List of EastEnders characters (2016)
The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera EastEnders in 2016, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins, or his successor Sean O'Connor.
In January, Kyle Slater's close friend Sophie Dodd and Stacey Branning's psychiatric nurse [|Dr Delia Forde] were both introduced. Joel Reynolds' brother [|Tim Reynolds], Jay Brown's love interest Linzi Bragg, Linzi's mother [|Thelma Bragg], Jordan Johnson's son [|JJ Johnson] and Claudette Hubbard's foster son Linford Short all made their first appearances in February. March saw Linford's friend, [|Andy Flynn], arrive. Kyle's mother, Alison Slater, played by Denise Welch, Shakil Kazemi, the son of Carmel Kazemi and brother of Kush Kazemi, and Belinda Peacock's husband [|Neville] all made their first appearances in May, while Paul Coker's estranged mother Jenny Rawlinson arrived in July along with Simon Atmore, one of Paul's [|killers]. August saw the arrival of Grant Mitchell and Michelle Fowler's son Mark Fowler. The rest of Paul's killers and Geraldine Clough arrived in September, Lee Carter's friend, [|Moose] arrived in October and Lee's colleague Oz Bolat arrived in November. However, Shakil and Andy were the only new regular characters to be introduced in 2016; both have since departed the serial.
Sophie Dodd
Sophie Dodd, played by Poppy Rush, appears in seven episodes between 4 and 19 January 2016 and four episodes between 27 April and 2 May 2016.Sophie is the best friend of Kyle Slater, and along with Ricksy Hicks and another friend, they arrive in Walford when Kyle decides to meet his half-sister Stacey Branning. While Kyle is meeting her, Sophie and Ricksy discuss their friendship with Kyle, and it is revealed that she has stood by him while during an event in his life. After Kyle meets Stacey, he tells Sophie that she is a bit weird, and Sophie says she is proud of him and asks if he has told her his secret; he says he does not want her to know. They go to The Queen Victoria pub, and Sophie and Ricksy wait there while Kyle visits Stacey again, and when they order food, it is too salty because it has been sabotaged by Babe Smith. They leave later when Kyle says things with Stacey were complicated.
Eventually, Kyle moves in with Stacey and gets a job at Ian Beale's restaurant. Sophie comes to Walford to support Kyle when the restaurant hosts the Pride of Walford Awards. She meets Tina Carter and they both end up waitressing at the restaurant. Through Kyle and Sophie's conversation, it is revealed that they used to date when Kyle was Sarah. Sophie encourages Tina to get drunk at the event, and when Tina humiliates her girlfriend Sonia Fowler, she confides in Sophie, who kisses Tina. She apologises but then Tina kisses her back. They then have sex and afterwards, Sophie says Tina is not really her type and she has feelings for someone else, so Tina encourages her to find that person again but Sophie says she has changed too much. They then exchange phone numbers. Sophie talks to Kyle, saying she was in love with Sarah, but Kyle just wants to be friends and he says he does not want to "go backwards", so she asks if she is part of his past that he wants to forget, and she leaves, though Kyle wants her in his life. Sophie then texts Tina but Tina ignores her, so Sophie goes to Tina's home and tells Sonia what has happened. This results in Sonia forcing them both to leave, and outside, Sophie insults Tina. She then speaks to Kyle again, saying he should go back to Blackpool with her, and she has been talking to his mother, Alison Slater and she would take him back. Kyle says Alison will only accept him as Sarah. Sophie says she loves and misses Sarah as she cared about other people but calls Kyle selfish and says he made the wrong choice to become a man. She then leaves.
Rush's performance was praised by her mother, Coronation Street actress Debbie Rush, on Twitter. While Laura-Jayne Tyler of Inside Soap observed, "Kyle's mate Soph is a fast mover isn't she? Not many Walford newbies manage to bag themselves a job and a one-night stand in the space of a single episode. Respect!"
Delia Forde
Dr Delia Forde, played by Carolyn Pickles, appears in four episodes between 22 January and 22 February 2016.Dr Forde is a psychiatrist who assesses Stacey Branning when her boyfriend Martin Fowler convinces her to go to hospital. She and her colleague, [|Eve Igwe], inform Martin that there are no mother and baby unit places, and when Martin says that Stacey will not want to stay because of this, she explains that Stacey would likely be sectioned. After this is done, Dr Forde asks Stacey about her visions of God, and Stacey confirms that she started speaking to God only after the birth of her son Arthur Fowler, so Dr Forde concludes that Stacey is suffering from postpartum psychosis. Despite Stacey's pleas to see Arthur, Dr Forde sends Martin home to take care of him.
Dr Forde meets Martin again when he visits Stacey the next week. On the day that Stacey is due for a medical review, she tells Dr Forde about a nightmare she had, but Dr Forde says this is probably just down to anxiety. At the review, Dr Forde gives Stacey the option of continuing her treatment at home and staying in hospital voluntarily. Stacey decides to stay. Martin tries to break Stacey out of the hospital, so Dr Forde tries to stop this, and after he tells her that Stacey tried to harm herself, she insists he goes home. She then talks to Stacey about what happened, and convinces her that she is a good person despite the bad things that have happened in her life. Stacey is then transferred to another hospital.
In the character's final episode, she states that "there isn't the money to look after these women properly", referring to budget cuts to mental health services in the UK. Viewers praised this on Twitter, claiming that EastEnders had helped raise awareness of this issue.
Tim Reynolds
Timothy "Tim" Reynolds, played by comedian Charlie Baker, appears in five episodes between 2 February and 4 May 2016.Tim is the brother of Joel Reynolds, who has been killed in a speedboat accident along with his wife Stephanie Reynolds. Tim meets Joel's former girlfriend Ronnie Mitchell in The Queen Victoria, after Joel's daughter Hannah Reynolds returns flowers that Ronnie left on Joel and Stephanie's grave, accusing Ronnie of causing their deaths, following the affair she had with Joel several years earlier. Ronnie hands Tim a cheque for £5,000 to help look after Hannah and her sisters, Molly Reynolds and Annabelle Reynolds, but Hannah tears it up, calling it "blood money". Tim thanks Ronnie for the gesture before leaving.
Tim later returns, saying he has something for Ronnie from Joel and her daughter Danielle Jones, who also died several years previously. He shows her some photos and a locket belonging to Danielle, upsetting Ronnie. He apologises, and when she says he needs to grieve his brother, he says she is the only person who understands and tries to kiss her, but she pulls away. Tim returns to Ronnie's house when Hannah goes missing before she is due in court, but Ronnie has not seen her. Hannah is found and thanks to Ronnie attending court, the case is dropped. Tim asks Hannah to apologise to Ronnie but she insists she has not sent Ronnie the death threats she received.
Baker said of his role: "It is an honour to join the hugely talented cast and production team of Britain's favourite soap" and added that he was "thrilled" to follow in the footsteps of other comedians who had appeared in EastEnders, including Mike Reid, Ricky Grover, Josie Lawrence, Terry Alderton and Richard Blackwood. Following his first appearance, Baker confirmed on his Twitter account that Tim would make further appearances over the next few months. Digital Spy said, "there is something a little unnerving about ", called him "Tim Nice-But-Dim", said his interest in Ronnie is "weird", adding that Ronnie should not trust him.
Thelma Bragg
Thelma Bragg, played by Lorraine Stanley, appears in eight episodes between 8 February and 27 April 2016.Thelma is a pub landlady who comes to The Queen Victoria when they host an event for "East London Lady Publicans". Thelma is already drunk, and flirts with Kush Kazemi. She offers Nancy Carter a job as assistant manager at her pub, the Rat and Ferret, and then leaves with her daughter, Linzi Bragg. After Nancy has a trial at Thelma's pub, Whitney Dean contacts Thelma and gets her boyfriend and Nancy's brother Lee Carter a trial as well. Thelma is impressed by his good looks and agrees to offer him the job. Thelma later collects Linzi from school after Linzi gets into a fight with Louise Mitchell and is angry with her.
Linzi's friend Bex Fowler tells Thelma that Linzi is in a relationship with an older man, so Thelma goes to The Queen Victoria, demanding to know who it is, as Linzi is 14. Bex says it is Jay Brown. Thelma confronts Jay as Linzi runs out, and everyone tells Thelma to go after her. Linzi accuses Thelma of being jealous, saying Jay has done nothing wrong, but Thelma calls the police and Jay is arrested. Thelma attends court when Jay pleads guilty and is sentenced to 150 hours of unpaid work and must sign the Sex Offender Register for five years. Afterwards, Thelma collects Linzi and tells Sonia Fowler and Tina Carter what happened in court.
Ofcom received complaints after the scene where Thelma refers to Jay as a "ginger nonce". A viewer objected to Thelma's choice of words stating that it was a "discriminatory reference to hair colour."
The actress Lorraine Stanley went on to play Karen Taylor a year later, in a regular role.
Linzi Bragg
Star "Linzi" Bragg, played by Amy-Leigh Hickman, appears in 16 episodes between 8 February and 27 April 2016, and again from 17 March 2017 to 21 March 2017. The character is credited as Linzi in 2016 and Star in 2017.Jay Brown bumps into Linzi outside The Queen Victoria pub, and then follows her into the café. She tells him she is waiting to take someone home, and he buys her a milkshake. They exchange numbers before Linzi leaves with her mother, Thelma Bragg. A few days later, Jay and Linzi meet for a date, but Jay is unable to get them a table at a restaurant, so he decorates the garage where he works and they have a date there. They share a kiss but when she leaves abruptly, he assumes she does not want a second date. He is frustrated when she does not reply to his text messages. However, she later visits him at home where they are found kissing by Ben Mitchell and his girlfriend Abi Branning. Linzi suggests they all go on holiday to Ibiza in the summer. Linzi and Jay go to the car lot to be alone and Jay leaves Linzi alone whilst he goes out to get condoms. A drunken Phil Mitchell destroys the car lot with a digger and Jay fears Linzi is trapped, but is relieved to discover she was not inside when it happened. Jay tells Linzi that Louise Mitchell tried to kiss him so Linzi warns Louise to stay away from Jay.
Jay and Linzi plan a night in a hotel, and Linzi sends Jay a sexually explicit video and photos. When Jay collects Louise from school after she is in a fight, he is shocked that Louise was fighting with Linzi and she is a schoolgirl. Louise and Bex Fowler tell Jay that Linzi's real name is Star and she is 14. Jay later meets Star, and she begs him not to end their relationship, as he is the only person who has ever treated her well; even her mother was too drunk when she was born to give her a proper name and she was named by the punters at her pub. He tells her to forget everything that has happened and she says she understands but is upset. However, when Louise catches them talking, she insults Star and Jay tells her to leave him alone. Star seeks comfort from Bex, who tells Thelma about the relationship, and Thelma goes to The Queen Victoria demanding to know who has had sex with her underage daughter, and Bex says it was Jay. Star leaves in tears and later runs away from Thelma. Jay is arrested when Thelma calls the police.
Jay is interviewed by the police and the photos and video that Star sent him are found on his phone, though he had deleted them when he discovered her age. He pleads guilty, knowing that he has no defence against the photos being there and because he does not want to put Star through the ordeal of giving evidence in court and the photos being shown. Due to mitigating factors, Jay is given a non-custodial sentence of 150 hours of unpaid work and must sign the Sex Offender Register for five years. Star's brothers brutally attack Jay and he is shunned by some of his family and the wider community because he pleaded guilty; he is branded a paedophile. Louise angrily confronts Star over causing Jay's ordeal. Sonia Fowler takes Star to her house and looks after her whilst Jay's court appearance takes place. Sonia reassures Star who feels guilty over Jay's situation. Thelma comes to collect her afterwards and takes her home.
Following an incident when an explicit photo of Shakil Kazemi results in Bex being bullied by Madison Drake and Alexandra D'Costa, Star offers support to Bex. Bex and Star go to Ben's 21st birthday party but Jay insists she leaves. Star tells Jay that she still has feelings for him and went to the party so she could see him again, and tells Jay that Madison, who Jay has been talking to at the party, is 15 and he therefore knew what he was doing with Star and is now doing it again.
Of her casting, Hickman said, "Never in a million years did I think something like this would happen to me, it has literally changed my life. The hardest thing was keeping the secret. When I found out that I had the part I just wanted to shout it out and tell everyone, but it was made even harder because I was in Swansea performing in Jermin Productions' pantomime and I couldn't even tell my cast mates. It was extremely hard trying to explain to my friends why I was back and fore to London every week. I had to tell them I was auditioning for a different project. But I knew they would understand when they found out the real reason. Everyone was really happy for me, it's such a huge opportunity. I am loving every second of it, it's such an eye opener and learning curve." On 2 February 2016, it was revealed that Linzi would be a love interest for Jay Brown, with a show source saying, "As soon as they see each other, there's clearly a spark between them. They get on really well." It was speculated that Linzi would be linked to a storyline that had been previously announced for Jay, that was billed as one of the biggest storylines of 2016. The Metro said in April 2016 that "Jay and Linzi have cemented themselves as Walford's latest answer to Posh and Becks" but noticed that viewers had been speculating "that Linzi isn't as sweet and innocent as she seems."
JJ Johnson
Jamie "JJ" Johnson, played by Zayden Kareem, appears in 14 episodes between 11 February and 4 April 2016. He is the son of Jordan Johnson and [|Amelle Ellington]. Jordan's stepmother, Denise Fox, tracks Jordan down at the squat he is living in following a visit from the police, and Jordan says that Amelle is dead from a drug overdose. Denise brings Jordan and JJ to Albert Square. Denise's surrogate father Patrick Trueman struggles to bond with JJ, and Claudette Hubbard realises that Patrick is deliberately distancing himself from JJ because Patrick dislikes Jordan. Claudette convinces Patrick that JJ and Jordan are his family, so Patrick enjoys his time with JJ, and eventually, they are able to stay.When Jordan is arrested by the police over Lucas Johnson's plan to escape from prison, Patrick questions JJ's future and Denise insists she will take care of him. Denise is horrified with and against Patrick's suggestion of giving JJ up to social services, but Patrick calls them without Denise's knowledge. Denise is told by social worker Hilary Taylor that JJ's mother, Amelle, is alive. Amelle visits Denise and JJ, but he refuses to come out from under the table. Denise learns JJ is called Jamie and she talks to him, he says Jordan told him that Amelle left because she found him "hard work" and he is only hiding because he is scared of putting Amelle off him. Denise persuades him to see his mother, and when Hilary talks about increased contact, Denise decides JJ should live with Amelle.
Speaking of Kareem on This Morning, Parish said, "He's absolutely fantastic. It's quite hard to keep that concealed. Zayden's four, he's great. He gets right into it—he sort of has a little muck around and he says 'right, we're going to do it now' and he gets into the zone." Wade said of Jordan's relationship with JJ: "Jordan hasn't been able to be the kind of dad he wants to be, but at the same time he doesn't want to give JJ the same relationship Jordan has had with Lucas. The heart is there and he's trying to do the very best he can with what he's got."
Linford Short
Linford Short, played by Leon Lopez, is a foster son of Claudette Hubbard. The character is first mentioned in the show in the episode broadcast on 11 December 2015, and Lopez's casting in the role was announced on 14 January 2016, when it was said that he would appear in "a handful of scenes" that Lopez had already started filming. His first on-screen appearance is in the episode broadcast on 23 February 2016. He appears in seven episodes in total, with 5 May 2016 being his last. On joining EastEnders, Lopez said, "I'm so excited to be working on EastEnders and still can't believe it! It really is a dream come true." A show source said, "Leon is only in a few episodes of EastEnders and it's quite a small part, but everyone is really excited to have him on set."Linford arrives in Walford, telling Claudette he is there for the first birthday party of his foster brother Vincent Hubbard's daughter Pearl Fox-Hubbard, but then reveals that he and Vincent have entered Claudette into the Pride of Walford Awards for her fostering, and she is a finalist. He later returns to concrete Vincent's basement, unaware that Vincent has buried Claudette under the ground, believing her to be dead. When Linford tells Vincent that the ground was uneven and there was mud on the stairs when he laid the concrete, Vincent realises that Claudette escaped. Linford and Andy later park a digger in the Square during their renovation work, and when a drunken Phil Mitchell gets into it, they try to stop him but Phil destroys the car lot with it. Linford then helps rescue Phil's daughter Louise Mitchell from the wreckage and, with the help of Andy and another man, drags Phil from the digger. Jack Branning later hires Linford as a builder to help him convert a house he has bought into flats and he and Linford look over the property for him.
The following week, Jack draws up a contract for Linford and Andy and invites them to a karaoke night at the Queen Victoria Pub. Whilst Linford and Andy talk in the café, Linford reveals that he is attracted to Jack's partner, Ronnie Mitchell, and Andy teases him about it with Jack nearly overhearing. This is Linford's last appearance. Four months later, Claudette goes to stay with Linford to cope with her problems in Walford.
Andy Flynn
Andy Flynn, played by Jack Derges, appears in 35 episodes from 17 March to 8 August 2016.Andy is introduced as a friend of Linford Short who helps him with work on his foster brother Vincent Hubbard's basement. Vincent's wife Kim Fox-Hubbard flirts with him. Andy and Linford later park a digger in the Square during their renovation work, and when a drunken Phil Mitchell gets into it, Andy tries to stop him but Phil destroys the car lot with it. Andy then helps rescue Phil's daughter Louise Mitchell from the wreckage and, with the help of Linford and another man, drags Phil from the digger. Jack Branning later hires Andy as a builder to help him convert a house he has bought into flats and he and Linford look over the property for him. Andy also saves Hannah Reynolds from being hit by a car whilst she is holding Ronnie Mitchell's son Matthew Mitchell-Cotton in her arms.
The following week, Jack draws up a contract for Andy and Linford and invites them to a karaoke night at the Queen Victoria Pub. However, Andy does not arrive and Jack tells Ronnie he is dogsitting. When Martin Fowler asks Andy how much the flats will sell for, Andy says he would not be able to afford them. Jack tells Andy that Martin and his fiancée Stacey Branning are having money problems, so Andy helps Martin find work away from Walford. The next day, Andy invites himself into Stacey's home; her half-brother Kyle Slater wonders about his intentions, though Stacey seems not to mind.
Stacey soon realises that Andy is homeless when she sees him heading into the flats late at night. When Andy wolf-whistles at Stacey, Kyle is upset and later confronts Andy, saying it is the kind of behaviour that leads to rape. Kyle threatens violence against Andy, shaking the ladder he is on, but Stacey stops him. Later, in the pub, Andy and Jack call Kyle a feminist, so Kyle assumes Stacey has told them that he is transgender and angrily leaves. Andy realises that Kyle is transgender and tells Stacey he has no problem with it, and Stacey reveals she knows Andy is homeless, offering him the use of her shower. Martin sees Andy wearing only a towel in the flat when he speaks to Stacey on video chat, and when he returns, he tells Andy to shower elsewhere, but Andy says he knows that Martin was fired from his job and is lying to Stacey. Andy tells Stacey this, saying he assumed Martin would have told her. He babysits for Ronnie when her mother Glenda Mitchell arrives. Andy listens in on Glenda's telephone conversation with her son Danny Mitchell, and later reveals this conversation to Ronnie. Martin later asks Andy if he can do more building work, but Andy says he is not qualified, but says that Jack has had 40 toilets delivered in error and they can sell them on and split the profits. With the help of Kyle and Stacey, they are able to steal the toilets. However, they struggle to sell them and hear the police are investigating. Later, Andy looks at newspaper articles he has collected about Ronnie. Andy manages to get the keys to Ronnie's house where he looks on Ronnie's laptop; when she quizzes him about it he explains he is looking at care homes for his father.
When Stacey's cousin Belinda Peacock inadvertently tries to sell the stolen toilets back to Jack, Martin, Stacey, Kyle and Belinda return them to the flats, breaking in as they do so. Jack then installs CCTV, meaning Andy can no longer squat there. Stacey allows him to stay in their flat for a few days. Andy finds Kyle looking at his file of newspaper articles, including a photo of Andy and Ronnie's dead daughter, Danielle Jones, together. When Kyle asks who she is, Andy says she is his sister.
Andy flirts with Roxy Mitchell when he first meets her, and he asked her on a date but she punches him when he goes to kiss her; she admits to feeling imprisoned by her former boyfriend Dean Wicks's attempted rape, so he tells her she is free of him as he is in prison, and they kiss. Ronnie encourages Roxy to date Andy and she agrees. As she texts Andy, he is with his father, Andy Jones, also Danielle's adoptive father, and tells him he is getting closer to Ronnie.
Due to overcrowding at Stacey's flat, Andy decides to squat in Jack's new flats but Jack and Ronnie catch him using the shower. They let him move in with them, but after Ronnie sends Andy's things to the launderette, Dot Branning calls her having found a news cutting about Danielle in Andy's pocket. Ronnie realises it is Andy's so confronts him, but he claims he wanted to find out the truth about Ronnie after hearing gossip and felt a connection as his mother and sister also died; Ronnie asks Andy to move back out but he unplugs the phone and turns sinister, only to be interrupted by Jay Brown saying that Roxy's daughter Amy Mitchell is missing. Andy finds her, and apologises to Ronnie, saying he just wanted time to explain, and she allows him to stay. After finding a train ticket intending for Telford, which is where Danielle was from, Ronnie realises who Andy is. She confronts him about his true identity and being her stalker, and he angrily accuses her of causing Danielle's death. She explains that she was unaware of Danielle's true identity until shortly before her death; they talk about her fondly. Jack, who has been told Andy's true identity, finds them both and punches Andy. Roxy confronts Andy as she believes he had used her to get to Ronnie. Although he explains that he was genuinely interested in Roxy, she coldly tells him to leave, only for Ronnie to go after him as she believes he is still struggling to grieve for Danielle's death.
Ronnie and Andy have a heart-to-heart about Danielle, only for Andy to try to kiss Ronnie. He instantly regrets this and says he has messed things up and that he caused Danielle's death because he encouraged her to find her birth mother. Ronnie tells him to stop blaming himself as he has been doing. Andy suggests that he and Ronnie start making up for their lost years, but she tells him to leave, as they both need to move on from Danielle's death. Ronnie assures Andy she is always there for him and gives him Danielle's locket. Stacey sees Andy leaving and asks him why he did not tell her the truth. He says he was afraid that she would tell Ronnie and then thanks her for being a friend to him and Danielle, before leaving the Square.
Development and reception
The Metro called him "the 'fit' builder pal of Linford", saying that they initially thought he was "background filler" but since he had been given more lines and befriended Ronnie, they speculated that he could be Ronnie's stalker. Andy is revealed to be the stalker in the 6 May 2016 episode. Reasons were then speculated as to why Andy would stalk Ronnie, including that he is the secret son of Kat Moon, has connections to Carl White, Charlie Cotton or Fatboy, or that he is connected to Ronnie's daughter Danielle Jones.Andy confirms himself to be Danielle's brother in the 23 May 2016 episode, and he is shown to be the son of Danielle's adoptive father Andy Jones in the 6 June 2016 episode. Following this, it was speculated if Andy was in fact the same person as Gareth Jones, the previously known brother of Danielle, and it was said that Andy would "get more sinister" and there would be twists to the storyline. Sophie Dainty from Digital Spy called Andy "Enigmatic, intriguing and really quite creepy" and said viewers were "gripped with his mysterious intentions". She opined that she was enjoying his storyline but did not want Ronnie to come to harm or Roxy to be heartbroken, so hoped "Andy's game is rumbled sooner rather than later".
Andy's final appearance in EastEnders is on 8 August 2016 at the conclusion of the storyline he was created for.
Alison Slater
Alison Slater, played by Denise Welch, is the mother of transgender character Kyle Slater. She appeared in episode 5276, first broadcast on 3 May 2016.dyed her hair for the role of Alison Slater.
Alison arrives at the flat where Kyle lives with his half-sister Stacey Branning. Kyle is out and the meeting is awkward because Stacey's father Brian was in a bigamous marriage with Alison until his death. Alison insists she thought Brian was single when she met him and found out only four months after he died. Stacey and Alison agree to be civil for Kyle's sake, but when Stacey says Kyle has missed his mother, she says she came to see her daughter, Sarah. Kyle arrives with flowers for Alison, and she says he looks nothing like Sarah. She struggles with the meeting, insisting that she has only daughters and Sarah was beautiful. Kyle says he did not feel beautiful; he felt wrong but now he does not. Alison says something is wrong with Kyle; he says he was born in the wrong body. Alison refuses to accept it; she had only just come to terms with Sarah being a lesbian when he announced he was transgender. Alison says it is not normal, and Stacey fails to convince her to get to know Kyle, telling her not to take Brian's actions out on Kyle. Alison says she is unable to build a relationship with Kyle, though wishes she could. She wishes him a happy life, but says he is not Sarah. She takes Kyle's flowers, says she is glad he is not on his own, and leaves. Outside, she cries.
Welch's casting was announced on 24 March 2016. She said of her role: "I'm thrilled to be part of such an iconic show. I have friends in the cast and can't wait to start. It's a short stint but such a powerful role and I'm thrilled to be taking it on." Speaking of Alison's reunion with her estranged son, Welch said, "I think he's hopeful Alison will return and open her arms to Kyle but it's just not as simple as that. I don't think Alison really knows what to expect. She knows what's happened and the choices Kyle has made, but when Alison last saw him, he was Sarah. I think she's very nervous about seeing him. This is a big deal for both of them." Although only appearing in one episode, Welsh said she would "never say never" to appearing again, and as long as Kyle is in the series, there will be an opportunity for Alison to be. Welch dyed her hair for the role, which was her own choice instead of a wig, because "it's a little bit of a different thing".
Shakil Kazemi
Shakil Kazemi, played by Shaheen Jafargholi, is the son of Carmel Kazemi and youngest brother of Kush Kazemi. A regular character, he made his first appearance in the episode broadcast on 4 May 2016. It was announced in April 2018 that Jafargholi would be departing the soap, with his character killed off in a teen gang culture stabbing storyline, which began on 21 May 2018. Shakil's final scenes aired on 25 May 2018.portrays Shakil Kazemi.
Shakil arrives in Walford to tell Carmel that her former husband, Umar Kazemi, wants to meet her. However, he does not arrive and Kush realises that Shakil is lying, so he admits to Carmel that he made it up to try to reunite his parents. Carmel shouts at him to leave, but Shakil reveals he is no longer welcome at home so Carmel allows him to stay, saying he should enrol in Walford High School. He is against this until he sees his potential schoolmates, Louise Mitchell and Bex Fowler. Bex is annoyed when Louise flirts with Shakil, and at Martin and Stacey Fowler's wedding reception, Shakil kisses Bex, witnessed by a jealous Louise. Louise tells Bex she does not mind that she kissed Shakil, but then tells Shakil that Bex has anger problems. When Shakil kisses Bex on the cheek, Louise convinces her to "treat him mean, keep him keen", so he is confused when Bex declines his offer of a drink. Shakil thinks Bex is no longer interested so she cancels lunch with Martin to see him; when Martin finds them together, Bex is happy when Shakil calls her his girlfriend.
Shakil is eventually invited to have lunch with Bex, Sonia, and Martin, but tension rises between him and Martin during a game of charades where Shakil insults Martin and makes a sexual comment about his wife Stacey. While Sonia remains frustrated at Martin's hostile behaviour, she also disciplines Shakil for his rudeness, and the two eventually make up. Shakil later tells Bex that he wants to lose his virginity with her before his 16th birthday, which worries Bex and she admits she is not ready to have sex. Shakil and Bex finally have sex in December, but Shakil ends his relationship with Bex shortly after because their communication breaks down and he assumes she is no longer interested, leaving her devastated. In January 2017, Shakil is travelling on a bus with Denise Fox, Bex, Louise and new friend Keegan Baker back to Walford. The bus driver suffers a heart attack and crashes into the market and viaduct leaving many of the residents in danger. Shakil helps Bex and Louise out of the bus and Louise tells Bex that Shakil has saved her life. Shakil and Bex make amemds but decide to stay as friends. When Madison Drake and Alexandra D'Costa bully Bex during the showcase, Shakil exposes it through the soundboard. Shakil's feelings for Bex resurface but he finds out that she has feelings for their school teacher Gethin Pryce. As a result, Gethin resigns from his job and Louise tells Shakil everything. Bex ignores them out of embarrassment and humiliation. Shakil is further disappointed when Louise tells him that he is immature but this leads them to kiss. Bex catches them and Louise reassures her that she and Shakil have no feelings for each other. Shakil disapproves of Carmel's relationship with Max Branning, so chooses to stay with his father temporarily.
Shakil is told by a teacher that he has been invited to a music summer school because of his talent for creating electronic music, and though he initially refuses to attend, he later agrees to apply. He discovers Keegan has stolen a gang member's bicycle and insists he return it, showing Keegan images of him on social media with the bicycle, and telling him that the gang are looking for him. When Keegan is in the toilets, Shakil tries to secretly return the bicycle. Keegan realises he has gone and sees the gang, one of whom stabs him in the neck in an alleyway, Shakil emerges, and has been stabbed in the back. Shakil tries to find help whilst wounded, but eventually collapses into a bush in Square gardens whilst Keegan is rushed to hospital by Mick Carter. Shakil is later found and also taken to hospital in critical condition. Despite efforts to rescue him, he is later pronounced dead after hospital staff are unable to resuscitate him, devastating Kush and Carmel.
It was reported that Shakil arrives in Walford to try and reunite his divorced parents, but soon finds a romance of his own. Of his casting, Jafargholi said, "I'm so excited to be joining the show. I've been a fan since I was a little kid so to now be a part of something so iconic is an honour. I'm also really excited to be working with a legend such as Bonnie Langford. I'm having so much fun playing her son and can't wait for people to finally meet Shaki."
In March 2018, it was announced that Keegan and Shakil would be involved in a "hard hitting" knife crime storyline that "will place the Kazemis and Taylors at the heart of the show" following Keegan and Shakil being attacked in "tragic scenes" that sees their lives turned "upside down." The storyline will explore the "wide-reaching ramifications of knife crime for those for all those involved." For the storyline, the show is working alongside the Ben Kinsella Trust, which was founded by former EastEnders actress Brooke Kinsella, who played Kelly Taylor from 2001 to 2004, after her brother was stabbed to death. Kinsella said that she "commend" EastEnders for choosing to "portray the realities of knife crime" and with it still rising, "people understand its lasting impact" as "It simply destroys lives forever." Executive consultant John Yorke added that "the brutal reality" of knife crime was "brought home" to everyone at EastEnders through the murder of Kinsella's brother. He described knife crime still as "prevalent today" and the show has "a long tradition of tackling serious public issues" and described the knife crime storyline as "the most important the show has ever embarked on", calling the episodes "powerful, heart-breaking and dramatic" as well as hoping the make "it clear that knife crime destroys the lives of everyone it touches." Shakil's death was nominated for "Most devastating Soap Death" at the 2018 Digital Spy Reader Awards; it came in third place with 17.1% of the total votes.
Neville Peacock
Neville Peacock is played by Gary Webster and appears in three episodes from 9 to 12 May 2016 and another on 14 June 2016.Neville is first seen when he arrives home with his wife Belinda Peacock one night. Belinda sees Mick Carter in their garden with his son Johnny Carter. They are returning Neville and Belinda's koi carp that Mick's father Buster Briggs had stolen. The next day, Belinda invites Mick and his wife Linda Carter back to their house for dinner. Mick and Linda arrive as Belinda and Neville are arguing. Neville reveals to Mick that Belinda has a crush on him and invites him into the hot tub. After joining Neville in the hot tub, Mick feels uncomfortable when Neville reveals he is naked and suggests they wife swap. Mick declines but Neville threatens Mick with CCTV footage of him and Johnny.
Mick goes back to the house and tells Linda. They tell Neville and Belinda, both in the hot tub, that they need to leave, so Neville repeats his threat. Linda calls Neville "sick", saying he wants control over women and his relationship lacks real intimacy. Mick and Linda leave, but Belinda gets into their car and says she wants to leave Neville. They return to Mick and Linda's home in The Queen Victoria pub, where Neville arrives. Belinda tells him she is leaving him so he blames Linda for putting ideas in Belinda's head. He offers to take her on holiday but she says he never makes her feel beautiful, they never speak and she has to start arguments to get his attention, so she does not feel loved. Mick and Linda tell Neville to leave, so Neville insults Belinda's looks, but says he took his wedding vows seriously so she should come home. Mick punches Neville and ejects him from the room.
When Belinda receives a letter saying Neville has filed for divorce, she meets him with Mick in the café. She asks him for half the value of their house, but he says they should take out of the marriage what they put in and he is the one who paid the mortgage. He also says he has nothing to give her as he still has mortgage debt to pay. Mick says this is probably a lie and Neville probably has a dodgy accountant covering up his true worth. Mick says he would tell a court about Neville's penchant for swinging and his clients would find out, so Neville agrees to giving Belinda £50,000 or going to court. She agrees and when Neville leaves, she tells Mick she can get more.
Neville is described as "successful, middle-class businessman". The BBC said of the character, "Neville has always seen himself and his wife as a cut above the rest of the Slater clan believing them to be a picture of respectability. But what really goes on behind closed doors in this couple's prim and suburban relationship? Belinda is a Slater after all, so it can't all be white picket fences..." Webster, who previously played Graham Clark in EastEnders from 1987 to 1988, said of his role: "Filming these scenes was a lot of fun and it was great to work with Carli, and some other Walford residents who I can't reveal just yet! But I will say viewers won't want to miss it." Webster was seen filming on-location in April 2016 with Bright and Dyer. Inside Soap called Neville Belinda's "scumbag husband" and a "cruel swinger".
Jenny Rawlinson
Jenny Rawlinson, played by Amy Marston, appears in two episodes on 11 and 12 July 2016. She is Paul Coker's mother, and it was reported that she would cause tension for Paul's paternal grandparents, Pam Coker and Les Coker and that Paul may not know who she is.Jenny arrives in Walford and watches Pam, Paul and Les arrive after Les is discharged from hospital following a heart attack. Later, she watches Paul in The Queen Victoria pub, and later still, she visits Pam at her home, saying she is there about her son, Paul. Pam immediately ejects her from the house and tells her never to come back, slamming the door on her. The next day, she visits Paul who is working at Pam's flower stall and immediately cries, but says it is because her friend has just come out of hospital. Paul says his grandfather has as well, so Jenny asks about his family and she is shocked to discover Paul's father, Laurie, is dead and that Pam has told him his mother never wanted him. She purchases flowers from Paul and takes them to Pam for Les. Pam says she is not welcome, but Jenny says she has changed her life and no longer wants people to control her life, including Pam. She begs Pam to let her see Paul and gives Pam her telephone number. Pam then realises that Jenny has spoken to Paul already, and when Les comes in, Pam tells Jenny to take her flowers and leave, as Paul does not need her. Les then suffers a small chest pain and Pam blames Jenny for causing stress. Jenny insists she would never mean to harm Les as he was always kind to her. Paul then arrives and demands to know who Jenny is, and assumes she is the person who has been blackmailing Les and Pam over Les's cross-dressing, though he is wrong. Paul angrily tells her to leave, threatening to call the police, but after Jenny leaves, Pam worries she will still return. Paul is later killed in a homophobic attack, never knowing that Jenny is his mother, and Jenny does not attend his funeral.
Simon Atmore
Simon Atmore, played by Tom Palmer, appears in six episodes between 25 July and 7 October 2016.Simon is first seen greeting a friend who was arrested on suspicion of Paul Coker's murder, outside the police station after the suspect attends a police identification line-up. Paul's boyfriend Ben Mitchell, who has failed to identify the suspect in the line-up, recognises Simon as one of Paul's attackers, so Johnny Carter photographs his car's number plate as he drives away. Ben and Jay Brown use this to find an address and vow to take revenge, but are unsuccessful. Jay discovers that Simon works as an estate agent in Shoreditch and Ben reveals that it was Simon who instigated the attack. Simon later comes to Albert Square, looking for Ben and asks Ben's half-sister Louise Mitchell of his whereabouts but she denies seeing him. Simon sees Ben and Jay and makes a phone call, telling the person he is speaking to that he had found them.
Simon returns with the rest of the gang who killed Paul, [|Frankie Byrne], [|Neil Crossley] and Tom Eden and they kidnap Ben and Jay and lock Ben's father Phil Mitchell under the stairs in his house. Simon and Frankie search the rest of the Mitchell's house, but they do not find Louise and she and Ben's cousin Courtney Mitchell as they are hiding in a wardrobe. Simon and his gang drive Ben and Jay in their van to an industrial estate. Jay tricks Simon into opening the van doors by claiming that Ben has collapsed. They attempt to escape with Ben shoving Simon but Simon grabs Jay by the ankle and they easily overpower him and Ben. Simon offers to let Ben and Jay go if Ben agrees to stay quiet about what he saw on the night of Paul's death but Ben defiantly refuses and calls him a coward, telling him that he make sure the gang will all go to prison for what they did to Paul. Simon arms himself with a metal pole and threatens to kill Ben, telling the other gang members to take Ben to an empty warehouse for him to do so. Before they can do this, Ben's uncle Grant Mitchell and cousin Mark Fowler arrive in an attempt to rescue them and Simon and the gang flee the scene.
After being arrested following the abduction attempt, Simon attends a bail hearing in court. The judge denies bail to Simon and orders him to be remanded in custody to await trial. Simon protests his innocence, angering Paul's grandfather Les Coker who calls him a liar. After Paul's grandmother Pam Coker has a meeting with Simon's mother [|Diane Atmore], Diane asks Simon to plead guilty and he does so, pleading guilty to Paul's murder and kidnapping Ben and Jay. It is later revealed that Simon has been sentenced to a minimum term of 30 years in prison.
Jack Rattenbury of the Daily Star described Simon as an "openly racist thug". Laura-Jane Tyler from Inside Soap called Simon and his friends "very dangerous people", "bad guys", "wicked men", "evildoers", "merciless human beings", "violent brutes" and "villains", and said Simon showed no remorse for his "unspeakable actions", calling it a "horrendous hate crime".
Mark Fowler
Mark Fowler, played by Ned Porteous, is the son of Grant Mitchell and Michelle Fowler. He appears in 13 episodes between 11 August and 9 September 2016.Mark is born off screen in 1996 after his parents have a one-night stand. Michelle only tells her brother, Mark Fowler, who the father is, before emigrating to the US. Michelle is unable to attend the funeral of her father, Arthur Fowler, when she gives birth to Mark. In 2016, Phil Mitchell contacts Mark after finding a letter in his wife's Sharon Mitchell's bag, who is Michelle's best friend, from Michelle addressed to his and Grant's mother Peggy Mitchell, who has since died, about Mark. Sharon and Martin Fowler, Mark's uncle, worry about Grant learning the truth and convince Phil not to tell him, and Michelle has told Mark that Phil is lying because he is an alcoholic who hates her. However, Mark arrives at Martin's flat. Mark goes to see Phil and asks if what he said about Tim not being his real father is true, but Phil has agreed with Sharon to not reveal the truth, so he denies even speaking to Mark. Mark decides to stay in Walford to get to know his family.
Mark is quick to join the market with Phil's ex-wife Kathy Sullivan, who is the aunt of Michelle, Mark and Martin, and makes fast friends with Shakil Kazemi, whom seems envious of Mark's popularity with women. Mark takes a liking to Courtney Mitchell, not knowing she's his half-sister, and both admit that they like each other. Their cousin Louise Mitchell tells Sharon about them, prompting her and Michelle's cousin, Ian Beale, to find them. Sharon, Ian and Phil find out nothing happened between Mark and Courtney, but Sharon and Ian book him tickets to return home. Mark explains that he feels at home in Walford and feels a connection with Courtney. When Courtney is a victim of a break-in, Mark comforts her, but is then confronted by Grant who assumes Mark is attacking her. Grant learns that Mark is Michelle's son and shares passing comments of his dislike of her; Mark shares that the feeling is mutual.
When Ben Mitchell and Jay Brown are kidnapped by Paul Coker's killers, Mark and Grant go to find them and they bring Ben back, but leave Jay behind. Phil tells Grant that Mark is his son. Grant stops Mark and Courtney kissing but agrees that Mark is better off not knowing the truth, however, Jane Beale encourages Grant to tell Mark, as Mark can then make up his own mind, so Grant invites Mark to join him for a drink and a chat. Grant talks to Mark about Michelle and Tim, and Mark says he would not want a different father despite their differences, so Grant decides not to tell Mark the truth. As Mark is about to leave, he tells Sharon he worked out that Grant is his father and Sharon confirms it. However, she urges Mark not to ruin his life by getting involved with Grant. Mark then leaves to return to his mother and Tim in the United States.
When Michelle returns to Walford later in the year, she tells Sharon that Mark has a girlfriend and has moved out. However he is not speaking to Michelle because she has broken the law in Florida for having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student Preston Cooper. A year and a half later, Michelle leaves Walford and goes to visit Mark and Vicki to reconnect with them.
Of his casting, Porteous said, "Being part of two iconic families and the longest kept secret in EastEnders history is beyond exciting! I'm honoured to be here and can't wait for viewers to properly meet Mark Jr".
Frankie Byrne, Neil Crossley and Tom Eden
Frankie Byrne, played by Leon Tennant, Neil Crossley, played by Chris Waller, and Tom Eden, played by Tom Holloway, each appear in four episodes between 5 September and 7 October 2016.Frankie, Neil and Tom are members of the gang who attacked Ben Mitchell and killed his boyfriend Paul Coker in a homophobic assault. Along with the other gang member, Simon Atmore, they kidnap Ben and Jay Brown. Off screen, Frankie enters their house with Simon and they attack Ben's father Phil Mitchell when he attempts to help them, locking him under the stairs. They then search the rest of the house. They do not find Ben's half-sister Louise Mitchell and cousin Courtney Mitchell as they are hiding in a wardrobe. As they flee the scene in their van, Frankie asks Simon why they had to hurt Phil and kidnap Jay as well as they had only been intending to abduct Ben, and asks what they intend to do next as a result. He also worries that they have been seen leaving. The gang drive Ben and Jay to an industrial estate, and Frankie speculates whether Jay is Ben's new boyfriend.
When Jay bangs on the inside of the van, Frankie worries that something has gone wrong. Jay claims that Ben has collapsed so the gang open the van doors, and Ben and Jay attempt to escape. Jay punches Frankie but Tom tackles Ben, injuring his shoulder and they are easily overpowered. Ben begs them to let Jay go as their argument is with him but Tom and Neil put Jay back in the van. Frankie stops Simon from attacking Ben after he taunts Simon. Frankie is shocked when Simon suggests killing Ben, claiming that he thought they were only going to scare him into keeping quiet. Frankie is reluctant to go through with it and insists that Paul's death was an accident, but Simon tells him a judge would not see it that way. Phil's brother Grant and his son Mark Fowler then arrive in a rescue attempt and the gang flee the scene. After being arrested off-screen following the abduction attempt, the gang appear at a bail hearing in court. The judge denies bail to Frankie, Tom and Neil and orders them to be remanded in custody to await trial. Frankie, Tom and Neil plead guilty to all the charges against them, for Paul's murder and kidnapping Ben and Jay. Frankie, Neil, Tom and Simon are then later sentenced each to a minimum term of 30 years in prison, off screen.
Jack Rattenbury of the Daily Star described them as "openly racist thugs". Laura-Jane Tyler from Inside Soap called them "very dangerous people", "bad guys", "wicked men", "evildoers", "merciless human beings", "violent brutes" and "villains", who committed a "horrendous hate crime".
Geraldine Clough
Geraldine Clough, played by Gwyneth Strong, first appears on 16 September 2016.Geraldine is the leader of a female darts team from The Feathers pub who go to The Queen Victoria pub for a tournament against The Vic's team led by landlady Linda Carter. Geraldine goads Linda before the game starts. Geraldine refuses to allow Linda's husband Mick Carter to referee the match and suggests allowing the next customer to come into the pub to be the referee. Geraldine sends a text message on her mobile phone and a man enters the pub and is chosen to be referee and Geraldine winks at him, indicating that the match is rigged and she is cheating. Linda throws the last dart and The Vic's team loses the game. Geraldine is smug and leaves with her team and it is only afterwards that Linda, Whitney Dean and Babe Smith discover that The Feathers' team cheated.
When Kathy Sullivan and Abi Branning go to audition for the Walford Christmas show, Geraldine is in charge of the auditions and tells them that there will be a talent show instead of a nativity play. Kathy is angered by this and Geraldine asks her to leave. The next day, Kathy and Geraldine meet in the café and Geraldine reveals that after Kathy left, all the other auditionees agreed with Kathy and that the Christmas show would instead be a production of A Christmas Carol, and Geraldine puts Kathy in charge of directing it. However, when Belinda Peacock sees how upset Geraldine is, Kathy is forced to let Geraldine continue as director. Geraldine also reveals that her former husband insisted he never wanted children and waited until Geraldine was too old to have any, then left her for a barmaid and got her pregnant, leaving Geraldine childless. Geraldine later gives Kathy a copy of the script she has written for the Christmas play. Kathy is unimpressed but Geraldine ignores her concerns. She also refuses to let Kathy and Abi work backstage, instead forcing them to audition for parts.
During Kathy's audition, Geraldine spends all her time watching [|Keith Howard] and does not pay attention to Kathy or to Patrick Trueman when he also auditions. When Kathy realises Geraldine is attracted to Keith, she calls her "a sad old cow", which Geraldine does not hear. Kathy then calls Geraldine "desperate" to her face and when Kathy once more criticises her script, Geraldine throws her out. Geraldine eventually offers the part of Scrooge to Keith, praising his performance in rehearsals, despite the rest of the cast believing that he cannot act. Patrick is angry that Geraldine cut his line from the script and she challenges the cast to leave if they do not like her work. Kathy angrily accuses Geraldine of sacking people when the event is meant to be for charity, and Geraldine reveals that the money made from the show will no longer be going to a children's charity, infuriating Kathy even more. After another poor rehearsal, Kathy confronts Geraldine over her directing methods and Geraldine is angered by this and demands that the cast choose between her and Kathy. The cast side with Kathy and a furious Geraldine leaves in tears.
Niomi Harris of OK! described Geraldine as "the tough-talking, hard-nosed rival darts leader that rubs landlady Linda up the wrong way."
Moose
Wayne "Moose" Parker, played by Sam Gittins, appears in three episodes between 14 October and 4 November 2016, one on 20 March 2017, and more in November 2017. Moose is an old army friend of Lee Carter, who arrives at The Queen Victoria pub for Lee's stag party. He accidentally sprays Lee's fiancée Whitney Dean with a fire extinguisher, and later flirts with her, calling Lee a loser and implying to Whitney that he has a large penis because a moose is "bigger than a donkey". When Lee is offered a job, Moose says he will plan a celebration. Moose returns for Lee's second stag party and arranges for the stags to go paintballing and hires a stripper for Lee. Moose later attends the wedding along with [|Beanbag], wearing his ceremonial army uniform for the occasion. Moose and Beanbag cover Lee in golden syrup and feathers before the wedding, and Moose later assures Lee that Whitney loves him. After Lee and Whitney's relationship breaks down and Lee leaves Walford, Moose returns to collect Lee's belongings from The Queen Vic, angering Whitney and Lee's father Mick Carter in the process. He talks to Whitney about Lee's new life in Dover, and Whitney works out that he has met somebody else. He departs after giving Whitney his phone number, saying she can talk to him at any time. In May he returns and informs Whitney that Lee wants a divorce and that he has already spoken to a solicitor. Moose visits Whitney in Walford six months later. His arrival causes tension for Whitney's new boyfriend, Woody. When Moose makes a sarcastic comment about Whitney, Woody attacks him. The next day, Whitney confronts Moose and tells him she knows his real name is Wayne and makes fun of it. Finally getting the message that Whitney is not interested in him, Moose leaves Walford.Laura-Jane Tyler of Inside Soap called Moose "Lee's cheeky mate" and speculated that Whitney would cheat on Lee with Moose.
Dave
Dave is a stray cat taken in by Dot Branning, who first appears in October 2016, where he is seen sniffing around the bins in Albert Square.After a while, Dot sees the cat when she is putting rubbish into her bin and initially shoos him away. However, the cat starts meowing on her window sill. He enters Martin Fowler and Stacey Fowler's house where he licks their Christmas turkey, forcing them to throw it out. He then returns to Dot's doorstep, following her retirement party, so Dot takes the cat in. Thinking the stray cat she has taken in is a female, Dot names the cat Ethel after her friend Ethel Skinner. During a conversation with Patrick Trueman about her failing eyesight, he points out to Dot that Ethel is a male. Dot then decides that Ethel will be called Ethel's Little Willy after her friend's dog, Willy. However, she continues to call the cat Ethel and refer to him as female, and wonders if she should name him Ethel Esquire. Dot is persuaded by her step-grandchildren, Amy Mitchell and Ricky Mitchell, to rename the cat Dave after a pet Roxy Mitchell had as a child. Dave escapes from Dot's house, but is found and returned by Dot's stepson, Jack Branning. Dave escapes again and is found by Michelle Fowler in the launderette. He escapes again while Dot is in hospital and two of Dot's other step-grandchildren, Sonia Fowler and Robbie Jackson reveals to her husband Ted Murray that she believes Dave is their missing cat, Lucky.
Osman "Oz" Bolat
Osman "Oz" Bolat, played by Noah Maxwell-Clarke, first appears on 7 November 2016.Oz is a colleague of Lee Carter's at the call centre where Lee works. As Lee struggles with making sales, a confident Oz goads him, telling Lee that he had taken bets with their colleagues as to whether Lee would come back into work after previously calling in sick. Lee squares up to Oz when he makes a derogatory comment about Lee's wife Whitney Carter after seeing Lee's photo of her, causing their supervisor, [|Haroon Zaman] to intervene and break up the fight. The following day, Haroon asks Lee to work with Oz so he can gain some tips. Lee watches as Oz makes a successful sale. After work, as Lee and Oz are leaving, Whitney arrives to surprise Lee and sees Oz, then asks to meet Lee's employees, which amuses Oz when he realises that Lee has lied to Whitney about his job.
The following week, Oz answers a call from Whitney on Lee's mobile phone whilst Lee is making a sales call. Oz reveals that Whitney wanted to know if he had put a deposit on a flat they were looking for. Oz gloatingly tells Lee that he should have told Whitney that Lee could not afford a cardboard box. Oz is further amused when Lee asks Haroon for an advance on his wages and is turned down and continues to taunt him. Later, Oz presses the loudspeaker button on Lee's phone, revealing that he is talking to a recorded message, and laughs when Lee gets angry after losing out on another sale and rips off his headset. When Lee returns to work after calling in sick, Oz reveals that he knows Lee was lying about being ill and threatens to reveal it to Haroon, and Lee angrily shoves him. Lee later apologises to Oz, insisting it will not happen again. Oz menacingly agrees, revealing that he has cut part of Lee's jacket. The Queen Victoria pub, where Lee's family live and work, is robbed by three men armed with baseball bats, during which Lee's brother Johnny Carter is hit in the face, a necklace is taken from Lee's mother Linda Carter, the lead robber grabs Lee's 18-month-old brother Ollie Carter to stop Lee's father Mick Carter from attacking him before putting Ollie down and fleeing, and one of the robbers drops his wallet, which Lee picks up.
The following week it is revealed that Lee arranged for Oz and their colleagues [|Connor Parry] and [|Sid Yexley] to carry out the robbery, and it had been Oz who had taken the money and necklace and grabbed Ollie. Oz is angry at Connor for dropping his wallet and risking them being identified. Lee angrily confronts Oz, Connor and Sid, telling them his family are now terrified and he was not expecting them to be armed. Oz reminds Lee that he had planned the robbery and had no right to blame anybody else for what happened. Oz later explains that they will split the money and each get £1,255 but he refuses to give Lee his share, due to him being unable to get Whitney out of the pub as he had agreed, as she could have recognised Oz. The next day, Lee informs Oz that the police are searching the pub for fingerprints. Oz angrily tells Lee that if the police discover he was involved in the robbery, he will tell them of Lee's involvement. After two of the perpetrators are arrested for the robbery and implicate Lee, he is also arrested but is released without charge. Lee returns to work after Christmas and is shocked to see that Oz is at work as well. Oz visits the Vic, claiming to be a friend of Lee's. Mick tells Oz about the robbery, saying two people were arrested for it, and gives him a free drink. Lee angrily tells Oz to leave but he refuses, claiming that he knows that Lee will not tell the police about him due to fear of his family discovering the truth. He then demands alcohol from a surplus Mick had ordered for New Year's Eve and Lee reluctantly gives it to him.
The next day at work, Oz listens as Lee makes a sale to an elderly woman, and afterwards, he tells Lee that the woman would probably lose money due to having to leave her current energy contract and pay for a new one, and jokes that she might die from shock when she realises this. After Lee passes his probationary review, Oz catches Lee crying in a lift as he is leaving, and laughs at him. Oz attempts to take a photo of Lee on his mobile phone and calls him a "crybaby girl". Lee angrily shouts at Oz that at least he had a heart, friends, family and a wife, but Oz tells Lee he would not have any of them if they knew how spineless Lee is, claiming that he never expected Lee to steal from his family, and that Whitney would leave him when she meets a "real man". Lee eventually confesses his part in the robbery to Mick and also tells him of Oz's involvement and Mick demands Oz's address from Lee. Mick leaves the pub and returns later with blood on his knuckles, implying that he has beaten up Oz. The next day at work, Oz has a black eye and tells Lee that Mick hit him and that Lee is lucky to have a father who can fight his battles for him. Oz then suggests that they avoid each other from then on.
David Brown of Radio Times described Oz as a "slick call centre alpha male", a "loathsome figure", "conceited and complacent", a "bully boy" and "smug", and listed five reasons to hate the character.
Fred Cole
DC Fred Cole, played by Victor Gardener, appears in two episodes on 19 and 25 December 2016 and from 15 May 2017 onwardsHe is a police officer who visits The Queen Victoria pub. Landlady Linda Carter assumes he is from the council and thanks him for the Christmas tree in Albert Square, but he reveals his warrant card and tells Linda that he is investigating the theft of the tree from outside Walford town hall. Cole then questions Linda's husband Mick Carter over the theft, revealing that a man fitting his description was caught on CCTV taking part in the theft and shows him a video of him dancing after taking the tree. He asks Mick to dance, which Mick does, enabling Cole to positively identify him. He then tells Mick that if the tree is returned that night then no further action will be taken.
Cole visits The Queen Vic on Christmas Day, and arrests Lee Carter on suspicion of conspiracy to commit robbery. In May 2017, he arrests Jack Branning for assaulting Charlie Cotton. He questions Honey Mitchell as a witness and she asks him to go easy on Jack as he is still grieving for his wife Ronnie Branning.
John James Anisiobi of the Daily Mirror described DC Cole as "a silver haired handsome man with a knack for solving crimes".
Karen Beckworth
Karen Beckworth, played by Sally Rogers, appears in two episodes on 29 and 30 December 2016. She is a parking attendant, who sees Lee Carter losing his temper with a payment machine. Lee shouts at Karen, claiming that he will be sacked from his job if he is late due to the machine not working, which scares her. Lee is shocked by her reaction and apologises, assuring Karen that he would not hurt her. Karen then helps Lee to get a parking ticket from the machine and reassures him that everyone has bad days.Later that day Karen sees Lee standing at the edge of the car park roof, where he appears to be contemplating suicide. Karen attempts to talk him down and he tells her that does not know how to enjoy himself and does not feel like other people. Karen then asks Lee about his wife, Whitney Carter, after Lee ignores a telephone call from her on his mobile and Lee tells her that Whitney is now seeing his true nature. He tells Karen that his parents Mick and Linda Carter have a perfect relationship and that his brother Johnny Carter and sister Nancy Carter are doing well in their lives and that he cannot compete with them and that he has let his family down. Karen tells Lee that he is not a bad person and convinces him that he is loved and killing himself would not make his family feel any better, and that she knows what he is going through. As Lee climbs over the wall to jump, Karen assures him that he is not alone, begs him not to give up and convinces him to take her hand before he comes down from the edge, and she hugs him. Karen takes Lee to her office and makes him a cup of tea. She gives him a card from the Samaritans with a telephone helpline. After Lee leaves, Karen sits at her desk and cries in front of a photograph of a boy, implying that someone she knew had committed suicide.
Justin Harp from Digital Spy called Karen Lee's "guardian angel". Duncan Lindsay from the Metro praised the storyline, saying, "The performances in the exchange between Lee Carter and Karen Beckworth were highly charged", and "Sally Rogers, who first appeared as an apparently insignificant parking officer in the previous episode, also moved us incredible amounts as Karen stepped up for Lee and effectively saved his life, driven, it later transpired, by the tragedy of a young man in her own life." Lindsay added that the "scenes were difficult to watch", but said that "complemented heavily by strong writing, amazing support from the Samaritans and outstanding performances by Danny-Boy and Sally, EastEnders have got us all talking about an issue that seriously needs discussed." Shaun Kitchener from the Sunday Express called Karen's second episode "heartbreaking".