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Bianca Jackson (also Butcher) is a fictional character from the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

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soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

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 ...

'' played by

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

. The character was introduced by executive producer

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

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

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

. Palmer took maternity leave in 2010 and Bianca left the series in January 2011. The character returned in December 2011 after Palmer signed a "working mums" contract, which granted her leave from the soap between April and November 2012. The actress quit ''EastEnders'' in 2014 and Bianca departed in September that year. Palmer reprised the role on 2 September 2019 for a guest stint and a second guest stint was scheduled for 2020, but later cancelled due to 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 identi ...

. During her first run on the show during the 1990s, she was known for her bizarre sense of style, her sharp tongue, fiery temper and for screaming "Rickaaaaaaay!" at her husband. Bianca has been featured in storylines including affairs, feuds, bereavements, family problems,

spina bifida Spina bifida (Latin for 'split spine'; SB) is a birth defect in which there is incomplete closing of the spine and the membranes around the spinal cord during early development in pregnancy. There are three main types: spina bifida occulta, me ...

and abortion; two problematic marriages to

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

(

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

) – the first of which ended after it transpired that she had a previous affair with her mother's boyfriend

Dan Sullivan Dan, Danny, or Daniel Sullivan may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Daniel J. Sullivan (born 1940), American film and theater director * Daniel G. Sullivan, American screenwriter * Dan Sullivan (musician), indie rock musician * Dan Panic, Amer ...

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Craig Fairbrass Craig John Fairbrass (born 15 January 1964) is an English actor, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for his roles as Delmar in the thriller film ''Cliffhanger'' (1993), Dan Sullivan in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (1999–2001), ...

); her troubled and dysfunctional reconciliation with her estranged biological father

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

(

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

); her friendship with

Tiffany Mitchell Tiffany Mitchell (also Raymond) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Martine McCutcheon from 1995 until 1999. The character was created by the writer, Tony Jordan. She was introduced as a school friend of B ...

(

Martine McCutcheon Martine Kimberley Sherrie McCutcheon (formerly Ponting, born 14 May 1976) is an English actress and singer. She began appearing in television commercials at an early age and made her television debut in the children's television drama '' Bluebir ...

); feuding against Tiffany's volatile husband Grant Mitchell (

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

); embarking on tug-of-love for Ricky's affections against his first wife and Grant's younger sister Sam (

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

); discovering her 15-year-old stepdaughter,

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 Pa ...

(

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 ...

), is being sexually abused by her fiancé, Tony King (

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

), and his subsequent arrest for paedophilia; and forming a relationship with Terry Spraggan (

Terry Alderton Terry John Alderton (born 31 October 1970) is an English comedian who had acting and presenting roles in the early 2000s before returning to stand-up comedy a decade later. Personal life Alderton was born on 31 October 1970 in Rochford, Ess ...

Storylines

1993–1999

Bianca Jackson first arrived with her family; including mother

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

(

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

), her love interest

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

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

), and Bianca's three half-siblings

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 ...

), Sonia Jackson (

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

) and

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

(

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

). She initially works at her uncle

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

's (

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

) fish and chip shop before becoming the market assistant of

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

(

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

). Later she runs her own clothing stall on Bridge Street market. Bianca has a short relationship with an older man,

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

(

Ian Reddington Ian Reddington (born 25 September 1957) is an English actor with many stage and television credits since the early 1980s. He became widely known for television roles such as the Chief Clown in the '' Doctor Who'' serial '' The Greatest Show in ...

), but he swiftly dumps her when he grows bored and Bianca gets revenge by harassing him with

prank A practical joke, or prank, is a mischievous trick played on someone, generally causing the victim to experience embarrassment, perplexity, confusion, or discomfort.Marsh, Moira. 2015. ''Practically Joking''. Logan: Utah State University Press. ...

s and stealing his credit card.

(

) then enjoys mutual flirtation with Bianca until Carol informs David that Bianca is his daughter. Horrified, David promptly keeps his distance, and Bianca remains unaware of their biological relationship. Bianca enters into a relationship with

(

) and they move into a bedsit together. Bianca spends much time clubbing with her childhood friend Tiffany Raymond (

) and Ricky starts an affair with Bianca's other childhood friend

Natalie Price Natalie Price may refer to: * Natalie Evans Natalie Evans (also Price) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', between 18 January 1994 and 10 May 2004, played by Lucy Speed. Natalie first appeared in January 1994, depi ...

(

Lucy Speed Lucy Renee Speed (born 31 August 1976) is an English actress best known for her television roles as Natalie Evans in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 1994 to 1995 and again from 1999 until 2004, and as DS Stevie Moss in the ITV police ...

). When Bianca discovers the affair, she breaks up with Ricky and drives Natalie from Walford. One night an intoxicated Bianca is nearly assaulted. She is rescued by David and when she tries to kiss him, he confesses that he is her father. Bianca is left stunned and humiliated. Initially she feels hostile and resentful over David's absence for the majority of her life. Eventually, Bianca has a change of heart and comes to accept David as her father, becoming keen to bond with him. The relationship is further complicated, when during July 1995 David confides in the Samaritans charity (unbeknownst to any of his family) that he still feels sexually attracted to Bianca despite the knowledge that he is her biological father. A case of GSA, this was one of ''EastEnders'' most controversial and daring storylines at this point in the show's history. There is further tension when Bianca makes David uncomfortable by reconciling with and dating his stepbrother Ricky again. Bianca is confused by David's unexplained strange and occasionally hostile behaviour. David never admits to Bianca the truth behind his initial feelings towards her, but she and David eventually bond naturally as a father and daughter. Ricky and Bianca reunite and get engaged but she has sex with

Lenny Wallace The following is a list of fictional characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 1996, by order of first appearance. Michael Rose Michael Rose, played by Russell Floyd, first appears in Walford as a Market Inspect ...

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Des Coleman Desune Franklin Coleman is a Northern Irish actor, singer and weather presenter. He has appeared in numerous stage musicals, and played the role of Lenny Wallace in BBC's '' EastEnders''. In 2007, he became the weatherman for BBC's ''East Midl ...

), but soon regrets it when she fears she is pregnant by him. It's a false alarm, but she realises how much Ricky means to her, so she marries him. She becomes pregnant, but a prenatal scan shows her unborn child has spina bifida and hydrocephalus. Distraught, Bianca has an abortion, which strains her marriage. Ricky learns of her infidelity with Lenny after a STD scare. Ricky considers ending their marriage, but Bianca convinces him to give her another chance and she becomes pregnant again. She gives birth to baby

Liam Liam is a short form of the Irish name Uilliam or the old Germanic name William. Etymology The original name was a merging of two Old German elements: ''willa'' ("will" or "resolution"); and ''helma'' ("helmet"). The juxtaposition of these elem ...

on Christmas Day in

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 ...

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 ...

, helped by her enemy Grant Mitchell (

), her best friend Tiffany's volatile husband. Carol returns 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 ...

with her new fiancé

(

), unaware that Bianca had a past relationship with him when she was underage (although Dan was unaware of this fact). Bianca and Dan rekindle their affair behind Carol and Ricky's backs, until Carol discovers she is pregnant by Dan. Bianca and Ricky plan to move to

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

so Bianca can attend fashion college there. After finding an old photo of Bianca and Dan together, Carol demands to know their history. Dan tells Carol they had a romance years ago and swears on his unborn child's life that it's all over, but Bianca confesses when questioned and is disowned by Carol. Bianca leaves for Manchester after confessing to Ricky that she no longer loves him.

"Ricky & Bianca"

In the two-part special episode, " Ricky & Bianca", Ricky visits Bianca in Manchester in 2002, to discuss Liam. Bianca has been expelled from university and is working in a nightclub. Struggling to support Liam, Bianca gets caught up in a plan to steal £50,000 from her drug-dealing boss,

Vince Vince is a given name, it is the anglicisation and shortened form of the name Vincent, as well as a surname. It may refer to: Given name People * Vince Agnew (born 1987), American football player * Vince Cable (born 1943), British politician ...

(

Craig Charles Craig Joseph Charles (born 11 July 1964) is an English actor, comedian, television and radio presenter. He is best known for his roles as Dave Lister in the science fiction sitcom ''Red Dwarf'' and Lloyd Mullaney in the soap opera ''Coronation ...

). Ricky persuades her to return the money but Vince catches them and forces them to become his drug couriers. He sets them up, the dealers turn violent, and Bianca and Ricky narrowly escape when armed police raid the establishment. Fleeing, Ricky and Bianca spend the night together in a hotel room and decide to reunite. Ricky breaks the news to his fiancée

Cassie Cassie is a feminine given name and a short form of various other given names mostly used in English-speaking countries. It is more rarely a surname. People and fictional characters named Cassie include: People with the name Given name or nickna ...

( Sally Ann Triplet), who refuses to let him go and tries to convince Bianca that she'll be bored with Ricky and to give Ricky custody of Liam. Bianca decides that this is right, and Ricky looks on heartbroken as she hitches a ride in a car and departs for a destination unknown.

Off-screen events (2002–2008)

Off-screen, unbeknownst to Ricky, Bianca is pregnant. She starts a relationship with trucker Nathan Dean, who believes her unborn child is his. Bianca acts as stepmother to Nathan's daughter

Whitney Whitney may refer to: Film and television * ''Whitney'' (2015 film), a Whitney Houston biopic starring Yaya DaCosta * ''Whitney'' (2018 film), a documentary about Whitney Houston * ''Whitney'' (TV series), an American sitcom that premiered i ...

(

), but Nathan is killed in a traffic accident. Bianca becomes Whitney's guardian and gives birth to a daughter, Tiffany (

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 ...

), named after her deceased best friend, but struggles financially. She becomes pregnant again during a brief relationship with

Ray Dixon Ray Dixon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Chucky Venn. Ray is an ex-partner of character Bianca Jackson, Bianca Butcher (Patsy Palmer) and the father of her son Morgan Jackson-King, Morgan Butcher (Devon ...

(

Chucky Venn Charles Venn (born 24 June 1973), formerly known by the stage names Chucky Venice and Chucky Venn, is a British actor, known for his roles as Ray Dixon in ''EastEnders'', Jacob Masters in '' Casualty'', Curtis Alexander in Sky One's '' Dream Tea ...

). Bianca meets Tony King (

), who supports her through her pregnancy and adopts Ray's son,

Morgan Jackson-King 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 c ...

(Devon Higgs), when he is born. Tony appears to be a good father figure to her children; however, he is a paedophile. Tony grooms a 12-year-old Whitney and they begin a sexual relationship. After Morgan is born, Liam returns to live with Bianca when Ricky begins dating a woman named

Melinda Melinda is a feminine given name. Etymology The modern name ''Melinda'' is a combination of "Mel" with the suffix "-inda". "Mel" can be derived from names such as Melanie meaning "dark, black" in Greek, or from Melissa (μέλισσα) meaning ...

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Siobhan Hayes Siobhan Teresa Hayes (born 21 July 1974) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Abi Harper in the BBC sitcom ''My Family'' and Sandy in the BBC radio series '' Absolute Power''. Career Hayes portrayed Abi Harper, a clumsy and dim- ...

), who does not like children. Tony and Whitney's relationship continues secretly until Tony is imprisoned for assaulting a boy who propositions Whitney.

2008–2014

Bianca is evicted from her home and her children are taken into care. Bianca moves in with her grandmother Pat Evans (

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

) in Walford and with Ricky's help, she gets her children back and a waitress job. She rebuffs Ricky's declaration of love, deciding to stand by imprisoned lover Tony. When he is released, Tony resumes his abuse of Whitney while Bianca wants to set a date for their wedding. He eventually agrees after winding down his abuse of Whitney, to whom he is no longer attracted now that she is not a child. Whitney tells Bianca about their relationship, just as she thinks that she and Tony will run away together. There is a massive row and Tony leaves but he is arrested by the police on suspicion of rape of a minor. Bianca and Whitney's relationship is tested while they deal with what has happened but they eventually bond again and Bianca supports Whitney through Tony's trial. A DNA paternity test confirms that Ricky is Tiffany's father. Bianca slowly realises she is in love with him, but her attempt to rekindle their romance is ruined when Ricky announces his engagement to Sam Mitchell (

). Knowing Sam is evading a prison sentence, Bianca reports her whereabouts and Sam is arrested. A rift forms between Bianca and Ricky when the truth is revealed. However, Bianca's discovery that Sam is cheating on Ricky ends the engagement and Bianca and Ricky reunite, when Ricky accepts her marriage proposal. The couple remarry. During the ceremony, Carol arrives and brawls with Bianca but they settle their differences and begin to rebuild their relationship. When Bianca's younger brother, Billie, dies from

alcohol poisoning Alcohol intoxication, also known as alcohol poisoning, commonly described as drunkenness or inebriation, is the negative behavior and physical effects caused by a recent consumption of alcohol. In addition to the toxicity of ethanol, the main ps ...

, Carol is distraught. She is comforted by Billie's friend, Connor Stanley ( Arinze Kene), and they begin an affair, while Connor is also dating Whitney. Bianca vows to remove Connor from her family's life and attacks Connor, leaving him hospitalised and eventually turns herself in to the police, refusing bail. She is sentenced to six months imprisonment. Bianca is released for Christmas and is devastated when Pat dies from

pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of t ...

. When Bianca discovers Ricky had sex with

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

(

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

) in her absence, they separate and he leaves Walford. Bianca struggles as a single parent and gets into debt. Owing money, Bianca steals from a market trader in desperation, but she is caught and sent back to prison. In prison, she passes a hair and beauty course and on her release, is offered a trial at

Tanya Cross Tanya Cross (also Branning and Jessop) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders'', played by Jo Joyner. She made her first appearance on 27 June 2006. Joyner left the show temporarily on 25 December 2009 for maternity leave ...

' (

Jo Joyner Joanne Mary Joyner (born 24 May 1977) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Tanya Branning in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' and Mandy Carter in Channel 4 drama ''Ackley Bridge''. Since 2018, she has starred as Luella Shakesp ...

) salon. However, Bianca struggles to cope and breaks down when she is alone. Bianca and

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

(

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

) form a friendship and set up a market stall together. Liam plays truant from school and Bianca worries when the police tell her she may face prison again if Liam does not return. Bianca discovers that Liam is involved in a mugging and that he has some dubious new friends. When Liam does not come home, she goes to an estate to confront the gang and collect Liam but he decides to stay with the gang and when he does come home, Bianca locks him in his room to stop him seeing the gang. She seeks advice from Ava Hartman (

Clare Perkins Clare Perkins (born 18 August 1965) is an English actress who is known for her roles as Denise Boulter in ''Family Affairs'' and Ava Hartman in '' EastEnders''. Career Perkins' first role was as Opal in the 1991 TV film 'Hallelujah Anyhow' in ...

), whose son Dexter (Khali Best) used to be in a gang. Liam returns to the gang and eventually they are arrested and released on police bail. They blame Liam and he is stabbed but is not seriously injured. When Bianca lets Liam stay at home alone, Kane sneaks in and invites Liam back to the gang. Bianca finds them as Kane is attacking Liam and attacks Kane; he is arrested. Bianca allows Liam to stay with his father. When Bianca,

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 playe ...

(

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 200 ...

) and

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

(

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

) break into Ian's restaurant, Shirley accidentally starts a fire. Bianca worries that she could go back to prison, and tells Whitney, who has been blamed for it. Jean tells Ian what happened and Ian agrees not to involve the police on the condition that Tiffany and Bobby are no longer friends. When Carol sees that Bianca is still interested in fashion, she arranges for her to attend a course in Manchester. During this time Bianca's father, David, returns and moves in. When Bianca returns, she surprises her family by announcing that her new boyfriend, Terry Spraggan (

), and his children,

TJ Spraggan The following are characters who first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' during 2013, listed by order of first appearance. New characters were introduced by Lorraine Newman, executive producer until December 2013, when Dominic Trea ...

(

George Sargeant George Sargeant (born 30 November 1997) is a British actor. He is best known for playing the role of TJ Spraggan in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders''. Career Sargeant made his acting debut during a two part episode of the BBC medical drama '' D ...

) and

Rosie Spraggan The following are characters who first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' during 2013, listed by order of first appearance. New characters were introduced by Lorraine Newman, executive producer until December 2013, when Dominic Trea ...

(Jerzey Swingler), are moving in. Bianca is devastated when Carol learns that she has

breast cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a re ...

. Carol and David get engaged and Bianca learns that she has not inherited Carol's faulty cancer gene and supports her mother throughout her cancer. She ends her relationship with Terry due to the jealousy of his former wife,

Nikki Spraggan The following are characters who first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' during 2013, listed by order of first appearance. New characters were introduced by Lorraine Newman, executive producer until December 2013, when Dominic Trea ...

(Rachel Wilde), and David leaves before marrying Carol. Bianca and Terry continue their relationship in secret and she learns that he is planning to move out of London. Terry and Bianca reunite, and at the last minute, Bianca gives Liam and Whitney her blessing to stay with Carol before taking Tiffany and Morgan to live in

Milton Keynes Milton Keynes ( ) is a city and the largest settlement in Buckinghamshire, England, about north-west of London. At the 2021 Census, the population of its urban area was over . The River Great Ouse forms its northern boundary; a tributary ...

. The following year, Robbie moves with his son

Sami Jackson 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 ...

(Shiven Shankar) to Milton Keynes near Bianca. Bianca is invited to Whitney's wedding to

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 ...

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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 ...

) the following year, however, she cannot attend and Tiffany and Morgan attend instead. Whitney later visits Bianca after her engagement to

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

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

) ends. Months later, Bianca is informed that Abi has died, but cannot attend. When Tiffany returns to Walford, she reveals that Bianca has tried to kill herself, but later confesses that she is lying and actually feels neglected by Bianca and Terry; Bianca consequently agrees to Tiffany living with Whitney. When Tiffany becomes involved in a drug ring, Sonia informs Bianca, who is unable to return to help.

2019

Bianca returns to Walford for Whitney's wedding to Callum "Halfway" Highway (Tony Clay) and wakes up in a police cell with Kat after a night out. Bianca mentions she has recently been released from prison. When 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 ...

) arrives at the venue and reveals the truth about his affair with Callum, Bianca threatens him. She then tries to discourage Whitney from marrying Callum but Whitney, albeit doubtful, is determined. Whilst at the wedding reception, Bianca witnesses a man giving Tiffany a kiss on the cheek and threatens him to stay away. She attempts to make amends with Tiffany, who is upset with her because of her absence and ignoring her for Terry’s children. Bianca later reveals to Tiffany that she was arrested and released with an electronic tag which prevented her from returning. When Bianca sees Whitney getting drunk at The Queen Vic, she suggests that she attends her honeymoon alone to take her mind off Callum. Bianca then arranges a spa day with Tiffany, and when she sees the man from the wedding again, she threatens him to stay away, revealing him to be Tony's son, Leo King (Tom Wells). Leo reveals that Bianca inherited his grandmother's money and threatens to hurt Whitney and Tiffany if Bianca does not give him the money. After spending time with Sonia and Robbie, Bianca leaves Walford for a holiday with Tiffany. Bianca later returns off-screen to console Whitney after she learns Leo, who she has been dating, is Tony's son. Bianca and Carol both visit Tiffany in Germany in 2022, leaving them unable to attend

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 ...

’s funeral.

Creation

Background

In his book ''EastEnders: The First 10 Years: A Celebration'', ''EastEnders'' scriptwriter

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

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

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

: mother Carol (

), her four children, Bianca (Patsy Palmer),

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

(

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

(

), and Billie (

), as well as Carol's partner

(

). Though Carol and Alan were not initially married in the serial, and though Alan was only the biological father of Billie, the whole family took on Alan's surname. It later transpired that

(

) was Bianca's father. Various members of the family began to appear sporadically from November 1993 onwards, but in episodes that aired early in 1994, the Jacksons moved from Walford Towers, a block of flats, to the soap's focal setting of

. Their slow introduction was a deliberate attempt by the programme makers to introduce the whole family over a long period. The Jacksons have been described by Brake as a "classic problem family".

Casting

Future Spice Girl

Emma Bunton Emma Lee Bunton (born 21 January 1976) is an English singer, songwriter, actress, and media personality. She rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the girl group Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Baby Spice. With over 100 million recor ...

auditioned for the role of Bianca, however, it was actress

who was eventually cast. Hester Lacey of ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'' has described Palmer's casting as an "accident", as she did not formally audition for the role. ''EastEnders'' casting director Jane Deitch and writer–director McHale visited her drama class at the

Anna Scher Theatre The Anna Scher Theatre is an independent and co-educational performing arts school based in Islington, Greater London. It was founded in 1968 by Anna Scher. It is considered among the first schools of its kind geared towards working class studen ...

looking for a girl aged 16 or under. Palmer was not on the list of people they wanted to see as she was older, but she caught the attention of Deitch when she was messing around and giggling with friends. At the end of the class, Palmer was asked by McHale to do something so Anna Scher asked her to improvise a monologue based on the line "I can't believe you just said that." The next day Scher contacted Palmer to say she had been offered an audition. When she arrived at the audition, McHale told producers Palmer was 16 as she would have been refused the part. She was offered a three-month contract the same day. In 1996, Palmer commented to Lacey: "I've been a lucky girl. I always used to say I'd love to get in ''EastEnders'', because I used to think 'God, I'll never get a part where I have to speak really posh', – I'm not very good at accents." Palmer was 21 when she first appeared on-screen as 16-year-old Bianca.

Personality

Bianca has been classified by Rupert Smith, author of ''EastEnders: 20 years in Albert Square'', as a drama queen, a "strong passionate

oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of t ...

and "Walford's trouble-maker-in-chief". She has also been described by

Reuters Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world. The agency was estab ...

as "feisty" and someone "who never minced her words". In 1996, Palmer described Bianca as someone who deserves "a good slap". She added, "I probably wouldn't like Bianca if I knew her in real-life. But I do love playing the character. She is so cheeky and gets to say outrageous things". Deemed "a woman you would not want to cross" by James Rampton of ''The Independent'', Bianca is a tenacious foe, but a loyal friend. The way the character is portrayed, as a "person who wouldn't take nonsense from anyone", has led Rampton to comment that she embodies "

girl power Girl power is a slogan that encourages and celebrates women's empowerment, independence, confidence and strength. The slogan's invention is credited to the US punk band Bikini Kill, who published a zine called ''Bikini Kill #2: Girl Power'' i ...

", a cultural phenomenon of the mid-late 1990s. He added, "Bianca could sulk for Britain – and we adored her for it." However, Rampton also noted that underneath Bianca's bravado, the character is capable of showing "the most affecting vulnerability".

Development

In her first six years in the soap, Bianca's storylines included affairs, feuds, bereavements, abortion, and a problematic marriage to Ricky Butcher.

Marriage to Ricky Butcher

Bianca's relationship with mechanic

(

) has been central to her narrative; their affiliation began in 1994. Palmer and Owen already knew each other before working together on the soap, as both attended the Anna Scher theatre school. Owen has said, "We practically grew up together. We'd known each other for years. It was weird when she started on the show and we began playing the 'Ricky & Bianca Get To Know Each Other' bit. I had already spent a lot of time with Patsy. I think we were both seven when we met." The dynamics of their relationship were clear from the start, with Bianca portrayed as the dominant, bossy and authoritative partner, while Ricky was shown as the hen-pecked, dim-witted "loser" or "soft touch", comically under the thumb of his female counterpart. James Rampton from ''The Independent'' has commented, "to her eternally put-upon husband, Ricky, Bianca was a ferocious reincarnation of H Rider Haggard's 'She Who Must Be Obeyed'." Bianca was notorious for shouting the catchphrase "Rickaaaaaaay!" (a

cockney Cockney is an accent and dialect of English, mainly spoken in London and its environs, particularly by working-class and lower middle-class Londoners. The term "Cockney" has traditionally been used to describe a person from the East End, or b ...

pronunciation of Ricky) at her lover, and Palmer admitted in 2008 that "not a day has gone by in nine years when someone hasn't shouted that from cars and even up at my bedroom window at night." Rampton has suggested that Bianca's catchphrase – "Rickaaaaaaay!" – transitioned, becoming "shorthand for any sort of heinous henpecking." On ''

Friday Night with Jonathan Ross ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'' is a British chat show presented by Jonathan Ross and broadcast on BBC One between 2001 and 2010. The programme features Ross' take on current topics of conversation, guest interviews (usually three per show) ...

'' on 18 April 2008, Palmer explained that it was actually

Ross Ross or ROSS may refer to: People * Clan Ross, a Highland Scottish clan * Ross (name), including a list of people with the surname or given name Ross, as well as the meaning * Earl of Ross, a peerage of Scotland Places * RoSS, the Republic of Sou ...

, as a DJ, who had originally inspired the catchphrase. Bianca Jackson's wedding dress

One of the first notable storylines featuring the couple occurred in 1995, when Ricky embarked on an affair with Bianca's "put-upon sidekick",

(

). On-screen Natalie and Ricky found themselves sidelined and bullied by Bianca, forcing them together and leading to their eventual affair, which continued for several weeks on-screen, with Ricky seeing both Natalie and Bianca. The storyline reached its climax on 21 February 1995; 17.0 million viewers tuned in to witness Bianca discovering that her boyfriend was sleeping with her best friend. The characters separated but reconciled later in the year when Ricky supported Bianca through a personal crisis – the revelation that she had unknowingly tried to seduce her estranged father

(

). Various crises between the characters were featured over the following years, causing them to break up and reconcile numerous times. In the book ''Seeing Things: Television in the Age of Uncertainty'', author John Ellis uses the couple's combustible relationship as an example of emotional intensity and pathos: "A couple like Ricky and Bianca ..can have constantly sniped at each other for several episodes, for no apparent dramatic purpose except that it is the nature of their relationship. Then they will suddenly be confronted by a life-changing decision ..There is suddenly a shift in emotional intensity for the audience. Every word now counts, and all the previous audience attitudes of irritation or even condescension to this 'not very bright couple' ..become a feeling of utter absorption in their dilemma." The BBC has reported that Bianca and Ricky's on-off romance "captivated millions of fans", and in April 1997 attracted "one of the biggest soap audiences ever", with 22 million viewers tuning in to see them marry. In 2000, Owen stated that the storyline he most enjoyed in ''EastEnders'' was the build up and marriage to Bianca, because "the public's enthusiasm for the event was a great motivation".

Spina bifida

In 1997, the character was featured in a storyline about

hydrocephalus Hydrocephalus is a condition in which an accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) occurs within the brain. This typically causes increased intracranial pressure, pressure inside the skull. Older people may have headaches, double vision, poor ...

("water on the brain") and

, a developmental

birth defect A birth defect, also known as a congenital disorder, is an abnormal condition that is present at birth regardless of its cause. Birth defects may result in disabilities that may be physical, intellectual, or developmental. The disabilities can ...

resulting in an incompletely formed spinal cord of the baby. After becoming pregnant with Ricky's baby, a pre-natal scan revealed that her unborn foetus had the conditions. In the storyline, Bianca agonised about whether or not to have an

abortion Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregn ...

, but eventually decided to terminate her pregnancy at 20 weeks. In scenes shown after the abortion, Bianca and Ricky were given the chance to see and hold their dead daughter, named Natasha, after the birth (Ricky was unable to do this, though Bianca later said her baby had been "perfect"), and a period of heavy grief followed as the characters came to terms with what they had done. The Peterborough-based Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus (ASBAH) helped and provided information to the programme makers during the storyline. Bianca's decision to abort reportedly angered a proportion of viewers, including parents with disabled children, who rang the BBC to complain that they showed the abortion of a disabled baby. However, many were "moved" by the storyline, and Patsy Palmer received critical acclaim for her acting throughout. Palmer was nominated in the 'Best Actress' category at the

Royal Television Society Awards The Royal Television Society (RTS) is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present, and future. It is the oldest television society in the world. It currently has fourteen r ...

– the first soap actress to ever be nominated. The storyline was later used to spread a public message. When Bianca became pregnant once again in 1998, the scriptwriters included scenes of a practitioner advising the character to take

folic acid Folate, also known as vitamin B9 and folacin, is one of the B vitamins. Manufactured folic acid, which is converted into folate by the body, is used as a dietary supplement and in food fortification as it is more stable during processing and ...

, which protects against spina bifida. The ASBAH issued a public plea to ''EastEnders'', urging them to allow Bianca's second baby to be born with spina bifida, in order to show parents that having a baby with spina bifida is "not the end of the world". This did not occur, however, and Bianca was shown to give birth to a premature but healthy baby,

, in an episode that aired on Christmas Day 1998.

Departure (1999)

The character was featured in various other storylines, including a close friendship with her childhood friend Tiffany Raymond (

); a feud with Tiffany's volatile husband Grant Mitchell (

); a tug-of-love for Ricky's affections with his first wife and Grant's younger sister Sam (

); a one-night stand with

(

), causing a

sexually transmitted disease Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the older term venereal diseases, are infections that are spread by sexual activity, especially vaginal intercourse, anal sex, and oral ...

scare; and coping with Tiffany's death. In November 1998, the BBC announced that Patsy Palmer had decided to leave ''EastEnders'' to spend more time with her family. The BBC said that Bianca would not be killed off, and a spokesman commented: "Bianca has always been an amazingly powerful character and the door is open to her if she wants to return in the future. She has been fantastic in the years she has been in EastEnders and we will miss her." Palmer was one of several high-profile ''EastEnders'' stars to announce their departures that year; McCutcheon and Kemp also decided to leave, and

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, Jackie Pascoe/Webb on ITV Network, ITV's ''Footballers' Wi ...

left the serial in 1998 after 13 years playing

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 ...

. The BBC said, "no-one is bigger than the show, which is doing extremely well at the moment. We will send her off with all our very best wishes." Richard Stokes, ''EastEnders series editor and producer of Palmer's exit storyline commented, "you don't expect people to stay here for ever. But it's a double-edged sword. Yes, it's a shame when a well-loved character announces they're going, but the flipside is that it provides us with the space to do the best possible story. If someone is going, you can up the stakes. The whole of Bianca's story was developed once we knew she was going to go." Bianca's exit storyline revolved on an extramarital affair with her mother's new boyfriend

(

). Lindsey Coulson, who played Bianca's mother Carol, returned to the serial especially to facilitate Palmer's exit. Carol had last been seen on-screen in 1997. When the affair was uncovered, Bianca was disowned by Carol, and her marriage to Ricky ended after Carol forced her to confess the affair to him too. Bianca's exit week was spread out over five episodes, beginning with an hour-long special on Sunday 5 September 1999 (at the time the typical weekly broadcast was 3 episodes a week).

Mal Young Mal Young (born 26 January 1957) is a British television producer, screenwriter and executive producer. Career Mersey TV Young began his career in graphic design. At age 27 he began working in television, on the Channel 4 soap opera ''Brooks ...

, BBC's Controller of Continuing Drama Series, described the revelatory hour-long Bianca special as a ''

Play For Today ''Play for Today'' is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage ...

'', and Kathryn Flett of ''The Guardian'' described the week's episodes as a "bravura, edge-of-the-sofa, five-night performance". Commenting on her exit in 1999, Palmer said, "It was really sad. We were all crying our eyes out – the crew as well as the cast. The tears you see on screen are real." Nicola Methven 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 ...

'' has described the discovery of Bianca's affair as "one of the truly great emotion-charged scenes in soap history". Bianca left Walford on a train for Manchester with her son Liam, in an episode that aired in September 1999. In 2005, Bianca's exit storyline was voted as one of "Top 20 greatest soap moments of all time". Chosen by thousands of TV viewers, the televised countdown was presented by

Dale Winton Dale Jonathan Winton (22 May 1955 – 18 April 2018) was an English radio DJ and television presenter. He presented the shows ''Dale's Supermarket Sweep'' from 1993 until 2001 and again in 2007, the National Lottery game show ''In It to Wi ...

and aired on

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

in 2001.

Spin-off (2002)

In 2001, the BBC announced that Patsy Palmer and Sid Owen would reprise their roles as Bianca and Ricky, for a special spin-off, entitled '' EastEnders: Ricky & Bianca''. Filmed in Manchester in January 2002, the two part, hour-long special reunited the characters for the first time in over two years. The spin-off or "soap bubble" was part of plans by

, the BBC controller of drama serials, to expand the ''EastEnders'' brand. He created a "bubbles unit" to make, at most, six one-off specials a year. ''EastEnders: Ricky & Bianca'' aired in May 2002, and proved a ratings winner, with more than 10 million viewers tuning in. In the spin-off, Bianca had fallen upon hard times, and accidentally got a visiting Ricky embroiled in a drugs heist. Despite talk of reconciling, Bianca opted to leave Ricky behind once again, leaving Liam in his care. The spin-off brought in various characters unrelated to the main serial, including Vince, Bianca's drug dealing boss played by

, and Ricky's fiancée Cassie, played by

Sally Ann Triplett Sally Ann Triplett (born 15 April 1962, London, England) is a British singer and actress. She participated in two editions of the Eurovision Song Contest and West End productions. Career Triplett first represented the United Kingdom in the Eu ...

. Both Ricky and Liam returned to the main serial as regular characters later that year, without Bianca. In an interview, Palmer discussed the spin-off and the reasons why she did not want to return to ''EastEnders'': "I have absolutely no desire to return to ''EastEnders''. Not at all. In fact, I think that brief spin-off of a storyline for Ricky and Bianca was a double-edged sword. On one hand, I don't think we should ever have done it, it was a mistake on my behalf. But on the other, it convinced me that Bianca was someone that I did not want to see again. She was past history as far as I was concerned, I certainly learned that. Don't get me wrong, I had the time of my life when I was in ''EastEnders'' in the middle and late nineties and I worked with some terrific people both in front of and behind the camera. But that was then and this is now – the cast has nearly all changed and going back would be worse than foolish." In August 2005, Palmer reiterated that she had no desire to return to ''EastEnders'' and branded the show "rubbish".

Reintroduction (2008)

Despite Palmer's earlier reservations, it was announced on 29 October 2007 that she would be reprising the role of Bianca. ''EastEnders'' executive producer

said he was "delighted" that Bianca was returning, commenting: "Millions grew up with her and, like the audience, I can't wait to see her back in the show. I'm really looking forward to the next chapter in her story." On 30 October 2007, a day after the announcement of Bianca's return, it was announced that Sid Owen would also be returning to the show as Ricky. Owen commented: "It will be interesting to see what has been happening to Ricky and Bianca over the last few years. Although I must admit I'm not looking forward to her nagging me by shouting his name." Santer commented: "First Patsy comes home, now Sid! Ricky and Bianca were a hugely popular and well-loved partnership on the show, spawning one of the best (and perhaps most irritating) of TV catchphrases – Rickaaaaay!" On 18 March 2008, Mark Jefferies of the ''

'' announced that Bianca would return with four children:

(

), the fifteen-year-old daughter of Bianca's deceased partner Nathan;

Liam Butcher Liam Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Sonny Bottomley for two months in 1998 and 1999, twins Jack and Tom Godolphin from 1999, Gavin and Mitchell Vaughan in 2002, and Nathaniel Gleed from 2002 to ...

(

James Forde Liam Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Sonny Bottomley for two months in 1998 and 1999, twins Jack and Tom Godolphin from 1999, Gavin and Mitchell Vaughan in 2002, and Nathaniel Gleed from 2002 to ...

), Bianca and Ricky's son who previously appeared in the serial;

Tiffany Dean 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) ...

(

), Bianca's five-year-old daughter with Nathan; and

(

Devon Higgs 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 ...

), Bianca's three-year-old son who "gets spoilt the most out of all of the kids". To promote the characters' return, the BBC began airing trailers across the BBC network in March 2008. One trailer utilised Bianca's "trademark holler" of Ricky's name, which is so loud that it smashes the windows of

public house. The trailer features

The Righteous Brothers The Righteous Brothers are an American musical duo originally formed by Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield but now comprising Medley and Bucky Heard. Medley formed the group with Hatfield in 1963. They had first performed together in 1962 in the Los ...

's "Hung on You". Another trailer sees Bianca singing

The Jackson 5 The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most o ...

hit "

I Want You Back "I Want You Back" is the first national single by the Jackson 5. It was released by Motown on October 6, 1969, and became the first number-one hit for the band on January 31, 1970. It was performed on the band's first television appearances, on ...

" and performing a dance routine with her four children. The advertisement uses the tag line "Introducing The Jackson 5". Within three days of being posted on the video sharing website

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

, the trailer had been viewed 52,000 times. The character returned on-screen on 1 April 2008, but made her first appearance back in the soap's setting of Albert Square the following week, drawing 10.4 million viewers and 42.6% of the total TV viewing audience. In the storyline, Bianca had fallen on hard times, and after being evicted from her flat her children were taken into custody, so Bianca returned to Walford to seek help from her grandmother

Pat Butcher Pat Evans (also Beale, Harris, Wicks and Butcher) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. She was played by Pam St Clement from 12 June 1986, just over a year after the show first aired, until her departure on 1 January ...

(

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

). In the documentary ''EastEnders: Ricky and Bianca'', which aired to celebrate the character's return, the changes in Bianca's character were noted: "The carefree, wild child of yesterday, has been replaced by the wore-torn and downtrodden single mum of four. Bianca has done what she always wanted to avoid, repeating the mistakes that her mother Carol had made." ''EastEnders series consultant

Simon Ashdown Simon Ashdown is a British television writer, best known as being a BAFTA award-nominated ''EastEnders'' writer. Career From 1995 to 2013, Ashdown was series consultant and lead writer on ''EastEnders''. He was involved in the creation of the Sl ...

has commented, "Bianca's still the same Bianca in a way, she still speaks before she thinks, comes out fists flying. She's got that family of misfit kids with different fathers ..She's like Carol." The BBC described the character's comeback as a "big hit". However, James Walton from ''

The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are popular names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaide, South Australia, publ ...

'' accused the Jackson family of being melodramatic and "boring", adding "Perhaps the storyline is meant to be an updated version of

966 BBC drama Year 966 ( CMLXVI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * 23 June - Byzantine-Arab War: A prisoner exchange occurs at the border betwee ...

'' Cathy Come Home'' – yet if so, the writers have forgotten one important thing. We’re supposed to be rooting for the mother rather than for Social Services."

Tony King and pedophilia

Bianca's most notable initial storyline upon her return was a

pedophilia Pedophilia ( alternatively spelt paedophilia) is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Although girls typically begin the process of puberty a ...

plot revolving around her new boyfriend Tony King (

), and her 15-year-old step daughter, Whitney. The idea for the storyline was conceptualized by writer

and other scriptwriters, when they were brainstorming ideas for Bianca's return to ''EastEnders''. They had seen a documentary about homelessness and had been struck by an image of a woman and child at a bus stop with nowhere to go, a scene that was used to similar effect in Bianca and her family's return episode. They considered the homeless family's predicament and were left pondering "What might happen to them? They would be easy prey... What if a pedophile noticed the child, who might be, say, 12, and pretended to be the woman's saviour? She would be too grateful to notice that this was unusual behaviour, that he seemed to have few friends or family". They pitched the idea to John Yorke, controller of BBC drama production, who said that "It drew a sharp intake of breath. Most ''EastEnders'' stories that have been good and successful have been the ones that caused the sharp intake of breath, so they're always the kind of stories you look for." However, pedophilia as a storyline had been pitched before, but the idea had been vetoed because they could not find the right storyline and characters to proceed and, as the topic was so controversial, producers had been unwilling to take the risk. Diederick Santer commented, "We knew that something like 16% of under-16s have been sexually abused at some point, but if you can't find a story, it's an issue that sits there, dead, on the show." It has been noted in the media that pedophilia is a subject rarely shown on pre-watershed terrestrial television, and although ''EastEnders'' had broached it in 2001 with

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 ...

(

) and her abusive uncle

Harry Harry may refer to: TV shows * ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (talk show), a 2016 American daytime talk show ...

(

Michael Elphick Michael John Elphick (19 September 1946 – 7 September 2002) was an English film and television actor. He played the eponymous private investigator in the ITV series ''Boon'' and Harry Slater in BBC's ''EastEnders''. He was nominated for ...

), this was scripted to have happened in the past and focused on the effect it had on the victim as an adult. Yorke was initially unconvinced at the Jackson pedophilia storyline proposal. He commented to ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' in 2008, "My standpoint has always been that there has to be a good editorial justification. If it's just entertainment, or just sensation, or just the bogeyman in this case, then I don't think that's a good enough reason." However, Yorke was convinced by Santer who opined that "it would be a talking point that could truly educate and inform". It was decided that Bianca's stepdaughter Whitney would be the character that Bianca's boyfriend Tony groomed for sex. According to Bianca's backstory, Tony was "a Mancunian who ..had one day given Bianca a lift home, three years before her return to Walford, and noticed, standing in the hallway, 12-year-old Whitney in her pyjamas." ''EastEnders'' worked closely with

NSPCC The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) is a British child protection charity. History Victorian era On a trip to New York in 1881, Liverpudlian businessman Thomas Agnew was inspired by a visit to the New Yor ...

when devising the storyline. The NSPCC's statistics suggested that 11% of children under 16 experienced "sexual abuse by a person known but unrelated to them, often a boyfriend or girlfriend, while only 5% have been interfered with by someone unknown or whom they had just met; 1% by a parent or carer; and fewer than 1% by a professional in a position of trust". Thus it was decided that Whitney, unrelated to Tony in any biological sense, would be his victim and that Tony deliberately targeted the Jackson family, wooing Bianca, in order to groom Whitney. This idea, according to a BBC researcher, was based on real life cases. The truth was revealed to Bianca in an episode that aired in December 2008, when Whitney confessed to her stepmother, professing to love Tony. There followed Tony's imprisonment and a court case in 2009. Palmer was widely praised by critics for her performance during the reveal episodes. The storyline prompted an increase in calls to the children's help-line, ChildLine. A ChildLine director, Julie Crossan, said, "Child sex abuse storylines on programmes such as EastEnders also encourage children to speak out. As a result, more children now understand what sexual abuse is and are increasingly willing to turn to ChildLine for help." When asked how she felt about the storyline, Palmer commented: "It would be brilliant if it helped somebody. If one person out there who's been abused saw that he legal systemgo out of their way to make it easier on the victim – Whitney's evidence is given by video link – it will be worth it."

Reunion with Ricky Butcher

In November 2009 it was announced that coinciding with the return of her on-screen family and the 25th anniversary of ''EastEnders'', Bianca and Ricky would remarry in February 2010. Entertainment website

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, ...

reported that: "Show producers have confirmed that the divorced pair's latest love twist will begin at Christmas when Ricky ..decides to pop the question to his childhood sweetheart. Their wedding will take place in February to coincide with the Walford soap's 25th anniversary celebrations." A spin-off DVD focusing on preparations for the wedding, ''EastEnders: Last Tango in Walford'', was released in February 2010. It features Tiffany arranging a comeback for Bianca's family, plus archive footage and interviews. Palmer told ''

What's on TV ''What's on TV'' is a weekly television listings magazine published by Future PLC. Overview ''What's on TV'' is a weekly UK television magazine. It publishes features, TV listings, news and gossip from soap operas, as well as puzzles and compe ...

'' magazine: "I prefer it when Ricky and Bianca are not together but it's great too when they are. I'm looking forward to the return of her family. Bianca hasn't spoken to her mum since the whole Dan thing so it'll be good stuff." The wedding scenes were filmed at St. Peter's Church in the

St. Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major town on the old Roman r ...

city centre. Talking about the 25th anniversary week, Santer explained that he wanted great stories to get people talking, saying "That's ..why we're doing the soap wedding of the year – and perhaps the soap wedding of the decade – with Ricky and Bianca. The romance played against the thriller story is a great balance, which I hope the audience will be both gripped by and satisfied with. The wedding is the perfect opportunity for us to bring back the much-loved Jackson characters – Carol, Sonia, Robbie and Billie."

Temporary departures (2011–2012)

On 1 August 2010, it was reported that Palmer was pregnant with her fourth child and that she would take maternity leave from ''EastEnders''. To facilitate the departure, Bianca will feature in a major storyline, which executive producer

Bryan Kirkwood Bryan Kirkwood (born 1976) is a British television producer. He was the producer of the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' from 2006 until 2009, and was the executive producer of the BBC soap ''EastEnders'' from 2010 until 2012. He returned as t ...

said was the only possible reason Bianca would have for leaving her family. In December 2010, it was announced that

would return as part of Bianca's departure storyline which started in January 2011. Bianca's departure was broadcast on 21 January 2011. Palmer gave birth earlier than expected, meaning that she started leave three weeks before she planned to. Key moments were therefore not filmed, and changes had to be made to the storyline to accommodate her absence. Bianca reappeared from December 2011, though Palmer stated in February 2011 that she was in no hurry to return, did not miss it and did not know when she would be back. On 19 July 2011, Palmer revealed that she had signed a new 'working mums' contract and would be returning before the end of the year. It was confirmed in April 2012 that Bianca, Carol and Bianca's children would depart Albert Square later that month for six months. Explaining her temporary departure, Palmer said, "I'm only taking time off now because this is when the kids' holidays are. When I re-signed my contract I said, 'I love EastEnders, but I love my kids more'. Listen, I can imagine staying in the show till I'm in my 60s, but it's a full-on job. If they hadn't been prepared to give me time off, I'd have had to choose the kids." Bianca left the show on 27 April 2012 when she was sent back to prison for attempting to steal from the market before returning on 27 November of that year.

Relationship with Terry Spraggan and departure (2014)

It was announced on 23 August 2013, that Bianca's latest boyfriend, Terry Spraggan (

)., would arrive on the square, a short time after meeting him off-screen in Manchester.Tweets from Terry Alderton: * * It was confirmed in April 2014 that Palmer would be leaving ''EastEnders'' and her final scenes will air in the Autumn. A spokesman for Palmer said: "Patsy is really sad to be leaving the show as she loves playing Bianca and working with executive producer

Dominic Treadwell-Collins Dominic Treadwell-Collins (born 26 August 1977) is a British television producer, known for his work on the soap operas ''Family Affairs'' and ''EastEnders'', creating the ''EastEnders'' spin-off series ''Kat & Alfie: Redwater'' and Executive Pr ...

but she knows it's the right decision at this time in her life." The soap's executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins, who has decided not to kill off Bianca, said: "We are so sad that Patsy has decided to leave us but completely understand it's the right time for her. Bianca won't be leaving Albert Square until the Autumn so there's still a lot more to come from her on screen this year – and the door will be left wide open for her return. We won't be getting rid of Bianca's puffa jacket just yet". It was revealed months later that an upcoming storyline would involve Bianca and Terry departing alongside their children, minus Liam and Whitney. A teaser for the storyline was released on 29 August 2014.

Returns (2019–2020)

On 22 May 2019, it was announced that Palmer would reprise her role as Bianca for a guest stint, five years after her departure. The decision to reintroduce the character was made by

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 ...

, the show's new

executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...

, who revealed that this was "high on iswish list" when he joined the soap. He revealed that Bianca would feature in "a blistering storyline that will grip fans" and expressed his delight at her return. Palmer appeared on '' This Morning'' during the following month to discuss her return, confirming that she would be filming for three weeks. On the character's return, Palmer commented, "I've always said it's odd when major characters don't return when something ajor is happening" The actress also explained that as she lives in the US, she would not be able to commit to a longer contract so the shorter one worked better for her. A trailer promoting Bianca's return was released on 23 August 2019, and the character returns in episode 5982, originally broadcast on 2 September 2019. Palmer's return marks the first time she has been invited back to ''EastEnders''. Her agent informed her that the story team had planned a story for Bianca, so she agreed to a return. The show's 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 ...

, revealed that she planned for the character to return for the show's autumn launch, since she wanted to reintroduce "some classic names in the show". Bianca returns for Whitney's wedding to

Callum Highway Callum is a Scottish Gaelic name that commemorates the Latin name Columba, meaning 'dove'. Callum was popular among early Christians because the dove was a symbol of purity, peace and the Holy Spirit. St. Columba was one of the most influential ...

(

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 ...

), although Callum is struggling with his sexuality and having an affair with Ben Mitchell (

). Palmer thought that Bianca would be angry with Callum's deceit but would "just love him" after realising how much he cares for Whitney as he is "such a sweet guy". On the wedding drama, Palmer commented, "like any Walford wedding, things don't quite go to plan... at all." On the night before the wedding, Bianca meets with

(

) for a night out, but they are arrested and have to race to the wedding. Palmer expressed how Bianca is proud to see Whitney getting married. Bianca also becomes involved in the plots featuring Tiffany. Palmer pointed out that Bianca understands that her absence in Tiffany's life has repercussions. The actress also confirmed that Bianca has been involved in trouble during her off-screen absence, which explains her silence. Palmer explained that both Bianca and Tiffany have things they should tell each other, but they are avoiding it as they want to "protect" each other. She hoped that they would be able to rebuild their relationship. Palmer enjoyed filming with the soap, but found the experience exhausting. The costume department purchased a new wardrobe for Bianca, which Palmer liked and thought reflected more modern clothing. She also liked reuniting with the cast and crew and revealed that she had maintained contact with Cassidy and McGarty, in particular, since leaving in 2014. The actress also commented on returning to the show's set, describing it as a "second home". The character's return sparks a long-term storyline for the show which would last "12 to 18 months". Oates wanted to reintroduce Bianca as part of a bigger story and wanted to create a story that "propels after she's gone". Sen added that the show's "diligence to the audience and the drama meant that we had to make sure it kicked off a story". He also confirmed that Bianca's surrounding characters would be featured in the new story as he believed that is how the "soap works best". The story was revealed during the final episode of Bianca's return stint with actor Tom Wells introduced as Leo King, the son of Tony. It emerges that Bianca spent time in prison during her absence after attacking Leo and after seeing him in Walford, Bianca threatens Leo to stay away from her family. Sen confirmed the new plot, describing it as "a gripping new story". On 21 February 2020, it was reported that Palmer had reprised the role again for a second guest stint. A show spokesperson confirmed that producers had invited Palmer to return again for Whitney's story involving Leo after she kills him in self defence. They also hinted that Bianca may not be "helpful" for Whitney. Palmer began filming the guest return in early 2020, but was unable to complete filming due to ''EastEnders'' pausing production following 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 ...

. The actress confirmed during an October 2020 appearance on ''

Loose Women ''Loose Women'' (previously known as ''Live Talk'' from 2000 to 2001) is a British talk show that broadcasts on ITV1 weekdays from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm. The show focuses on a panel of four female presenters who interview celebrities, talk about ...

'' that plans for Bianca to appear were then scrapped.

Reception

Awards and nominations

Palmer's portrayal of Bianca earned her a nomination for "Best Actress" at the 1997

Royal Television Society Award The Royal Television Society (RTS) is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present, and future. It is the oldest television society in the world. It currently has fourteen r ...

s – being the first soap actress to ever be nominated – and in 2000 she was awarded "Best Actress" at

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

, a prize voted for by viewers. She commented on her role in her acceptance speech: "It's completely changed my life. It just turned it around. I have had my ups and downs as you all know. I just want to warn all the young people. Be careful because it really does change your life." The role has also garnered Palmer nominations as "Most Popular Actress" at the 1996

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 ...

, "Best Actress" at the 1999 British Soap Awards, "TV Soap Personality" at the 2009

Television and Radio Industries Club The Television and Radio Industries Club (widely known as TRIC) is a British institution chartered in 1931 to "promote goodwill in the television and radio industries". The Club holds an annual awards ceremony each March honouring achievement in te ...

Awards, "Best On-Screen Partnership" (with Sid Owen) in the 2001 British Soap Awards, and "I'm a Survivor" at the 2009 ''

All About Soap ''All About Soap'' was a fortnightly UK magazine founded in October 1999. It was released on Tuesdays. Storylines of the shows it covers are from soap operas shown in the United Kingdom and from Australia, including '' EastEnders'', '' Coron ...

'' Bubble Awards.

Critical response

The character of Bianca Jackson has received critical acclaim from critics and fans alike. ''EastEnders'' executive producers Diederick Santer and Jon Sen have described Bianca as "one of the most popular characters ''

'' has ever had", and an "iconic creation", respectively. James Rampton, journalist for ''The Independent'', has commented that she is "adored". Palmer has suggested that viewers "rooted" for Bianca because "people love a stroppy girl". In 2000, she commented, "

ianca Ianca () is a town in Brăila County, Muntenia, Romania. At the 2002 census, the town had a population of 12,886 people, making it Brăila County's second-largest urban locality. History The first mention of the town dates to 1834. It official ...

makes them laugh. A character like that is about living out your fantasies. Everybody would love to be like Bianca and really say what they think." Following her exit from the serial in September 1999, Palmer said that members of the public would approach her to plead with her to return to ''EastEnders'', as they missed her character and relationship with Ricky. She commented in 2000, "It makes me feel bad. I sometimes think I should go back o ''EastEnders''for everyone else's sake." When the character departed the serial in 1999, Molly Blake of the '' Birmingham Evening Post'' said "Good riddance!" She described Bianca as a "king-sized pain in the backside ..A screeching and screaming virago with a big mouth and pea-sized brain" and a "prize slapper hotormented all those whose paths hecrossed." In 1995, Chris Barker carried out television research on post-transmission perspectives of

British Asian British Asians (also referred to as Asian Britons) are British citizens of Asian descent. They constitute a significant and growing minority of the people living in the United Kingdom, with 6.9% of the population identifying as Asian/Asian Brit ...

teenage viewers of ''EastEnders'', using the character Bianca as one of the focus points. He discovered that the participants were both active and implicit in the reproduction of ideology about family relationships and gender. The males regarded Bianca as a "saucy cow", with implications of unacceptable assertiveness in women. They disliked that Ricky was pushed around by Bianca and treated as a subordinate by her friends. The author comments that "such a relationship appears to these boys as the world turned upside down." Girls also viewed Bianca unfavourably in 1995, and the author noted that tensions in "girl-culture" – attraction to the traditional private world of interpersonal relationships and the desire to take up more assertive characteristics in public – manifested themselves in discussions about Bianca and her friend Natalie Price. Natalie was constructed as a "nice person" in contrast to Bianca, "she can relate to Ricky ..cares for other people and doesn't just think about herself ike Bianca does, qualities that were said to be constitutive of the traditional identity of women. In 2008, when it was announced that both Ricky and Bianca were being reintroduced, Santer described them as "a hugely popular and well-loved partnership on the show", and

branded them two of "the most popular characters on the soap". However, Hazel Davis of ''

'' was critical about their reintroduction. She commented, "It's a no-brainer on the show's part. Last year, ratings for ''EastEnders'' were at an all-time low. But, just for once, wouldn't it be nice if a soap opera actually introduced new characters with verve and staying power rather than digging up the oldies?" Conversely, Mark Wright from ''

The Stage ''The Stage'' is a British weekly newspaper and website covering the entertainment industry and particularly theatre. It was founded in 1880. It contains news, reviews, opinion, features, and recruitment advertising, mainly directed at those wh ...

'' said that the decision to bring these much-loved character back "is very welcome". Ruth Deller of entertainment website

Lowculture lowculture.co.uk is a UK television website founded in January 2003 by Paul Lang, who currently works as the art director of ''Doctor Who Adventures''. Purpose The website sought to celebrate popular television shows, especially 'low brow televis ...

praised Bianca stating: "Bianca and Ricky’s return has been one of the best things about 'EastEnders''in the past year ..and even when Bianca and co don't have storylines as big as the Whitney/Tony one, they still give good telly." In March 2010, Bianca was voted the 'Most Popular TV Mum' in an online poll conducted by

Yahoo! Yahoo! (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web services provider. It is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California and operated by the namesake company Yahoo Inc., which is 90% owned by investment funds managed by Apollo Global Man ...

, gaining 26% of votes. Yahoo!'s TV editor Paul Johnston commented "As loud and garish as Bianca can be, she also has a huge heart when it comes to her children and would do anything to protect them. You certainly wouldn't want her turning up on your doorstep if your kids had been fighting with hers!"

In popular culture and other media

In 1999,

BBC Books BBC Books (also formerly known as BBC Publishing) is an imprint majority-owned and managed by Penguin Random House through its Ebury Publishing division. The minority shareholder is BBC Studios, the commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasti ...

published a book about the character, entitled ''Bianca's Secret Diary''. The paperback details the affair between Bianca and her mother Carol's lover, Dan. A BBC source reportedly told the ''

Sunday Mirror The ''Sunday Mirror'' is the Sunday sister paper of the ''Daily Mirror''. It began life in 1915 as the ''Sunday Pictorial'' and was renamed the ''Sunday Mirror'' in 1963. In 2016 it had an average weekly circulation of 620,861, dropping marke ...

'': "We've recently dethroned ''

Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on inner-city Salford. Origi ...

'' at the top of the viewing charts, and this book has the potential to make No.1 in the best-sellers list." It was released on 10 September 1999, just as the TV storyline reached its conclusion. The character was spoofed in the BBC comedy sketch show ''

The Real McCoy "The real McCoy" is an idiom and metaphor used in much of the English-speaking world to mean "the real thing" or "the genuine article", e.g. "he's the real McCoy". The phrase has been the subject of numerous false etymologies. History The phr ...

''. One of the show's recurring sketches featured a spoof version of ''EastEnders'', with black comedians taking over roles of well known ''EastEnders'' characters, who frequent a pub called Rub-a-Dub. Actress and comedian

Judith Jacob Judith Jacob (born 13 December 1961) is a British actress best known for her role as the health visitor Carmel Roberts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', a role she played from 1986 to 1989.Carmel Jackson Carmel Jackson (also Roberts) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Judith Jacob from 5 June 1986 to 24 August 1989. Carmel, a health visitor, was initially introduced in a recurring, minor role in 1986, when ...

(unrelated to Bianca's family).

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Bianca Fictional market stallholders Fictional criminals in soap operas Television characters introduced in 1993 Fictional hairdressers Fictional beauticians Fictional waiting staff Female characters in television Beale family (EastEnders) Fictional prisoners and detainees Teenage characters in television