215-742: The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the British soap opera EastEnders in 2021, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive producer , Jon Sen . The first character to be introduced in 2021 is Caleb Malone ( Ben Freeman ), who joined as part of a storyline involving Chelsea Fox ( Zaraah Abrahams ) and Lucas Johnson ( Don Gilet ). Zack Hudson ( James Farrar ) made his debut in March, followed by Dana Monroe (Barbara Smith) and Estelle Jones ( Sue Holderness ) in April. Vi Highway ( Gwen Taylor )
430-513: A "cheery soul". Brown ( Radio Times ) described Callum as "loveable" and a "cheeky chappie", while Hughes ( Radio Times ) called Callum a "chirpy chap" who is "troubled" when he returns. A Soaplife reporter described Callum as a "sweet and simple soldier", who is also slow-witted. Producers established a relationship for Callum when they paired him with Whitney Dean, who is Lee's former wife. Brown ( Radio Times ) said that Callum "anxiously prepares" for his date with Whitney. Rory O'Connor from
645-585: A "face to rival a neon sign", holding a Yorkshire Terrier in one hand and a pint of Guinness in the other. Other characters created included Jewish doctor Harold Legg , the Anglo-Cypriot Osman family ( Ali , Sue and baby Hassan ), black father and son Tony and Kelvin Carpenter , single mother Mary Smith and Bangladeshi couple Saeed and Naima Jeffery . Jack, Pearl and Tracey Watts were created to bring "flash, trash, and melodrama" to
860-402: A "lone wolf". Farrar expressed his delight at joining EastEnders and hoped to bring his experience as "a born and bred Londoner" to the role. He liked Zack's backstory and commented, "there is a real depth to him that I can't wait to explore." He found the role of Zack different to other roles he has portrayed. Sen dubbed Farrar "a wonderful addition" and teased that "trouble is always just round
1075-405: A baby and they agree to try for one. Callum later tells Whitney they should put the baby on hold and save up to buy an apartment instead. Callum is called up to the army again and his doctor, Dr. Cosslett ( Hywel Simons ), deems him fit to return. Upset by the result of the assessment, Callum tries to harm himself, which is witnessed by Ben Mitchell ( Max Bowden ). Jay Brown ( Jamie Borthwick )
1290-474: A bag in the boot of the car. Vinny then sees the man has died suddenly so he calls Callum and shows him the gold. Callum contacts Ben, who delivers the gold to Stas. When Ben returns, he says Stas thinks the man stole some of the gold and it will not be found and he congratulates Vinny on his good job. Vinny then reveals to his family that he stole the gold. Kheerat's mother, Suki Panesar ( Balvinder Sopal ), later agrees to launder money for Stas but Kheerat says it
1505-401: A better haircut. When Callum returns to the show, he is 27 years old. Callum is a comedic character, which Laura Morgan of Digital Spy liked as she felt scenes including Callum were "always funnier [than those without him]". Crick believed that Clay's background in stand up comedy would be resourceful when portraying Callum. Clay also observed that Callum is comedic, which he thought was
1720-520: A bomb being planted at a mosque in Albert Square and assaulting a group of LGBTQ+ people including Ben Mitchell ( Max Bowden ), Callum Highway ( Tony Clay ), Stacey Slater ( Lacey Turner ), Eve Unwin ( Heather Peace ) and Ash Panesar ( Gurlaine Kaur Garcha ). He last appeared in Episode 6470, which originally aired on 18 April 2022, after he tried giving Harvey Monroe ( Ross Boatman )
1935-532: A brief conversation with her cousin Sonia Fowler ( Natalie Cassidy ) in a bid to stop her from departing Walford again. Lauren storms into The Queen Vic and demands to meet Annie. Linda later allows Lauren to meet Annie, and they soon bond as Lauren is still struggling with the death their sister Abi Branning ( Lorna Fitzgerald ). Howie Danes , portrayed by Delroy Atkinson , first appears in episode 6357, originally broadcast on 11 October 2021. The character
2150-470: A close and continuing association between EastEnders and audience research, which, though commonplace today, was something of a revolution in practice. The show's creators were both Londoners, but when they researched Victorian squares, they found massive changes in areas they thought they knew well; however, delving further into the East End of London, they found exactly what they had been searching for:
2365-411: A confident driver, so she did test runs before filming. While taxiing Mick, Jeanette's waters break and he has to help her give birth. Dyer initially researched how to act pregnant, before deciding to use her own experiences when portraying the character. She also had to wear a fake baby bump , which she enjoyed. Jeanette is flagged down by Mick after his car suffers a flat tyre in his attempts to get to
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#17327868657632580-534: A date and the two of them strike up a friendship over the coming months and even become co-workers at KJP Pest Control. However, she learns that Bernadette has plans to be a surrogate mother for Rainie ( Tanya Franks ) and Stuart Highway ( Ricky Champ ), which Molly vocalises her disagreement with. Bernadette explains that their payment is to benefit her family, who come first for her, and she tells Molly that they are done. Molly made her last appearance in Episode 6470, which originally aired on 18 April 2022, however she
2795-940: A desperate attempt to keep Mick away from Linda. Mick disappears on Christmas Day 2022, following an attempt to save Linda after she is driven off of a cliff by Janine and is presumed dead . Linda takes back control of The Queen Vic, struggling with grief over Mick, but continues to hang on for her children, Annie and Ollie Carter (Harry Farr). They are later joined by their maternal grandmother Elaine Peacock (now Harriet Thorpe ), her fiancé George Knight ( Colin Salmon ), and his two daughters Gina ( Francesca Henry ) and Anna Knight ( Molly Rainford ). In January 2024, Annie's half-sister Lauren Branning ( Jacqueline Jossa ) returns to Walford along with her nephew Louie Beale (Jake McNally) and her cousin Penny Branning (Kitty Castledine) – Lauren does not know of Annie's existence until
3010-456: A distraction from your own life, it should be an exploration of the life shared by the audience and the characters." O'Connor planned to stay with EastEnders until the end of 2017, but announced his departure on 23 June 2017 with immediate effect, saying he wanted to concentrate on a career in film. John Yorke returned as a temporary executive consultant. Kent said, "John Yorke is a Walford legend and I am thrilled that he will be joining us for
3225-470: A drink in The Queen Vic, and Whitney turns up in casual clothes and wearing no makeup but Callum has prepared for a date, giving her a rose and having candles. He asks if she fancies him and then pulls a ring from his pocket, to which Whitney says she will not marry him but he says he only wants her to be his girlfriend. She turns him down and leaves, and he follows, leaving the ring behind. Mick finds
3440-403: A full fringe, which differs from Clay's appearance. Claire Crick of Digital Spy thought that Clay could not "look less like his character if he tried." Clay had his hair cut for the role of Callum as he thought it would suit his character. Clay described the hairstyle as "mad" and thought people sympathised with the character because of it. He hoped that Whitney would decide to take Callum for
3655-476: A large part in their divorce. Annie is later raised in Sharon Watts ' ( Letitia Dean ) home; Sharon is Linda's best friend, who let Linda stay with her after the breakdown of her marriage, under the condition she stays sober. Linda mostly manages this, and is falsely reported to social services by Jada Lennox (Kelsey Calladine-Smith) after being blackmailed into it by Janine Butcher ( Charlie Brooks ), in
3870-708: A main aspect to his character is that he does not like keeping secrets and wants to share everything with Whitney. Also, there is a clear change in Callum's personality when he returns, which is due to the secret. Clay thought it would be "exciting" for the audience to witness his journey. In his return episode, it is shown that Callum has been wounded while in the Army. Johnathon Hughes of the Radio Times described Callum's injury as "a large, very painful-looking wound". The following episode sees Callum reveal to Whitney that he
4085-566: A meeting with the BBC. Everyone agreed that EastEnders would be tough, violent on occasion, funny and sharp—set in Margaret Thatcher 's Britain—and it would start with a bang (namely the death of Reg Cox ). They decided that none of their existing characters were wicked enough to have killed Reg, so a 24th character, Nick Cotton was added to the line-up. He was a racist thug, who often tried to lead other young characters astray. When all
4300-488: A new regime for EastEnders , giving the writers of the serial more authority in storyline progression, with the script department providing "guidance rather than prescriptive episode storylines". By the end of 1992, Greaves had left, and Lewis became executive and series producer. He left EastEnders in 1994 after the BBC controllers demanded an extra episode a week, taking its weekly airtime from 60 to 90 minutes. Lewis felt that producing an hour of "reasonable quality drama"
4515-557: A new story as Zack Hudson ( James Farrar ) and Martin Fowler ( James Bye ) were considered as possible fathers. The character's arrival reveals the truth: established character Sharon Watts ( Letitia Dean ), Zack's half-sister, is the grandmother of Alyssa, via her dead son Dennis Rickman ( Bleu Landau ). On 10 June 2022, the character's departure was announced, having been written out alongside three other characters by new executive producer Chris Clenshaw. A show insider explained that
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#17327868657634730-405: A nice characteristic. He explained that Callum tries to do good and wants to feel "included", and stated that Callum is a jovial character. He described Callum as "happy-go-lucky". Clay felt that although he and Callum shared similar mannerisms, he was not as "dopey" as his character. Callum often misinterprets moments with other people and says "things at the wrong time". Clay thought that this
4945-463: A parent and could offer a deeper exploration of the character. For his portrayal of Howie, Atkinson was nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2022 Inside Soap Awards . Kim overhears Mitch Baker ( Roger Griffiths ) cab booking for someone using the name "Vince Hubbard" and decides to investigate it as she believes it is her husband, Vincent. She traces the booking to Walford East restaurant, where she finds children's entertainer Howie. He reveals that he
5160-556: A party at Sharon's house without Jada's permission. Jada persuades Zack and Martin to leave the house, however, Sonia Fowler ( Natalie Cassidy ) overhears the music and ends the party after catching Will smoking. Zack and Martin decide to tell Sharon but change their mind. Jada learns that Denise is selling her salon, causing Jada to lose her job. She is comforted by Zack and they spend time together; Jada tries kissing Zack, but he rejects her. Jada lies to Sharon that Zack had kissed her instead, so Sharon decides to evicts him until Jade admits
5375-407: A past event that has affected Callum. After his first few episodes, Gary Gillatt, writing for Inside Soap , hoped that Callum would stay in the show because of his "tons of charisma". Reporters from Digital Spy liked the character, with Laura Morgan calling him "the kind of light comic relief we've all needed at the start of 2018." Morgan's colleague, Ben Lee, described Callum's initial stint on
5590-404: A permanent residence for Eve. Sen explained that Eve and Stacey share a "very unique friendship", stemming from their shared prison experience. Turner told Sophie Dainty from Digital Spy that Eve and Stacey have "a great chemistry", reflected in her working relationship with Peace. The friendship between Eve and Stacey was tested by Stacey's mother, Jean Slater ( Gillian Wright ). Kate Oates ,
5805-449: A phone to keep in contact with Aaron, but Harvey decides to cut complete contact. Jordan Fox (also Atkins ) is the son of Chelsea ( Zaraah Abrahams ) and Gray Atkins ( Toby-Alexander Smith ) who is born prematurely at 24 weeks. He is named after Chelsea's deceased half-brother, Jordan Johnson ( Joivan Wade ). Just before his birth, Chelsea discovered Gray's abuse towards his previous wife, Chantelle Atkins ( Jessica Plummer ), and
6020-402: A positive response from critics, with a Soaplife columnist describing him as "a welcome ray of sunshine in the bleak world of Albert Square ", and Laura-Jayne Tyler of Inside Soap opining, "Square chiefs had clearly found a diamond in the rough with actor Tony Clay". Callum sends Mick Carter ( Danny Dyer ) a text message saying he is coming to his area. Callum later shoots Mick when he
6235-458: A programme that was more in touch with the real world than it had been over the previous year. A new era began in 1990, with the introduction of Phil Mitchell ( Steve McFadden ) and Grant Mitchell ( Ross Kemp )—the Mitchell brothers—successful characters who would go on to dominate the soap thereafter. As the new production team cleared the way for new characters and a new direction, all of
6450-447: A real East End spirit, an inward-looking quality, a distrust of strangers and authority figures, a sense of territory and community that the creators summed up as "Hurt one of us and you hurt us all". When developing EastEnders , both Smith and Holland looked at influential models like Coronation Street , but they found that it offered a rather outdated and nostalgic view of working-class life. Only after EastEnders began, and featured
6665-513: A real family man". Boatman described him as "an old-school East Ender with traditional values". Harvey is a taxi driver . The character's backstory states that he was brought up in Bow, London and has raised Dana on his own. Subsequently, they have a close relationship. Jen Glover , played by Kate Robbins , first appears in episode 6319, originally broadcast on 5 August 2021. The character and Robbins' casting details were announced on 11 July 2021. Jen
List of EastEnders characters introduced in 2021 - Misplaced Pages Continue
6880-478: A relationship with Howie and he leaves. However, when Howie injures his leg, Kim decides to help him and invites Howie to move in with her at 20 Albert Square . Howie struggles with Kim's eagerness to help and decides to move back home to Walford Towers after recovering. Kim drops a bag on his leg resulting in him staying longer. Howie pursues a relationship with Kim once again and they start dating. Howie starts receiving phone calls from an unknown person and he tells
7095-400: A scholarship video for her daughter, Pearl Fox (Arayah Harris-Buckle). Howie decides to change the video without Kim's permission and she orders him to leave. She comes around when Pearl gets the scholarship. Kim assumes that Howie is gay and does not realise that he has feelings for her; she sets up him on a date with another man until Howie confesses his feelings. Kim is initially not keen on
7310-445: A secret hanging over them, Callum confesses to Whitney he cheated on her with Ben. Whitney is devastated, but she still decides to go through with the wedding. However, Whitney changes her mind and jilts Callum at the altar, telling him she loves him too much to let him live a lie. Later, Hunter Owen (Charlie Winter) holds the pub hostage, shooting Ben in the process. Callum decides to be open with everyone in his life; he tells Stuart he
7525-409: A secret. It was reported that Whitney would be overjoyed when Callum returns but that she would notice that "Callum's mind seems to be elsewhere". Clay explained that it is evident from his return that something has happened to Callum, despite his efforts to hide this. He said that Callum wants to share his secret with Whitney as he is a good person and it "conflicts him a bit". The actor expressed how
7740-592: A set that is outdoors and open to weather. In 2014, the BBC announced plans to rebuild the set entirely. Filming commenced on the new set in January 2022, and it was first used on-screen in March 2022. Demolition on the old set commenced in November 2022. EastEnders has received both praise and criticism for many of its storylines, which have dealt with difficult themes including violence, rape, murder and abuse. It has been criticised for various storylines, including
7955-466: A short period to oversee the show and to help us build on Sean's legacy while we recruit a long-term successor." Yorke initially returned for three months but his contract was later extended. In July 2018, a special episode was aired as part of a knife crime storyline. This episode, which showed the funeral of Shakil Kazemi ( Shaheen Jafargholi ) interspersed with real people talking about their true-life experiences of knife crime. On 8 August 2018, it
8170-509: A silent voicemail from Stuart, Callum panics that he is suicidal; he and Shirley visit Stuart's apartment where she finds a defaced photo of Callum. With Shirley's help, Whitney and Callum reunite. Callum meets Stuart and they argue. Stuart later asks for Callum's help and he protects Stuart from the Carters, claiming that he is in Dublin, as Stuart burns photos of Callum with the Carters. Stuart
8385-452: A special episode which "broke new ground" and knife crime, both of which have created "vital" discussions. The soap won the award for Best Continuing Drama at the 2019 British Academy Television Awards ; its first high-profile award since 2016; however, in June 2019, EastEnders suffered its lowest ever ratings of 2.4 million due to its airing at 7 pm because of the BBC's coverage of
8600-571: A stunt on the River Thames leading to the death of Dennis Rickman Jr ( Bleu Landau ). It was announced on 18 March 2020 that production had been suspended on EastEnders and other BBC Studios continuing dramas in light of new government guidelines following the COVID-19 pandemic , and that broadcast of the show would be reduced to two 30-minute episodes per week, broadcast on Mondays and Tuesdays, respectively. A spokesperson confirmed that
8815-414: A sweet goodbye. After leaving his bag behind, he returns and passionately kisses Whitney, before leaving again. Callum and Whitney stay in contact via video calls. When Callum returns, he is hiding a wound from his abdomen but later tells Whitney that he was injured by shrapnel in an explosion. He and Whitney have sex for the first time. Callum reveals that he saved a child's life in the explosion and he
List of EastEnders characters introduced in 2021 - Misplaced Pages Continue
9030-423: A teenager. The following day, he offers his assistance in The Queen Vic as an apology, although annoys the Carters when he accidentally orders too much alcohol and breaks glasses. Tiffany Butcher ( Maisie Smith ) sets Callum up to spend time with her adoptive sister, Whitney Dean ( Shona McGarty ). Callum offers to buy Whitney food and makes her laugh, so she considers meeting him again. They arrange to meet for
9245-567: A trip to see an unnamed aunt. Mila later reveals that Nyangi is planning to have her taken to be genitally mutilated, as she was when she was younger. Mila's girlfriend, Iqra Ahmed ( Priya Davdra ), gets Nyangi sent to prison and Mila is given custody of Kioni. The three of them then move to Bristol. Kioni last appeared in Episode 6428, which originally aired on 3 February 2022. Jeanette , played by Dani Dyer , appears in episode 6289, originally broadcast on 15 June 2021. The character and Dyer's casting details were announced on 5 May 2021. Jeanette
9460-606: A video online about it. After discovering that Stuart attacked Mick's aunt, Tina Carter ( Luisa Bradshaw-White ), when they were younger, the Carters reject Stuart and warn Callum to do the same. Stuart manipulates Callum into leaving the Carters and moving into his apartment; Callum tells the Carters that Stuart needs someone to believe him. Whitney visits Callum, who tells her that Tina attacked Stuart. After Whitney visits Stuart, he tells Callum that Whitney tried to kiss him; Callum ends their relationship. When Stuart confesses that he lied, Callum disowns him and leaves. After receiving
9675-504: A week was the maximum that any broadcasting system could generate without loss of integrity. Having set up the transition to the new schedule, the first trio of episodes—dubbed The Vic siege—marked Lewis's departure from the programme. Barbara Emile then became the Executive Producer of EastEnders , remaining with EastEnders until early 1995. She was succeeded by Corinne Hollingworth . Hollingworth's contributions to
9890-430: Is "no-nonsense, takes no prisoners and has absolutely no filter". When developing the character, Taylor took inspiration from her own mother who would regularly share her opinions. Hughes felt that Vi could fill the void of the "cockney matriarch" missing from the show. Taylor liked the idea of developing Vi into this character and hoped writers would explore this. Taylor first auditioned for EastEnders in 1984 for one of
10105-459: Is a 19th-century street, named after Prince Albert (1819–1861), the husband of Queen Victoria (1819–1901, reigned 1837–1901). Thus, central to Albert Square is The Queen Victoria Public House (also known as The Queen Vic or The Vic). The show's producers based the square's design on Fassett Square in Dalston . There is also a market close to Fassett Square at Ridley Road . The postcode for
10320-530: Is also more confident than Callum. Clay believed that the differences in their personalities is evident. Sometimes, Callum admires his brother, but other times, he can feel untrusting of Stuart. Clay opined that their relationship is "quite Marmite at times". Clay told Duncan Lindsay of the Metro that Callum has "a need to feel included by his brother". Stuart and Mick are childhood friends, which Callum dislikes as he does not want Stuart to ruin his friendship with
10535-537: Is and they end up kissing. Still confused about his sexuality, Callum proposes to Whitney, who happily accepts. Callum later contacts his estranged father, Jonno Highway ( Richard Graham ), and he comes to Walford. Jonno berates Callum for his lifestyle and they fall out. Afterwards, Ben comforts Callum and kisses him, which Stuart witnesses. Stuart confronts Callum about the kiss, so Callum confesses; Stuart then attacks Ben. The guilt over cheating on Whitney eats away at Callum. Not wanting to begin their life together with
10750-468: Is billed as the "quick-witted and blunt" grandmother of established characters Callum Highway ( Tony Clay ) and Stuart Highway ( Ricky Champ ). She is described as a "steely" and dependable woman with a "very warm heart" deep down. Taylor characterised Vi as "sharp but honest" and said that she places importance on her family. Johnathon Hughes from the Radio Times dubbed Vi a "plucky pensioner" who
10965-470: Is chased by Zack and Sharon. Jada reveals that she is Alyssa's mother and that Sharon's deceased son, Dennis, is Alyssa's father, but Sharon accuses Jada of lying. When Jada reveals intimate details of Dennis' life, including Sharon's affair with Keanu Taylor ( Danny Walters ), she comes around and takes Jada in. Sharon later gets a DNA test which proves that Alyssa is Dennis' daughter. Dennis' adoptive father Phil Mitchell ( Steve McFadden ) believes that Jada
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#173278686576311180-422: Is confronted by residents, including Linda, and she sacks Jada, who struggles to find another job. Janine convinces Jada to help her scheme against Linda, but when Linda rehires her, Jada refuses to help Janine. However, Janine has recorded Jada admitting her intentions for revenge and blackmails her into planting alcohol on Linda and reporting her to Social Services for neglecting and harming her daughter Annie. Jada
11395-527: Is embargoed until his first appearance. The character is billed as a "unpredictable troublemaker who lives life in the fast lane". He is described as "forever the ladies' man" and Jon Sen , the show's executive producer , called him a "charming rogue". Farrar noted that Zack becomes a "heartthrob" who causes tension with the Carter family. The character's backstory states that he experienced a challenging childhood which gave him attachment issues and turned him into
11610-519: Is gay and is accepted by him. Later at the hospital, Ben awakens and asks Callum on a date, to which he accepts. Actor Tony Clay was cast in the role of Callum "Halfway" Highway on a two-month contract. The character's introduction was not publicised in the media and he made his first appearance in the episode broadcast in the United Kingdom on 1 January 2018. Following his first episode, in which established character Mick Carter ( Danny Dyer )
11825-629: Is guilt-ridden and confesses the truth to Sharon before fleeing Walford with Alyssa. Jada agrees to return for Christmas Day with Alyssa and confesses to Sharon that Janine blackmailed her. Together, they reveal the truth to Linda and Mick Carter ( Danny Dyer ). Neil Hughes , played by Thomas Coombes is a childhood friend of Aaron Monroe ( Charlie Wernham ) who is part of a far-right terrorist group. He first appears in Episode 6387, which originally aired on 2 December 2021. Neil arranges numerous crimes to be committed against minority groups, including having Keegan Butcher-Baker ( Zack Morris ) beaten up,
12040-740: Is hailed a hero by the Carters, who throw him a party, but Callum dislikes the attention. Callum's brother, Stuart Highway ( Ricky Champ ) arrives and realises Callum is lying about his injury. Callum tells Mick that when he saved the child, his friend lost his legs and the child's mother was killed, but Mick says Callum was not to blame. Mick and Callum later assist Stuart in his work exposing paedophiles. Hoping to prove himself to Stuart, Callum confronts Fred Lewis (Malcolm Freeman), but lets him go when Mick threatens him with violence. When Linda finds out, she warns Mick and Callum that they could get hurt. Regardless, Callum tells Stuart that he wants to confront Fred again; Stuart confronts him instead and posts
12255-699: Is having Kioni undergo female genital mutilation . Kathy calls the police on her and Nyangi is subsequently arrested. Nyangi made her last appearance in Episode 6282, which aired on 1 June 2021 and is sentenced to imprisonment in December 2021. Mila and her girlfriend Iqra Ahmed ( Priya Davdra ) gain custody of Kioni and the three of them subsequently move to Bristol in February 2022. Violet "Vi" Highway , played by Gwen Taylor , first appears in episode 6265, originally broadcast on 3 May 2021. The character and Taylor's casting details were announced on 17 March 2021. Vi
12470-489: Is impressed with Callum when he gets one of his clients, Mrs. Coombes (Jonna Wake), to upgrade her husband's funeral plan and offers him a job as an undertaker at the funeral parlour. Whitney and Callum also move into the apartment above the parlour. Callum angrily confronts Ben over selling him a stolen van and it leads to a charged moment between the pair. Ben accuses Callum of being attracted to men as well as women, but he denies it. Ben tells Callum he should not hide who he
12685-415: Is incredibly protective of them." In her backstory, Vi spent a lot of time caring for Stuart as a child, but did not do the same with Callum. As a result, she favours Stuart. Discussing future storylines for her character, Taylor told Hughes that Vi has a secret, which would explain how her life has panned out. She wanted the character to be well-embedded in the show before the secret was explored. The secret
12900-403: Is introduced as a pregnant taxicab driver who drives Mick Carter , portrayed by her real-life father Danny Dyer , to his wife's baby scan appointment. Dyer was contracted for a cameo appearance in one episode. She enjoyed filming with her father and admitted that he would try making her laugh during filming. For the role of Jeanette, Dyer had to learn how to drive a taxi. She admitted to not being
13115-496: Is introduced as the music agent friend of Terry "Rocky" Cant ( Brian Conley ). She is billed as "no-nonsense" and an "old-school rocker". Jen arrives to work with singer Whitney Dean ( Shona McGarty ) on the recommendation of Rocky and becomes "determined" to make Whitney famous. Robbins was contracted to the soap for a guest role. The actress expressed her joy at appearing in EastEnders and called it "a dream". Annie Carter
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#173278686576313330-554: Is later shot in The Queen Vic by an unknown assailant with Callum and the Carters being interviewed by the police. Shirley argues with Callum when she accuses him of shooting Stuart, which he denies. Stuart admits to Callum that he shot himself, before claiming that Mick shot him; Mick is arrested and Callum and the Carters vow to prove his innocence. Mick is later released, and Stuart is rejected by Callum. Whitney and Callum panic when she tells him that she may be pregnant. Whitney turns out not to be pregnant, but they decide they would like
13545-424: Is living with, affirms that Mila is gay and that the marriage would not be good for her. Nyangi continues to tell Mila that she will marry Joseph until Mila states that she has done enough for their family. Mila learns that Nyangi plans to take her sister Kioni Marwa (Florisa Kamara) away on a supposed holiday. Mila recalls to when her mother told her the same story when she was Kioni's age and realises that Nyangi
13760-501: Is not easy considering Whitney's relationship history. Callum Crumlish of the Daily Express described Callum and Whitney's relationship as "unlikely". Following Callum's departure in February, Morgan hoped that producers planned to reintroduce the character by quitting his army job and returning to be in a relationship with Whitney. When he reappeared in the following episode and kissed Whitney, fans expressed their delight at
13975-448: Is offered Shirley's bedroom, he feels awkward about the situation because of Callum and Shirley's relationship, but Clay found the situation amusing. When asked where he wanted his character to be in a year, Clay replied that he wanted his close relationships developed further. He added, "I'd like to just see him quite happy, but with a lot of stuff going on, a lot of fingers in different pies." Clay hoped that Lee would be reintroduced to
14190-413: Is robbing a van that Callum is in, not realising it was Mick under a mask. However, Callum recognises Mick and tries to help him by accompanying him to his home, The Queen Victoria public house , with his wife, Linda Carter ( Kellie Bright ), and mother, Shirley Carter ( Linda Henry ). It emerges Callum knows Mick and Linda because he was friends with their son, Lee Carter ( Danny-Boy Hatchard ), as
14405-451: Is shot by Callum, it was suggested by Joe Anderton from Digital Spy that Mick would know his shooter. When viewers suggested that the shooter could be Mick's son Lee Carter , with the role recast from actor Danny-Boy Hatchard to Clay, David Brown of the Radio Times doubted that this would be true. In his second episode, Callum was confirmed to be the shooter and Lee's friend. Clay agreed with Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy that it
14620-745: Is shown to be a strict father to Dana and attempts to control her, while brother Aaron Monroe ( Charlie Wernham ) disgusts Dana with his racist and Islamophobic attitudes. Smith noted that despite Dana being at the bottom of the Monroe family's power hierarchy, it would not stop her from attempting to change their family's old-fashioned mindsets. Smith's departure was announced in June 2022, having been written out by new executive producer Chris Clenshaw. Dana made her departure in episode 6549, originally broadcast on 1 September 2022. The character's relationship with Bobby has been well received by viewers and critics, with one of their scenes nominated for Feel Good Moment at
14835-502: Is struggling to be intimate with Whitney because he is a virgin . In April 2018, Clay stated that he was open to Callum and Whitney marrying, adding that he would love to film a soap wedding. As a friend of the Carter family, Callum shares many scenes with them. Morgan pointed out that he had become "an honorary Carter" and a "surrogate older son" for Mick and Linda in the absence of their sons, Lee and Johnny Carter ( Ted Reilly ), adding that Callum could be considered "a lucky charm for
15050-885: Is struggling to look after Alyssa and convinces Sharon to go for full custody. Zack overhears their plan and tells Jada, who flees with Alyssa. Months later, Zack meets her to return Alyssa's toy after seeing them in Bethnal Green . He persuades her to return to Walford, and whilst outside the train station, Jada is inattentive to Alyssa, causing her pram to roll into the path of an oncoming car. Sharon saves her and asks Jada and Alyssa to move in with her, promising to let Jada keep Alyssa. Jada starts working for Denise Fox ( Diane Parish ) at her salon, Fox & Hair. She befriends Will Mitchell (Freddie Phillips) and bumps into her old friends Chess Newland (Liani Samuel) and Melody Wiles (Niamh Longford). When Sharon decides to go on holiday with her infant son Albie Watts , Chess and Melody plan
15265-446: Is subsequently arrested and imprisoned. On 21 June, Jordan has a meningitis scare, due to Chelsea not having him vaccinated, but got the all clear. In February 2023, Whitney Dean ( Shona McGarty ) loses a baby scan photo, but to her delight Jordan finds it. EastEnders EastEnders is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in
15480-410: Is the daughter of Max Branning ( Jake Wood ) and Linda Carter ( Kellie Bright ) and the adoptive daughter of Mick Carter ( Danny Dyer ) born in episode 6342, first broadcast on 13 September 2021. Annie is a result of a short-term affair between her parents, which is a major factor in her mother's declining marriage to Mick Carter ( Danny Dyer ), in addition to Linda's alcoholism which also played
15695-415: Is the father of Alyssa; to clear up their beliefs, they both participate in a paternity test. The test results conclude that neither of them are the father of Alyssa, however, when mother Jada was first seen, it was revealed that it was Sharon's son Dennis who was the father. Alyssa was born on 22 August 2020 and was conceived when her parents were only thirteen and fourteen years old. When Dennis drowned in
15910-520: Is too much and turns him down. He made his final appearance in Episode 6280, which originally aired on 28 May 2021. Zack Hudson , played by James Farrar , first appears in episode 6237, originally broadcast on 16 March 2021. The character and Farrar's casting details were announced on 31 January 2021. Zack is introduced as the son of Gavin Sullivan ( Paul Nicholas ) and half-brother of established character Sharon Watts ( Letitia Dean ), although this
16125-517: Is what brings him back." On Mick and his wife, Linda Carter ( Kellie Bright ), offering Callum a room at their home, The Queen Victoria public house , as a thank you for helping them with their financial troubles, Clay explained that Callum wants to return to The Queen Vic and that after helping the Carters, he feels better about himself. He also noted that the Carters gave Callum "their word that they would always try to look after him whenever he needed it". Callum's return to EastEnders and secret
16340-454: The 2010 baby swap storyline , which attracted over 6,000 complaints, as well as complaints of showing too much violence and allegations of national and racial stereotypes. However, EastEnders has also been commended for representing real-life issues and spreading awareness on social topics. The cast and crew of the show have received and been nominated for various awards . In March 1983, under two years before EastEnders ' first episode
16555-528: The 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup . As of 2019, the soap is one of the most watched series on BBC iPlayer and averages around 5 million viewers per episode. The soap enjoyed a record-breaking year on the streaming platform in 2019, with viewers requesting to stream or download the show 234 million times, up 10% on 2018. The Christmas Day episode in 2019 became EastEnders biggest ever episode on BBC iPlayer, with 2.14 million viewer requests. In February 2020, EastEnders celebrated its 35th anniversary with
16770-560: The 2021 Inside Soap Awards . Smith was also nominated in the newcomer categories at the 2021 I Talk Telly Awards and the Digital Spy Reader Awards for her portrayal of Dana. Molly Ellis , played by Juliette Alexandra is the owner of a dog that Bailey Baker (Kara-Leah Fernandes) and Bernadette Taylor ( Clair Norris ) have been taking care of. She first appears in Episode 6250, which originally aired 6 April 2021. After retrieving her dog, Molly asks Bernadette on
16985-433: The 28th National Television Awards under his leadership. On 26 September 2024, it was announced Clenshaw would step down as series executive producer in February 2025, following the soap's 40th anniversary; Ben Wadey was announced as his successor. The central focus of EastEnders is the fictional Victorian square Albert Square in the fictional London Borough of Walford . In the show's narrative, Albert Square
17200-481: The Beale family through Dana's relationship with Bobby Beale ( Clay Milner Russell ). The character is billed as "a confident and fiercely loyal individual". He is described as a "wayward son". Aaron's backstory states that he was raised by Harvey, who he shares a close relationship with, and left home as soon as he got a job in finance in inner-city London. Wernham expressed his happiness at being cast and called joining
17415-540: The Daily Express said that Callum "gives Whitney a shock" when she thinks Callum is proposing marriage. Lindsay ( Metro ) reported that following the date, Callum continues to show his feelings for Whitney and starts "to win her round with his likeable personality." Clay said that although Callum is not Whitney's typical boyfriend, his effort and charm would impress her. He felt that his characteristics were more appealing to Whitney than his appearance. He added that
17630-520: The District and Hammersmith & City lines. Walford has the postal district of E20. It was named as if Walford were part of the actual E postcode area which covers much of east London, the E standing for Eastern . E20 was entirely fictional when it was created, as London East postal districts stopped at E18 at the time. The show's creators opted for E20 instead of E19 as it was thought to sound better. In March 2011, Royal Mail allocated
17845-734: The EastEnders set a "surreal" experience. EastEnders marks Holderness' first time filming a soap. Estelle is introduced as a love interest for Billy Mitchell ( Perry Fenwick ). Holderness described her character as "a good time girl" who adopts a carefree attitude to money and enjoys "fine dining". The character is a theatrical agent who works with children. She arrives for a photoshoot with Billy's daughter, Janet Mitchell (Grace). Estelle meets Billy and becomes "very intrigued" by him. Holderness did not think that Estelle and Billy were well suited, but felt Billy needed "some fun in his life". Estelle departs in episode 6264, originally broadcast on 30 April 2021. Holderness expressed an interest in reprising
18060-665: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on television and despite thinking that she had not performed well, Smith was cast as Dana. She was initially cast in a 6-month guest stint, but was promoted to a regular cast member and had her family introduced to the soap. Dana has been shown to be a bubbly and likeable character and critics have noted that it has been refreshing to have a character with good intentions on EastEnders . As well as her on-off relationship with Bobby, her tumultuous relationships with her relatives have been central to Dana's storylines. Father Harvey Monroe ( Ross Boatman )
18275-466: The theme music and Alan Jeapes created the visuals. The visual images were taken from an aircraft flying over the East End of London at 1000 feet. Approximately 800 photographs were taken and pieced together to create one big image. The credits were later updated when the Millennium Dome was built. The launch was delayed until February 1985 due to a delay in the chat show Wogan , that
18490-540: The 23 characters needed, in just 14 days. They took a holiday in Playa de los Pocillos, Lanzarote , and started to create the characters. Holland created the Beale and Fowler family , drawing on his own background. His mother, Ethel Holland, was one of four sisters raised in Walthamstow. Her eldest sister, Lou, had married a man named Albert Beale and had two children, named Peter and Pauline. These family members were
18705-406: The BBC launched a new advertising campaign using the slogan "There's more to EastEnders ". The first television advert showed Dot Branning with a refugee baby, Tomas , whom she took in under the pretence of being her grandson. The second and third featured Stacey Slater and Dawn Swann, respectively. There have also been adverts in magazines and on radio. In 2009, producers introduced a limit on
18920-590: The Carter family. Stuart has a dark personality, which Clay thought would allow the audience to see "what makes Callum who he is". He expected the audience to pick up on moments of animosity between the brothers and warned them to be frightened of Stuart. Clay commented, "The relationship with his brother will be quite telling, and that'll be an interesting thing to watch." Producers used Stuart's introduction to explore Callum's backstory, specifically his childhood. Clay explained that Callum's childhood shaped his personality and confirmed that there would be an insight into
19135-505: The E20 postal district to the 2012 Olympic Park . In September 2011, the postcode for Albert Square was revealed in an episode as E20 6PQ. EastEnders is built around the idea of relationships and strong families, with each character having a place in the community. This theme encompasses the whole Square, making the entire community a family of sorts, prey to upsets and conflict, but pulling together in times of trouble. Co-creator Tony Holland
19350-870: The Executive Producer of EastEnders in 2000. Yorke was given the task of introducing the soap's fourth weekly episode. He axed the majority of the Di Marco family, except Beppe di Marco ( Michael Greco ), and helped introduce popular characters such as the Slater family . As what Mal Young described as "two of EastEnders' most successful years", Yorke was responsible for highly rated storylines such as " Who Shot Phil? ", Ethel Skinner 's ( Gretchen Franklin ) death, Jim Branning ( John Bardon ) and Dot Cotton 's ( June Brown ) marriage, Trevor Morgan 's ( Alex Ferns ) domestic abuse of his wife Little Mo Morgan ( Kacey Ainsworth ), and Kat Slater 's ( Jessie Wallace ) revelation to her daughter Zoe Slater ( Michelle Ryan ) that she
19565-581: The ITV network) was very different in style and approach from EastEnders . The British Film Institute described Market in Honey Lane thus: "It was not an earth-shaking programme, and certainly not pioneering in any revolutionary ideas in technique and production, but simply proposed itself to the casual viewer as a mildly pleasant affair." The target launch date was originally January 1985. Smith and Holland had eleven months in which to write, cast and shoot
19780-400: The Mitchell's to launder money but also speaks to Kheerat Panesar ( Jaz Deol ), who offers to do it cheaper and faster. However, Phil's girlfriend, Kat Slater ( Jessie Wallace ), tells him that Stas met Kheerat so Phil is able to secure the business with Stas by revealing that his meeting was leaked. Kat sees Stas and later, Stas does not go to his meeting with Ben, revealing that he dislikes
19995-556: The Mitchells are. Stas says he cannot trust Ben because of his relationship with a police officer, Callum Highway ( Tony Clay ) and asks Ben if he and Phil have called him "mad" behind his back, threatening to shoot someone if he does not tell the truth. Ben admits that they have, so Stas then says because he cannot trust Ben, he now cannot trust Kheerat and the deal is off, demanding his money back or he will shoot someone. Kheerat calls his brother, Vinny Panesar ( Shiv Jalota ) to bring
20210-456: The Mitchells' nickname for him, "Shell Suit Stan", which he heard from Kat, who was upset by something Phil said about her. Phil tells Ben to let Kheerat have the deal with Stas because he will mess it up. Stas increases the amount of money to be laundered from £50,000 a week to £100,000 and Kheerat agrees. Kheerat allows Ben to work with him and Stas because the Panesar name is not well known but
20425-514: The Queen Vic on the former College Park Hotel pub in Willesden at the end of Scrubs Lane at the junction with Harrow Road NW10 just a couple of miles from BBC Television Centre. Walford East is a fictional London Underground station for Walford, and a tube map that was first seen on air in 1996 showed Walford East between Bow Road and West Ham , in the actual location of Bromley-by-Bow on
20640-497: The Square (they were later renamed Den , Angie and Sharon ). The characters of Andy O'Brien and Debbie Wilkins were created to show a modern couple with outwardly mobile pretensions, and Lofty Holloway to show an outsider; someone who did not fit in with other residents. It was decided that he would be a former soldier, as Holland's personal experiences of ex-soldiers were that they had trouble fitting into society after being in
20855-529: The UK, prohibiting the "promotion of homosexuality" by local authorities , by the first on-the-mouth gay kiss in a British soap when Colin kissed a new character, Guido Smith (Nicholas Donovan), an episode that was watched by 17 million people. Writer Colin Brake suggested that 1989 was a year of big change for EastEnders , both behind the cameras and in front of them. Original production designer Keith Harris left
21070-519: The Watts' household, Jada, Martin and Zack are against this due to her being a recovering alcoholic and having Alyssa, Albie and Linda's daughter Annie Carter living there. Jada ends up being blackmailed by Janine Butcher ( Charlie Brooks ) into planting empty bottles around the house and calls social services. The guilt causes her to move to live with her aunt, taking Alyssa with her. However, Alyssa returns on Christmas Day when Jada returns to tell Sharon
21285-481: The all-time top 10 most-watched programmes in the UK, including the number one spot, when over 30 million watched the 1986 Christmas Day episode. EastEnders has been important in the history of British television drama, tackling many subjects that are considered to be controversial or taboo in British culture , and portraying a social life previously unseen on UK mainstream television. Since co-creator Holland
21500-564: The area, E8 , was one of the working titles for the series. The name Walford is both a street in Dalston where Tony Holland lived and a blend of Walthamstow and Stratford—the areas of Greater London where the creators were born. Other parts of the Square and set interiors are based on other locations. The railway bridge is based upon one near BBC Television Centre which carries the Hammersmith & City line over Wood Lane W12, and
21715-491: The army. When they compared the characters they had created, Smith and Holland realised they had created a cross-section of East End residents. The Beale and Fowler family represented the old families of the East End, who had always been there. The Osmans, Jefferys and Carpenters represented the more modern diverse ethnic community of the East End. Debbie, Andy and Mary represented more modern-day individuals. Once they had decided on their 23 characters, they returned to London for
21930-411: The audience after becoming embedded into the cast. Clay told Tyler of Inside Soap that when a fan recognised him on the train, he did not know how to react, but explained that he was friendly and took a photo with her. For his portrayal of Callum, Clay was nominated for Best Soap Newcomer at the 2018 Digital Spy Reader Awards; he came in seventh place with 5.4% of the total votes. His introduction
22145-423: The audience's opinion of Callum as it showed he is a "hopeless romantic". Tyler found Callum's location for the date amusing because in a recent storyline, Whitney's friend, Abi Branning ( Lorna Fitzgerald ), died after a fall from there. She described his actions as "thoughtful", but commented, "And they say romance is dead!" A journalist from Soaplife pointed out that Callum makes Whitney smile, which they said
22360-427: The baby. She gives birth to a boy, who she names Michael. Harvey Monroe , played by Ross Boatman , first appears in episode 6311, originally broadcast on 22 July 2021. The character and Boatman's casting details were announced on 9 June 2021. Harvey is introduced as the father of newcomer Dana Monroe (Barbara Smith), who is in a relationship with Bobby Beale ( Clay Milner Russell ). He is billed as "traditional and
22575-402: The basis for Lou Beale , Pete Beale and Pauline Fowler . Holland also created Pauline's unemployed husband Arthur Fowler , their children Mark and Michelle , Pete's wife Kathy and their son Ian . Smith used her personal memories of East End residents she met when researching Victorian squares. Ethel Skinner was based on an old woman she met in a pub, with ill-fitting false teeth, and
22790-415: The bleak world of Albert Square". Clay said that after his first appearance, he received "a few looks" from members of the public and several messages from fans on Twitter asking "Dude, what have you done?", as people believed that he had shot Mick. He recalled the first time that he was recognised in public, calling it "quite surreal" and "an odd moment". He added that he received positive feedback from
23005-541: The boat, Jada was three months pregnant, meaning she never got the chance to tell him about the pregnancy. When Jada revealed that Dennis was the father of Alyssa, Sharon did a DNA test, which proved she was telling the truth. After a while, Sharon tried to go for full custody of Alyssa, with the help of her ex-husband Phil Mitchell ( Steve McFadden ), however when Zack tells Jada about this, her convinces her to move in with him, Sharon, her son Albie (Arthur Gentleman) and Martin. When Linda Carter ( Kellie Bright ) moves into
23220-421: The caller that he loves them. He meets with a woman, Delilah (Chereen Buckley), who is revealed to be his ex-girlfriend and mother to his son, Denzel. She leaves Denzel to stay with Howie and Kim and they struggle to bond together. Denzel causes trouble and when Amy Mitchell ( Ellie Dadd ) collapses after taking drugs, Denzel is accused of providing her with the drugs until Lily Slater ( Lillia Turner ) admits
23435-525: The case and that she is paid less because of her inexperience. Estelle goes on another date with Billy and Honey appears, refusing to take Janet to any more photoshoots. Nyangi Marwa , played by Lucy Vandi is the mother of Mila Marwa (Ruhtxjiaïh Bèllènéa), who first appeared in Episode 6264, which first aired on 30 April 2021. She finds Mila in Walford and tries to persuade her to marry a man named Joseph. However, Kathy Beale ( Gillian Taylforth ), who Mila
23650-422: The cash but Vinny is confronted by a thief. With Callum's help, Vinny escapes the thief. Stas threatens to shoot someone when Vinny arrives, giving Stas his cash. Stas agrees to keep to the deal but confirms to Ben that Kat told him about the Mitchells' "mad" comments about him. Later, Kheerat decides to give Vinny a job to look after one of Stas's associates. Vinny agrees to drive the man and sees he has gold bars in
23865-414: The cast, calling it "an incredible moment for me". His father was a big fan of EastEnders , so the actor was proud to be a part of the show. Jon Sen , the show's executive producer, thought Conley was the perfect casting for Terry Cant and called him "a talented performer whose charm, wit and charisma are exactly the qualities we want for Terry". On 12 September 2023, it was confirmed that Conley had quit
24080-420: The challenges in production and filming of the show has led to the show's reduced output, but also stated that the crew had been "trialing techniques, filming methods and new ways of working" to prepare the show for its return. Filming recommenced on 29 June, with episodes airing from 7 September 2020. On 9 April 2021, following the death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh , the episode of EastEnders that
24295-417: The characters had been created, Smith and Holland set about casting the actors, which also involved the input of lead director Matthew Robinson , who supervised auditions with the other directors at the outset, Vivienne Cozens and Peter Edwards. Through the next few months, the set was growing rapidly at Elstree, and a composer and designer had been commissioned to create the title sequence. Simon May wrote
24510-520: The characters introduced under Gibbon were axed from the show at the start of the year. Ferguson introduced other characters and was responsible for storylines including HIV, Alzheimer's disease and murder. After a successful revamp of the soap, Ferguson decided to leave EastEnders in July 1991. Ferguson was succeeded by both Leonard Lewis and Helen Greaves , who initially shared the role as Executive Producer for EastEnders . Lewis and Greaves formulated
24725-433: The characters of Tony Carpenter and Kelvin Carpenter , did Coronation Street start to feature black characters, for example. They came to the conclusion that Coronation Street had grown old with its audience, and that EastEnders would have to attract a younger, more socially extensive audience, ensuring that it had the longevity to retain it for many years thereafter. They also looked at Brookside , but found there
24940-505: The child of Jada Lennox (Kelsey Calladine-Smith) and Dennis Rickman ( Bleu Landau ). Additionally, multiple other characters appear throughout the year. Caleb Malone , played by Ben Freeman , first appears in episode 6209, originally broadcast on 25 January 2021. The character and Freeman's casting details were announced on 12 January 2021. Caleb is introduced as part of a story with Chelsea Fox ( Zaraah Abrahams ) and her father, Lucas Johnson ( Don Gilet ), although details regarding
25155-452: The children, but is "surprised and heartened" when Mick is not upset by the news. Clay told Duncan Lindsay of the Metro that Callum returns to Albert Square , the show's setting, because he views it as a home and opined that "he's ever really had a place to call home, this is where he feels loved by Whitney and I think he feels like this is his family, this is his world now and I think this
25370-505: The continually-cursed Carters". Clay explained that the Carters help Callum feel like a member of their family. He described the Carter family as his "surrogate EastEnders family". He stated that everyone, in particular Bright, had looked after him after joining the show. Clay wanted to explore other parts of his character's personality and thought there was the opportunity to explore dramatic storylines for Callum. Mick's mother, Shirley Carter ( Linda Henry ), calls Callum "Halfwit" in
25585-402: The corner" for Zack. Dana Monroe (initially credited as Dana Adams ), played by Barbara Smith, first appear in episode 6247, originally broadcast on 1 April 2021. She is introduced as a love interest for Bobby Beale ( Clay Milner Russell ), who meets her under a false alias. Smith previously appeared on EastEnders in 2019 as Ellie . Smith auditioned for the role of Dana over Zoom due to
25800-501: The death of Bradley Branning ( Charlie Clements ) at the conclusion of the " Who Killed Archie? " storyline, which saw Bradley's wife Stacey Slater ( Lacey Turner ) reveal that she was the murderer. Viewing figures peaked at 16.6 million, which was the highest viewed episode in seven years. Other events to mark the anniversary were a spin-off DVD, EastEnders: Last Tango in Walford , and an Internet spin-off, EastEnders: E20 . Santer officially left EastEnders in March 2010, and
26015-473: The decision was made to reduce transmission so that EastEnders could remain on-screen for longer. Two months later, Charlotte Moore , the director of content at the BBC, announced plans for a return to production. She confirmed that EastEnders would return to filming during June 2020 and that there would be a transmission break between episodes filmed before and after production paused. When production recommenced, social distancing measures were utilised and
26230-538: The decision was part of "a creative decision" from Clenshaw, who wanted to "take the show back to its roots". Calladine-Smith reflected on her tenure in a social media post, commenting, "My EastEnders experience has brought me nothing but smiles". The character departs after being blackmailed by Janine Butcher ( Charlie Brooks ) into framing Linda Carter ( Kellie Bright ) and having her daughter, Annie Carter , removed from her care. Jada exits in episode 6548, originally broadcast on 31 August 2022. Calladine-Smith's return
26445-502: The departure of two of the soap's most popular characters, Den and Angie Watts ( Anita Dobson ), left a void in the programme, which needed to be filled. In addition, several other long-running characters left the show that year, including Sue and Ali Osman ( Sandy Ratcliff and Nejdet Salih ) and their family; Donna Ludlow ( Matilda Ziegler ); Carmel Jackson ( Judith Jacob ) and Colin Russell ( Michael Cashman ). Brake indicated that
26660-416: The episode broadcast in the United Kingdom on 16 February 2018, signalling the conclusion of Clay's contract. Claire Crick of Digital Spy pointed out that Callum was a plot device introduced only to support the Carter family's storylines, especially when Callum is revealed to be in ownership of an expensive ring, which he lets the Carters sell when they need money to save their home, a plot that Crick thought
26875-425: The father of established character Sonia Fowler ( Natalie Cassidy ). Whilst the concept of Terry Cant had been referenced since Sonia's introduction, it received more focus in June 2020 when Sonia decides to search for him. The character is billed as the "ultimate people pleaser" and a charmer. His arrival creates "a huge shock" for Sonia, who had given up looking for her father. Conley expressed his delight at joining
27090-458: The feel of the week is active and exciting and not too reflective. There'll be those moments for some of our longer-serving characters that briefly reflect on themselves and how they've changed. The characters don't know that it's the 25th anniversary of anything, so it'd be absurd to contrive too many situations in which they're reflective on the past. The main engine of that week is great stories that'll get people talking." The live episode featured
27305-559: The fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London , the programme follows the stories of local residents and their families as they go about their daily lives. Within eight months of the show's original launch, it had reached the number one spot in BARB 's television ratings, and has consistently remained among the top-rated series in Britain. Four EastEnders episodes are listed in
27520-533: The first two episodes consolidating to ratings of 13.21 to 13.34 million viewers. On Friday 11 November 2005, EastEnders was the first British drama to feature a two-minute silence. This episode later went on to win British Soap Award for "Best Single Episode". In October 2006, Diederick Santer took over as Executive Producer of EastEnders . He introduced several characters to the show, including ethnic minority and homosexual characters to make
27735-461: The hospital where his wife Linda Carter ( Kellie Bright ) is having a baby scan. Jeanette is heavily pregnant herself, and when they stop for her to use the loo, her waters break. She panics as her partner is away, but Mick takes charge of the situation and drives her to the hospital. Once there, she pleads with Mick not to leave her, calling him her guardian angel (something which Mick called her when they first met), and Mick accompanies her as she has
27950-653: The ideal partner for Whitney despite not matching the profile of her usual partner. Clay explained that Callum returns to Walford because he wants to develop his relationship with Whitney, which he treasures. He told Rachel Lucas of What's on TV that Callum sees his relationship with Whitney as "a new life". Callum's intimacy issues are explored through his relationship with Whitney when she tries to get intimate with him. Clay stated that this shows another dimension to his character. He explained that Callum struggles to connect with people and often misses prompts from other people, such as Whitney. On-screen, Callum reveals that he
28165-563: The media began investigating the private lives of the show's popular stars. Within days, a scandalous headline appeared – "EASTENDERS STAR IS A KILLER". This referred to Leslie Grantham , and his prison sentence for the murder of a taxi driver in an attempted robbery nearly 20 years earlier. This shocking tell-all style set the tone for relations between Albert Square and the press for the next 20 years. The show's first episode attracted some 17 million viewers, and it continued to attract high viewing figures from then on. By Christmas 1985,
28380-457: The names of his own family for the characters. Callum Highway Callum Highway is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders , played by Tony Clay . He was introduced in the episode first broadcast in the United Kingdom on 1 January 2018. Callum is introduced as a friend of the Carter family, which was not publicised beforehand. Callum was originally a comedic character who
28595-417: The new era of EastEnders ." EastEnders started broadcasting in high definition on 25 December 2010. Old sets had to be rebuilt, so The Queen Victoria set was burnt down in a storyline (and in reality) to facilitate this. In November 2011, a storyline showed character Billy Mitchell , played by Perry Fenwick , selected to be a torch bearer for the 2012 Summer Olympics . In reality, Fenwick carried
28810-644: The new fish in such a famous big pond, but he's settled in more quickly than most, and made the part of Callum 100% his own." Tyler of Inside Soap opined that Callum is "the real treasure to emerge from the bonkers plot [the heist storyline]". She added, "Square chiefs had clearly found a diamond in the rough with actor Tony Clay". Rachel Lucas of What's on TV described Callum as the "unlikely villain [who] shot Mick Carter during Aidan Maguire's botched robbery! But he redeemed himself by helping Mick Carter save The Vic and then he won Whitney Carter's heart." A Soaplife columnist called Callum "a welcome ray of sunshine in
29025-460: The number of speaking parts in each episode due to budget cuts, with an average of 16 characters per episode. The decision was criticised by Martin McGrath of Equity, who said: "Trying to produce quality TV on the cheap is doomed to fail." The BBC responded by saying they had been working that way for some time and it had not affected the quality of the show. From 4 February 2010, CGI was used in
29240-476: The opinion that Callum had given his kidney to Aidan Maguire ( Patrick Bergin ) to repay him; 15% of readers believed that Callum left the Army; 13% were convinced that he had been stabbed; and the remaining 7% of readers thought it was something else. There was a positive reaction to his return on Twitter with fans excited that Callum and Whitney had been reunited. Callum's costume consists of "scruffy clothes and woolly headwear", mainly beanie hats , and he has
29455-523: The phone about a "job" in which Cheslea is using Lucas as a "courier". Caleb comments to Chelsea that her clothes appear expensive so she clearly knows how to spend the money she took from him. She insists he will get it back and he says to make sure nothing goes wrong, making a veiled threat towards her. Stan "Stas" Saunders , played by Adam Young is an associate of Phil ( Steve McFadden ) and Ben Mitchell ( Max Bowden ), who first appeared in Episode 6225, which originally aired 22 February 2021. He comes to
29670-576: The potential relationship. In Callum's absence, Whitney's former boyfriend, Woody Woodward ( Lee Ryan ), returns to Walford. When Callum returns, he is not bothered by Woody's presence as he is not afraid of Whitney's former partners. Clay explained that Callum is "oblivious" to Woody because he is in love with Whitney and has the backing of the Carter family. Ben Lee of Digital Spy thought that Callum's return would be good for Whitney as it suggested that their relationship would continue, while Digital Spy 's Laura Morgan thought that Callum would be
29885-404: The pre- EastEnders figure of seven million, though EastEnders then climbed to highs of up to 23 million later on in the year. Following the launch, both group discussions and telephone surveys were conducted to test audience reaction to early episodes. Press coverage of EastEnders , which was already intense, went into overdrive once the show was broadcast. With public interest so high,
30100-465: The private lives of the cast. Anticipation and rumour grew in equal measure until the first transmission at 7 p.m. on 19 February 1985. Neither Holland nor Smith could watch; they both instead returned to the place where it all began, Albertine's Wine Bar on Wood Lane. The next day, viewing figures were confirmed at 17 million. The reviews were largely favourable, although, after three weeks on air, BBC1's early evening share had returned to
30315-416: The production team decided that 1989 was to be a year of change in Walford, commenting, "it was almost as if Walford itself was making a fresh start". By the end of 1989, EastEnders had acquired a new executive producer, Michael Ferguson , who had previously been a successful producer on ITV 's The Bill . Brake suggested that Ferguson was responsible for bringing in a new sense of vitality and creating
30530-421: The recast of Amy Mitchell ( Ellie Dadd ), as well as the reintroduction of Cindy Beale ( Michelle Collins ), who returned from the dead after 25 years. Public opinion on Clenshaw then changed and he has been credited for improving ratings and garnering critical acclaim for the soap, with EastEnders winning the award for Best British Soap at the 2023 British Soap Awards and the award for Serial Drama at
30745-507: The ring and has it valued at £20,000, telling Callum that he could use the money to buy back The Queen Vic, and Callum agrees, revealing that he found the ring during the robbery. When the ring turns out to be worth £200,000, Callum tells Mick to save his pub as long as there will always be a room for Callum if he needs it. Whitney is touched when Callum recalls how his grandfather brought him up to treat women with respect. When Callum leaves for army duty, Whitney apologises to him and they share
30960-440: The role again. Estelle is theatrical agent who Billy meets at when dropping his daughter Janet off for a photoshoot. They go on a date and Estelle asks Janet's mother and Billy's ex-wife, Honey Mitchell ( Emma Barton ), if she is okay with them dating. Honey approves but is upset to learn that Estelle is paying Janet less than the other children, believing it to be because Janet has Down syndrome . Estelle states that this isn't
31175-425: The role, that Callum is "such a lovely role to play" and that he wanted to explore the character further. He had already begun filming when his return was publicised. On 20 April, Sophie Dainty of Digital Spy reported that Callum would return in the episode broadcast on 30 April and teased that he may return with a secret. Further details about his return were released two days later, confirming that he would have
31390-419: The shared love between Callum and Whitney makes them a nice couple. Clay liked Callum and Whitney's relationship and looked forward to seeing it develop. When Callum arranges a second date, a romantic meal on the roof of The Queen Vic, Clay said, "It's that kind of thing that you fall in love with." He told Laura-Jayne Tyler of Inside Soap that his relationship with Whitney and the romantic meal helped alter
31605-527: The show "feel more 21st Century". Santer also reintroduced past and popular characters to the programme. On 2 March 2007, BBC signed a deal with Google to put videos on YouTube. A behind the scenes video of EastEnders , hosted by Matt Di Angelo , who played Deano Wicks on the show, was put on the site the same day, and was followed by another on 6 March 2007. In April 2007, EastEnders became available to view on mobile phones , via 3G technology, for 3 , Vodafone and Orange customers. On 21 April 2007,
31820-512: The show and thought it would be "amazing" to see what would happen between Callum and Lee. Clay is familiar with Hatchard as they studied alongside each other. Clay told Kilkelly ( Digital Spy ) that there are several characters that he wants to star alongside, including Dot Branning ( June Brown ), the Slater family , Kim Fox-Hubbard ( Tameka Empson ) and Billy Mitchell ( Perry Fenwick ). Plans to introduce Callum's brother, Stuart Highway , were announced on 28 March 2018. Actor Ricky Champ
32035-483: The show as "a very eventful few weeks", while Daniel Kilkelly and Sophie Dainty pointed out that Callum had "proved popular with fans" during his initial stint on EastEnders . Morgan found the character funny and liked his "infectious energy and warmth". She compared him to former character Fatboy ( Ricky Norwood ) and thought that he could become Dot Branning 's ( June Brown ) lodger, as Fatboy was. On Clay's performance as Callum, Morgan opined, "It's never easy being
32250-403: The show due to his dim-witted personality. Clay enjoyed the nickname, which he called "fun", and thought it was accurate at times. He explained that Callum accepts the nickname that Shirley has given him because although he understands that it is not the nickname associated with him, he does want to argue with Shirley. Clay said that he and Henry share a good relationship. When Callum returns and
32465-634: The show for the first time, with the addition of computer-generated trains. EastEnders celebrated its 25th anniversary on 19 February 2010. Santer came up with several plans to mark the occasion, including the show's first episode to be broadcast live , the second wedding between Ricky Butcher ( Sid Owen ) and Bianca Jackson ( Patsy Palmer ) and the return of Bianca's relatives, mother Carol Jackson ( Lindsey Coulson ), and siblings Robbie Jackson ( Dean Gaffney ), Sonia Fowler ( Natalie Cassidy ) and Billie Jackson ( Devon Anderson ). He told entertainment website Digital Spy , "It's really important that
32680-567: The show has been broadcast every weekday from Monday to Thursday in a 7:30 pm slot, making it the first time in the show's history that the programme began airing permanently on Wednesdays. On 2 June 2022, EastEnders aired an episode celebrating the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II . Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall guest starred in the episode; it also marked the first executive producer credit for Clenshaw. Clenshaw's first major decision as executive producer
32895-416: The show now." He said that " EastEnders has always had a distinctly different tone from the other soaps but over time we've diluted our unique selling point. I think we need to be ourselves and go back to the origins of the show and what made it successful in the first place. It should be entertaining but it should also be informative—that's part of our unique BBC compact with the audience. It shouldn't just be
33110-506: The show" in the absence of the show. Jon Sen , the show's executive producer , expressed his excitement at the new series, dubbing it "a unique opportunity to see from the cast themselves just what it is like to be part of EastEnders ". Plans for the show's return to transmission were announced on 12 June 2020. It was confirmed that after the transmission break, the show would temporarily broadcast four 20-minute episodes per week, until it could return to its normal output. Sen explained that
33325-484: The show's 30th anniversary in 2015 with a week of live episodes . Treadwell-Collins announced his departure from EastEnders on 18 February 2016. Sean O'Connor , former EastEnders series story producer and then-editor on radio soap opera The Archers , was announced to be taking over the role. Treadwell-Collins left on 6 May and O'Connor's first credited episode was broadcast on 11 July Although O'Connor's first credited episode aired in July, his own creative work
33540-450: The show's cast were required to do their own hair and make-up, which is normally done by a make-up artist. It was announced on 3 June 2020 that EastEnders would go on a transmission break following the broadcast of episode 6124 on 16 June. A behind-the-scenes show, EastEnders: Secrets From The Square , will air in the show's place during the transmission break and is hosted by television personality Stacey Dooley . The first episode of
33755-434: The show's original characters, but was rejected due to not being from the area. Jon Sen , the show's executive producer, was pleased with Taylor's casting, calling her "the perfect actress to play the multi-faceted Violet Highway". The character is introduced in the build up to Callum's wedding to Ben Mitchell ( Max Bowden ). She arrives after Ben informs her about the wedding and when she meets him, Vi warns Ben that Callum
33970-545: The show's senior executive producer, explained that Jean thinks Eve will create trouble for Stacey. She teased that Jean may go to "extreme" lengths to protect Stacey from Eve. Alyssa Lennox is the baby daughter of Dennis Rickman Jnr ( Bleu Landau ) and Jada Lennox (Kelsey Calladine-Smith), who first appears in Episode 6368 on 29 October, when she is left on Zack Hudson ( James Farrar ) and Sharon Watts ' ( Letitia Dean ) doorstep. They initially believe her father to be Zack. Martin Fowler ( James Bye ) also suspects that he
34185-458: The show, and Holland and Smith both decided that the time had come to move on too, their final contribution coinciding with the exit of one of EastEnders' most successful characters, Den Watts ( Leslie Grantham ). Producer Mike Gibbon was given the task of running the show, and he enlisted the most experienced writers to take over the storylining of the programme, including Charlie Humphreys, Jane Hollowood and Tony McHale . According to Brake,
34400-418: The show, and his last appearance aired on 29 December 2023 which saw Rocky in police custody admitting to the fire at the cafe after an emotional goodbye to Kathy. Kioni Marwa , played by Florisa Kamara is the sister of Mila Marwa (Ruhtxjiaïh Bèllènéa). She first appears in Episode 6277, which first aired on 24 May 2021, when she informs Mila that their mother Nyangi Marwa (Lucy Vandi) plans to take her on
34615-471: The show. The character is billed as "tough-as-nails" and Peace described her character as "tough, but fair; super bright and cheeky". She dubbed her a "loveable and quick-witted" woman with a short temper. The actress thought that any of Eve's illegal and immoral behaviour is often justified and understandable. Turner called Eve "hot-headed". The character, like Peace, is a member of the LGBT community . The actress
34830-490: The soap "a childhood dream". Jon Sen , the show's executive producer, was pleased with Wernham's casting and teased that there is "more to Aaron than his bravado lets on". Eve Unwin , played by Heather Peace , first appears in episode 6369, originally broadcast on 29 October 2021. The character and Peace's casting details were announced on 29 August 2021. Eve is introduced as the cellmate and wife of established character Stacey Slater ( Lacey Turner ), who recently returned to
35045-420: The soap was criticised for its boring storylines and its lowest-ever figures pointing at around 4.8 million. Dominic Treadwell-Collins was appointed as the new executive producer on 19 August 2013 and was credited on 9 December. He axed multiple characters from the show and introduced the extended Carter family. He also introduced a long-running storyline, " Who Killed Lucy Beale? ", which peaked during
35260-516: The soap were awarded in 1997 when EastEnders won the BAFTA for Best Drama Series. Hollingworth shared the award with the next Executive Producer, Jane Harris . Harris was responsible for the critically panned Ireland episodes and Cindy Beale 's ( Michelle Collins ) attempted assassination of Ian Beale ( Adam Woodyatt ), which brought in an audience of 23 million in 1996, roughly four million more than Coronation Street . In 1998 Matthew Robinson
35475-487: The story were embargoed. Rianne Houghton from Digital Spy suggested that Caleb could be involved in Chelsea's plot against her father. Freeman was contracted for multiple episodes, appearing in a small stint. A Heart reporter called Caleb "a very mysterious new character". The character departs in episode 6238, originally broadcast on 16 March 2021. Caleb arrives in Walford to meet Chelsea, having spoken previously on
35690-475: The streaming service would be beneficial for fans of the show who want to watch at their own chosen pace. Sen also confirmed that the episodes will still air on BBC One throughout the week. The release of these boxsets was extended for a further five weeks, due to similar impacts caused by the 2020 Summer Olympics . On 12 October 2021, it was announced that EastEnders would partake in a special week-long crossover event involving multiple British soaps to promote
35905-435: The tabloids could not get enough of the soap. "Exclusives" about EastEnders storylines and the actors on the show became a staple of tabloid buyers' daily reading. In 1987, the show featured the first same-sex kiss on a British soap, when Colin Russell ( Michael Cashman ) kissed boyfriend Barry Clark ( Gary Hailes ) on the forehead. This was followed in January 1989, less than a year after legislation came into effect in
36120-521: The topic of climate change ahead of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference . During the week, beginning from 1 November, a social media clip featuring Maria Connor ( Samia Longchambon ) from Coronation Street was featured on the programme while Cindy Cunningham ( Stephanie Waring ) from Hollyoaks was also referenced. Similar clips featuring the show's own characters, Bailey Baker (Kara-Leah Fernandes) and Peter Beale (Dayle Hudson), were featured on Doctors and Emmerdale during
36335-413: The torch through the setting of Albert Square, with live footage shown in the episode on 23 July 2012 . This was the second live broadcast of EastEnders . In 2012, Kirkwood chose to leave his role as executive producer and was replaced by Lorraine Newman . The show lost many of its significant characters during this period. Newman stepped down as executive producer after 16 months in the job in 2013 after
36550-410: The truth about the blackmail. Jada Lennox , played by Kelsey Calladine-Smith, first appears on episode 6373, originally broadcast on 8 November 2021. The character and Calladine-Smith's casting was first publicised in advanced spoilers released on 2 November 2021. Jada is introduced as the mother of 1-year-old Alyssa , who was left on the doorstep of 29 Albert Square in earlier episodes. This sparked
36765-425: The truth. Aaron Monroe , played by Charlie Wernham , first appears in episode 6363, originally broadcast on 21 October 2021. The character and Wernham's casting details were announced on 9 August 2021. Aaron is introduced as the eldest son of Harvey Monroe ( Ross Boatman ) and brother of Dana Monroe (Barbara Smith). The character's introduction establishes the family as a new unit in the show, with connections to
36980-416: The truth. When Linda buys into the salon, Jada is reemployed. When Jada sees Stuart Highway ( Ricky Champ ) purchasing pills, they have a heart-to heart and he realises his mistake. He asks Jada to dispose of the pills but Denise discovers the pills on Jada, and confiscates them. Lily Slater ( Lillia Turner ) steals them and gives them to Amy Mitchell ( Ellie Dadd ), who collapses after taking them. Jada
37195-436: The week features exclusive interviews with the show's cast, while the second episode will be a repeat of "iconic" episodes of the show. Beginning on 22 June 2020, Dooley interviews two cast members together in the show's restaurant set while observing social distancing measures. Kate Phillips, the controller of BBC Entertainment , explained that EastEnders: Secrets From The Square would be the "perfect opportunity to celebrate
37410-414: The week. In November 2021, it was announced that Sen would step down from his role as executive producer, and would be succeeded by former story producer Chris Clenshaw . Sen's final credited episode as executive producer was broadcast on 10 March 2022 and coincided in a week of episodes that saw the arrest of serial killer Gray Atkins ( Toby-Alexander Smith ). From the week commencing on 7 March 2022,
37625-499: The whole thing; however, in February 1984, they did not even have a title or a place to film. Both Smith and Holland were unhappy about the January 1985 launch date, favouring November or even September 1984 when seasonal audiences would be higher, but the BBC stayed firm, and Smith and Holland had to concede that, with the massive task of getting the Elstree Studios operational, January was the most realistic date; however, this
37840-428: Was "convenient". After the end of his original contract, Clay received a phone call from producers asking him to reprise the role. He thought that because he was invited back, he was "really doing something right", and hoped that he was reintroduced based on a positive first stint. On 28 March 2018, it was announced that Clay would reprise his role as Callum in spring 2018. Clay said that he looked forward to reprising
38055-539: Was "refreshing". Writers then integrated Howie into the Fox-Trueman family unit by developing a romance between him and Kim. Atkinson was pleased to be involved in the group and liked working with Empson, Diane Parish ( Denise Fox ) and Scott Maslen ( Jack Branning ). Howie's son, Denzel Danes (Jaden Ladega), was introduced in August 2022. Atkinson thought it would be interesting to see how Howie responds to being
38270-417: Was Callum's biggest flaw, commenting, "He loves to put his foot in it!" Morgan billed Callum as "hapless", "adorable" and "caring". She observed that Callum acts as "a bit of a dope" and in a silly manner, but is actually quite clever. In article about the character, Morgan expressed her hope that writers would not portray Callum as "a one-dimensional dumbass". Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy called Callum
38485-520: Was a good person until he met Ben. Vi then arranges a chat with Ben's father, Phil Mitchell ( Steve McFadden ); Taylor explained that Vi is not in "fighting mode" when she meets Phil, which meant he did not need to fear her. The actress enjoyed working with McFadden, who helped her adjust to the filming schedule. Sen teased that Vi is "a grandmother not to be messed with", which he said Callum and Stuart would quickly learn. On Vi's relationship with her grandchildren, Taylor commented, "She loves those boys and
38700-497: Was a lack of central meeting points for the characters, making it difficult for the writers to intertwine different storylines, so EastEnders was set in Albert Square . A previous UK soap set in an East End market was ATV 's Market in Honey Lane ; however, between 1967 and 1969, this show, which graduated from one showing a week to two in three separate series (the latter series being shown in different time slots across
38915-571: Was a security guard at a junkyard and found Vincent's wallet. Kim learns that Vincent is dead and pleads with Howie to accompany her to report his death to the police. Phil Mitchell ( Steve McFadden ) realises their plan and scares Howie away, leaving Kim devastated. Kim later visits the junkyard to seek answers and spots Howie, who explains that Phil threatened him. At Christmas, Howie visits Kim with presents for her children and agrees to join Kim in reporting Vincent's death. He then returns to help Kim film
39130-514: Was announced on 10 December 2018 to be taking on the role of executive producer. In late 2016, popularity and viewership of EastEnders began to decline, with viewers criticising the storylines during the O'Connor reign, such as the killing of the Mitchell sisters and a storyline centred on the local bin collection. Since Yorke's and Oates' reigns, however, opinions towards the storylines have become more favourable, with storylines such as Ruby Allen 's ( Louisa Lytton ) sexual consent, which featured
39345-508: Was announced that Kate Oates , who has previously been a producer on the ITV soap operas Emmerdale and Coronation Street , would become Senior Executive Producer of EastEnders , as well of Holby City and Casualty . Oates began her role in October, and continued to work with Yorke until the end of the year to "ensure a smooth handover". It was also announced that Oates was looking for an Executive Producer to work under her. Jon Sen
39560-469: Was anxiety at first that the viewing public would not accept a new soap set in the south of England, though research commissioned by lead figures in the BBC revealed that southerners would accept a northern soap, northerners would accept a southern soap and those from the Midlands , as Julia Smith herself pointed out, did not mind where it was set as long as it was somewhere else. This was the beginning of
39775-704: Was appointed as the Executive Producer of EastEnders . During his reign, EastEnders won the BAFTA for " Best Soap " in consecutive years 1999 and 2000 and many other awards. Robinson also earned tabloid soubriquet "Axeman of Albert Square" after sacking a large number of characters in one hit, and several more thereafter. In their place, Robinson introduced new long-running characters including Melanie Healy ( Tamzin Outhwaite ), Jamie Mitchell ( Jack Ryder ), Lisa Shaw ( Lucy Benjamin ), Steve Owen ( Martin Kemp ) and Billy Mitchell ( Perry Fenwick ). John Yorke became
39990-498: Was broadcast, the show was a vague idea in the mind of a handful of BBC executives, who decided that what BBC One needed was a popular bi-weekly drama series that would attract the kind of mass audiences that ITV were getting with Coronation Street . The first people to whom David Reid, then head of series and serials, turned were Julia Smith and Tony Holland , a well established producer/script editor team who had first worked together on Z-Cars . The outline that Reid presented
40205-407: Was cast in the role of Stuart, who arrives in spring following Callum's return from the Army. Clay thought that Stuart's introduction supported Callum's presence on the show and found that it added a new "dynamic" to the character. He explained that Stuart's arrival would spark a change in Callum's attitude. Stuart is knowledgeable and cunning, which contrasts with Callum's dim-witted personality. He
40420-488: Was confirmed on 13 December 2022; Jada returns during the show's Christmas episodes as part of the conclusion to Janine's story. Brooks explained that Jada's return would cause "shock and fear" for Janine. The character appears in episode 6614/6615, originally broadcast on 25 December 2022. Jada first appears whilst watching Alyssa from a distance. When Alyssa drops her teddy, Jada keeps it and tries to leave it on Sharon's doorstep. Zack notices her and when she tries to run, she
40635-466: Was created, instead of using E8. Julia Smith came up with the name Eastenders after she and Holland had spent months telephoning theatrical agents and asking "Do you have any real East Enders on your books?" Smith thought " Eastenders " "looked ugly written down" and was "hard to say", so decided to capitalise the second "e". After they decided on the filming location of BBC Elstree Centre in south Hertfordshire , Smith and Holland set about creating
40850-548: Was due to be aired that night was postponed along with the final of Masterchef . In May 2021, it was announced that from 14 June 2021, boxsets of episodes would be uploaded to BBC iPlayer each Monday for three weeks. Executive producer Sen explained that the bi-annual scheduling conflicts that the UEFA European Championship and the FIFA World Cup cause to the soap, premiering four episodes on
41065-443: Was first publicised in advanced spoilers released on 4 October 2021, where he was named Vince Hubbard . Howie is introduced as part of a story exploring the disappearance of established character Vincent Hubbard ( Richard Blackwood ) as his wife, Kim Fox ( Tameka Empson ), searches for him. The character is a children's entertainer and had been using Vincent's identity. Atkinson described his character as vulnerable, which he thought
41280-733: Was from a large East End family, and such families have typified EastEnders . The first central family was the combination of the Fowler family , consisting of Pauline Fowler ( Wendy Richard ), her husband Arthur ( Bill Treacher ), and teenage children Mark ( David Scarboro / Todd Carty ) and Michelle ( Susan Tully ). Pauline's family, the Beales , consisted of Pauline's twin brother Pete Beale ( Peter Dean ), his wife Kathy ( Gillian Taylforth ) and their teenage son Ian ( Adam Woodyatt ). Pauline and Pete's domineering mother Lou Beale ( Anna Wing ) lived with Pauline and her family. Holland drew on
41495-550: Was from a large family in the East End, a theme heavily featured in EastEnders is strong families, and each character is supposed to have their own place in the fictional community. The Watts , Beales , Mitchells , Brannings and the Slaters are some of the families that have been central to the soap's notable and dramatic storylines. EastEnders has been filmed at the BBC Elstree Centre since its inception, with
41710-403: Was her mother. In 2002, Louise Berridge succeeded Yorke as the Executive Producer. During her time at EastEnders , Berridge introduced popular characters such as Alfie Moon ( Shane Richie ), Dennis Rickman ( Nigel Harman ), Chrissie Watts ( Tracy-Ann Oberman ), Jane Beale ( Laurie Brett ), Stacey Slater ( Lacey Turner ) and the critically panned Indian Ferreira family . Berridge
41925-439: Was hit by shrapnel while saving two children, leaving Whitney "taken aback by Callum's heroism". Dainty ( Digital Spy ) wondered whether Callum was "actually more shaken by his army ordeal than he's letting on". It was reported on 8 May 2018 that Callum would confess to Mick that he was lying about the incident in the Army. In the episodes that followed, Callum tells Mick that he caused another soldier to lose his leg when saving
42140-500: Was invited back to reprise his role and Callum returns two months later after serving in the army. His experience in the army and his relationship with Whitney are explored upon his return. He later breaks up with Whitney and forms a relationship with Ben Mitchell ( Max Bowden ), whom he later marries. Producers introduced Callum's brother, Stuart Highway ( Ricky Champ ); their relationship is initially portrayed as dark, but later becomes supportive. Clay's portrayal of Callum has received
42355-400: Was jovial, dopey and "happy-go-lucky" and who wore shabby clothing and beanie hats . Callum's initial stint on the show focuses on his relationship with the Carter family and establishing a relationship with Whitney Dean ( Shona McGarty ). The actor was only contracted for two months and Callum departs in the episode first broadcast in the United Kingdom on 16 February 2018. Afterwards, Clay
42570-467: Was later to be changed to February. The project had a number of working titles: Square Dance , Round the Square , Round the Houses , London Pride and East 8 . It was the latter that stuck (E8 is the postcode for Hackney) in the early months of creative process; however, the show was renamed after many casting agents mistakenly thought the show was to be called Estate , and the fictional postcode E20
42785-470: Was mentioned once more on 18 August 2022 when Bernie mentioned going out clubbing with her and some others for her 20th birthday. Estelle Jones , played by Sue Holderness , first appears in episode 6261, originally broadcast on 26 April 2021. The character and Holderness' casting details were announced on 26 March 2021. Holderness was contracted for a guest stint and appears in four episodes. The actress expressed her delight at her casting and found filming on
43000-497: Was not seen onscreen until late September. Additionally, Oliver Kent was brought in as the Head of Continuing Drama Series for BBC Scripted Studios, meaning that Kent would oversee EastEnders along with O'Connor. O'Connor's approach to the show was to have a firmer focus on realism, which he said was being "true to EastEnders ' DNA and [finding] a way of capturing what it would be like if Julia Smith and Tony Holland were making
43215-419: Was outed in an internet sex scandal, which coincided with a swift decline in viewer ratings. The scandal led to Grantham's departure from the soap, but the occasion was used to mark the 20th anniversary of EastEnders , with an episode showing Den's murder at the Queen Vic pub. On 21 September 2004, Berridge quit as executive producer of EastEnders following continued criticism of the show. Kathleen Hutchison
43430-458: Was placed at number four in Digital Spy 's "big soap moments you have to see this week". A Soaplife journalist thought it was "typical" that he was hiding a secret when he returned. The Daily Express ran a poll for readers to vote on what they believed Callum's secret was: 39% of readers thought that Callum was "ashamed" of something that happened in the Army; 26% of readers were in
43645-523: Was proud to create representation of the community on the soap. Peace expressed her delight at joining the cast and enjoyed working opposite Turner. On Peace's casting as Eve, executive producer Jon Sen commented: "Heather brings the perfect amount of boldness and wit to the role". The character's backstory states that she was imprisoned for a short sentence but it was repeatedly extended after committing crimes in prison. She then met Stacey in prison and they became friends, marrying for convenience to secure
43860-480: Was replaced by Bryan Kirkwood . Kirkwood's first signing was the reintroduction of characters Alfie Moon ( Shane Richie ) and Kat Moon ( Jessie Wallace ), and his first new character was Vanessa Gold , played by Zöe Lucker . In April and May 2010, Kirkwood axed eight characters from the show, Barbara Windsor left her role of Peggy Mitchell , which left a hole in the show, which Kirkwood decided to fill by bringing back Kat and Alfie, which he said would "herald
44075-410: Was responsible for some ratings success stories, such as Alfie and Kat Slater 's ( Jessie Wallace ) relationship, Janine Butcher ( Charlie Brooks ) getting her comeuppance, Trevor Morgan ( Alex Ferns ) and Jamie Mitchell 's ( Jack Ryder ) death storylines and the return of one of the greatest soap icons, Den Watts ( Leslie Grantham ), who had been presumed dead for 14 years. His return in late 2003
44290-424: Was revealed in November 2021 when it emerges Vi has another son, Christopher, who she gave away because she feared she couldn't provide enough support as he has Down syndrome . Tom " Rocky " Cotton , played by Brian Conley , first appears in episode 6274, originally broadcast on 18 May 2021. The character and Conley's casting details were announced on 15 February 2021. The character is introduced as Terry Cant ,
44505-678: Was risky for Callum to shoot Mick in his first episode. It was not confirmed whether Callum would be a regular character. However, executive consultant John Yorke had announced in December 2017 that a new friend for Mick and a new interest for Whitney Dean ( Shona McGarty ) would be introduced in 2018. Kilkelly ( Digital Spy ) wondered whether Callum could be the aforementioned friend of Mick and love interest for Whitney. When asked whether he found joining EastEnders "daunting", Clay replied, "Yes and no" and stated that although he found it surreal to work with Steve McFadden , who portrays Phil Mitchell , his nerves settled quickly. Callum departs in
44720-413: Was swiftly appointed as the Executive Producer of EastEnders , and was tasked with quickly turning the fortunes of the soap. During her time at the soap Hutchison axed multiple characters, and reportedly ordered the rewriting of numerous scripts. Newspapers reported on employee dissatisfaction with Hutchison's tenure at EastEnders . In January 2005, Hutchison left the soap and John Yorke (who by this time,
44935-467: Was the BBC Controller of Continuing Drama Series) took total control of the show himself and became acting Executive Producer for a short period, before appointing Kate Harwood to the role. Harwood stayed at EastEnders for 20 months before being promoted by the BBC. The highly anticipated return of Ross Kemp as Grant Mitchell in October 2005 proved to be a sudden major ratings success, with
45150-431: Was the axing of five series regulars: Peter Beale ( Dayle Hudson ), Stuart Highway ( Ricky Champ ), Jada Lennox (Kelsey Calladine-Smith), Dana Monroe (Barbara Smith) and Lola Pearce ( Danielle Harold ). Viewers criticised the decision, feeling that some of the characters had potential to add to the soap. Clenshaw has since overseen the returns of Alfie Moon ( Shane Richie ) and Yolande Trueman ( Angela Wynter ),
45365-622: Was then introduced in May. Tom "Rocky" Cotton ( Brian Conley ) made his first appearance in May pretending to be Terry Cant, the father of Sonia Fowler ( Natalie Cassidy ). Dani Dyer guest-starred as Jeanette in June and Harvey Monroe ( Ross Boatman ) made his debut in July. Kate Robbins was then cast in the guest role of music agent Jen Glover , making her first appearance in August. In October, Delroy Atkinson , Charlie Wernham and Heather Peace made their debuts as Howie Danes , Aaron Monroe and Eve Unwin , respectively, as well as Alyssa ,
45580-489: Was to be a part of the major revamp in BBC1's schedules. Smith was uneasy about the late start as EastEnders no longer had the winter months to build up a loyal following before the summer ratings lull. The press were invited to Elstree to meet the cast and see the lot, and stories immediately started circulating about the show, about a rivalry with ITV (who were launching their own market-based soap, Albion Market ) and about
45795-643: Was trying to escape him. On 20 January 2022, Chelsea went with Kheerat Panesar ( Jaz Singh Deol ) to get him registered as 'Jordan Fox', without Gray's name on the birth certificate, only to find out Gray had already registered him with both he and Chelsa's name on the certificate, which devastates Chelsea as Gray now has full control and if they did split he has parental rights. In March 2022, Gray attempts to flee Walford, taking Jordan along with his other two children Mia (Mahalia Malcolm) and Mackenzie (Issac Lemonius) with him, but Karen Taylor ( Lorraine Stanley ) stops him after he admits to murdering Chantelle, and
46010-475: Was vague: two episodes a week, 52 weeks a year. After the concept was put to them on 14 March 1983, Smith and Holland then went about putting their ideas down on paper; they decided it would be set in the East End of London. Granada Television gave Smith unrestricted access to the Coronation Street production for a month so that she could get a sense of how a continuing drama was produced. There
46225-529: Was watched by over 16 million viewers, putting EastEnders back at number one in the rating war with the Coronation Street ; however, other storylines, such as one about a kidney transplant involving the Ferreiras, were not well received, and although Den's return proved to be a ratings success, the British press branded the plot unrealistic and felt that it questioned the show's credibility. A severe press backlash followed after Den's actor, Leslie Grantham ,
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