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Sue Osman is a fictional character from the

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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

Sandy Ratcliff Alexandra Ratcliff (2 October 1948 – 7 April 2019) was an English actress, model and counsellor. She made an impression as a model and film actress in the 1970s, but she became known for being one of the original cast members of the BBC soap o ...

. She is one of the serial's original characters, appearing in its first episode on 19 February 1985 and departing on-screen in May 1989. Created by

Tony Holland Anthony John Holland (18 January 1940 – 28 November 2007) was a British screenwriter, best known as a writer and co-creator (with Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith) of the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Early life Holland was the oldest of ...

and Julia Smith, Sue is portrayed as argumentative, insecure and tragic. A pivotal storyline in the character's narrative is the cot-death of her son, which was one of the show's first controversial plots. During her four years on-screen, the character contends with a phantom pregnancy, marital breakdown and finally insanity. Ratcliff left the role in 1989.

Storylines

Backstory

Sue's parents had her late in life; they were not demonstrative towards each other or to her. In 1982, Sue married

Ali Osman Ali Osman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Nejdet Salih. He was a member of the original ''EastEnders'' cast, appearing in the first episode on 19 February 1985. He remained with the show for nearly five ...

(

Nejdet Salih Nej Adamson (born 23 December 1958), also credited as Nejdet Salih, is a British actor. Career Born in London, Adamson is of Turkish Cypriot descent. He played Ali Osman in the BBC soap opera, '' EastEnders'', a role he played from the series' ...

), a Turkish Cypriot, and gave birth to their first baby

Hassan Hassan, Hasan, Hassane, Haasana, Hassaan, Asan, Hassun, Hasun, Hassen, Hasson or Hasani may refer to: People *Hassan (given name), Arabic given name and a list of people with that given name *Hassan (surname), Arabic, Jewish, Irish, and Scottis ...

in May 1984. Together they lease and run the Bridge street cafè in Walford and are the first known owners of the premises.

1985–1989

Sue is shown to be a woman who does not shy away from speaking her mind. She has various altercations, particularly with dowager

Lou Beale Lou Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Anna Wing. Her first appearance is in the first episode, which was broadcast on 19 February 1985, and her last is in episode 362, first shown on 26 July 1988, ...

(

Anna Wing Anna Eva Lydia Catherine Wing (30 October 1914 – 7 July 2013) was an English actress who had a long career in television and theatre, known for portraying the role of Beale family matriarch Lou Beale in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Ea ...

), who accuses Sue of having no community spirit. Sue's suspicious, insecure nature also provokes arguments between her and Ali, whom she often accuses of cheating. She has rows with other female residents, including

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

(

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

Angie Watts Angie Watts is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Anita Dobson from the first episode of the series until 1988, when Dobson decided to leave, and the character was written out. Angie is well known for her ...

(

Anita Dobson Anita Dobson (born 29 April 1949) is an English stage, film and television actress, and singer. She is best known for her role from 1985 to 1988 as Angie Watts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. In 1986, she reached number four in the UK Sing ...

Debbie Wilkins Debbie "Debs" Wilkins is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Shirley Cheriton, from 21 March 1985 to 14 May 1987. Debbie is Walford's first upwardly mobile character. She has an on/off relationship with her i ...

(

Shirley Cheriton Shirley Cheriton (born 28 June 1955) is an English actress and performer, best known for her roles as Debbie Wilkins in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' and her portrayal of Miss Prescott in the ''Are You Being Served?'' follow up, ''Grace & Fav ...

), Mary Smith (

Linda Davidson Linda Davidson (born 18 June 1964 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian-British former actress and writer. She played the wayward punk Mary Smith in the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders''. Mary was one of the serial's original characters; Davids ...

) and

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

(

Susan Tully Susan Tully (born 20 October 1967) is an English actress, television producer, and television director. Her most prominent television acting roles were those of rebellious teenager Suzanne Ross in ''Grange Hill'' and single mother Michelle Fowl ...

), whom she suspects are trying to seduce her husband, although in truth, all that ever occurs is flirtation. In June 1985, tragedy strikes for the Osmans when Sue awakes to discover baby Hassan laying motionless in his cot. Sue and Ali rush his lifeless body to local nurse Andy O'Brien (

Ross Davidson William Russell "Ross" Davidson (25 August 1949 – 16 October 2006) was a Scottish actor best known for his role as Andy O'Brien in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders''. Career Davidson started his working life as a physical education teach ...

), but Hassan is already dead. A

postmortem An autopsy (post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death or to evaluate any di ...

reveals no definitive cause of death, so it is concluded that he died during his sleep from

cot death Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden unexplained death of a child of less than one year of age. Diagnosis requires that the death remain unexplained even after a thorough autopsy and detailed death scene investigation. SIDS usual ...

. After discovering Hassan's body, Sue goes into shock. She remains in a trance like state for weeks, refusing to eat, sleep, cry or acknowledge her own grief. She later begins blaming herself unfairly for her son's sudden and unexplainable death. Her mental health continues to deteriorate and she becomes despondent towards Ali; their marriage disintegrates in a welter of depression. Sue eventually manages to come to terms with Hassan's death with the help of

Dr Legg Dr. Harold Legg is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Leonard Fenton. Dr. Legg is Walford's original GP. He is widely trusted within the community, and is always on hand to dish out advice. Dr Legg appears as ...

(

Leonard Fenton Leonard Fenton (''né'' Finestein; 29 April 1926 – 29 January 2022) was a British actor, director and painter, best known for his role as Dr. Harold Legg in ''EastEnders''. Early life Fenton was born Leonard FinesteinAnnie Annie may refer to: People and fictional characters * Annie (given name), a given name and a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Annie (actress) (born 1975), Indian actress * Annie (singer) (born 1977), Norwegian singer The ...

, in her lap, allowing her, finally, to acknowledge her pent-up sadness. Sue obsesses with the idea of having another child but no matter how hard she and Ali try, they cannot conceive. A

phantom pregnancy False pregnancy (or pseudocyesis, from the Greek "false" and "pregnancy") is the appearance of clinical or subclinical signs and symptoms associated with pregnancy although the individual is not physically carrying a baby. The mistaken impressi ...

in May 1986 leaves her heartbroken and she later tries to convince Michelle to let her adopt Michelle's daughter

Vicki Vicky, Vicko, Vick, Vickie or Vicki is a feminine given name, often a hypocorism of Victoria. The feminine name Vicky in Greece comes from the name Vasiliki. Women * Family nickname of Victoria, Princess Royal (1840–1901), wife of German ...

, culminating in Michelle slapping Sue. In September, Sue begins toying with the idea of adopting a Turkish child from Cyprus, which is met with indignation from Ali's family. She and Ali decide to apply to adopt in the UK instead. They meet a social worker to assess their suitability; however, their application is rejected because it is felt they are applying too quickly after the death of their child. Sue agonizes over this and in 1987, she faces more turmoil after finding a lump on her breast; she fears 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 ...

. After much worrying, she is eventually persuaded to get the lump checked out and is subsequently given the all-clear. Later in the year, Sue grows attached to Ali's nephews and niece when they come to stay with her in Walford, and is saddened when they go home several months later. Still unable to conceive, Sue begins to crave a baby more than ever and Ali tires of her eternal broodiness. Sue decides she wants to move to the

Isle of Dogs The Isle of Dogs is a large peninsula bounded on three sides by a large meander in the River Thames in East London, England, which includes the Cubitt Town, Millwall and Canary Wharf districts. The area was historically part of the Manor, Ham ...

, thinking that the milder climate may increase her chances of conceiving. Ali refuses and in a fury, Sue packs a suitcase and disappears without word. Ali believes she has left him, but Sue is only visiting an old school friend and she returns in October 1987 to announce that she is expecting another baby. In March 1988, she gives birth to another son, " Little Ali", who is delivered by

Lofty Holloway George "Lofty" Holloway is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Tom Watt. Lofty is one of the serial's near-original characters, making his first appearance in the third episode, which was first broadcast on 26 ...

( Tom Watt) and

Pauline Fowler Pauline Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders''. She was played by actress Wendy Richard between the first episode on 19 February 1985 and 25 December 2006. Pauline was created by scriptwriter Tony Holland an ...

(

Wendy Richard Wendy Richard (born Wendy Emerton; 20 July 1943 – 26 February 2009) was an English actress, known for her television roles as Miss Shirley Brahms on the BBC sitcom ''Are You Being Served?'' from 1972 to 1985, and Pauline Fowler on the soap ...

). Sue's desperation to be a good mother means that she often excludes her husband from parental duties. She becomes so obsessed with her baby's welfare that she has no time for Ali and their relationship suffers. Feeling neglected and tired of his wife's nagging, Ali has sex with

Donna Ludlow Donna Ludlow is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Matilda Ziegler. She appears between episodes 265 and 437 of ''EastEnders'', originally appearing on screen from 27 August 1987 to 13 April 1989. Donna was sc ...

(

Matilda Ziegler Matilda Ziegler (born 23 July 1964) is an English actress, best known for her roles as Donna Ludlow in ''EastEnders'', Irma Gobb in ''Mr. Bean'', and Pearl Pratt in ''Lark Rise to Candleford''. Television and film career Ziegler's first screen r ...

). However, Donna blackmails Ali, threatening to inform Sue about their tryst unless he pays her regularly. A fearful Ali pays, silencing Donna for a while, but in March 1989 Sue argues with Donna, banning her from the café. In retaliation, Donna informs Sue about the affair. Upset, Sue turns to Ali's brother

Mehmet Mehmed (modern Turkish: Mehmet) is the most common Bosnian and Turkish form of the Arabic name Muhammad ( ar, محمد) (''Muhammed'' and ''Muhammet'' are also used, though considerably less) and gains its significance from being the name of Muh ...

(

Haluk Bilginer Nihat Haluk Bilginer (; born 5 June 1954) is a Turkish actor. In addition to his acting career in Turkey, he has also worked in the United Kingdom and remains best known for his role as Mehmet Osman in the television soap opera ''EastEnders'' ...

) for comfort and attempts to kiss an innocent Mehmet in front of Ali for revenge. Believing that Sue is having an affair with his brother, Ali assaults Mehmet then informs Mehmet's wife Guizin (

Ishia Bennison Ishia Bennison is a British actress, best known for her television appearances, although she is also a veteran stage actress. Bennison is originally from Hull in Yorkshire. Career One of her earliest roles was playing a nurse in the 1980 Charl ...

) about the fabricated affair, causing the Osman family to fracture. Following threats from Ali, Sue takes their son and leaves Walford. Ali spends months trying to track his estranged wife down. He eventually finds her visiting their dead son's

grave A grave is a location where a dead body (typically that of a human, although sometimes that of an animal) is buried or interred after a funeral. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as grave ...

. While she is distracted, Ali snatches his son and this is the final straw for Sue's fragile emotional state and losing Little Ali causes her to have a breakdown. Despondent and unresponsive, she is

sectioned Involuntary commitment, civil commitment, or involuntary hospitalization/hospitalisation is a legal process through which an individual who is deemed by a qualified agent to have symptoms of severe mental disorder is detained in a psychiatric hos ...

and admitted to a

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

in May 1989. Just over three months later towards the end of August, Kathy Beale visits Sue off-screen and tells Ali that Sue wants contact with their son, but he refuses to allow her access.

Creation

Sue Osman was one of the original twenty-three characters invented by the creators of ''EastEnders'',

and Julia Smith. British Sue and her Turkish Cypriot husband

Ali ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam. ...

, were an attempt to portray a multi-cultural relationship, with an emphasis on conflicting customs, cultural and personality differences. Their marriage was scripted to be volatile, highlighting the problems that can occur when customs and beliefs are not shared in a relationship. Sue's original character outline as written by Smith and Holland appeared in an abridged form in their book, '' EastEnders: The Inside Story''. Holland and Smith required the character of Sue to appear 'hard', but also to be a 'loser' and a 'victim'. They initially considered casting the role of Sue to

, the actress who would go on to play

in the serial. In the end she was rejected because she had

blonde Blond (male) or blonde (female), also referred to as fair hair, is a hair color characterized by low levels of the dark pigment eumelanin. The resultant visible hue depends on various factors, but always has some yellowish color. The color can ...

hair and they had always envisioned Sue to be a

brunette Brown hair, also referred to as brunet (male) or brunette (female), is the second most common human hair color, after black hair. It varies from light brown to a medium dark hair. It is characterized by higher levels of the dark pigment eumela ...

(previously a model who was cast as

Lord Snowdon Antony Charles Robert Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon, (7 March 1930 – 13 January 2017), was a British photographer and filmmaker. He is best known for his portraits of world notables, many of them published in ''Vogue'', ''Vanity Fai ...

's face of the seventies) was recommended for the role by the writer

Bill Lyons William Allen Lyons (born April 26, 1958 in Alton, Illinois) is a former Major League Baseball infielder. He played in parts of two seasons in the majors, and , for the St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professio ...

. Ratcliff was invited in for audition. Holland and Smith were struck by her appearance, suggesting she had "one of the most photogenic faces on television". They suggested that she had a "toughness in her face and manner, a fiery gypsy-like quality." and that she sounded "East-end enough". Holland and Smith surmised that Ratcliff would clearly be competent at playing the "hard" aspect to Sue's character, but they were not originally certain that Ratcliff would be able to portray the loser and victim aspects as convincingly because, on the surface, Ratcliff appeared to be the exact opposite. Ratcliff was renowned for being a staunch

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

and a political actress; Holland and Smith initially feared that her own personality and strongly held views would be at odds with the character. For instance, Ratcliff requested that they make the cafe that Sue was scripted to run into a "women's-only bookshop". Ratcliff was also not renowned for being the most disciplined actress, 'more the free spirit', which sparked fears over how she would react to the strict disciplines of a twice-weekly drama. However, it was eventually decided that Ratcliff did possess all the qualities that were needed to play Sue convincingly and, despite initial objections from Ratcliff's agent who did not approve of her artists appearing in soap operas, she become "hot favourite" for the role. Although auditioning for Sue was done first, the casting could not be confirmed until an actor was found to play her husband, Ali. Ratcliff was brought in at a later date to read scripts with two potential actors,

and

(two out of only three working Turkish speaking actors in London at the time). The creators differed in opinion on which of the two they wanted to have the role; it was initially felt that Ratcliff would "make mincemeat" out of Salih, but following a successful reading, it was eventually decided that Salih and Ratcliff worked as the Osman partnership and were cast as Sue and Ali. Bilginer was cast as Ali's brother

Development

Sue has been described as "highly strung" with a parlous emotional state. Author Hilary Kingsley has suggested that Sue was a character who was "dogged by tragedy". She suggested that Sue was a "moaner" but despite this she "did enjoy life a lot", making reference to her love for her husband Ali (despite his flaws) and her babies as evidence of this. Kingsley's summation of Sue stems around psychological problems however, with her suggesting that Sue was "always mentally unstable" and that she was never "that strong at the best of times". In her book ''Soapbox'', Kingsley suggested that Sue, like many women in ''EastEnders'', was "very much the power behind the throne. She virtually runs the cafe singlehanded. She fights with their ropertylandlord, tells the customers (the other residents) the unvarnished truth about themselves and struggles to keep Ali from gambling away the profits." Before the show aired, Holland and Smith had already decided that Sue and her husband would be parents to a young baby named Hassan. However, as further characters were invented they realised that there would be a total of four babies in the show: Annie Smith, Martin Fowler,

Vicki Fowler Vicki Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Emma Herry from the character's birth in 1986 to 1988, Samantha Leigh Martin from 1988 to 1995, and Scarlett Alice Johnson from 2003 to 2004. She is the daugh ...

and Hassan. It was decided that it would be impossible for the studios to cope with four babies, and so they invented a storyline to eliminate one of the young babies from the cast. During this time in the 1980s, the issue of

was prominent in the British press, partly due to an increase in casualties, but also because a doctor had gone public with the accusation that parents were to blame for the tragic occurrence. Holland and Smith decided that covering this issue in the soap would be a good way of 'setting the record straight', and so it was decided that Sue and Ali's baby would die from cot death in the early months of the show. This was the first of many controversial storylines in ''EastEnders history. After the storyline aired in June 1985, the show was praised by audience and press alike for the sensitive and unsensational way the subject was treated. The sudden tragedy came as a surprise to the audience, especially since the bereaved parents were a couple whose feuding, fighting ways had made them appear rather comic in the early episodes of the show. The British Cot Death Foundation initially feared that a soap opera would trivialise the subject and frighten new parents. They tried to stop the episodes from airing, but in the end they were pleased with the way the subject was handled, and provided back-up support after transmission to many viewers who wanted more information on the subject. In 1987, after a long period of being shown trying to conceive, scriptwriters finally decided to make Sue pregnant with her second child. Sandy Ratcliff was positive about the storyline: "It's going to be the making of Sue and Ali. Neither of them has ever got over the death of Hassan but hopefully the new baby will fill the void in their life." Discussing the ongoing storyline depicting marital problems with the Osmans, Nedjet Salih who said: "The marriage was going downhill. Ali is no angel, but he's had a lot to put up with and has been very tolerant about Sue's depressions. Sue hasn't been easy to live with, she's been such a misery. No wonder he's been looking at other women ... although to be honest it's all bravado. He'd get cold feet when it came to it. It's really only Sue he loves and wants." According to Ratcliff, Sue getting pregnant put her in a dilemma because she worried that happiness for the Osmans would need to be curtailed if she decided to leave the programme; she felt this would be unfair on viewers because of all the misery Sue had been put through on-screen already. Discussing this in 1987, Ratcliff said, "I knew nothing about the baby plans until a few weeks ago when I came back from my holidays and was told that Sue was pregnant again. Sue has gone through enough in the last couple of years. I'm glad she's got her dearest wish o have another baby I think she'll make a great mum and I'm sure Ali will be supportive. Hopefully, the storylines will open up for me, but it also means that if the pregnancy goes well and the baby is fine, it would be very difficult for me to leave without there being another tragedy in the Osman family. I don't think that would be fair on the show or the viewers." Additionally, the turmoil that Sue had been through had led Ratcliff to consider quitting the serial prematurely. In 1987 she told the magazine ''

Woman's Own ''Woman's Own'' is a British lifestyle magazine aimed at women. Publication ''Woman's Own'' was first published in 1932 by Newnes. In its early years it placed women's rights and social problems firmly in the foreground. Its first "agony aunt" was ...

'', " ues been such an unhappy woman since Hassan died. And it was beginning to rub off on me. I'd go to work, six days a week, be stuck in that grim little cafe and be permanently miserable. I got to the stage when I started to ask myself if I really wanted to spend all my working life playing a misery." However, according to Ratcliff, the scriptwriters decision to make Sue pregnant changed her mind about leaving. She said, "Now Sue is pregnant and happy I feel differently about the role. So maybe it would be fun to stick around for a couple more years - if I'm wanted." The character of Sue lasted in the show for four years, and many of her storylines resulted from the after-effects of the cot death plot, including the deterioration of her mental health. The actress was said to have been exposed to "horrific invasions of privacy" by the media during her tenure, in particular when it was revealed to the press in 1987 that she had spent time in prison for conspiracy to sell

cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: ''Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternatively ...

. At this time Ratcliff reportedly offered to leave the programme; however, producer Julia Smith stood by her and Ratcliff remained in the role of Sue for a further two years. Sue was eventually written out of the serial in 1989 following further off-screen personal problems; Ratcliff admitted that she had been a heroin addict for eight years and was spending half her wages on drugs. On-screen, Sue's marriage to Ali broke down and she absconded with their baby, only to have a mental breakdown and be admitted to a psychiatric ward when Ali retrieved the child.

Reception

Hilary Kingsley has suggested that despite Sue's flaws, due to the skill of Sandy Ratcliff, "you can't help feeling sorry for her". She has added that "A lot of hearts were touched by Sandy Ratcliff when she played the tragic Sue Osman". Further, it has been suggested that "the tempestuous relationship between Sue and Ali Osman kept many an EastEnders viewer on the edge of their seat." They couple were described as a

Diet Coke Diet Coke (also branded as Coca-Cola Light, Coca-Cola Diet or Coca-Cola Light Taste) is a sugar-free and low-calorie soft drink produced and distributed by the Coca-Cola Company. It contains artificial sweeteners instead of sugar. Unveiled on ...

version of the popular ''EastEnders'' couple, Den and Angie "running the café rather than

the Queen Vic 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 developme ...

". In 1988, Journalist for ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

'', Matt Roush, described Sue and Ali as two of the serial's more colourful residents. Discussing the cotdeath storyline, which aired in 1985 in the UK, Roush said, "When tragedy strikes, as in the case of Ali (Nejdet Salih) and jealous wife ue(Sandy Ratcliff), ''EastEnders'' becomes achingly believable. Try to remember the last time you saw soap stars deal with the bureaucracy of registering death certificates and canceling welfare benefits." Ratcliff has been critical of her character. In a 1987 interview she commented, "Sue really annoys me sometimes because she's got no guts. I'd love to liven her up a bit, dress her in some of Angie's clothes, get her out of that cafe, set her up in a business of her own and allow her to make something of her life." Ratcliff was also critical that Sue was not more of a feminist: "I was under the impression she'd become more assertive. I had visions of a bunch of feminists walking into the cafe one day right in the middle of a typical Sue and Ali fight, and them asking her why she puts up with him. No doubt Sue would screw up her nose and ask: 'What do you mean?' But she'd think about it, want to hear more and gradually begin to change her ways to become stronger, more independent! I get cheesed off with Sue. She isn't me at all." In 2011, an ''EastEnders storyline aired featuring the character

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

's baby dying of a cot death and the mother subsequently swapping her dead baby with another character's child. This plot has been compared unfavourably to the Osman cot death of 1985.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Osman, Sue EastEnders characters Television characters introduced in 1985 Female characters in television Fictional waiting staff