Barbara Windsor Dame Barbara Windsor (born Barbara Ann Deeks; 6 August 193710 December 2020) was an English actress, known for her roles in the ''Carry On'' films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera, ''EastEnders''.Martin Fowler ( James Bye), Mark's uncle, worry about Grant learning the truth and convince Phil not to tell him, and Michelle has told Mark that Phil is lying because he is an alcoholic who hates her. However, Mark arrives at Martin's flat. Mark goes to see Phil and asks if what he said about Tim not being his real father is true, but Phil has agreed with Sharon to not reveal the truth, so he denies even speaking to Mark. Mark decides to stay in Walford to get to know his family. Mark is quick to join the market with Phil's ex-wife Kathy Sullivan (

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

), who is the aunt of Michelle, Mark and Martin, and makes fast friends with 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 ...

), whom seems envious of Mark's popularity with women. Mark takes a liking to

Courtney Mitchell The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in 1997, by order of first appearance. Many were introduced by the show's executive producer, Jane Harris. Neelam Kapoor Neelam Kapoor is played ...

(Alice Nokes), not knowing she's his half-sister, and both admit that they like each other. Their cousin

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 ...

) tells Sharon about them, prompting her and Michelle's cousin,

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 ...

), to find them. Sharon, Ian and Phil find out nothing happened between Mark and Courtney, but Sharon and Ian book him tickets to return home. Mark explains that he feels at home in Walford and feels a connection with Courtney. When Courtney is a victim of a break-in, Mark comforts her, but is then confronted by Grant who assumes Mark is attacking her. Grant learns that Mark is Michelle's son and shares passing comments of his dislike of her; Mark shares that the feeling is mutual. When 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 ...

) and

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 soap opera ''EastEnders'' since 2006. He is also known for his role in Not Going out as The kid who Kicks Lee Career Borthwick ha ...

) are kidnapped by

Paul Coker Paul Coker Jr. (March 5, 1929 – July 23, 2022) was an American illustrator. He worked in many media, including '' Mad'', character design for Rankin-Bass TV specials, greeting cards, and advertising. Career Coker was born in Lawrence, Kansa ...

's (

Jonny Labey Jonny Labey (born 15 January 1993) is a British actor, known for portraying the role of Paul Coker on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Early life Labey is from Grouville, Jersey. He attended Grouville School and Victoria College. He began d ...

) killers, Mark and Grant go to find them and they bring Ben back, but leave Jay behind. Phil tells Grant that Mark is his son. Grant stops Mark and Courtney kissing but agrees that Mark is better off not knowing the truth, however,

Jane Beale Lesley Jane Beale (also Clarke and Collins) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders'', played by Laurie Brett. She made her first appearance on 22 June 2004. Brett took maternity leave in 2011 and departed on 19 May. Sh ...

(

Laurie Brett Laurie Brett (born 28 March 1969) is a Scottish actress, best known for her roles as Jane Beale in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' and Christine Mulgrew in the BBC One school-based drama series '' Waterloo Road''. Early and personal life ...

) encourages Grant to tell Mark, as Mark can then make up his own mind, so Grant invites Mark to join him for a drink and a chat. Grant talks to Mark about Michelle and Tim, and Mark says he would not want a different father despite their differences, so Grant decides not to tell Mark the truth. As Mark is about to leave, he tells Sharon he worked out that Grant is his father and Sharon confirms it. However, she urges Mark not to ruin his life by getting involved with Grant. Mark then leaves to return to his mother and Tim in the United States. When Michelle returns to Walford later in the year, she tells Sharon that Mark has a girlfriend and has moved out. However he is not speaking to Michelle because she has broken the law in Florida for having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student

Preston Cooper 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 ...

(Martin Anzor). A year and a half later, Michelle leaves Walford and goes to visit Mark, who now lives in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, and Vicki to reconnect with them. She later decides to stay in Australia Of his casting, Porteous said, "Being part of two iconic families and the longest kept secret in ''EastEnders'' history is beyond exciting! I'm honoured to be here and can't wait for viewers to properly meet Mark Jr".

Frankie Byrne, Neil Crossley and Tom Eden

Frankie Byrne, played by Leon Tennant, Neil Crossley, played by Chris Waller, and Tom Eden, played by Tom Holloway, each appear in four episodes between 5 September and 7 October 2016. Frankie, Neil and Tom are members of the gang who attacked Ben Mitchell (

) and killed his boyfriend

(

) in a homophobic assault. Along with the other gang member,

Simon Atmore The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 2016, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins, or his successor S ...

( Tom Palmer), they kidnap Ben and

(

). Off screen, Frankie enters their house with Simon and they attack Ben's father

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 ...

) when he attempts to help them, locking him under the stairs. They then search the rest of the house. They do not find Ben's half-sister

(

) and cousin

(Alice Nokes) as they are hiding in a wardrobe. As they flee the scene in their van, Frankie asks Simon why they had to hurt Phil and kidnap Jay as well as they had only been intending to abduct Ben, and asks what they intend to do next as a result. He also worries that they have been seen leaving. The gang drive Ben and Jay to an industrial estate, and Frankie speculates whether Jay is Ben's new boyfriend. When Jay bangs on the inside of the van, Frankie worries that something has gone wrong. Jay claims that Ben has collapsed so the gang open the van doors, and Ben and Jay attempt to escape. Jay punches Frankie but Tom tackles Ben, injuring his shoulder and they are easily overpowered. Ben begs them to let Jay go as their argument is with him but Tom and Neil put Jay back in the van. Frankie stops Simon from attacking Ben after he taunts Simon. Frankie is shocked when Simon suggests killing Ben, claiming that he thought they were only going to scare him into keeping quiet. Frankie is reluctant to go through with it and insists that Paul's death was an accident, but Simon tells him a judge would not see it that way. Phil's brother

Grant Grant or Grants may refer to: Places *Grant County (disambiguation) Australia * Grant, Queensland, a locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia United Kingdom *Castle Grant United States * Grant, Alabama *Grant, Inyo County, C ...

(

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

) and his son

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

(

Ned Porteous Edward Graham Porteous (born 7 July 1994) is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Mark Fowler Jnr in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' (2016) and Joe Tate in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' (2017–2018). Early life Porteous is f ...

) then arrive in a rescue attempt and the gang flee the scene. After being arrested off-screen following the abduction attempt, the gang appear at a bail hearing in court. The judge denies bail to Frankie, Tom and Neil and orders them to be remanded in custody to await trial. Frankie, Tom and Neil plead guilty to all the charges against them, for Paul's murder and kidnapping Ben and Jay. Frankie, Neil, Tom and Simon are then later sentenced each to a minimum term of 30 years in prison, off screen. Jack Rattenbury of the Daily Star described them as "openly racist thugs". Laura-Jane Tyler from ''

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 ...

'' called them "very dangerous people", "bad guys", "wicked men", "evildoers", "merciless human beings", "violent brutes" and "villains", who committed a "horrendous hate crime".

Geraldine Clough

Geraldine Clough, played by

Gwyneth Strong Gwyneth Strong (born 2 December 1959) is an English actress. She has appeared in '' Shadows'' (1975), ''Angels'' (1976), ''Crown Court'' and ''Z-Cars'' (1977), ''Play for Today'' (1980-1984), ''Silent Witness'' (1996). However, she is best known f ...

, first appears on 16 September 2016. Geraldine is the leader of a female darts team from The Feathers pub who go to

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 for a tournament against The Vic's team led by

landlady A landlord is the owner of a house, apartment, condominium, land, or real estate which is rented or leased to an individual or business, who is called a tenant (also a ''lessee'' or ''renter''). When a juristic person is in this position, the t ...

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 ...

). Geraldine goads Linda before the game starts. Geraldine refuses to allow Linda's husband

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 annou ...

(

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 ...

) to referee the match and suggests allowing the next customer to come into the pub to be the referee. Geraldine sends a text message on her mobile phone and a man enters the pub and is chosen to be referee and Geraldine winks at him, indicating that the match is rigged and she is cheating. Linda throws the last dart and The Vic's team loses the game. Geraldine is smug and leaves with her team and it is only afterwards that Linda,

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

(

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

) and

Babe Smith Babe Smith (also known as Aunt Babe) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', portrayed by Annette Badland. She first appeared in episode 4796 of the show, originally broadcast in the United Kingdom on 31 January 2014, ...

(

Annette Badland Annette Badland (born 26 August 1950) is an English actress known for a wide range of roles on television, radio, stage, and film. She is best known for her roles as Margaret Blaine in the BBC science fiction series ''Doctor Who'', Mrs. Glen ...

) discover that The Feathers' team cheated. When Kathy Sullivan (

) and

Abi Branning Abi Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Lorna Fitzgerald. She was introduced by executive producer Kate Harwood on 3 July 2006 as an extension to the Branning family, along with father Max (J ...

(

Lorna Fitzgerald Lorna Katie Fitzgerald (born 17 April 1996) is a British actress from Northampton. Her most notable role to date is that of Abi Branning in the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders''. Since leaving ''EastEnders'' in January 2018, Fitzgerald has develope ...

) go to audition for the Walford Christmas show, Geraldine is in charge of the auditions and tells them that there will be a talent show instead of a nativity play. Kathy is angered by this and Geraldine asks her to leave. The next day, Kathy and Geraldine meet in the café and Geraldine reveals that after Kathy left, all the other auditionees agreed with Kathy and that the Christmas show would instead be a production of ''

A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. ''A Christmas C ...

'', and Geraldine puts Kathy in charge of directing it. However, when

Belinda Peacock The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 2001, by order of appearance. All characters were introduced by the show's executive producer, John Yorke. The first character to be introduced ...

(

Carli Norris Carli Jo Norris (born 23 June 1974) is an English actress, known for her roles as Anoushka Flynn in '' Doctors'', Martha Kane in ''Hollyoaks'' and taking over the role of Belinda Peacock in ''EastEnders''. Career In June 1997, just before off ...

) sees how upset Geraldine is, Kathy is forced to let Geraldine continue as director. Geraldine also reveals that her former husband insisted he never wanted children and waited until Geraldine was too old to have any, then left her for a barmaid and got her pregnant, leaving Geraldine childless. Geraldine later gives Kathy a copy of the script she has written for the Christmas play. Kathy is unimpressed but Geraldine ignores her concerns. She also refuses to let Kathy and Abi work backstage, instead forcing them to audition for parts. During Kathy's audition, Geraldine spends all her time watching

Keith Howard The ''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' series features an extensive cast of characters created by Kazuki Takahashi. The series takes place in a fictional city in Japan called Domino City, in which most of the characters that appear in the series originate. Many plot ...

(Daniel Attwell) and does not pay attention to Kathy or to

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, ...

) when he also auditions. When Kathy realises Geraldine is attracted to Keith, she calls her "a sad old cow", which Geraldine does not hear. Kathy then calls Geraldine "desperate" to her face and when Kathy once more criticises her script, Geraldine throws her out. Geraldine eventually offers the part of Scrooge to Keith, praising his performance in rehearsals, despite the rest of the cast believing that he cannot act. Patrick is angry that Geraldine cut his line from the script and she challenges the cast to leave if they do not like her work. Kathy angrily accuses Geraldine of sacking people when the event is meant to be for charity, and Geraldine reveals that the money made from the show will no longer be going to a children's charity, infuriating Kathy even more. After another poor rehearsal, Kathy confronts Geraldine over her directing methods and Geraldine is angered by this and demands that the cast choose between her and Kathy. The cast side with Kathy and a furious Geraldine leaves in tears. Niomi Harris of '' OK!'' described Geraldine as "the tough-talking, hard-nosed rival darts leader that rubs landlady Linda up the wrong way."

Moose

Wayne "Moose" Parker, played by Sam Gittins, appears in three episodes between 14 October and 4 November 2016, one on 20 March 2017, and more in November 2017. Moose is an old army friend of

Lee Carter Lee Carter may refer to: * Lee Carter (baseball), American baseball player *Lee Carter (comics), British fantasy artist * Lee Carter (''EastEnders''), fictional character * Lee J. Carter (born 1987), member of the Virginia House of Delegates * Vipe ...

(

Danny-Boy Hatchard Danny-Boy Hatchard (born 26 July 1991) is an English actor, known for portraying the role of Lee Carter in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Hatchard's other credits include Aaron in the 2014 film ''We Still Kill the Old Way'' and Steven Pierc ...

), who arrives at

pub for Lee's stag party. He accidentally sprays Lee's fiancée

(

) with a fire extinguisher, and later flirts with her, calling Lee a loser and implying to Whitney that he has a large penis because a moose is "bigger than a donkey". When Lee is offered a job, Moose says he will plan a celebration. Moose returns for Lee's second stag party and arranges for the stags to go paintballing and hires a stripper for Lee. Moose later attends the wedding along with

Beanbag A bean bag (also beanbag) is a sealed bag containing dried beans, PVC pellets, expanded polystyrene, or expanded polypropylene. The bags are commonly used for throwing games, but they have various other applications. Furniture Designed by ...

(Jack Bence), wearing his ceremonial army uniform for the occasion. Moose and Beanbag cover Lee in golden syrup and feathers before the wedding, and Moose later assures Lee that Whitney loves him. After Lee and Whitney's relationship breaks down and Lee leaves Walford, Moose returns to collect Lee's belongings from The Queen Vic, angering Whitney and Lee's father

(

) in the process. He talks to Whitney about Lee's new life in Dover, and Whitney works out that he has met somebody else. He departs after giving Whitney his phone number, saying she can talk to him at any time. In May he returns and informs Whitney that Lee wants a divorce and that he has already spoken to a solicitor. Moose visits Whitney in Walford six months later. His arrival causes tension for Whitney's new boyfriend, Woody. When Moose makes a sarcastic comment about Whitney, Woody attacks him. The next day, Whitney confronts Moose and tells him she knows his real name is Wayne and makes fun of it. Finally getting the message that Whitney is not interested in him, Moose leaves Walford. Laura-Jane Tyler of ''

'' called Moose "Lee's cheeky mate" and speculated that Whitney would cheat on Lee with Moose.

Dave

Dave (also briefly called Ethel and Ethel Esquire) is a stray cat taken in by

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

(

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

), who first appears in October 2016, where he is seen sniffing around the bins in

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

. After a while, Dot sees the cat when she is putting rubbish into her bin and initially shoos him away. However, the cat starts meowing on her window sill. He enters Martin Fowler ( James Bye) and

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 ...

's (

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 ...

) house where he licks their Christmas turkey, forcing them to throw it out. He then returns to Dot's doorstep, following her retirement party, so Dot takes the cat in. Thinking the stray cat she has taken in is a female, Dot names the cat Ethel after her friend

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

(

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

). During a conversation with

(

) about her failing eyesight, he points out to Dot that Ethel is a male. Dot then decides that Ethel will be called Ethel's Little Willy after her friend's dog,

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

. However, she continues to call the cat Ethel and refer to him as female, and wonders if she should name him Ethel Esquire. Dot is persuaded by her step-grandchildren,

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

(Abbie Knowles) and

Ricky Mitchell The following are characters who first appeared, or returned, in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' during 2010 listed by order of first appearance. Executive producer Diederick Santer left ''EastEnders'' on 26 February 2010, handing over to Br ...

(Henri Charles), to rename the cat Dave after a pet

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

) had as a child. Dave escapes from Dot's house, but is found and returned by Dot's stepson,

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 brot ...

(

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 20 ...

). Dave escapes again and is found by

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

(

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

) in the launderette. He escapes again while Dot is in hospital and two of Dot's other step-grandchildren,

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 ...

) and

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 ...

, believe Dave is dead after finding a dead cat in the bin. When Sonia and Robbie break the news about Dave, a nurse tells her that Dave is at the hospital. When seeing a missing poster for Dave,

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 ...

) reveals to her husband

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� ...

) that she believes Dave is their missing cat, Lucky.

Osman "Oz" Bolat

Osman "Oz" Bolat, played by Noah Maxwell-Clarke, first appears on 7 November 2016. Oz is a colleague of

's (

) at the call centre where Lee works. As Lee struggles with making sales, a confident Oz goads him, telling Lee that he had taken bets with their colleagues as to whether Lee would come back into work after previously calling in sick. Lee squares up to Oz when he makes a derogatory comment about Lee's wife

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 ...

(

) after seeing Lee's photo of her, causing their supervisor, Haroon Zaman (

Silas Carson Silas Carson (born 1965) is an English actor, mostly known for playing Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi and Viceroy Nute Gunray in all three of the ''Star Wars'' prequels and providing the voice of the Ood in ''Doctor Who''. Life and career In ''Sta ...

) to intervene and break up the fight. The following day, Haroon asks Lee to work with Oz so he can gain some tips. Lee watches as Oz makes a successful sale. After work, as Lee and Oz are leaving, Whitney arrives to surprise Lee and sees Oz, then asks to meet Lee's employees, which amuses Oz when he realises that Lee has lied to Whitney about his job. The following week, Oz answers a call from Whitney on Lee's mobile phone whilst Lee is making a sales call. Oz reveals that Whitney wanted to know if he had put a deposit on a flat they were looking for. Oz gloatingly tells Lee that he should have told Whitney that Lee could not afford a cardboard box. Oz is further amused when Lee asks Haroon for an advance on his wages and is turned down and continues to taunt him. Later, Oz presses the loudspeaker button on Lee's phone, revealing that he is talking to a recorded message, and laughs when Lee gets angry after losing out on another sale and rips off his headset. When Lee returns to work after calling in sick, Oz reveals that he knows Lee was lying about being ill and threatens to reveal it to Haroon, and Lee angrily shoves him. Lee later apologises to Oz, insisting it will not happen again. Oz menacingly agrees, revealing that he has cut part of Lee's jacket.

pub, where Lee's family live and work, is robbed by three men armed with baseball bats, during which Lee's brother Johnny Carter (

Ted Reilly Ted Reilly (born 14 September 1991) is a British actor, who played the role of Johnny Carter in '' EastEnders'' from 2016–2018, because the original actor chose not to return, and the show's producers recast the role. Before that, however, he ...

) is hit in the face, a necklace is taken from Lee's mother

(

), the lead robber grabs Lee's 18-month-old brother

Ollie Carter 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 a ...

to stop Lee's father

(

) from attacking him before putting Ollie down and fleeing, and one of the robbers drops his wallet, which Lee picks up. The following week it is revealed that Lee arranged for Oz and their colleagues Connor Parry (Ross-Anthony McCormack) and Sid Yexley (Tommy French) to carry out the robbery, and it had been Oz who had taken the money and necklace and grabbed Ollie. Oz is angry at Connor for dropping his wallet and risking them being identified. Lee angrily confronts Oz, Connor and Sid, telling them his family are now terrified and he was not expecting them to be armed. Oz reminds Lee that he had planned the robbery and had no right to blame anybody else for what happened. Oz later explains that they will split the money and each get £1,255 but he refuses to give Lee his share, due to him being unable to get Whitney out of the pub as he had agreed, as she could have recognised Oz. The next day, Lee informs Oz that the police are searching the pub for fingerprints. Oz angrily tells Lee that if the police discover he was involved in the robbery, he will tell them of Lee's involvement. After two of the perpetrators are arrested for the robbery and implicate Lee, he is also arrested but is released without charge. Lee returns to work after Christmas and is shocked to see that Oz is at work as well. Oz visits the Vic, claiming to be a friend of Lee's. Mick tells Oz about the robbery, saying two people were arrested for it, and gives him a free drink. Lee angrily tells Oz to leave but he refuses, claiming that he knows that Lee will not tell the police about him due to fear of his family discovering the truth. He then demands alcohol from a surplus Mick had ordered for New Year's Eve and Lee reluctantly gives it to him. The next day at work, Oz listens as Lee makes a sale to an elderly woman, and afterwards, he tells Lee that the woman would probably lose money due to having to leave her current energy contract and pay for a new one, and jokes that she might die from shock when she realises this. After Lee passes his probationary review, Oz catches Lee crying in a lift as he is leaving, and laughs at him. Oz attempts to take a photo of Lee on his mobile phone and calls him a "crybaby girl". Lee angrily shouts at Oz that at least he had a heart, friends, family and a wife, but Oz tells Lee he would not have any of them if they knew how spineless Lee is, claiming that he never expected Lee to steal from his family, and that Whitney would leave him when she meets a "real man". Lee eventually confesses his part in the robbery to Mick and also tells him of Oz's involvement and Mick demands Oz's address from Lee. Mick leaves the pub and returns later with blood on his knuckles, implying that he has beaten up Oz. The next day at work, Oz has a black eye and tells Lee that Mick hit him and that Lee is lucky to have a father who can fight his battles for him. Oz then suggests that they avoid each other from then on. 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 ...

'' described Oz as a "slick call centre alpha male", a "loathsome figure", "conceited and complacent", a "bully boy" and "smug", and listed five reasons to hate the character.

Fred Cole

DC Fred Cole, played by Victor Gardener, appears in two episodes on 19 and 25 December 2016 and two on 15 and 16 May 2017. Cole also makes a reappearance on 24 October 2019. He is a police officer who visits

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 ...

. Landlady

(

) assumes he is from the council and thanks him for the

Christmas tree A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen conifer, such as a spruce, pine or fir, or an artificial tree of similar appearance, associated with the celebration of Christmas. The custom was further developed in early modern ...

, but he reveals his warrant card and tells Linda that he is investigating the theft of the tree from outside Walford town hall. Cole then questions Linda's husband

(

) over the theft, revealing that a man fitting his description was caught on CCTV taking part in the theft and shows him a video of him dancing after taking the tree. He asks Mick to dance, which Mick does, enabling Cole to positively identify him. He then tells Mick that if the tree is returned that night then no further action will be taken. Cole visits The Queen Vic on Christmas Day, and arrests

(

) on suspicion of conspiracy to commit robbery. In May 2017, he arrests

(

) for assaulting Charlie Cotton (

Declan Bennett Declan William Bennett (born 20 March 1981) is an English singer-songwriter, actor and playwright. He gained prominence as a member of the band Point Break, before going on to perform on London's West End and as a solo musician. He is known on ...

). He questions

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 ...

) as a witness and she asks him to go easy on Jack as he is still grieving for his wife

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

(

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

). Two years later, he arrests Ben Mitchell (

Max Bowden Max Bowden (born 31 December 1994) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Justin Fitzgerald in the BBC One school-based drama series ''Waterloo Road (TV series), Waterloo Road'', and his portrayal of Ben Mitchell (EastEnders), Be ...

) for various crimes after Martin Fowler ( James Bye) reports him. John James Anisiobi of the ''

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

'' described DC Cole as "a silver haired handsome man with a knack for solving crimes".

Karen Beckworth

Karen Beckworth, played by

Sally Rogers Sally Rogers (born 1964) is an English actress, best known for her role as Detective Constable/Sgt. Jo Masters in ITV's ''The Bill''. Rogers trained as a children's nanny, before taking up acting at the age of 20. She studied at Webber Dougl ...

, appears in two episodes on 29 and 30 December 2016. She is a parking attendant, who sees

(

) losing his temper with a payment machine. Lee shouts at Karen, claiming that he will be sacked from his job if he is late due to the machine not working, which scares her. Lee is shocked by her reaction and apologises, assuring Karen that he would not hurt her. Karen then helps Lee to get a parking ticket from the machine and reassures him that everyone has bad days. Later that day Karen sees Lee standing at the edge of the car park roof, where he appears to be contemplating suicide. Karen attempts to talk him down and he tells her that does not know how to enjoy himself and does not feel like other people. Karen then asks Lee about his wife,

(

), after Lee ignores a telephone call from her on his mobile and Lee tells her that Whitney is now seeing his true nature. He tells Karen that his parents

Mick Mick is a masculine given name, usually a short form (hypocorism) of Michael. Because of its popularity in Ireland, it is often used in England as a derogatory term for an Irish person or a person of Irish descent. In Australia the meaning broade ...

(

) and

(

) have a perfect relationship and that his brother

Johnny Johnny is an English language personal name. It is usually an affectionate diminutive of the masculine given name John, but from the 16th century it has sometimes been a given name in its own right for males and, less commonly, females. Varian ...

(

) and sister Nancy (

Maddy Hill Madeleine Kate Hayley Hill (born 19 March 1990) is an English actress, known for her roles as Nancy Carter in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' and Ruby Spark in the BBC medical drama ''Casualty''. Career Hill trained at Rose Bruford College ...

) are doing well in their lives and that he cannot compete with them and that he has let his family down. Karen tells Lee that he is not a bad person and convinces him that he is loved and killing himself would not make his family feel any better, and that she knows what he is going through. As Lee climbs over the wall to jump, Karen assures him that he is not alone, begs him not to give up and convinces him to take her hand before he comes down from the edge, and she hugs him. Karen takes Lee to her office and makes him a cup of tea. She gives him a card from the

Samaritans Samaritans (; ; he, שומרונים, translit=Šōmrōnīm, lit=; ar, السامريون, translit=as-Sāmiriyyūn) are an ethnoreligious group who originate from the ancient Israelites. They are native to the Levant and adhere to Samarit ...

with a telephone helpline. After Lee leaves, Karen sits at her desk and cries in front of a photograph of a boy, implying that someone she knew had committed suicide. Justin Harp from ''

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, ...

'' called Karen Lee's "guardian angel". Duncan Lindsay from 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 ...

'' praised the storyline, saying, "The performances in the exchange between Lee Carter and Karen Beckworth were highly charged", and "Sally Rogers, who first appeared as an apparently insignificant parking officer in the previous episode, also moved us incredible amounts as Karen stepped up for Lee and effectively saved his life, driven, it later transpired, by the tragedy of a young man in her own life." Lindsay added that the "scenes were difficult to watch", but said that "complemented heavily by strong writing, amazing support from the Samaritans and outstanding performances by Danny-Boy and Sally, ''EastEnders'' have got us all talking about an issue that seriously needs

o be O, or o, is the fifteenth letter and the fourth vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''o'' (pronounced ), pl ...

discussed." Shaun Kitchener from the ''

Sunday Express The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in tabloid format. Published in London, it is the flagship of Express Newspapers, owned by publisher Reach plc. It was first published as a broadsheet i ...

'' called Karen's second episode "heartbreaking".

Others

References

External links

* {{EastEnders characters, year, state=expanded

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

*EastEnders 2016 in British television

Sophie Dodd

Delia Forde

Tim Reynolds

Thelma Bragg

Linzi Bragg

JJ Johnson

Linford Short

Andy Flynn

Development and reception

Alison Slater

Shakil Kazemi

Neville Peacock

Jenny Rawlinson

Simon Atmore

Mark Fowler

Frankie Byrne, Neil Crossley and Tom Eden

Geraldine Clough

Moose

Dave

Osman "Oz" Bolat

Fred Cole

Karen Beckworth

Others

References

External links