tony King (

Chris Coghill Christopher Coghill (born 11 April 1975http://web.researcha.com/iccquery/detail/?did=816979&c=uk) is an English actor, having had roles in '' Shameless'', ''Burn It'', ''Hotel Babylon (BBC series), Hotel Babylon'', ''The Bill'', ''New Tricks'', ...

) and his subsequent arrest for paedophilia.

Alan Jackson

Alan Jackson is played by

. He originally appears between 1993 and 1997, and returns on 12 October 2010 for three episodes. Kind-hearted Alan gives the Jackson family some much needed stability. He loves and cares for Carol's (

) children as if they are his own. Their relationship does not go so smoothly however. Carol's stubborn and nagging nature eventually drives him into the arms of another woman. Alan has been described as a good, reliable, hard-working father and well integrated into his community. Alan's main storyline during his initial four years in ''EastEnders'' surrounds his interracial marriage to Carol Jackson and being a paternal figure to Carol's children, three of whom were fathered by other men. Antony has revealed that his portrayal was partly based on his own life experiences, as he had grown up with siblings with different fathers to his own. Antony told author Larry Jaffee, "Alan was so family oriented, but I liked that a young black guy who was very responsible, mature – that was something that I was very comfortable with because it was something I grew up with to a point. To me, if you love someone you love everything about them. It's not 'I love you, but I don't love your kids'. It was something I was very glad to do. The whole black-and-white thing, I think we're at a stage now that people are more informed."

Carol Jackson

Carol Jackson, played by

, was introduced in 1993 as part of a new problem family. Coulson decided to quit the role in 1997, but she returned temporarily in 1999 as part of a storyline that marked Carol's daughter Bianca's (

exit. On 25 October 2009 it was confirmed that she would return along with other members of the Jackson family,

(

) and Billie (

), on 15 February 2010, although her first appearance in 2010 is in ''EastEnders: Last Tango in Walford'', an episode released exclusively to DVD on 8 February 2010. 1994 was a historic year for ''EastEnders'', as in April, a third weekly episode was introduced. Due to the programme's increased frequency, a number of new characters were introduced to the regular cast in the latter part of 1993 and early 1994. Among them were the Jackson family: mother Carol, her four children, Bianca, Robbie, Sonia and Billie, as well as Carol's partner

(

). Though Carol and Alan are not initially married in the serial, and though Alan is only the biological father of Billie, the whole family took on Alan's surname. The family was created by writer

Sonia Fowler

Sonia Fowler, played by

, is the youngest daughter of

Carol Jackson Carol Jackson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Lindsey Coulson. The character was introduced in 1993 as the mother of the Jackson family. Coulson decided to quit the role in 1997, but she returned te ...

(

). Her first appearance is on 2 December 1993 and she leaves on 2 February 2007. However, she returns briefly in 2010 along with other members of the Jackson family and re-appears on the soap from 8 to 18 February 2010. She returns again for a single episode on 21 January 2011. Natalie Cassidy won the award for "Best Actress" for the role of Sonia, at the 2001 ''

British Soap Awards The British Soap Awards (BSAs) are an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom which honours the best moments in British soap operas. The ceremony is televised on ITV and has been presented by Phillip Schofield since 2006. The trophies give ...

''. Additionally, in 2004, Cassidy was awarded "best dramatic performance by a young actor or actress" for the role. Referencing Sonia's foray into lesbianism in 2005, TV critic Grace Dent branded the character "the worst lesbian ever", adding, "The only lesbians with less lesbian tendencies than you are the women on the front cover of the Horny Triple-X Lesbian Specials which they keep at eye level by the sweets in my corner shop. Time to make a u-turn." Lesbian website AfterEllen.com was also critical of the storyline that saw Sonia experimenting with her sexuality and then returning to her heterosexual orientation shortly after.

Lucy Beale

Lucy Beale, played by Eva Brittin-Snell from 1993 to 1996, Casey Anne Rothery from 1996 until 2004, Melissa Suffield from 2004 to 2010 and Hetti Bywater from 2012 to 2015 is the daughter of Ian Beale, Ian (

) and

(

). She is the twin sister of Peter Beale, Peter (Thomas Law), and has three half siblings, older brother Steven Beale, Steven (Edward Savage (footballer), Edward Savage, Aaron Sidwell), younger sister Cindy Williams (EastEnders), Cindy (Eva Sayer) and younger brother Bobby Beale (EastEnders), Bobby (Alex Francis). Apart from her on-screen birth, the character has few storylines of her own until 2004 when the role was recast to an older actress. Storylines featuring Lucy have since focused upon her teenage rebellion. In 2010, Suffield left ''EastEnders'', after she was allegedly axed due to "unruly behaviour." On 14 November 2011, it was announced Lucy would be returning in 2012 with Bywater taking over the role. She returned on 12 January 2012. In February 2014 it was announced that the character would be Who Killed Lucy Beale?, killed off. She made her final appearance on 22 April 2014 when her father goes to identify her body. In July 2007, Gareth McLean of ''The Guardian'' lamented the lack of strong female characters in ''EastEnders'', noting that Lucy "is yet to come into her own". Fellow ''Guardian'' critic Grace Dent commented on the repetitive nature of ''EastEnders'' storylines by comparing Lucy's relationship with Jane Beale, Jane (Laurie Brett) to the fraught mother-daughter bond between Kat Slater, Kat (Jessie Wallace) and Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan).

Peter Beale

Peter Beale, played by Francis Brittin-Snell from 1993 to 1996, Alex Stevens from 1997 to 1998, Joseph Shade from 1998 to 2004, James Martin from 2004 to 2006, Thomas Law from 2006 until 2010, Ben Hardy (actor), Ben Hardy from 2013 to 2015 and Dayle Hudson from 2020 to 2022, is the son of Ian Beale, Ian (

) and

(

). He is the twin brother of Lucy Beale, Lucy (Hetti Bywater), and has three half siblings, older brother Steven Beale, Steven (Edward Savage (footballer), Edward Savage, Aaron Sidwell), younger sister Cindy Williams (EastEnders), Cindy (Eva Sayer) and younger brother Bobby Beale (EastEnders), Bobby (Alex Francis). Peter left ''EastEnders'' on 24 December 2010, with a return not ruled out but unconfirmed. Peter was introduced in 1993 along with his twin sister Lucy Beale, Lucy, and was originally played by Francis Brittin-Snell as a baby and toddler from 1993 to 1996. In 1997, the role was given to Alex Stevens and he played Peter until 1998. Joseph Shade took over until 2004 and James Martin played him from 2004 until 2006. It was announced on 17 August 2006 that actor Thomas Law had been cast as Peter. Law said of the role: "I couldn't believe it when I heard that I got the part, I'm really excited as I am a big fan of ''EastEnders''." He made his first appearance on 31 August 2006. He is described on the ''

'' website as being laid back, and Ian's "golden boy". In May 2009, Executive producer

praised the younger cast of ''EastEnders'', including Law. Stuart Heritage from ''The Guardian'' expressed a dislike for Peter in April 2010, saying he should be written out, "before his increasingly spectacular haircut goes power mad and starts to colonise the entire set. Also, his voice has been breaking for what seems like seven full years, so he could probably use his new-found free time to consult a doctor or something."

Kevin

Kevin, played by John Pickard (British actor), John Pickard, is a recurring character appearing from 1993 to 1996. He is the teenage friend of Robbie Jackson (

), who first appears along with Robbie in December 1993. He and Robbie frequently get into trouble doing such things as stealing alcohol from

public house. They joyride

's ( Mike Reid) car and crash it into

's (

) wall on

in April 1994. Robbie is left unconscious in the wreckage, while Kevin flees home, fearing the repercussions. Robbie isn't seriously harmed, and manages to avoid trouble from the police because he is a minor. Kevin eventually pays for the damage in July 1994, after inheriting money from his recently deceased grandmother. Kevin is with Robbie in October 1994, when they find Wellard the dog, who becomes Robbie's inseparable sidekick. Kevin also attends the Jacksons' house party in January 1995, where he gets extremely drunk and tries unsuccessfully to seduce all of Bianca Jackson's (

) friends. He is forced to help clear the mess the following day after a riot breaks out at the party and the police are called in. Later in the year, Robbie is fired from his paper round, for dumping all the newspapers without delivering them. Kevin goes behind his back and takes the job, then proceeds to call on Robbie's old customers for a Christmas bonus. Kevin and Robbie try another money making scheme in December 1995, when they go carol singing under the guise that they are collecting money for the widow of a deceased scoutmaster. Robbie's sister, Bianca, finds out about the scam and blackmails them into giving her a cut of their proceeds. This eventually leads to further scamming, when they attend a pensioners bingo night at an old people's home. However, they are caught out when one of the residents turns out to be the widow of the deceased scoutmaster and they are forced to hand over all their profits to her. Kevin last appears in February 1996, where he and Robbie get a free haircut from a trainee hairdresser. Robbie is given highlights, which turn out disastrously, much to Kevin's amusement.

Robbie Jackson

Robbie Jackson, played by

from 1993 to 2003, is the eldest son of

(

). The character was axed in 2003 by executive producer Louise Berridge. He makes brief returns in 2004 and 2010 for two family weddings, and in 2015 for Carol's exit storyline. Introduced as a 15-year-old school boy, Robbie is initially portrayed as troublesome; frequently playing truant, occasionally shoplifting and, as author Kate Lock suggests, "generally making a nuisance of himself". However, Lock observes that this aspect of the character was toned down eventually, and "the unfortunate Robbie became less of a lout and more of a [...] prat, forever mucking things up and being the fall guy." Gaffney reprised the role briefly in 2004, when he returned as Robbie to attend his sister Sonia Fowler, Sonia's (

) wedding. The character's return was only scripted for a couple of episodes. Gaffney has expressed an interest in returning, commenting in 2006. On 25 October 2009, it was announced that Gaffney would once again reprise his role. The family return for Bianca's (

) second wedding to

(

) as part of the show's 25th anniversary. Executive producer

explained that he wanted great stories to get people talking, saying "The wedding is the perfect opportunity for us to bring back the much-loved Jackson characters – Carol, Sonia, Robbie and Billie (

)."

Billie Jackson

Billie Jackson, played by

from 1993 to 1997 and again in 2010, and by Bluey Robinson for a brief spell in 2004, is the son of Carol and

(

and

). After initially leaving in 1997, Billie returns in 2010, along with other members of the Jackson family. It was confirmed in November 2009 that Anderson would reprise the role, 13 years after he was last seen on the soap. He made his return on 4 February 2010. The character was killed off in October 2010, and made his last credited appearance on 14 October. Billie's death was nominated in the 'Best Single Episode' category at the 2011

. In October 2011, Anderson was nominated for one award, at the Screen Nation Awards which celebrate the best British Black talent. He was nominated for the Emerging Talent award.

Nellie Ellis

Nellie Ellis, played by Elizabeth Kelly, was introduced as the interfering relative of

(

) in 1993 and appears regularly until 1998. She makes a further guest appearance in 2000 for the funeral of Ethel Skinner (Gretchen Franklin). Nellie has been described as a "pantomime baddie". Her name precedes her in the soap before her initial appearance as she is frequently used as an excuse for Pauline to leave the soap's setting to visit her. Author Kate Lock described Nellie as stingy and an interfering old busybody. She stated, "When stingy Nellie wasn't giving Arthur Fowler, Arthur (Bill Treacher) grief, she was flirting in a button-up sort of way with Jules Tavernier (

)."

David Wicks

David Wicks, played by Michael French, originally appears between 1993 and 1996. He returns on 1 January 2012, for the departure storyline of his mother Pat Butcher (Pam St. Clement), and departs again on 13 January 2012. In September 2011, it was rumoured that David and Simon Wicks (Nick Berry) were to return to ''EastEnders'' for Pat's departure storyline. A BBC spokesperson declined to comment on the report, saying "There has been a lot of speculation surrounding Pat's departure, however we are not going to comment on rumours at this stage as we don't want to spoil the storyline for viewers." On 13 November 2011, it was confirmed French would be reprising his role as David after an absence of 15 years. In All About Soap Awards 2012, Michael French won the Best Comeback award for his brief return as David Wicks. It was confirmed in July 2013 that David will return to ''EastEnders'' later in the year. David returned in September 2013, but in May 2014 (eight months after his return), French announced he was to leave the show again. David left the show on 30 May 2014, following the breakdown of his relationship with

(

Others

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Eastenders Characters (1993) Lists of EastEnders characters, 1993 Television characters introduced in 1993, *, EastEnders 1993 in British television