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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 ''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 2018, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive consultant, John Yorke.

Madhav Sharma Madhav Sharma (born 12 November 1939) is an Indian-British actor. Early life Sharma studied at the Scottish Church College in Kolkata, India and later, at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in Bloomsbury, London. Following the death of his m ...

and Indira Joshi made their first appearances in January as

Arshad Ahmed The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in 2018, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive consultant, John Yorke (producer), John Yorke. Madhav Sh ...

and

Mariam Ahmed The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 2018, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive consultant, John Yorke. Madhav Sharma and Indira Josh ...

, the uncle and aunt of

Masood Ahmed Masood Ahmed is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Nitin Ganatra. The character made his first appearance in episode 3452, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on 16 October 2007. Masood was introduced as p ...

(

Nitin Ganatra Nitin Chandra Ganatra (born 30 June 1967) is a Kenyan-born British actor. He is known for portraying Masood Ahmed in the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders''. Early and personal life Ganatra was born on 30 June 1967 in Kenya. Both sides of Ganatra's ...

). Halfway (

Tony Clay Tony David Clay (born 8 August 1991) is an English actor. He is best known for portraying the role of Callum "Halfway" Highway in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' since 2018. Early and personal life Clay was born in Bexley, Kent on 8 August ...

), a friend of the Carter family,

Ciara Maguire The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in 2018, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive consultant, John Yorke. Madhav Sharma and Indira Josh ...

(Denise McCormack), the former wife of

Aidan Maguire The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in 2017, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive producer Sean O'Connor or, from 27 November, his succ ...

(

Patrick Bergin Patrick Connolly Bergin (born 4 February 1951) is an Irish actor and singer perhaps best known for his leading role opposite Julia Roberts in ''Sleeping with the Enemy'' (1991), the title character in Robin Hood (1991 film), terrorist Kevin O ...

), and Daisy (Amelie Smith), one of Arshad and Mariam's foster children, also debuted in January. Dan and Ashley (Ifan Meredith and Ashley Cook), Daisy's adoptive parents, Hunter Owen, the son of

Mel Owen Melanie "Mel" Owen (also Healy and Beale) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Tamzin Outhwaite. Mel was introduced by executive producer Matthew Robinson and made her first appearance on 19 October 1998 ...

(

Tamzin Outhwaite Tamzin Maria Outhwaite (; born 5 November 1970) is an English actress, presenter and narrator. Since playing the role of Mel Owen in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', she has starred in a number of theatre and television productions, including ...

) and her dead husband Steve (

Martin Kemp Martin John Kemp (born 10 October 1961) is an English musician and actor, best known as the bassist in the new wave band Spandau Ballet and for his role as Steve Owen in ''EastEnders''. He is the younger brother of Gary Kemp, who is also a ...

Hayley Slater The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 2018, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive consultant, John Yorke. Madhav Sharma and Indira Josh ...

(

Katie Jarvis Katie Jarvis (born 22 June 1991) is an English actress, known for her roles as Mia Williams in ''Fish Tank'' (2009) and Hayley Slater in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' (2018–2019). Career Jarvis was seen by a casting agent working for dir ...

), the cousin of

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

(

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

), and

Georgi Georgi may refer to: * Georgi (given name) * Georgi (surname) See also * Georgy (disambiguation) *Georgii (disambiguation) Georgii may refer to: ;Given name * Georgii Zantaraia (born 1987), Ukrainian judoka of Georgian origin * Georgii Karpechenko ...

(Holly Donovan) first appear in February.

Mitch Baker Mitch Baker may refer to: *Mitch Baker (Grand Theft Auto), fictional character from the video game ''Grand Theft Auto'' * Mitch Baker (''EastEnders''), fictional character in ''EastEnders'' See also *Mitchell Baker Winifred Mitchell Baker (born ...

(

Roger Griffiths Roger Griffiths (born 6 February 1965) is an English actor who has had several roles in television. He first rose to prominence opposite Lenny Henry as Gareth Blackstock's foil Everton Stonehead in BBC One 1990s sitcom ''Chef!''. Before starri ...

Keegan Baker The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 2017, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive producer Sean O'Connor or, from 27 November, his succ ...

's ( Zack Morris) father, and

Harley Harley may refer to: People * Harley (given name) * Harley (surname) Places * Harley, Ontario, a township in Canada * Harley, Brant County, Ontario, Canada * Harley, Shropshire, England * Harley, South Yorkshire, England * Harley Street, in L ...

, a foster child of Mariam and Arshad, debuts in March.

Judith Thompson Judith Clare Thompson, OC (born September 20, 1954) is a Canadian playwright who lives in Toronto, Ontario. She has twice been awarded the Governor General's Award for drama, and is the recipient of many other awards including the Order of Canad ...

(

Emma Fielding Emma Georgina Annalies Fielding (born 07 October 1964 in Catterick, North Riding of Yorkshire) is an English actress. Biography The daughter of a British Army officer, Colonel Johnny Fielding, and Sheila Fielding, she was raised Catholic and ...

), the daughter of

Ted Murray The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 2017, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive producer Sean O'Connor or, from 27 November, his succ ...

(

Christopher Timothy Christopher is the English version of a Europe-wide name derived from the Greek name Χριστόφορος (''Christophoros'' or '' Christoforos''). The constituent parts are Χριστός (''Christós''), "Christ" or "Anointed", and φέρει� ...

) and

Joyce Murray Joyce Murray (born July 11, 1954) is a Canadian politician, businesswoman and environmental advocate. A member of the Liberal Party of Canada, she has represented the riding of Vancouver Quadra in the House of Commons since 2008. She was re-e ...

(

Maggie Steed Maggie is a common short form of the name Magdalena, Magnolia, Margaret. Maggie may refer to: People Women * Maggie Adamson, Scottish musician * Maggie Aderin-Pocock (born 1968), British scientist * Maggie Alderson (born 1959), Aust ...

), and Harley's parents, Bijan (Jonas Khan) and

Chloe Chloe (; ), also spelled Chloë, Chlöe, or Chloé, is a feminine name meaning "blooming" or "fertility" in Greek. The name ultimately derives, through Greek, from the Proto-Indo-European root ', which relates to the colors yellow and green. T ...

(Lauren Fitzpatrick), appear in April.

Henry Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) * Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

( Andrew Alexander) also debuts in April. May sees the introductions of

Stuart Highway Stuart Highway is a major Australia, Australian highway. It runs from Darwin, Northern Territory, Darwin, in the Northern Territory, via Tennant Creek and Alice Springs, to Port Augusta in South Australia; a distance of . Its northern and sou ...

(

Ricky Champ Ricky Champ (born 1 July 1980) is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Paul Parker in the BBC Three sitcom ''Him & Her'', and Stuart Highway in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Champ has also appeared in ''Crims'', ''Plebs'', and th ...

), Halfway's brother, Umar Kazemi (

Selva Rasalingam Selva Rasalingam is a British actor. He has appeared on stage in London's West End and for the Royal Shakespeare Company. He has made many appearances in UK television series including ''Doctor Who'', ''Luther'' and '' Hustle'', and on film incl ...

), the father of

Kush Kazemi 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. ...

(

Davood Ghadami Davood Ghadami ( fa, داوود قدمی; born 7 August 1982) is an English actor. Following his appearances in ''Taggart'' in 2010, he appeared in the BBC medical programmes ''Doctors'' and ''Casualty'' in recurring roles. In 2014, he began po ...

) and Shakil Kazemi (

Shaheen Jafargholi Shaheen Jafargholi ( fa, شاهین جعفرقلی; born 23 January 1997) is a Welsh actor and singer. In 2009, he finished in seventh place on the ITV competition series ''Britain's Got Talent''. Since then, he has portrayed the roles of Shak ...

), and

Darius Kazemi Darius Kazemi (born 1983) is an American computer programmer and artist. Kazemi and Courtney Stanton are the co-founders of the technology collective Feel Train. Early life Kazemi was born on July 28, 1983. He attended Thomas Jefferson High Sch ...

(Ash Rizi), Kush and Shakil's brother.

Amal Hussain The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 2018, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive consultant, John Yorke. Madhav Sharma and Indira Josh ...

(Natasha Jayetileke) appears in June, while

Jessica Jones Jessica Campbell Jones Cage is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Gaydos and first appeared in ''Alias'' #1 (November 2001) ...

(

Tara Lee Tara Lee (born Tara Lisa) is an Irish actress, singer and songwriter. She is signed to BMG Chrysalis. In 2018, Lee appeared in ''EastEnders'' as Jessica Jones Jessica Campbell Jones Cage is a superheroine appearing in American comic books ...

) made her first appearance in July.

Adam Bateman The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in 2018, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive consultant, John Yorke. Madhav Sharma and Indira Josh ...

(

Stephen Rahman-Hughes Stephen Rahman-Hughes (born 26 January 1970) is an English–Malaysian actor and singer. He is known for his roles as DCI Vikesh Dasari in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' and Adam Bateman in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Career In 200 ...

) joins the cast in August and Marky (Niall O'Mara) also appears during the month. Ray Kelly (

Sean Mahon Seán Mahon is an Irish stage and screen actor. He is known for playing Nicky Giblin in the Broadway production of '' The Seafarer'', Richard Hannay in the Broadway production of ''The 39 Steps'' and Michael Hess (the lost son) in the award-winni ...

Zara Highway The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in 2018, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive consultant, John Yorke (producer), John Yorke. Madhav Sh ...

(

Faye Daveney Faye Daveney (born 24 February 1993) is a British actress best known for her roles as Zara Highway in '' EastEnders'' and Jasmine Harris in ''The Bill''. Career Daveney used to be with A&J Management. She is now with RKA Talent. Daveney portr ...

) and

Bev Slater The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in 2018, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive consultant, John Yorke. Madhav Sharma and Indira Josh ...

(Ashley McGuire) all debuted in September. Cherry Slater, the daughter of Hayley and

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 ...

), debuted in October and in November,

Evie Steele The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in 2018, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive consultant, John Yorke (producer), John Yorke. Madhav Sh ...

(Sophia Capasso) made her first appearance.

Arshad Ahmed

Arshad Ahmed, played by

, first appears in the episode broadcast on 1 January 2018, alongside his wife

(Indira Joshi). Arshad is the uncle of established character

(

). Arshad's final scenes aired on 1 November 2019. Masood drives Mariam and Arshad to

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 ...

so they can move into number 41, which he owns. They are horrified to witness an armed robbery and shooting, and Mariam insists that they leave, so Masood and Arshad start taking things back to the van but are confused when Mariam disappears and then insists on staying. Masood attempts to ask Arshad and Mariam about setting a rent payment date, and Arshad lends Masood money. Mariam and Arshad's foster daughter, Daisy (Amelie Smith), moves in. Masood looks after her but when he leaves the room, she disappears. The police are contacted, and in the search for Daisy, Masood's ice cream van is found and he is forced to reveal his lack of success to his family.

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 ...

(

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 ...

) finds Daisy and returns her to the Ahmeds, but delays taking her back because Masood joked to him that Arshad and Mariam religiously brainwash children. The police are unimpressed and a report has to be filed about Daisy's disappearance, which Masood worries will harm his family's fostering. Masood then moves back into his own home but Arshad insists that he pays them rent, so he is outraged that they will essentially be living there rent-free. Masood gets a job in The Vic but tells his family that he is an estate agent. Arshad soon finds out that Masood is working in the Vic but promises not to tell Mariam. When Daisy is due to be adopted by Dan and Ashley (Ifan Meredith and Ashley Cook), Mariam admits to Arshad that she struggles when their foster children leave, and she wants to give up fostering. Daisy is adopted and Arshad and Mariam wonder what they will do next. Arshad witnesses an argument between Martin Fowler ( James Bye) and

(

) in front of their children and tells them off for their "child abuse". Mariam and Arshad then agree to emergency foster a two-year-old child who has been physically abused. They also foster a baby,

, whose mother is a heroin addict. Arshad struggles to settle him but soon realises that

grime music Grime is a genre of electronic music that emerged in London in the early 2000s. It developed out of the earlier UK dance style UK garage, and draws influences from jungle, dancehall, and hip hop. The style is typified by rapid, syncopated brea ...

works. Harley is tracked down by his birth parents, Bijan and Chloe (Jonas Khan and Lauren Fitzpatrick), and Arshad learns of their identity from social services when Bijan breaks in to vandalise their CCTV. Harley is kidnapped by Bijan, who hides out in the Ahmeds' house, and Chloe, but he is returned to the Ahmeds after persuasion from Rainie Branning (

Tanya Franks Tanya Christine Franks (born 16 August 1967) is an English actress, producer and writer. She has had starring roles on the television shows ''Family Affairs'', ''The Bill'', ''Pulling (TV series), Pulling'', ''EastEnders'' and ''Broadchurch''. ...

). When

Honey Mitchell Honey Mitchell (also Edwards) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Emma Barton. She made her first appearance in the show on 22 November 2005. The character left the show on 2 September 2008. Barton briefly ...

(

Emma Barton Emma Louise Barton (born 26 July 1977) is an English actress. She is perhaps best known for the role of Honey Mitchell in ''EastEnders'' which she has portrayed on and off since November 2005. Before her role in ''EastEnders'', Barton appeared ...

) has toothache and unable to get an appointment with a dentist, Arshad arranges for Honey to see his foster son

(Stephen Rahman-Hughes) at a dental practise. After the appointment, Adam and Honey begin dating and Arshad suggests that Adam bring Honey and her children over for lunch one day to meet him and Miriam. However, Adam cheats on Honey with Arshad's and Miriam's granddaughter

Habiba Ahmed The following is a list of characters introduced to the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 2019, by order of first appearance. The characters are introduced by the show's executive consultant, John Yorke, or his successors, senior executive pr ...

(

Rukku Nahar Rukku Priya Nahar (born 28 February 1996) is a British actress, known for her roles as Selina Khan on the CBBC series ''Wolfblood'' and Habiba Ahmed on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Early life Nahar was born on 28 February 1996 in Bedford, ...

) and Honey's ex-husband

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 ...

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

to Pakistan. On 3 October 2017, it was announced that Ganatra had reprised his role, having departed the serial in 2016. It was also confirmed that members of the character's family would be introduced. The character and Sharma's casting was announced on 15 November. Arshad and Mariam are foster carers and Arshad is billed as "jovial and with an air of mischief". Arshad and Mariam move to

, the show's setting, to rent Masood's house after agreeing it will allow them more room for their foster care. A show spokesperson said that the character's introduction is "certainly not the hassle free move they were expecting", adding that they will become embroiled in other character's drama instantly. Sharma expressed his delight at joining the show's cast and playing Arshad. John Yorke, the show's executive consultant, stated he was overjoyed to introduce more characters from Masood's family and promised "some incredibly challenging, fun and exciting stories ahead" for them. He also confirmed that more members of the family would be introduced. Following the characters' arrival, Daisy, one of their foster children, is introduced. Daisy goes missing upon her arrival and a "frantic search" is launched that could provide a "potentially devastating setback" for Arshad and Mariam.

Mariam Ahmed

Mariam Ahmed, played by Indira Joshi, first appears in the episode broadcast on 1 January 2018, alongside her husband

(

). Mariam is the aunt of established character

(

). Mariam's final scenes aired on 1 November 2019. Masood drives Mariam and Arshad to

so they can move into number 41, which he owns. While driving there, Masood introduces them 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 ...

), although he is occupied with a planned robbery and asks them to leave. Mariam and Arshad are horrified to witness the robbery and Mick being shot back in Albert Square, and Mariam insists that they leave. However, Mariam, a retired nurse, sees

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 ...

), Mick's wife, outside

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 and treats Mick, who is refusing to go to hospital. Mariam then decides to stay. Mariam and Arshad's foster daughter, Daisy (Amelie Smith), arrives with her social worker and moves in. Masood looks after her but she goes missing when he leaves the room. The police are contacted, and in the search for Daisy, Masood's ice cream van is found and he is forced to reveal his lack of success to his family.

(

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 co ...

) accidentally eats samosas made for Masood by Mariam. Masood tells Robbie he made them and Robbie asks him to make more, so Masood steals Mariam's recipe. When she catches him cooking, he tells her he has a date and is meeting the woman's family, so she cooks the samosas for him but she later catches Masood and Robbie referring to them as Masood's samosas. Masood then agrees to meet Noor (

Goldy Notay Goldy Notay is a British-Canadian film, television and stage actress. She played 'Roopi' as the lead role in the Gurinder Chadha film ''It's A Wonderful Afterlife''. She has appeared as Shireen in the Mike Bartlett drama '' The Town'' and Amar ...

) to keep Mariam happy, and after their date, he tells Mariam that he told Noor the truth about his life and Mariam offers to teach Masood her family recipes. When Daisy is due to be adopted by Dan and Ashley (Ifan Meredith and Ashley Cook), Mariam admits to Arshad that she struggles when their foster children leave and she wants to give up fostering. Daisy is adopted and they wonder what to do if they do not foster. However, they agree to emergency foster a two-year-old child who has been physically abused. They also foster a baby,

, whose mother is a heroin addict. When

(

) has toothache and unable to get an appointment with a dentist, Arshad arranges for Honey to see his foster son

(Rukku Nahar) and Honey's ex-husband

(

) witnesses them kissing and tells Arshad and Miriam. Despite Arshad proclaiming that Billy is lying and letting his emotions over the end of his marriage interfere with the relationship, both he and Miriam are shaken by the revelation, especially as Habiba has had a crush on Adam before. Miriam suggests that Arshad ignore it and assures him that she will deal with Habiba personally. Suspecting Habiba of having romantic plans with Adam, Miriam places her phone in the kitchen and teases Habiba about finding a man before pointing her to the kitchen, which allows Miriam to secretly see the text Habiba receives from Adam cancelling the plans, confirming her suspicions. Miriam then goes to Habiba's and her sister

Iqra Ahmed Iqra Ahmed is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Priya Davdra. Davdra's casting as Iqra was announced on 20 December 2018, along with that of Habiba. Both characters were called feisty and the BBC stated th ...

's (Priya Davdra) restaurant where Adam and Honey are having their last-minute date and, without letting on what she knows, she talks to Iqra, who is annoyed by Iqra's constant absence, and later Adam and Honey, about helping Habiba find a potential husband. After Honey provides Mariam and Ahmed with travel vouchers, the pair leave Walford for a

to Pakistan. On 3 October 2017, it was announced that Ganatra had reprised his role, having departed the serial in 2016. It was also confirmed that members of the character's family would be introduced. The character and Joshi's casting was announced on 15 November. Mariam and Arshad are foster carers and Mariam is billed as a "fierce but warm" character who will become integrated within the community. Mariam and Arshad move to

, the show's setting, to rent Masood's house after agreeing it will allow them more room for their foster care. A show spokesperson said that the character's introduction is "certainly not the hassle free move they were expecting", adding that they will become embroiled in other character's drama instantly. Joshi expressed her delight at joining the show's cast and said she was "looking forward" to working with Sharma and Ganatra. John Yorke, the show's executive consultant, stated he was overjoyed to introduce more characters from Masood's family and promised "some incredibly challenging, fun and exciting stories ahead" for them. He also confirmed that more members of the family would be introduced. Following the characters' arrival, Daisy, one of their foster children, is introduced. Daisy goes missing upon her arrival and a "frantic search" is launched that could provide a "potentially devastating setback" for Arshad and Mariam. After her first few episodes, ''

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 ...

'' warmed to Mariam and looked forward to more scenes including the character. Reporter Gary Gillatt said that Mariam has "tons of charisma".

Callum "Halfway" Highway

Callum "Halfway" Highway, played by Tony Clay, first appears in the episode broadcast on 1 January 2018. Halfway is introduced as a friend of the Carter family and a love interest for

Whitney Carter 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 whe ...

(

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 ...

). The character's introduction was not publicised beforehand. Halfway is a comedic character who is jovial, dopey and "happy-go-lucky". Halfway's initial stint on the show focuses on his relationship with the Carter family and establishing a relationship with Whitney. The actor was only contracted for two months and Halfway departs in the episode first broadcast in the United Kingdom on 16 February 2018. Afterwards, Clay was invited back to reprise his role and Halfway returns two months later after serving in the Army. His experience in the Army and his relationship with Whitney are explored upon his return. Producers introduced Halfway's brother,

(

), following his return. Halfway and Stuart's relationship is portrayed as dark and Clay thought Stuart's introduction added another dimension to his character.

Ciara Maguire

Ciara Maguire, played by Denise McCormack, first appears in the episode broadcast on 2 January 2018. She is the former wife of

(

). Ciara arrives following a robbery, and meets DCI Alsworth (Nik Drake) at the scene of the crime, telling him she staged the robbery as part of security training, and convinces Alsworth, who recognises her, to drop the investigation. Ciara sees a discarded cigar and realises Aidan was involved, and then calls her sister-in-law

(

), telling her to pack a bag and come back to her old home. Ciara meets him at the funeral parlour, out of which he is doing business, and says she has worked out that he was involved. After Ciara leaves, Aidan tells

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 ...

) that he is taking back from Ciara what she took from him. Later, Ciara demands a share of the money that Aidan stole in exchange for not informing the police, and he gives her a key. When Ciara goes to meet Aidan at the address, he is not there, so she returns to the funeral parlour and meets

(

), who thinks she is a customer and takes her to

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 ...

to wait. Ciara overhears Honey on the phone to

(

) and works out that Aidan is at a church with Billy, so calls Aidan saying she knows where he is, even though does not, which causes Aidan to run when he hears police sirens. Mel returns to

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 ...

and works out that Ben Mitchell (

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 ...

) has Ciara's money, so calls her and follows Ben to the

Port of Dover The Port of Dover is a cross-channel ferry, cruise terminal, maritime cargo and marina facility situated in Dover, Kent, south-east England. It is the nearest English port to France, at just away, and is one of the world's busiest maritime pa ...

where she tries to get Ben to return the money as he could be in danger, but he refuses and he arrives in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

; Ciara watches him. Mel later meets Ciara in a café and it is revealed that Ciara is keeping Mel's son, Hunter Owen (Charlie Winter), away from her and Mel asks where he is as they had a deal, but Ciara says that Ben did not have the money, so Mel starts to search for the money back in Walford. When Mel suspects Phil has the money,

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 ...

) admits to Mel that she took it. Sharon offers Mel a share of the money in exchange for telling Ciara they cannot find it, to which Mel agrees but Ciara does not believe what they say. Ciara makes threats towards Sharon's son,

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 ...

(

Bleu Landau Bleu Louie Landau (born 5 April 2005) is an English actor, known for his role as Dennis Rickman Jnr in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from September 2015 to February 2020. In 2017 he starred in Guy Richie's film ''King Arthur: Legend of the ...

), having obtained his mobile number, and threatens to tell Hunter the truth about his father, Steve Owen (

). Mel immediately tells Ciara that Sharon has the money, but Ciara reveals that Mel told her as soon as Sharon admitted it. Mel hands over the money to Ciara and Mel is reunited with Hunter. When Ciara discovers she does not have all the money, she tells Hunter that Steve died in a car explosion, not a heart attack as Mel claimed and was a villain who killed Saskia Duncan (Deborah Sheridan-Taylor). On 2 January 2018, McCormack announced her casting in the show. David Brown of ''

Radio Times ''Radio Times'' (currently styled as ''RadioTimes'') is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in May 1923 by J ...

'' suspected that Ciara would share a connection with Aidan as they share a surname. It was later confirmed that Ciara is the former wife of Aidan and they are both involved in criminal plans. The character is billed as "no-nonsense". Daniel Kilkelly of ''

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, ...

'' questioned whether she was also connected to returning character

(

). McCormack confirmed she would only be in ''EastEnders'' for a short stint, but said she is grateful for the part and working on the show is "great".

Apostolos Papadopolous

Apostolos Papadopolous, played by Tarrick Benham, originally appeared from 8 to 12 January 2018. Since 12 April 2021, the character has appeared on a recurring basis. Apostolos is the son of Andonis Papadopolous and new owner of the launderette. Karen Taylor (

Lorraine Stanley Lorraine Stanley (born 28 June 1976) is an English actress, known for playing Kelly in the 2006 film ''London to Brighton'' and Karen Taylor in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Personal life Stanley was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, the dau ...

) sees him in the launderette and assumes he is an asylum seeker and tells him to go home, to which he reveals he is from

Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, and extends from Watling Street, the A5 road (Roman Watling Street) to Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland. The area forms the northwest part of the Lon ...

and throws her out after she asks for a job. However, Karen later phones him and puts on a posh accent to secure an interview the next day. He recognises her and is angry but she convinces him that she is the right person for the job. However, Karen discovers that Apostolos is still interviewing for the job, and he tells her that he did not offer her the job.

(

) also applies for the job and Apostolos asks them to each clean half of the launderette, saying he will offer it to whoever does the best job. They argue and spill bleach, but later Masood says he was to blame so Apostolos offers Karen the job but only because an employment agency failed to send anyone. Three years later, Apostolos sacks Karen because he cannot afford to keep her on. He later offers Karen a financial arrangement. Karen assumes he means paying her to sleep with him, and confronts him about it publicly. Disgusted, Apostolos reveals that it was actually an extended redundancy package, which he then refuses to give her before leaving. He later appears again the following month when Karen is arrested for smashing up the laundrette and he gives her a job back when the residents intervene. After the character appeared, ''Inside Soap'' said he should continue to appear, saying he should "ensure that Walford launderette runs like clockwork. Never mind cleaning our sheets—he can help get them dirty."

Daisy

Daisy, played by Amelie Smith, first appears in the episode broadcast on 9 January 2018. She is a foster child of

(

) and

(Indira Joshi). In November 2017, it was announced that foster carers Mariam Ahmed and Arshad Ahmed would be introduced to the serial. Daisy is introduced as their foster child who goes missing following her arrival. When she is realised to be missing, a "frantic search" is launched that could be a "potentially devastating setback" for Arshad and Mariam. When Daisy is to be adopted, Mariam is "worried" for Daisy due to her "struggling" potential adoptive parents. Mariam is reassured Daisy will have "great parents", though saying an "emotional goodbye" to Daisy makes Mariam and Arshad question whether to give up fostering. Daisy appears in six episodes, departing in the episode broadcast on 9 February. The following year, Smith reprised the role for a cameo appearance and Daisy appeared in the episode broadcast on 1 November 2019, as part of Arshad and Mariam's departure from the series. Six-year-old Daisy arrives with her social worker to Arshad and Mariam's house. Arshad and Mariam's nephew,

(

), looks after her but he struggles to bond with her. When he leaves the room, she goes missing. The police are contacted and residents help search for her.

(

) finds Daisy in his garden and hesitantly returns her to the Ahmeds due to Masood fooling Ian into believing that they religiously brainwash children. PC Anna Heckley (Harriet Green) informs the family she will have to file a report about Daisy's disappearance, and Masood worries that it will damage his family's fostering. Mariam watches a video from Daisy's potential adoptive fathers, Dan and Ashley (Ifan Meredith and Ashley Cook), and is unsure if they should be the ones to bring up Daisy. Dan and Ashley have dinner with the Ahmeds and Ashley admits to Arshad that Daisy could not settle during her stay with them, but Arshad reminds him of Daisy's past and her difficulty in trusting adults. Mariam decides to contact social services. Dan and Ashley visit the Ahmeds again with social worker Viktoria (Cathy Walker), who talks to Ashley about concerns he has raised. Ashley is committed to Daisy, but feels that as he works from home and Dan does not, he will be looking after her when she is off school, but Dan reassures Ashley that he will have his support and will take time off work. Mariam and Arshad allow Daisy to paint their gate to remember her. On the morning of Daisy's leaving, she screams and spits at Mariam but Mariam calms her down. Daisy leaves when Dan and Ashley collect her.

Dan and Ashley

Dan, played by Ifan Meredith, and Ashley, played by Ashley Cook, are the adoptive parents of Daisy (Amelie Smith), a child in the foster care of

(

) and

(Indira Joshi). Their adoption of Daisy makes Arshad and Mariam reconsider fostering in the future. The characters appear in three episodes from 5 February to 9 February 2018. The following year, Cook reprised the role for a cameo appearance and Ashley appeared in the episode broadcast on 1 November 2019, as part of Arshad and Mariam's departure from the series. Dan and Ashley first appear when they have dinner with Arshad and Mariam after having Daisy stay with them for a night. Ashley admits to Arshad that Daisy would not settle during her stay with them, but Arshad reminds him of Daisy's past, as she finds it difficult to trust adults. Mariam decides to contact social services. Dan and Ashley visit the Ahmeds again with social worker Viktoria (Cathy Walker). Ashley says he is worried that because he works from home and Dan works in the City, he will be the one to look after Daisy when she is unwell or school is closed and he may end up resenting Dan. Dan says he has always wanted to start a family and promises to take time off work to help. Ashley says he wants to go ahead with the adoption and Viktoria says they can proceed. Dan and Ashley later collect Daisy from Arshad and Mariam and thank them for looking after her. Laura-Jayne Tyler of ''Inside Soap'' liked the characters and wished they could become regular characters, saying, "If only they were living on the Square, so that we could go on their adoption journey with them."

Hunter Owen

Hunter Owen, played by Charlie Winter, first appears in the episode broadcast on 6 February 2018. He is introduced as the teenage son of

(

) and her dead husband Steve (

). Winter's initial final scenes as Owen aired on 12 April 2019. On 5 June 2019, it was announced that Hunter would return in the summer for a short stint. He returned on 23 August. Hunter died on 6 September after being shot by a police marksman in the middle of Albert Square. Hunter made his final appearance on 12 September 2019 after Mel identifies his body. After Steve's death in a car explosion, Mel is arrested when she is implicated in Steve's drug smuggling; however, Steve's nemesis

(

) agrees to bail her when he finds out she is pregnant. Mel later moves to Portugal before giving birth to Hunter. 15 years later, in January 2018, Mel returns to Walford to track down money stolen from her sister-in-law

(Denise McCormack) and Ciara is keeping Hunter away from Mel until the money is recovered. When Ciara finds out Phil's wife

(

) took the money, Mel hands over the money to Ciara and Mel is reunited with Hunter, but when the money is not all recovered, Hunter is told the truth about Steve and his death: he died in a car explosion, not a heart attack, and killed Saskia Duncan (Deborah Sheridan-Taylor). Mel explains the circumstances of Saskia's death, how Steve incriminated his former employee Matthew Rose (

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 pu ...

) for the crime and his death was a result of a car chase involving Phil's daughter

Louise Mitchell Louise or Luise may refer to: * Louise (given name) Arts Songs * "Louise" (Bonnie Tyler song), 2005 * "Louise" (The Human League song), 1984 * "Louise" (Jett Rebel song), 2013 * "Louise" (Maurice Chevalier song), 1929 *"Louise", by Clan of ...

(

Tilly Keeper Matilda Elizabeth Keeper (born 16 August 1997) is an English actress, known for her role as Louise Mitchell on the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders''. Shortly after leaving the soap, Keeper appeared in the BBC film ''Make Me Famous'' and has since ...

, but Rachel Cox at the time) - though she covers up Phil's involvement. Mel later compares Hunter to Steve and asks for them to start again. Hunter is pleased when Mel decides to remain in Walford and reopen the club that once belonged to Steve and Mel keeps the club as E20 for Hunter in tribute to Steve. Hunter claims he has no romantic interest in Louise when

Tiffany Butcher Tiffany Butcher-Baker (also Dean and Butcher) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Maisie Smith. Tiffany is the daughter of established characters Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer) and Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen), ...

(

Maisie Smith Maisie Louise Collender Smith (born 9 July 2001) is an English actress and singer. She appeared in the feature film ''The Other Boleyn Girl'' (2008) and played the regular role of Tiffany Butcher in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 2008 ...

) attempts to matchmake them, but Hunter later kisses Louise. Hunter stops Mel from going to Paris with Jack by removing a piece from his car engine, which Phil subtly advised him to do. Jack accidentally punches Hunter when he argues with Phil. At a Mitchell family dinner, a drunken Sharon reveals Phil as Steve's killer, but is seemingly left satisfied by Phil's explanation that the car explosion was not his fault. Louise decides she is ready to have sex with Hunter, but he keeps ignoring her until she confronts him, where she talks about her scars and sex and Hunter reassures Louise he will wait. Hunter persuades Phil to link up the club's CCTV to his phone on the opening night and prior to the opening, he and Louise have sex, with Hunter winking at the CCTV beforehand. Phil is enraged when he watches the CCTV and threatens to attack Hunter with a baseball bat as Hunter and Louise insist that the sex was consensual. Mel seduces and stands up to Phil to stop him from pursuing revenge against Hunter. After Shakil Kazemi (

) dies from being stabbed, the teenagers spend time at E20 and they later find out money was stolen from the club. Louise breaks up with Hunter after finding out he sent a text reading 'I know what you did' to Louise and the other teenagers. Hunter injures himself, claiming Jack was responsible, but Mel changes her mind on believing him when Jack and Louise convince her Hunter is lying; Louise and Keegan also tell Mel and Jack respectively that Hunter took the money. After Jack feels Mel is too lenient towards Hunter, Hunter is forced to get a job and Ian takes him on to reconcile with Mel; Hunter uses Ian's plan to get away with trouble, however after urging by his friends Ian eventually sacks Hunter for not doing any work. When Hunter sees Mel being attacked by her new husband Ray Kelly (

), he kills him by shooting Ray dead. When Mel's would-be-then boyfriend

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

(

Scott Maslen Scott Alexander Maslen (born 25 June 1971) is an English actor and model, best known for his portrayal as DS Phil Hunter in ITV's ''The Bill'' and Jack Branning on the BBC's flagship soap ''EastEnders'' since 2007. He also took part in the 2010 ...

) finds out, he tells the police. Hunter confesses to the crime, and is sent to prison. Months later, he escapes. This prompts Mel to keep him from being discovered by letting him stay in an abandoned flat she owns. The pair later plan to escape, but Mel is distracted when Lisa unexpectedly appears and the two discuss their shared plan of fleeing Walford with Hunter and Louise. However, their conversation causes Hunter to seek out Jack on his own - taking Mel's gun with him in the process. When he infiltrates

, Hunter finds Jack and holds him - along with several others - at gunpoint. He begins to force Jack to leave with him discreetly, but Hunter is quickly recognised - prompting him to instigate a siege by holding the punters hostage at gunpoint. When Jack attempts to get the gun off Hunter, Hunter ends up shooting Phil's son Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden). By then, Lisa and Mel learn of Hunter's situation and end up becoming his hostages as well - with Mel unsuccessfully pleading with Hunter to stop the siege. Hunter eventually takes a pregnant Louise outside and demands that he is given a car, otherwise he will kill her. When Louise's boyfriend

Keanu Taylor The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 2017, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive producer Sean O'Connor or, from 27 November, his succ ...

( Danny Walters) tries to rescue Louise, Hunter shoots him in response. He then aims the gun at Louise, but she is saved when the police shoot Hunter - killing him. A distraught Mel rushes to her son and cradles him in her arms, mourning the loss of her only child. On 23 October 2017, it was announced that Outhwaite would be returning to the serial after a sixteen-year absence. On 21 December 2017, the character and casting were announced. Hunter is fifteen years old and billed as "charming and charismatic" and similar to Steve, whose "sinister tendencies" he shares. However, Hunter also has good characteristics. Outhwaite described Hunter as "gorgeous and brilliant" and stated that his relationship with Mel is "fraught". She also said that all characters, male and female, would be attracted to Hunter. Hunter arrives in

, the show's setting, following Mel's return. Winter expressed his delight at joining the show, describing the experience as "really surreal". The actor commented, "It's an exciting time for me and I

annot Annot (; oc, Anòt) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Annotains'' or ''Annotaines'' The commune has been awar ...

wait to get stuck in and for everyone to meet Hunter." Before the character's arrival, the ''Metro'' reported that Hunter could provide some happiness for Louise, with the pair knowing each other through Mel's friendship with Louise's mother,

Lisa Fowler Lisa Fowler (also Shaw) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Lucy Benjamin. The character was introduced as a "home-wrecking blonde" by executive producer Matthew Robinson on 7 December 1998. The characte ...

(

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 ...

). Hunter and Louise are already "firm friends", but their relationship could develop as Hunter may "be the one to change Louise's view of romance and make her smile again." Laura-Jayne Tyler of ''

'' thought that Winter looks like Kemp and praised the casting department for their work on casting Winter. In 2021, ''

Hollyoaks ''Hollyoaks'' is a British soap opera which began airing on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was created by Phil Redmond, who had previously conceived the soap opera ''Brookside (TV series), Brookside''. Since 2005, episodes have been aired on ...

'' actor Billy Price revealed that he auditioned for the role of Hunter, and made it "quite far down" into the audition process. In July 2018, Winter was longlisted in the "Best Bad Boy" category at ''Inside Soap'' Awards.

Hayley Slater

Hayley Slater, played by

, first appears in the episode broadcast on 9 February 2018. She is a relative of well-established characters Stacey (

) and

Kat Slater 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 sec ...

(

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 ...

). The character last appears on 8 February 2019; on 28 March 2019 it was confirmed that Hayley would not be returning to the show. Hayley is first seen taking photos of Stacey and her husband, Martin Fowler ( James Bye). In the café, she looks through the photos and answers a phone call, asking if they received photos. She insults Martin to the caller, reassuring them that she knows what to do next. Hayley introduces herself to Martin at his stall and helps herself to an apple. Later in the café, Hayley distracts Martin when he is looking after his daughter,

Hope Fowler The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in 2017, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive producer Sean O'Connor or, from 27 November, his succ ...

, and Stacey catches Hayley kissing Martin. In Martin's absence, Hayley whispers to Stacey who she is when she asks. Stacey does not want Hayley around her, but she later gets in touch with Hayley and asks what she wants. Martin meets up with Hayley when he is looking after Hope and his stepson,

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 up ...

(Hunter Bell) and Hayley encourages Martin to keep the children out for longer, disobeying Stacey's instructions. Hayley pretends to defend Martin in front of Stacey when she collects Arthur and Hope with police presence due to Martin not returning them. Later, Hayley visits Stacey and warns her not to soften towards Martin when she feels guilty as they are cousins and Slaters. Hayley later arrives in Walford again shortly after her family’s return to ask Kat’s grandmother

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''. ...

) for her share of money from the sale of SIM cards. When Hayley demands her money, Kat forcibly orders her to leave Walford. After spending the night sleeping rough, Stacey's mother,

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 ...

), invites Hayley around to the Slaters and Hayley opens up to Jean about her upbringing and being excluded from the family. Hayley is barred from

from the landlady

(

) when she sleeps in bed with her husband

(

) after being paid by

(

). Martin discovers Hayley and Stacey are related and that Hayley does not have a son, but she later conceals her pregnancy. Hayley befriends a homeless girl,

Brianna ''Brianna'', ''Breanna'', ''Breanne'', ''Briana'', ''Brina'', and ''Bryanna'' are feminine given names. ''Brianna'' is a feminine English language form of the masculine Irish language name ''Brian'' as "Briana" is the original spelling. The name is ...

(Rina Diamond), who steals money from Hayley that she conned out of a man, Craig (

Nigel Betts Nigel Betts is an English actor, who from 2003 to 2007 appeared on the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' as Eddie Hope. He also portrayed Tony in the BBC Two sitcom '' Boy Meets Girl'' and had a recurring role as Mr Armitage in the eighth series of ' ...

), by not going through with selling herself for sex. Craig motivates Hayley to contact her baby's father and she meets up with Kat's estranged husband,

(

), informing him that he is the father of her child, but he does not want Hayley's child. After missing her earlier appointment for an abortion, Hayley cancels it and decides to keep her baby. When the family receive the late

Charlie Slater Charlie Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Derek Martin. Charlie's first appearance is in the episode first broadcast in the United Kingdom on 4 September 2000. He is played by Jason McGregor in fla ...

's (

Derek Martin Derek Martin (born Derek William Rapp; 11 April 1933) is an English former actor. Beginning his career as a stuntman, he moved into acting and played many roles on UK television. One of his most widely known roles is Charlie Slater on the BBC ...

) taxi cab, they decide to sell it, but Hayley fixes it to use it for fares. Hayley is caught using it illegally by a police officer, who urges her to get a valid license, but Hayley gives up on becoming a taxi driver due to the length of the process. Hayley confides in Jean about being pregnant after the lack of trust towards her to look after Hope and Jean insists that the father shares responsibility. Jean sets up a meeting between Hayley and

Dave Dave may refer to: Film, television, and theater * ''Dave'' (film), a 1993 film starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver * ''Dave'' (musical), a 2018 stage musical adaptation of the film * Dave (TV channel), a digital television channel in the ...

(Will Rastall), a married man Hayley had an affair with and who Jean assumes is the father. Stacey finds out Hayley is pregnant when she interrupts Jean adjusting Hayley's clothes and Stacey demands to know if Martin is the father; after denying Martin is the father and snapping, Hayley decides to leave. Jean announces Hayley's pregnancy to the family in order to prevent Hayley from leaving and despite initial anger towards Jean, Hayley changes her mind when the family throw a baby shower for her. Hayley is unhappy when Jean orchestrates a reunion with her mother,

(Ashley McGuire). Bev lies to Hayley about a changed positive lifestyle, but Hayley is angered by Bev's suggestion of blackmailing Alfie and further angered when Bev goes through her belongings. Hayley and Bev argue and berate each other, with Bev leaving Hayley when she bleeds. Upon Jean working out Alfie is the baby's father, Hayley goes onto the balcony of her family's old flat whilst drinking, but is talked down by Jean. Kat calls social services, who offer Hayley support. On Halloween, Hayley goes into labour and decides to drive herself out of Walford but the taxi cab breaks down and Hayley is forced to give birth in a crack den and passes out shortly after; Kat and Keanu find Hayley and her daughter. Despite Kat and Jean's support, Hayley struggles to adapt to family life and runs away from home several times. Bev tries to sell Hayley's baby, but Kat intervenes, strengthening their bond. Just as Hayley is adjusting to life as a mother, Alfie returns and reconciles with Kat. He is stunned to realise that Hayley did not abort his child, and insists they keep the truth hidden from Kat. Hayley develops feelings for him when she sees him bond with their daughter, named

Cherry A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus ''Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit). Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet ''Prunus avium'' and the sour ''Prunus cerasus''. The nam ...

by Alfie after his deceased mother. On Christmas Eve, Stacey witnesses Hayley kiss Alfie. She is horrified to uncover Cherry's paternity and issues an ultimatum: one of them goes, or Kat learns the truth. Hayley decides to go, but her parting gift to Alfie - a lock of Cherry's hair – is discovered by Kat and she works out the truth. After a furious showdown, Alfie turns nasty with Kat, who accuses him of taking advantage of Hayley's vulnerability. Hayley defends Kat and pushes Alfie down the stairs, seemingly killing him. However, as they discuss what to do, they discover Alfie survived the fall and has left with Cherry. Kat convinces Alfie to return with Cherry which he does. After realising that Hayley is not coping, Kat suggests that she and Alfie look after Cherry. After she attempts suicide by stepping out in front of a minibus driven by Keanu, she tries to stab herself with a screwdriver and is then admitted to a

psychiatric hospital Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental health hospitals, behavioral health hospitals, are hospitals or wards specializing in the treatment of severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, dissociative ...

. She later flees from the hospital, leaving only a note saying sorry to Kat. In 2020, it is revealed that during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

lockdown, Kat returned Cherry to Hayley.

Development

On 22 December 2017, executive consultant John Yorke announced a new member of the

Slater family The Slater family is an American philanthropic, political, and manufacturing family from England, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut whose members include the "Father of the American Industrial Revolution," Samuel Slater, a prominent ...

would be introduced into ''EastEnders'' among the returning Slaters, to "sort Stacey out" after her big 2018 storyline. Hayley's connection to the Slater family was not immediately revealed upon the character's debut, but it was announced that she would be involved in "a brand new mystery" for Martin. Duncan Lindsey, writing for the ''

Metro Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to: Geography * Metro (city), a city in Indonesia * A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center Public transport * Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urba ...

'', suggested that Hayley could be connected to the Slater family, either helping Stacey fight against her estranged husband Martin or a new family member. The reporter also suggested that Hayley could be acquainted with Martin's former stalker,

Sarah Cairns The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 2004, by order of first appearance. Dom Shaw Dom Shaw, played by Lloyd McGuire, is a board member on the Walford Community Centre committe ...

(

Alison Pargeter Alison Pargeter (born 31 May 1972) is an English actress who played the roles of stalker Sarah Cairns in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', Mary Slessor in an 11-part television series of'' Mary Slessor'', the Nag's Head barmaid called Val in th ...

). It was reported that Hayley would not be friends with Martin, who will have to "watch his back" throughout his custody battle with Stacey. The character was revealed as Stacey's cousin in her third episode. Of her casting, Jarvis said that she is "really excited to join a team of such lovely, talented people and become part of such an iconic show" and loves being a part of the Slater family, commenting that it is "going to be so much fun and I cannot wait to see what's in store for Hayley." It was reported Hayley would have a "horror ..ordeal" around

Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...

as she will be alone as she gives birth, which is described as a "terrifying twist" and leaves Hayley "panic stricken." Hayley's anxiety also increases under the pressure of keeping the secret about the baby's paternity and her plan to "attempt to do a runner" is stopped when she goes into labour, putting her and her baby in a "worrying situation". Following the birth, Hayley, described as "struggling" and "overwhelmed", abandons her baby with foster carers Mariam and Arshad, however, her baby suffering a "scare" reportedly makes Hayley "rise to her responsibilities" and "reevaluate her earlier decision to give up her child." In July 2018, Jarvis was longlisted for the "Best Newcomer", "Best Bad Girl" and "Best Shock Twist" awards at the ''Inside Soap'' Awards. For her portrayal of Hayley, Jarvis was nominated for Best Soap Newcomer at the 2018 ''

'' Reader Awards; she came in third place with 13.2% of the total votes. Alfie being revealed as the father of Hayley's baby was nominated for Biggest OMG Soap moment; it came in fifth place with 8.3% of the total votes. On 28 March 2019, it was confirmed that Jarvis had left the show and that there were no immediate plans for her to return, though her last episode was on 8 February 2019.

Magic Marv

Magic Marv, played by

Steve Steen Steve Steen (born 26 December 1954) is a British television, radio and theatre actor and comedian, known for improvisational comedy works. Early career Whilst a pupil at Clapham College in London, Steen became friends with Jim Sweeney, and the ...

, appears in the episode broadcast on 20 February 2018. Magic Marv is a children's television performer. Tina Carter (

Luisa Bradshaw-White Luisa Bradshaw-White (born 9 December 1974) is a former English actress, known for playing Tina Carter in '' EastEnders'' and for her previous roles on '' Bad Girls'', '' Holby City'' and ''This Life''. She has also made appearances in televisi ...

) meets him when she is hungover and he reveals the details of the night before when they got drunk and got tattoos of

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by List of Scottish novelists, Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and Puer aeternus, never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending ...

. Tina is shocked by her own behaviour especially as she used to watch Magic Marv on TV when her daughter,

Zsa Zsa Carter Zsa Zsa Carter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' and its internet spin-off '' EastEnders: E20'', played by Emer Kenny. She is the daughter of Tina Carter (Luisa Bradshaw-White). She made her first appearance in ...

(

Emer Kenny Emer Gwynne Morganna Kenny (born 10 October 1989) is a British actress and screenwriter. Career Kenny made her professional debut in the 2007 BBC television drama ''Coming Down the Mountain'', and, in 2009, she made her film debut in Phil Clayd ...

) was a child. Marv then puts on a show at the community centre but he appears drunk and everyone is shocked at how poor his performance is. He calls

(

) a "yummy mummy" and refers to her as "Sally", insults Martin Fowler ( James Bye), and makes comments about

(

) being the father of

(Hunter Bell), who Stacey and Martin have brought to the show. During the interval, Martin finds Marv in the pub and tells him off for drinking and gets angry when he calls Stacey "Sally" again. When the show continues, he gets Kush and Martin on the stage to sing but sends Martin off when he does badly. Marv makes another comment about Stacey and Kush, so Martin knocks Marv's hat off and stamps on one of his drums. David Brown of the ''

'' described Magic Marv as "a drunk, shambling mess who insults the dads and ineptly flirts with the mums!" Laura-Jayne Tyler of ''Inside Soap'' disliked the character and felt that Martin and Stacey's reactions to him resembled that of the audience.

Georgi

Georgi, played by Holly Donovan, first appears in the episode broadcast on 20 February 2018. She is a friend of

(

), who is Tina Carter's (

) daughter. When pregnant Georgi is in the café, she becomes breathless and Tina helps her. Georgi later meets Tina's sister

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 ...

) in

pub, and Shirley gives her £100 cash and offers to meet her later. When Georgi nearly falls into a table, Tina tries to help her again but Georgi realises she is Zsa Zsa's mother and tells her not to give her any advice as she was a bad mother to Zsa Zsa. Georgi tells Tina that she does not have a good relationship with her mother and Tina tries to encourage Georgi to reach out to her mother. Georgi is furious that Tina met up with her mother,

Tilly Tilly may refer to: Places France * Tilly, Eure, in the Eure ''département'' * Tilly, Indre, in the Indre ''département'' * Tilly, Yvelines, in the Yvelines ''département'' Elsewhere * Tilly, Belgium, a village in the municipality of Viller ...

(Jacqueline Roberts), and disclosed where she is, which also infuriates Shirley. Georgi goes into labour and despite Georgi rejecting her, Tina helps Georgi give birth to her son and reassures her that she will be a good mother. The character of Georgi was announced in February 2018. It was reported that Georgi is already familiar with Tina's sister Shirley and Tina is "alarmed" that Georgi and Zsa Zsa are friends while Georgi is unhappy that Tina is Zsa Zsa's mother. It was also said that Georgi's arrival changes Tina's choice to "reevaluate the state of her life", but the "unpleasant surprise" of Zsa Zsa asking Shirley to help Georgi on her behalf forces Tina to "think about the current state of her relationship" with Zsa Zsa. Tina unintentionally makes thing "a whole lot more complicated" for Georgi when Tina attempts to fix Georgi's relationship with her mother, but gives away Georgi's location. Laura-Jayne Tyler of ''Inside Soap'' called Georgi a "pregnant

waif" and believed that producers originally planned for Zsa Zsa to appear, but when Kenny declined a return, they introduced Georgi. Tyler questioned why they did not recast Zsa Zsa and felt that Georgi's appearance was "so random".

Mitch Baker

Mitch Baker, played by

, first appears in episode 5670, first broadcast on 12 March 2018. Mitch is the father of established character

( Zack Morris) and the former boyfriend of Karen Taylor (

). After appearing in six episodes across two stints, Mitch departs in episode 5679, first broadcast on 27 March. Eight months later, it was announced that Mitch would return again. Mitch was reintroduced as a regular character in 2019 by incoming senior executive producer

Kate Oates Kate Oates (born 1979 or 1980) is a British television producer, who was born in Nottingham and graduated from Warwick University. She began her career working as a researcher and editorial assistant for Germaine Greer, before becoming a script ...

, and executive producer

Jon Sen Jon Sen (born 9 October 1974) is a British television and film director, writer and producer. After working as the executive producer of the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 2018 to 2022, Sen began working as the executive producer of the BBC ...

. He returned with his daughter

Chantelle Atkins The following is a list of characters introduced to the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 2019, by order of first appearance. The characters are introduced by the show's executive consultant, John Yorke, or his successors, senior executive p ...

(

Jessica Plummer Jessica Kate Plummer (born 16 September 1992) is an English actress and singer. From 2013 to 2015, she was a member of the British girl group Neon Jungle, with whom she released an album that peaked at number eight on the UK Albums Chart. She is ...

). Mitch arrives on

and reunites with

( Danny Walters), the half-brother of his daughter Chantelle and son Keegan. Keanu undertakes work on Mitch's van and warns him to keep away from his family, lying that they do not live on Albert Square. Mitch leaves without paying so later returns, having followed Keanu to his house. Mitch shouts for Karen and Keegan at the flat, but Keanu punches him. Keegan is shocked to see him. The next day, Mitch flirts with Karen at the launderette where she works and they talk about how Mitch helped raise Keanu but then left when Keegan was born, then later took on her other children but left again five years previously. He insists he has changed and wants to settle down. When Karen brings Mitch home, Keegan, Keanu and their half-sister,

Bernadette Taylor The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in 2017, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive producer Sean O'Connor or, from 27 November, his succe ...

(Clair Norris), are against him being there and he leaves when Keegan insists, but Karen later sneaks him into the flat. Keanu is angry when he finds out Mitch stayed the night, while Bernadette and Keegan are happy to have him there, and Keanu decides to move out and stay with a friend. Mitch urges Karen to tell Keanu the truth about his own father, but when Karen tries, Keanu walks away. Keegan then overhears Karen and Mitch agreeing not to tell Keanu that his father received a 12-year prison sentence for attempting to kill Karen. The next day, Keegan mentions that he heard them talking, so Mitch explains what happened. Mitch asks Keegan to convince Keanu to move back home, which he does. While sitting with the family, Mitch receives a text message asking where he is. Mitch agrees to walk the family dog, Bronson, and finds him chewing an envelope of money, which

Patrick Trueman Patrick Trueman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Rudolph Walker. He made his first appearance on 13 September 2001. His storylines include being the possible father of Denise Fox (Diane Parish), to whom ...

(

Rudolph Walker Rudolph Malcolm Walker (born 28 September 1939) is a Trinidadian-British actor, known for his sitcom roles as Bill Reynolds in ''Love Thy Neighbour'' (1972–76) and Constable Frank Gladstone in '' The Thin Blue Line'' (1995–96). Since 2001, ...

) has posted for the Taylors' upstairs neighbours,

(

) and

(

). Mitch says this was his fate and leaves with the money. When Keegan is suspended from school for three days, Mitch invites Keegan's headteacher, Mrs Robyn Lund (Polly Highton), to the flat, who gets Keegan to apologise and she reduces his suspension to one day. Karen is annoyed when she hears about Keegan's suspension and Mitch's interference, but Keegan wants them to get along. When Mitch goes to see Karen, he breaks up with his wife over the phone and removes his wedding ring. His wife

Marla Marla is a town and locality in the Australian state of South Australia located in the state's north-west about north-west of the state capital of Adelaide and about south of the town of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. History Marla ...

(Elicia Daly), arrives on Albert Square to see Karen as she wants Mitch back, announcing she is pregnant and both Karen and Marla confront Mitch. When Mitch returns to Marla, she reveals she is not pregnant. The character and Griffiths' casting details were announced on 26 February 2018. Griffiths previously appeared in the role of D.I. Christopher Riddick from 2004 to 2005. He said "coming in as Mitch – the wild card – meant I had to hit the ground running." Mitch shows up at The Arches when his van breaks down, but his "shifty behaviour" makes it clear that his arrival is not a coincidence. The character left Walford during the episode broadcast on 16 March, but it was confirmed by Sophie Dainty of ''

'' that he had not made his final appearance. Mitch returned in the episode broadcast on 26 March, and departed again in the following episode, broadcast on 27 March. Laura-Jayne Tyler of ''

'' liked Mitch, writing, "We think ''EastEnders'' is on to a winner with Keegan's charming-but-edgy dad, Mitch. He's very watchable." On 12 November 2018, it was announced that Griffiths had reprised the role and Mitch would return in late 2018. Bea Mitchell of ''Digital Spy'' billed the return as "dramatic" and reported that Mitch would cause more trouble for the Taylor family. On his return, Griffiths commented, "It feels great to be returning to

and working with the wonderful cast and crew again, especially the fantastic Taylor family. I'm excited for the viewers to learn more about Mitch and see what trouble he gets himself into this time."

Harley

Harley first appears in the episode broadcast on 19 March 2018. He is a foster child of

(

) and

(Indira Joshi). Mariam arrives home with Harley and a social worker, telling Arshad that they have been asked to foster him. Arshad and his nephew,

(

) struggle to settle Harley due to the possibility he is addicted to heroin through his birth mother, but Karen Tayor (

) helps them to realise that

helps settle him. Harley's father Bijan (Jonas Khan) tracks Harley down from a selfie taken by

(

) of her with Harley and informs Harley's mother,

(Lauren Fitzpatrick). Chloe is reunited with Harley when she pretends to Arshad she has been the victim of a mugging. Bijan kidnaps Harley shortly afterwards, but they are eventually arrested and Harley is returned to the Ahmeds. In October 2018, Chloe arrives at the Ahmeds to collect Harley and Chloe is given a book by the Ahmeds of Harley during his stay with them. On 13 March 2018, it was reported that Harley would present a "big new challenge" for the Ahmeds upon his arrival, especially as Harley will be in their care for the "foreseeable future." Harley is described as a "handful" who "won't settle", something that is feared by the family and Arshad finds himself "struggling to care" for Harley, causing him to become frustrated. It was reported that Karen would be a "surprising" help for the Ahmeds with Harley. It was later reported that the arrival of Harley's birth mother, Chloe, presents the Ahmed family with a "nightmare" when she kidnaps Harley.

Judith Thompson

Judith Thompson, played by

, appears in the series between 3 and 6 April 2018. She is the daughter of

(

) and

(

). Judith arrives in

when Ted contacts following Joyce's death. She sorts through Joyce's belongings and is upset when she finds out that Ted did not inform her and Alan of Joyce's death for three days. She reluctantly gives Ted an update on how her children are and later meets Ted and Joyce's neighbours, including

(Clair Norris), who Ted has been teaching chess to. Ted decides he wants to show Judith off to the neighbours so takes her to the café, where he sits with Bernadette to play chess. Judith loses her temper, berating him as a father and a husband. Judith later calls someone, saying she wants Ted to be put in a care home. Judith later mentions this to Bernadette, who informs Ted. Ted confronts her, saying that she is doing it as she is unhappy with her husband, Freddie, something he warned her about prior to their marriage. Judith leaves after Bernadette and Karen insist they will look after Ted. Upon her arrival, David Brown from the ''

'' said that "long-standing family tensions" in the Murray family "rise to the surface" as it becomes apparent that Judith does not "hold edin high regard." Judith is jealous of the "parental affection" she witnesses Ted giving

(Clair Norris) through "obvious pride and affection" from their shared interest in chess.

Bijan and Chloe

Bijan, played by Jonas Khan, and Chloe, played by Lauren Fitzpatrick, are the parents of

, who is being fostered by

(

) and

(Indira Joshi). Bijan appears between episode 5693, first broadcast on 20 April 2018, and episode 5696, first broadcast on 26 April. Chloe appears between episode 5694, first broadcast on 23 April 2018, and episode 5696, although she makes an appearance in episode 5799, originally broadcast on 23 October 2018. Bijan arrives in

to track down Harley after

(

) posts a selfie online of her and Harley on social media. He tries to find Tiffany by telling

Donna Yates Donna Yates may refer to: * Donna Yates (EastEnders) * Donna Yates (professor), archaeologist {{hndis, Yates, Donna ...

( Lisa Hammond) that she is his girlfriend, and Donna reveals she is still a child. Bijan sees Harley with Mariam and phones Chloe, informing her that Harley is fine. Chloe arrives and tells Arshad that she has been mugged. Arshad invites her to his home and she is reunited with Harley. She sees they have CCTV set up, and in the night, Bijan vandalises it. Social services visit because of this and Arshad discovers Chloe's true identity from a photo. The social worker reveals that Bijan has been in prison for domestic violence, drug dealing and kidnapping. Arshad and his nephew,

(

), secure the house but Bijan is already hiding inside. He kidnaps Harley during the night and the police are called. Bijan and Chloe struggle to escape from Walford when the car breaks down so they hide at the car lot where Bijan has assaulted

Max Branning Max Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Jake Wood. He made his first appearance on 27 June 2006. Wood took a four-month break from the show in 2011 and the character was absent between August and Nov ...

(

Jake Wood Jake Dylan Wood (born 12 July 1972) is an English actor and podcaster, known for his role as Max Branning in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. He has also made guest appearances in series including ''Only Fools and Horses'' and ''Red Dwarf''. ...

). Chloe suffers from

withdrawal symptoms Drug withdrawal, drug withdrawal syndrome, or substance withdrawal syndrome, is the group of symptoms that occur upon the abrupt discontinuation or decrease in the intake of pharmaceutical or recreational drugs. In order for the symptoms of with ...

, but Bijan says her drugs are in the car; Max gives him the keys to another car and he hides there until the police are gone. Meanwhile, Max's wife, Rainie Branning (

), a former drug addict, asks Chloe if she can keep Harley safe. When Bijan drives the car up to the office, Chloe enters the car without Harley and Bijan says they have wasted their time. Max shouts to the police and Bijan drives away at speed. Bijan and Chloe are later arrested and Harley is returned to the Ahmeds. Six months later, Chloe has turned her life around and Harley is allowed to be returned to him. She arrives at the Ahmeds to collect Harley and gives struggling expectant mother

(

) advice. Chloe is given a book by the Ahmeds of Harley during his stay with them and she asks if Harley can visit in the future. Bijan was described by Duncan Lindsay from the ''

'' as "mysterious", and Sophie Dainty from ''

'' reported that Bijan's arrival would "kick off an intriguing new storyline." Chloe's introduction was reported by Lindsay, who said she is "clearly on a mission". It was reported that Chloe would present the Ahmed family with a "nightmare" when she kidnaps Harley, commencing a "frantic" search.

Henry

Henry, played by Andrew Alexander, first appears on 30 April 2018. He brings his car to the local garage and asks

( Danny Walters) to repair it and gives him money, asking Keanu to call him a cab. He is rude towards Keanu and when he returns later, Keanu explains that the parts need to be ordered.

(

) tells Henry to go elsewhere, so he asks for his money back, but Sharon says he should behave in a more civilised manner. Henry then drives his car away after telling Sharon to keep the cash and he will look her up when he comes back. Sharon and Keanu realise they still have his spare keys and know where he lives, so they steal his car and plan to put it into storage and wrack up speeding fines. The next day, Henry returns and meets

(

), accusing him, Keanu or Sharon of stealing his car. Phil tells him he must have lost his keys. Phil then finds out what happened from Sharon, and Keanu brings back Henry's car, then they leave it at

's (

) car lot so they can falsely accuse Max of the theft. However, Max and his wife, Rainie Branning (

) realise they are being set up and have the car removed and sold. An ''EastEnders'' source told ''

'' Tom Spilsbury that Henry "dislikes dealing with Keanu" and "rudely patronises Sharon after she offers her assistance", saying that she does not like his "casual sexism" and decides to "teach him a lesson".

Stuart Highway

Stuart Highway, played by

, first appears on 8 May 2018, though he is not credited until his second appearance on 10 May. He is the older brother of

Callum "Halfway" Highway Callum "Halfway" Highway is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Tony Clay. He was introduced in the episode first broadcast in the United Kingdom on 1 January 2018. Callum is introduced as a friend of the Car ...

(

) and a childhood friend of

(

). Champ's casting was revealed in March 2018 by his agency, while the character and further details were officially announced by the BBC on 28 March 2018, on which Champ said, "I'm so happy to be part of this brilliant team of people on this great show that I grew up watching. Look out

... Stuart's coming!" It was announced on 10 June 2022 that Champ had been axed by new producer Chris Clenshaw with Stuart set to exit the show later in the year. His final scenes aired on 25 August 2022. Stuart arrives in a blacked-out car, watching

(

), though the car's arrival worries several other people. While Mick is alone in

pub, a masked man grabs him. However, this is proven to be a prank by Stuart, who says he has been watching Mick all day. They head to the bar of the pub, where Mick's wife,

(

), is not happy to see Stuart. Stuart's brother, Halfway, talks about how he was injured in Iraq by shrapnel, but Stuart later tells Halfway he knows he is lying and to tell him what really happened. Stuart tells Halfway that Mick may not forgive him for lying, but Halfway admits that he blames himself for a woman's death when he was saving her child and Mick says it was not his fault, so Halfway tells Stuart he was wrong. Stuart then pays

(

) to get in bed with a drunken Mick while Linda is away. Linda returns in the morning and she and Mick realise Stuart is to blame, so Linda tells Mick to make sure Stuart never returns, but Mick says Stuart went to a Young Offender Institute instead of Mick when they were 13 and Linda has to accept their friendship. Linda is upset when Stuart breaks her favourite mug, but is thankful when he fixes it, though Stuart insults Linda to Halfway. Mick hides Stuart's phone as a prank but Stuart overreacts when he cannot find it and Mick sees pictures of and messages to schoolgirls on the phone. Mick confronts Stuart and reports him to the police. However, Stuart explains to Mick that he poses as underage girls online to expose paedophiles. Mick then observes Stuart confronting a man and soon realises that Stuart wants Mick's help to confront more paedophiles. Stuart reveals that he has helped put 17 men in prison and that when he was in the Young Offender Institute, he suffered abuse from an officer. Mick agrees to help Stuart confront a man, but the man is Stuart's friend and they are just testing Mick. Mick is humiliated and Stuart says Mick cannot handle it and adds that he saved Mick from abuse by taking the blame for what Mick did when they were teenagers and calls Mick a coward, which leads to them fighting. Linda then asks Mick to not see Stuart again. Stuart meets Mick anyway and asks Halfway to help confront someone. Mick tries to stop it, and the man,

Fred Lewis Frederick Deshaun Lewis (born December 9, 1980) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He made his debut on September 1, , with the San Francisco Giants. He is the cousin of former Major League outfielder Matt Lawton. He lived i ...

, runs away. Stuart later asks Halfway to confront Fred again, but Stuart takes over at the last minute, and Mick tells Stuart he has made a mistake with Fred, however, Stuart still posts his confrontation video online. Fred is attacked and Mick gives Stuart an alibi, but the police tell Mick that Fred was contacting local girls to search for his daughter, and this leads to another fight between Mick and Stuart. Mick tells Stuart to post a retraction video, which he does but also vows revenge on Mick. Stuart then intimidates Linda when they are alone, and when Mick finds out, forces him to apologise. Mick's aunt, Tina Carter (

), sees Stuart and is wary of him. Tina and Stuart then go out to a 1980s music night, where Stuart requests a song, "

We Call It Acieed "We Call It Acieed" is the debut single by British musician D Mob. An acid house-influenced song from the debut album '' A Little Bit of This, a Little Bit of That'', it features vocals by Gary Haisman. The song reached No. 1 on ''Billboard'' ...

", that gives Tina a terrifying flashback. Tina tells

Sonia Fowler Sonia Fowler (also Jackson) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Natalie Cassidy. Her first appearance was on and she departed on She returned briefly in 2010 along with other members of the Jackson fam ...

(

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 ...

) that when she was 19 or 20, she would play a game with Stuart and his friends that involved mild "torture", but once she was locked in a car boot, tied up and gagged, and feared she would die when she smelt burning. She recalls that "We Call It Acieed" was playing in the car and Stuart must have done it to her. Tina confronts Stuart but he says it must have been someone else. Tina decides to tell Mick and Linda but Stuart has already told them, and when Stuart knows that Tina was called a "slag" that night, she again thinks it was him. She tells Mick and Linda this, and recalls the football shirt the attacker was wearing, which Mick says Stuart was wearing that day. Mick confronts Stuart and vows to never see Stuart again, and Stuart stabs an old photograph of Mick. Stuart then keys his own car and tells people that Tina did it. He accuses her of starting a hate campaign against him but makes various threats and teases her, singing "We Call It Acieed" and goading her with a wrench, which she takes and hits him on the head with. After the attack, Stuart seeks revenge on the Carters and unbeknownst to Linda, sneaks into the pub at night, touches Linda in her sleep and records it on video, sending it to Mick. Mick later goes round to Stuart's house and Stuart asks Mick to kill him, goading Mick to attack him when Stuart taunts him about Linda. Later that night, Stuart sneaks into the pub and is shot by an unknown assailant and goes into a coma. His daughter

(

) arrives in Walford and claims that one of the Carters shot Stuart. Linda, thinking that Mick has shot him, as he lied about walking Lady Di, then takes the gun and dumps it in the canal to protect him, however she is spotted by

( Danny Walters). Later, when Mick asks Linda her whereabouts, she tells him she knows but he is adamant he did not do it and Linda worries whether she did the right thing, though Mick reassures her. The next day, Linda is arrested for Stuart's attempted murder as the rest of the square watch on. When Stuart regains consciousness, he states that Mick shot him. Mick is later arrested and imprisoned. When Stuart makes his statement to the police, Stuart picks at his wound with a fork to cause bleeding, which Zara sees, but Stuart insists that Mick shot him; Zara provides Stuart with an alibi on the day Mick went to Stuart's and Stuart wanted Mick to kill him. Upon being discharged, Zara accompanies Stuart to The Vic, where he offers to tell the police that Mick shot him accidentally in exchange for them to accept Mick is guilty and Zara believes Stuart. Zara is lured to The Vic by Halfway in order for Linda to persuade her that Mick is not responsible and she visits Mick, showing her cigarette burns inflicted on her by herself due to having a childhood without Stuart present and wants him to confess. Zara begins to doubt Stuart when Mick tells her that Linda knew Zara's mum by both her and Mick, and eventually walks out on Stuart. Furious, Stuart then hires fellow convicts in prison to help make Mick's life miserable there. Later, Linda calls time on her marriage to Mick when he admits he started smothering Stuart. She betrays Mick by visiting Stuart, ignoring Mick's desperate phone call and telephoning Stuart saying she believes him. Linda and Stuart begin meeting regularly and become close despite the family's, especially Tina's, protests. She tells the family she thinks Mick is guilty, throws away her wedding rings, and later throws the family out, then allows Stuart to move in, and calls a solicitor to begin divorce proceedings from Mick. What Stuart, Mick and the rest of their family does not know is that all this is a mere smokescreen from Linda to conceal her plan to help get Mick out of prison, which she eventually confesses to her mother-in-law

(

) and swears her to secrecy. Linda manages to get Stuart to confess that Mick did not shoot him and he is arrested for

perverting the course of justice Perverting the course of justice is an offence committed when a person prevents justice from being served on themselves or on another party. In England and Wales it is a common law offence, carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Statu ...

. Mick bundles Stuart into the boot of a car and drives to an abandoned factory where he vows to kill him. Laura-Jayne Tyler of ''Inside Soap'' described Stuart as "lairy" and called him "the most objectionable new character in years!" In July 2018, Champ was longlisted for "Best Bad Boy" at The ''Inside Soap'' Awards. Stuart's shooting was nominated for Best Soap Storyline at the 2018 ''

'' Reader Awards; it came in ninth place with 4.3% of the total votes. The reveal that Stuart shot himself was nominated for Biggest OMG Soap moment; it came in tenth place with 4.3% of the total votes. The following year, Champ received a

National Television Awards The National Television Awards (often shortened to NTAs) is a British television awards ceremony, broadcast by the ITV network and initiated in 1995. The National Television Awards are the most prominent ceremony for which the results are voted ...

nomination in the Newcomer category for his portrayal of Stuart. In July 2019, Champ was longlisted for "Best Bad Boy" again at The ''Inside Soap'' Awards 2019.

Brianna

Brianna, played by Rina Diamond, appears in one episode on 22 May 2018. She is a homeless girl who

(

) talks to on the London Underground and Hayley tells her how she can stay on the train after it reaches the end of the line. Brianna tells Hayley she is 16 despite Hayley thinking she looks 12. Brianna asks Hayley if she has spare sanitary products, so Hayley tells her she can use a sock, but Brianna is not wearing socks. Hayley gives Brianna some cash that she had previously conned from Craig (

) and tells her to go to a shop at the next station, and gives her extra cash so she can get back on the tube. When Brianna returns, she has beer instead and tells Hayley that she stole some socks. Brianna tells Hayley that her mother is a drug addict and alcoholic and she is better off now. Brianna guesses that Hayley is pregnant when she refuses alcohol. Hayley falls asleep and when she wakes up, Brianna and the rest of her money are gone. After the episode was broadcast, Diamond tweeted that Brianna was an "amazing character to play with so much depth". Viewers noticed a continuity error in Brianna's scenes, as she was able to get off the train, locate the beer, purchase it and return to exactly the same train.

Umar Kazemi

Umar Kazemi, played by

, first appears in the episode broadcast on 25 May 2018. Umar is the former husband of

Carmel Kazemi The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 2015, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by the show's executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins. January saw the ar ...

(

Bonnie Langford Bonita Melody Lysette "Bonnie" Langford (born 22 July 1964) is an English actress, dancer and singer. She came to prominence as a child star in the 1970s, when she had a notable role in the TV series ''Just William''. In the 1980s, she played c ...

) and father of

(

(Ash Rizi) and Shakil Kazemi (

). Rasalingam's casting in the role of Umar was reported on 22 May 2018. Umar departs in the episode first broadcast on 6 July 2018. Umar arrives in Walford following Shakil being stabbed to death and asks how it happened. The following week, he tells Carmel that he has spoken to the imam about Shakil's funeral, and says that it was a "blessing" that Shakil was "taken" this month, saying it was a "gift from God". This angers Carmel, as Shakil was not religious and she says Umar was not there for him. She insults Umar, calling him a drinker and adulterer. Umar later talks to Carmel about when Shakil was born, and she says she no longer wants to be angry with Umar. He invites her and Kush to dinner with him and his partner, Ashleen, and says she can visit him in Dubai. Carmel realises that Umar wants Kush to move to Dubai, and this leads to Carmel attempting suicide.

Darius Kazemi

Darius Kazemi, played by Ash Rizi, first appears in the episode broadcast on 28 May 2018. Darius is the son of

(

) and Umar Kazemi (

) and brother to

(

) and Shakil Kazemi (

). Rizi's casting in the role of Darius was first confirmed by Rizi's acting agency, who confirmed he would appear for three episodes. It was then reported on 22 May 2018 that Darius and Umar will arrive following Shakil's death in a stabbing, with Sophie Dainty of ''

'' reporting that Darius is "desperate for someone to blame". Darius departs in the episode first broadcast on 6 July 2018. Darius arrives and immediately asks to see Shakil's friend,

( Zack Morris), who was also attacked alongside Shakil but survived, and asks Keegan what Shakil's last words were, accusing him of not waiting for Shakil to get help because Keegan was taken to hospital first. Kush tells Darius he is being unfair. Darius later reminds Kush that he still wants him to go into business with him in Dubai, but Kush says he will not go now.

Amal Hussain

Amal Hussain, played by Natasha Jayetileke, appears in the episodes broadcast on 14 and 15 June 2018. She is contacted by

(

) on a dating website and they go on a date together. Masood pretends to be a perfect Muslim to impress Amal, even when she says she is not a practising Muslim. Masood believes she is the daughter of a businessman, Habib Hussain, and hopes that the date can lead to him meeting Habib. However, when

(

) discovers Masood's plan, she introduces herself to Amal and says she can give a reference to Amal's father. Amal tells Masood that her father, Asir, is dead. She realises that Masood was putting on an act to impress her, though Masood tries to say that he is still interested in her. She says if he was not a liar she might have fancied him, and leaves. The next day, Amal meets Masood and asks him to take her on a date as long as he is himself. They meet in the café, and Amal's mother, Rana Hussain (Taru Devani), who set up Amal's dating profile, arrives, so Amal asks Masood to lie that they have been dating for two months. Masood is confused when Rana says that he wants to marry Amal, and Amal says Masood should meet the rest of their family tonight so she can show her single cousins that dating sites work. However,

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 ...

) realises that Amal is using Masood to show Rana that she does not want to date, so Kathy kisses Masood, causing Rana to leave. Amal thanks Masood and Kathy as it will keep her mother from interfering for a few months. Amal's storyline was reported by ''

'' before being broadcast, who said that even though she is not who Masood thought she was, she "seems genuinely keen on getting to know him". ''Inside Soap'' also called Amal "enigmatic".

Jessica Jones

Jessica Jones, played by

, first appears in the episode broadcast on 31 July 2018. She is introduced as a love interest for

Jay Brown Jay Brown (also Mitchell) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Jamie Borthwick. He made his first appearance on 14 December 2006. Jay's storylines since joining the programme have included being part of a ...

(

Jamie Borthwick Jamie Simon Borthwick (born 23 June 1994) is an English actor who has portrayed the role of Jay Brown in the BBC One, BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' since 2006. He is also known for his role in Not Going out as The kid who Kicks Lee Career Borth ...

). Jessica last appears in the episode broadcast on 16 August 2018. Jessica is a woman who answers an advert from Jay Brown and

(

), who are looking for a new housemate. Jay is attracted to her and she is interested in his job as an undertaker. She says she works freelance but wants to be a tattoo artist, and she and Jay share interests in gaming and football. After she leaves, Jay agrees to let her move in. Jessica moves in and accepts that Jay is on the

Sex Offender Register In the United Kingdom, the Violent and Sex Offender Register (ViSOR) is a database of records of those required to register with the police under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (the 2003 Act), those jailed for more than 12 months for violent offences ...

due to a relationship he had with someone who lied about her age. Billy sees Jessica with Rainie Branning (

) and discovers from Rainie that Jessica is a prostitute. Billy asks her to move out, and Jay wonders why, so Billy asks Jessica to lie to Jay and let him down gently as he likes her, but she asks to be paid to do so. Jessica tells Jay she is moving in with a former boyfriend. Rainie then sees Billy paying Jessica. The character was announced on 24 July 2018. Jessica is introduced as a new love interest for Jay Brown who moves in with him and Billy Mitchell. Jessica was billed as "scheming", while Sorcha O'Connor of the ''

Irish Independent The ''Irish Independent'' is an Irish daily newspaper and online publication which is owned by Independent News & Media (INM), a subsidiary of Mediahuis. The newspaper version often includes glossy magazines. Traditionally a broadsheet new ...

'' called her a "strong, confident young woman" and a "tough cookie". Lee described the character as a "strong female role". Sophie Dainty of ''

'' noted that Jay thinks "all his Christmases had come at once" when Jessica arrives. Jessica is a guest character and leaves during the final episode of the week, leaving Jay "disappointed". The character is not credited with a surname on screen. In promotional material, it was teased that Jessica would know another character, but that character's identity was embargoed. It was later revealed that Jessica is a

sex worker A sex worker is a person who provides sex work, either on a regular or occasional basis. The term is used in reference to those who work in all areas of the sex industry.Oxford English Dictionary, "sex worker" According to one view, sex work is d ...

and knows Rainie Branning. Lee liked how Jessica was proud of her occupation and how the character acknowledges the difference between a

prostitute Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...

and a sex worker. She added, "I was really passionate about what essicastood for, as I think we both share the same disdain for unfair judgement, and that's probably where I see myself in her." Lee received a positive reaction to her Dublin accent and Jessica's bond with Jay. She told O'Connor that she would like to return to the role for a longer stint.

Marky

Marky (credited as Marky – Pizza Boy), played by Niall O'Mara, appears on 3 August 2018. He is a pizza delivery boy for Lorenzo's Pizza who brings 10 pizzas to

pub for the Carters.

(

) says they have not ordered pizzas, and threatens Marky with violence when he insists on being paid. Marky goes outside to get his tablet to show the family the order, but he discovers his moped has gone and claims he was set up by the Carters. The police are then called. It emerges that

(

) set up the entire scenario and stole the moped. ''

'' reported that viewers were "in love" with the character and wanted him to appear again, and called him "gobby" and "a very unlikely new favourite character". ''

'' said he had a "tiny role" but made the "absolute best of it".

Jagger Rawley

Jagger Rawley, played by Aaron Thomas Ward, first appears on 6 August 2018. He is in a gang with

Stix Redman The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in 2018, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive consultant, John Yorke (producer), John Yorke. Madhav Sh ...

(

Kasey McKellar This is a list of the characters who have appeared in the BAFTA-award-winning franchise of CBBC children's drama series ''The Story of Tracy Beaker'', ''Tracy Beaker Returns'', ''The Dumping Ground'', ''My Mum Tracy Beaker'' and ''The Beaker Girl ...

Biggie Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in East Coast hip hop and particularly gangsta ...

and Bunhead. They are in a fast-food restaurant and are seen selling mobile phones by 12-year-old

(

). Dennis buys a phone from them, and when Stix and Jagger see the police, they ask Dennis to hide the bag of phones somewhere safe and they will pay him for it. Dennis hides the bag at the mechanic's garage belonging to his stepfather,

(

), and it is found by

( Danny Walters).

( Zack Morris) later sees the gang trying to steal a bicycle and tells them it is not worth it, and they ask if he is the person who was stabbed recently. The gang then return to the garage to collect the bag, but Keanu threatens them with a crowbar. He says they can have the bag as long as they do not return and leave Dennis alone. Phil then arrives and sends them away and they say they will be back. Keanu then finds cannabis in the bag and Dennis receives a text saying "you're dead". The next day, Keanu sees the gang outside the garage but they leave when Phil calls them immature. They then find Dennis in the café and Jagger tells Dennis he now works for them, threatening to tell Phil what Dennis has hidden in the garage. Keanu arrives and sends them away. Keanu decides to throw the bag in the canal, telling Dennis the gang will not return, but he later finds the garage has been burgled and vandalised by the gang. Jagger appears with the bag and Keanu tells him it is now over so leave Dennis alone, but Jagger says he will decide when it is over. Keanu texts Jagger from Dennis's phone, asking to meet at the garage. There, Keanu asks for the tools back that they stole but Jagger says they have sold them. Keanu then says he recorded Jagger's burglary boast and tells them to leave. The gang see Dennis watching them and chase after him, and he ends up with a bloody nose, while the gang beat up Keanu, stamping on him. Phil arrives and fights the gang off. Jagger and his gang continue to hang around the garage and when Stix tells Dennis that Jagger has a job for him and Dennis refuses, the gang attempt to kidnap him in a stolen car, but Keanu and Sharon rescue him. Jagger meets 15-year-old

(

) and later takes her to the park to meet the rest of his gang, and he gives her alcohol. Jagger meets her again and warns off two girls who make Tiffany feel uncomfortable, and he invites Tiffany to his house.

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 ...

(

) catches Tiffany returning the next day. Tiffany admits to Whitney that Jagger is 19 years old but promises nothing sexual happened between them. Jagger later gives Tiffany a new phone with £50 of credit, saying she can contact him and nobody needs to know. It was reported on 24 August 2018 that 19-year-old Jagger would be involved in a storyline with 15-year-old

(

) in which he potentially grooms her, and Duncan Lindsay from ''

'' said that "His gift giving and manipulative behaviour are warning signs that he is grooming Tiffany".

Adam Bateman

Adam Bateman, played by

, first appears on 23 August 2018. He is a former foster son of

(

) and

(Indira Joshi) and a love interest for

(

). It was announced in September 2019 that Adam had been axed from the soap, and he made his last appearance on 3 December 2019. When Honey has toothache and unable to get an appointment with a dentist, Arshad arranges for Honey to see his foster son Adam at a dental practise. After the appointment, Adam asks Honey out for dinner. They then go on a date and the next day, Adam sees Honey in

, and Honey admits to her former partner,

(

), that she went on a date with Adam. Adam begins an affair with

(

) in 2019. When Honey sees Adam with Habiba on the CCTV at the Minute Mart, she questions him about it, but he convinces her that Habiba is like a sister to him. Habiba's sister,

(Priya Davdra) learns of the affair, and threatens him, saying that his affair will come out. As part of a "wife swap" event, Adam stays at Iqra's house, where she sees that he is also seeing a woman called Sally. Iqra tells Honey, who later exposes Adam in front of an audience, and throws him out of the flat, hitting him in the face with a bin. Rahman-Hughes' casting and the character of Adam were announced on 7 August 2018. Of his casting, Rahman-Hughes said he is "thrilled to ejoining" ''EastEnders'', calling the cast "incredible" and the show "iconic", adding "it really is a dream come true". Billed as "dashing", it was reported that, as Adam "establishes" himself as the local dentist, he would "set his sights" on Honey and that a potential relationship between Adam and Honey will make Honey's former partner, Billy, "less than happy when he learns that Honey is moving on", so could "seek to make things difficult for the pair." It was also reported that Adam would be "making an impact" for Arshad and Mariam, who fostered Adam from the age of eight.

DCI Peter Arthurs

DCI Peter Arthurs made his first appearance on 4 September 2018. He is portrayed by

Ian Burfield Ian Burfield is an English actor, who has often played roles as police officers and detectives on television. He appeared in 12 episodes of ''The Bill'', 39 episodes of ''EastEnders'', and played the part of a Tweed Coat Fingerman in 2005 film '' ...

, who previously played DI Hamilton in 1997 and DI Kelly between 2007 and 2010. He first arrives as a

detective inspector Inspector, also police inspector or inspector of police, is a police rank. The rank or position varies in seniority depending on the organization that uses it. Australia In Australian police forces, the rank of inspector is generally the ne ...

investigating the shooting of

(

); he has since continued to make recurring appearances. DCI Arthurs first appears investigating the shooting of

(

) at

pub, questioning landlord

(

) and his wife,

(

). Over two years later, Arthurs, now a

detective chief inspector Chief inspector (Ch Insp) is a rank used in police forces which follow the British model. In countries outside Britain, it is sometimes referred to as chief inspector of police (CIP). Usage by country Australia The rank of chief inspector is use ...

, questions

Gray Atkins The following is a list of characters introduced to the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in 2019, by order of first appearance. The characters are introduced by the show's executive consultant, John Yorke, or his successors, senior executive pro ...

(Toby-Alexander Smith) about the death of his wife,

(

). He then questions Gray about

Kheerat Panesar The following is a list of characters introduced to the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 2019, by order of first appearance. The characters are introduced by the show's executive consultant, John Yorke, or his successors, senior executive pr ...

(

Jaz Deol Jaskiranjit Singh Deol (born 12 March 1989) is a British actor, known for portraying the role of Kheerat Panesar on the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' from 2019 to 2022. Career Deol made his onscreen debut in the 2010 television film ''Castin ...

) after a report is made against him; Gray informs Arthurs that Kheerat wanted Chantelle to leave Gray for him, but believes that he would not harm Chantelle. Arthurs visits Gray to inform him that the coroner has ruled Chantelle's death accidental; he explains that he thought it would be a comfort to hear the news, which Gray rejects. Following the attack on

(

), he arrests Tina Carter (

) on suspicion of assaulting Ian; she is later cleared by him.

(

) develops suspicions over Chantelle's death that occurred a year prior, and she reports her beliefs to the police that her husband Gray murdered her. DCI Arthurs later dismisses these claims after being talked round by Gray. He later informs

(

) and

(

) that Tina's body has been recovered from the Argee Bhajee. Accusations are made again about Gray Atkins, this time suspecting he must have murdered Tina, as well as his wife Chantelle as Whitney pointed out before. Evidence is found and DCI Arthurs finally arrests Gray for the murders.

Ray Kelly

Raymond "Ray" Kelly, played by

, first appears on 4 September 2018. Ray is the former husband of

(

) and the stepfather to Mel's son, Hunter Owen (Charlie Winter). Ray is mentioned several times throughout 2018, as Hunter stays in contact with him. Ray arrives at local nightclub E20 as Mel is about to respond to

's (

) marriage proposal. Ray tells Mel he came because Hunter told him she was in trouble, but Mel says it was a lie. Ray leaves, but Mel later calls him. They meet and talk about their past, and he says he left his job in the police because he made mistakes after she left him and that letting her go was a mistake. She says it is too late and pushes him away when he goes to kiss her, but she then kisses him. Ray spends the night with Mel and makes sure Hunter finds out, and Hunter reveals to Jack that Mel and Ray had sex. Mel tells Jack that Ray is her soulmate and he has changed, but Jack does not believe it and meets a former police colleague to find out anything bad about Ray. Ray does not turn up to a meal and makes calls in secret. After a man, Jeff, calls Ray "Simon", Hunter discovers Ray has passports in the name Simon Wright. Ray tells Hunter he is an undercover police officer but Mel cannot know about it; he gives 15-year-old Hunter alcohol without his knowledge and him drunk and in agony. Ray then cheats on Mel with a woman called Gina. Jeff tells Ray he is thinking of moving to Albert Square; Ray fails to put him off so beats him up, saying if he ever returns he will knock out his teeth. Jack and Ray agree to call a truce but after a bruised Jeff tells Jack he is pulling out of renting a flat from him and sees that he is scared of Ray, Jack tells Mel that Ray assaulted his tenant. Ray visits Jack and threatens to harm his children if he continues to talk about him to Mel. Mel soon discovers Ray is visiting a boy in hospital called

Jake Wright Jake Maxwell Wright (born 11 March 1986) is an English footballer who last played as a defender for Boston United. Wright started his career with Bradford City, but played only one senior game for them, before he joined Halifax Town where he ...

(River Archer), and speaks to his mother, Maddie Wright (Robyn Page). Mel then asks Ray to marry her again and move in with her. Ray later claims he does not have enough money in his bank account to pay for Mel's engagement ring but she sees a receipt showing a balance of £142,878.04. Ray realises Mel saw his bank balance so tells her that he is saving up to buy E20 for her.

(

) develops a crush on Ray when he calls her a "beautiful woman". Ray gets a call and tells Mel he has to deal with a woman named Maddie at the police station. Mel contacts Maddie but Ray is not with her, so they meet and Mel finds out where Ray's regular pub is. Mel goes there and sees him meeting another woman, Jodie (Katie Buchholz). Mel then finds out that Jodie is Ray's daughter and he has another wife, Nicola Kelly (

Alexandra Gilbreath Alexandra Gilbreath (born 28 March 1969) is an English actress, born in Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire and trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Widely known for her role as depressed author Lucy Moss in ''Not Going Out' ...

). Nicola tells Mel and Maddie that she believes Ray murdered his first wife, Dee, and the three women agree to get revenge on Ray. Ray successfully purchases

's (

) share of E20 by blackmailing him over his role in the death of

Luke Browning Luke Browning (born 31 January 2002) is a British racing driver, he is the current GB3 Championship Champion driving for Hitech Grand Prix. He was also the champion of the 2020 F4 British Championship with Fortec Motorsports. Career Junior ...

(Adam Astill) and the disappearance of

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 ...

). On the day of his wedding to Mel, he talks to her about knowing Nicola, during which she reveals she knows Maddie. He then strangles her to keep her quiet and goes to the wedding. Mel recovers and goes to the wedding, much to Ray's horror. They marry and afterwards, Ray is arrested for bigamy after Nicola and Maddie go to the police. Ray later escapes from the police and attempts once again to strangle Mel to death; however, he is shot and killed by his stepson, Hunter Owen. It was first reported on 1 July 2018 that Ray would join the series in the autumn. A show spokesperson said, "Now that Mel is settled after overcoming her initial challenges and has secured a job and built a relationship with Jack, it's time to weave in her first major storyline since her return. And it is a big one—she really shouldn't trust Ray and he will make his presence felt immediately after arriving." The character and Mahon's casting were officially confirmed on 9 July 2018. It was reported that Ray's arrival would threaten Mel's relationship with Jack. The character was described as "a serial risk-taker and expert liar" and a source said, "It's safe to say that the residents of Walford shouldn't be fooled by Ray's slick exterior—a man who thrives on danger and who cannot be trusted is lurking underneath". Mahon said of his casting, "I'm so happy to join such an incredibly hard-working and talented team and I'm very much looking forward to playing out the drama that inevitably ensues on any given day in Albert Square. My character, Ray Kelly is not one to tread lightly and his arrival to the Square will cause shockwaves for many of the residents... it doesn't get much better than that." Executive consultant John Yorke said, "Sean is both a wonderful actor and a delight to work with. His character brings to the show some very big secrets and we can't wait to watch them explode."

Zara Highway

Zara Highway, played by

, first appears on 10 September 2018. She is the daughter of

(

) and the niece of

(

). Zara departs in episode 5785, originally broadcast on 28 September 2018. Zara arrives after Stuart is taken to hospital after being shot in

. Halfway tells her that Stuart was shot in the pub, leaving Zara to believe that one of the Carters is responsible for Stuart's shooting. After Halfway accuses her of not caring about Stuart, she slaps him. Halfway persuades her to stay in Walford. Stuart alleges

(

) shot him when he regains consciousness. When he makes his statement to the police, Stuart picks at his wound with a fork to cause bleeding, which she sees, but Stuart promises to Zara that Mick shot him; Zara provides Stuart with an alibi on the day Mick went to Stuart's and Stuart wanted Mick to kill him. Upon being discharged, Zara accompanies Stuart to The Queen Vic, where he offers to tell the police that Mick shot him accidentally in exchange for them to accept Mick is guilty and Zara believes Stuart. Zara is lured to The Queen Vic by Halfway in order for Mick's wife

(

) to persuade her that Mick is not responsible and she visits Mick, showing her cigarette burns inflicted on her by herself due to having a childhood without Stuart present and wants him to confess. Zara begins to doubt Stuart upon being told that Linda knew Zara's mother by both her and Mick. Zara walks out on Stuart. Daveney's casting as Zara was announced on the day of her first episode. After the episode, Justin Harp from ''

'' called Zara "feisty and snarky from her debut scene" and reported that her quips had viewers "raving over her".

Bev Slater

Bev Slater, played by Ashley McGuire, is

's (

) estranged mother. She first appears in the episode broadcast on 18 September 2018, and makes her final appearance in the episode broadcast on 11 January 2019. A pregnant Hayley sees Bev and tries to avoid her, but Bev arrives at Hayley's home with flowers. Hayley sends her away but

(

) convinces Hayley that Bev may be trying to make amends for the bad things she did in the past. Hayley speaks to Bev, who admits she messed up with Hayley but she wants to be a good grandmother, insisting she is not like she used to be. Bev says she works in customer relations, but later admits that she gets money through blackmailing married men when she threatens to send photos to their wives. Hayley is disgusted when Bev suggests that Hayley should scam her baby's father, who is also married, and when Hayley catches Bev going through her bag, they start to argue. Bev tells Hayley she should have aborted her baby when she had the chance, like she wishes she had done when she was pregnant with Hayley, saying that she tried to. Hayley threatens to throw a bottle at Bev, but they just insult each other. Bev leaves, and Hayley realises she is bleeding and begs Bev for help, but Bev gets in a taxi and leaves. Jean later meets Bev and tells her it is never too late to put things right but Bev simply insults Jean. Jean proclaims that Bev has no heart and tells her never to come back. When Hayley gives birth to her daughter, Bev shows up at the hospital and takes the baby and Hayley allows it. Bev shows Hayley how to feed the baby and suggests naming her Rose but when Hayley says she cannot be a mother, Bev says they will find a family for her and make money out of the situation. Bev tells Hayley that she can get a few hundred pounds but Bev speaks to someone, agreeing a price of £100,000 to adopt the baby. Hayley’s relative,

(

) tracks them down and Bev offers her £30,000 if she goes along with the deal, but Kat reveals this to Hayley, and Kat and Hayley leave with the baby. Bev surprises Hayley at the Slater house, revealing that she has been evicted from her flat and needs somewhere to stay. Kat’s estranged husband,

(

), who unbeknown to Bev is the father of the baby, now named Cherry, does not want Bev to stay in the same house as his daughter and convinces

(

) to let Bev stay at his house. Jean is upset when she finds out and she is angered when Kat and Stacey are nonchalant about it as long as Bev does not ruin things for Hayley. On Christmas Day, Hayley tells Bev that she wants to move back in with Bev to raise Cherry, but Bev insists that Hayley get Cherry's father involved. When Bev relates how Hayley's father was abusive and violent towards Hayley and her after Hayley was born, the revelation makes Hayley cry. Kat witnesses this and orders Bev to leave so Bev storms out of the house, insulting the entire Slater family. Bev returns to visit Hayley and Cherry. Hayley tells her to leave, saying she is not welcome, but Bev returns the next day, admitting she was staying with a friend, and apologises for her earlier mistakes. She offers Hayley the chance to move into a potential new flat with her and Cherry, and arranges a flat-viewing later that day. When an exhausted Hayley falls asleep, Bev tries to take Cherry for a walk but Jean returns and accuses Hayley of drinking again when Bev says she is "sleeping it off". Though Hayley and Bev attempt to clear up the confusion, Jean sees sleeping pills that fall out of Bev's bag and accuses Bev of drugging Hayley and trying to sell Cherry again, which Bev denies. Bev tries to assure her her intentions are good but Jean refuses to believe her so Bev points out the times when Jean ignored her family's and Stacey's school's concerns about Stacey as a child, scaring Jean. A furious Hayley orders Bev to leave. Outside, Bev cancels the viewing, revealing that she was being genuine. ''

'' called Bev "a cruel, loathsome, remorseless '' beeyatch''" and hoped she would return after her initial three-episode stint.

Cherry Slater

Cherry Slater first appears on 30 October 2018. She is the daughter of

(

) and

(

). While Hayley is pregnant with her baby, she tells Alfie she has had an abortion and tries to conceal the pregnancy from the rest of her family, including her cousin, Alfie's estranged wife,

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 ...

(

) realises that Alfie is the father but agrees not to say anything. Children's services become involved when Hayley contemplates suicide. Hayley gives birth in a drugs house and passes out shortly after. They are found and the baby is healthy but Hayley takes her out of the hospital early and leaves her on the doorstep of foster carers

(

) and

(Indira Joshi). When the baby vomits blood, the Ahmeds meet Hayley in the hospital where Hayley tells social worker Hilary Taylor (Sadie Shimmin) that she can look after the baby, but afterwards, Hayley's mother,

( Ashley McGuire), takes the baby and Hayley allows it. Bev shows Hayley how to feed her baby and suggests naming her Rose but when Hayley says she cannot be a mother, Bev says they will find a family for her and make money out of the situation. Bev tells Hayley that she can get a few hundred pounds but Bev speaks to someone, agreeing a price of £100,000 to adopt the baby. Kat tracks Hayley down and Bev offers her £30,000 if she goes along with the deal, but Kat reveals this to Hayley, and Kat and Hayley leave with the baby. After Hayley tells Alfie the baby must be called Slater, not Moon, Alfie says he should be able to pick the first name, so suggests Cherry, his mother's name, and Hayley registers the birth. When both Hayley and Alfie leave Albert square, Cherry is left in Kat's care. It was reported Hayley would have a "horror ..ordeal" around

as she will be alone as she gives birth, which is described as a "terrifying twist" and leaves Hayley "panic stricken." Hayley's anxiety also increases under the pressure of keeping the secret about the baby's paternity and her plan to "attempt to do a runner" is stopped when she goes into labour, putting her and her baby in a "worrying situation". Following the birth, Hayley, described as "struggling" and "overwhelmed", abandons her baby with Mariam and Arshad, however, her baby suffering a "scare" reportedly makes Hayley "rise to her responsibilities" and "reevaluate her earlier decision to give up her child." Cherry made her last appearance on 19 May 2020. On 27 August 2020, it was reported that Cherry would not be returning after the show resumed filming following the

hiatus, with her absence being explained via the show's

Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...

page as Kat taking her back to Hayley prior to the lockdown.

Evie Steele

Evie Steele, played by Sophia Capasso, first appears in episode 5811, which was first broadcast on 13 November 2018. She is an acquaintance of

Jagger Rawley The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in 2018, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive consultant, John Yorke (producer), John Yorke. Madhav Sh ...

(Aaron Thomas Ward).

(

) encounters Evie in the local chicken restaurant and is immediately befriended by her. When Jagger hassles Tiffany, Evie warns him away. Tiffany bunks off school to go shopping and eating with Evie; Evie admits she is an acquaintance of Jagger's and Tiffany should do some work for them to work off a debt. Tiffany is given a gift of expensive trainers by Evie and Tiffany decides to do some work to repay Evie's kindness. When Jagger requires a place to stay for a few days, Tiffany sneaks him into

's (

) flat, however, more people show up and Tiffany discovers Evie is a drug dealer and in charge. Tiffany demands they leave and threatens to phone the police, but Evie prevents Tiffany from doing so by claiming her family do not care. After rejecting the offer to go with Evie, Jagger and

Vix VIX is the ticker symbol and the popular name for the Chicago Board Options Exchange's CBOE Volatility Index, a popular measure of the stock market's expectation of volatility based on S&P 500 index options. It is calculated and disseminated ...

(Lukwesa Mwamba), Tiffany changes her mind. Tiffany visits Evie at Ted's flat to tell them that the Taylor family living above can hear them and Evie later thanks Tiffany for warning them as she prevented possible trouble with the police; Evie also assigns Tiffany another job involving drugs that requires

(Clair Norris) to go with her. Bernadette is reluctant to bunk off school with Tiffany and Evie insists Bernadette needs to go with her so Tiffany does not stand out. Tiffany reveals to Bernadette about her involvement with drugs and Tiffany convinces Bernadette to go with her when she kisses her and the following day, Evie gives Tiffany the package. Billed as "a dangerous new friend" for Tiffany, who is a "bad girl", Evie impresses with her "boldness", which reels Tiffany in. Katie Bailie from ''

'' speculated if "a dangerous romance" could develop, observing "a moment of electricity ..in the air" and Tiffany "seems to be allowing herself to be charmed by the gang leader" in Evie's debut episodes.

Morag Morgan

Morag Morgan is played by

Julia Hills Julia Hills (born 3 April 1957) is an English actress, known for portraying the role of Rona in all eight series of the BBC sitcom ''2point4 Children''. She also portrayed various roles in Channel 4's first late night satirical sketch show ''Who ...

. She first appears in episode 5816, first broadcast on 22 November 2018, and departs in episode 5830, first shown on 17 December 2018. She appears in eight episodes. Morag first appears in the local shop and invites Kim Fox-Hubbard (

Tameka Empson Tameka Empson (born 16 April 1977) is an English actress and comedian. She appeared as one of the three protagonists in the hidden-camera comedy sketch show ''3 Non-Blondes''. In 2009, she began portraying the role of Kim Fox in the BBC soap ...

) and

(

) to join her choir, Walford Warblers, as she will be in a concert on Christmas Eve. She mentions that she once taught

Lily Allen Lily Rose Beatrice Allen (born 2 May 1985) is an English singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of actor Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. Her music career began in 2005 when she made some of her vocal recordings publi ...

(

) and

(

) also join the choir. Ian leaves when he thinks Morag is flirting, because he is the only male there, but Jean convinces him to return because Morag said she knows

Alan Sugar Alan Michael Sugar, Baron Sugar (born 24 March 1947) is a British business magnate, media personality, author, politician and political adviser. In 1968, he started what would later become his largest business venture, consumer electronics com ...

and he will be at the concert. Various other people then join after hearing there will be a £5,000 prize for the best choir. Eventually, Morag gives the solo to Jean, despite protests from Kim. However, Morag criticises Jean's imperfect performance and keeps the members practicing for over three hours, during which time, Morag also claims to know

Imelda Staunton Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton (born 9 January 1956) is an English actress and singer. After training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Staunton began her career in repertory theatre in 1976 and appeared in various theatre produ ...

. Morag tells Jean off for answering a phone call during practice and then tells everyone their vocals were awful, so Jean defends everyone but Morag claims that she knows better than Jean because she has more experience. Kim then reveals that she has looked Morag up on the Internet and she is lying about her credentials. Jean is almost mugged before going to one choir practice and Morag criticises her further, though everyone defends her. Morag ignores them and sends Jean to sing with the background singers, so Jean leaves. Ian then calls Morag a bully and everyone agrees, and they refuse to listen to her, turning their backs on her. Morag demands that they turn around, but they ignore her, so she tells them she has washed her hands of them and leaves. Ian then takes over the choir. Following this, Jean discovers that Morag missed the deadline for entry into the Battle of the Boroughs choir competition, but the choir perform a carol concert in

on Christmas Eve. Hills' casting in the role of Morag was reported on 13 November 2018. The character, a choir leader, was described as "larger-than-life", "a big personality" and "bossy and boastful". It was said the character would "ruffle some feathers" and get on the wrong side of other characters. She was also called "feisty" and "domineering". It was announced she would appear in "several" episodes.

Other characters

References

{{EastEnders characters, year, state=expanded

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

*, EastEnders 2018 in British television