Ranveer Gulati
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''
EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, the ...
'' is a
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...
that first aired on 19 February 1985. The following is a list of characters that first appeared in 2022, in order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's senior executive producer,
Kate Oates Kate Oates (born 1979 or 1980) is a British television producer, who was born in Nottingham and graduated from Warwick University. She began her career working as a researcher and editorial assistant for Germaine Greer, before becoming a script ...
,
executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the production of media. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights or royalties). In film ...
,
Jon Sen Jon Sen (born 9 October 1978) is a British television and film director, writer and producer. After working as the executive producer of the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 2019 to 2022, Sen began working as the executive producer of the BBC ...
, or his successor, Chris Clenshaw. The first character to be introduced is Nina Gupta (Hersha Verity) in February, who was introduced as the new GP. Lewis Butler (Aidan O'Callaghan), a man that
Kathy Beale Kathy Beale (also Mitchell, Sullivan and Cotton) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Gillian Taylforth. Portrayed as "an attractive, bright, caring and highly moral woman", Kathy is one of the serial's ori ...
(
Gillian Taylforth Gillian Taylforth (born 14 August 1955) is an English actress. She is known for her role as Kathy Beale on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', as well as appearing as Jackie Pascoe on ITV's ''Footballers' Wives'' (2002–2006) and Sgt. Nikki W ...
) hires as the manager of her bar, was introduced in April, and
Omar Lye-Fook Omar Christopher Lye-Fook MBE (born 14 October 1968), known professionally as Omar, is an English singer, songwriter and actor. He grew up in Canterbury, Kent, and learned his craft classically, playing the trumpet, piano and percussion. He al ...
debuted in July as
Avery Baker ''EastEnders'' is a BBC soap opera that first aired on 19 February 1985. The following is a list of characters that first appeared in 2022, in order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's senior executive producer, Kat ...
, the brother of established character
Mitch Baker Mitch Baker may refer to: * Mitch Baker (Grand Theft Auto), fictional character from the video game ''Grand Theft Auto'' * Mitch Baker (''EastEnders''), fictional character in ''EastEnders'' See also * Mitchell Baker (born 1957), chairperson of ...
(
Roger Griffiths Roger Griffiths (born 6 February 1965) is an English actor who has had several roles in television. He first rose to prominence opposite Lenny Henry as Gareth Blackstock's foil Everton Stonehead in BBC One 1990s sitcom '' Chef!''. Before star ...
). He was followed by his sons, Finley (Ashley Byam) and Felix (
Matthew James Morrison Matthew James Morrison (born 22 June 1992) is an English actor. After joining the National Youth Theatre, he went on to appear in numerous short films. He co-starred in the film '' Boy Meets Boy'' (2021) and portrayed the role of Felix Baker ...
). Nina's stepson, Ravi Gulati (
Aaron Thiara Aaron Singh Thiara (born 4 May 1993) is a British actor. Thiara rose to prominence in 2022, for his portrayal of Ravi Gulati, in the British television soap opera ''EastEnders.'' For his portrayal of the role, he has received nominations at T ...
), was also introduced in July.
Suki Panesar Suki Panesar (also Kaur and Panesar-Unwin) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Balvinder Sopal. Sopal's casting and details about Suki were announced in December 2019, with the character making her first o ...
's (
Balvinder Sopal Balvinder Sopal (born 4 December 1978) is an English actress, whose acting career has spanned over two decades. She rose to prominence for her portrayal as Suki Panesar-Unwin in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' since January 2020. Sopal has al ...
) husband and the father of the Panesar children, Nish (
Navin Chowdhry Navin Chowdhry (born 22nd November 1971 ) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles in ''Teachers'' and '' A Touch of Cloth'', and his role as Nish Panesar in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (2022–2025). Early life Chowdhry is o ...
), made his debut in September and
Reiss Colwell ''EastEnders'' is a BBC soap opera that first aired on 19 February 1985. The following is a list of characters that first appeared in 2022, in order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's senior executive producer, Kat ...
(
Jonny Freeman Jonny Freeman is an English actor and comedian. He is best known for his role as Frank London in the children's CBBC TV series, ''M.I. High'' and as Reiss Colwell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. He has also starred in '' Dalziel & Pascoe'', ' ...
), a relative of
Dot Cotton Dorothy "Dot" Cotton (also Branning) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', portrayed by June Brown. In a special episode entitled ''EastEnders: Dot's Story'' (2003) a young Dot was played by Tallulah Pitt-Brown in f ...
(
June Brown June Muriel Brown (16 February 1927 – 3 April 2022) was an English actress and author. She was best known for her role as Dot Cotton on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (1985–1993; 1997–2020). In 2005, she won Best Actress at the Inside ...
) and a love interest for
Sonia Fowler Sonia Fowler (also Jackson) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Natalie Cassidy. Her first appearance was on and she departed on She returned briefly in 2010 along with other members of the Jackson fami ...
(
Natalie Cassidy Natalie Ann Cassidy (born 13 May 1983) is an English actress and television personality. She is known for her role as Sonia Fowler in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders.'' She has also appeared in the BBC Two sitcom-horror series '' Psychoville ...
) is introduced at the end of December. Additionally, multiple
other characters Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), ...
have appeared throughout the year.


Nina Gupta

Doctor Nina Gupta, played by Hersha Verity, made her first appearance on 10 February and departed on 9 November. She is a doctor who tends to
Kheerat Panesar Kheerat Panesar is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Jaz Deol. Kheerat was introduced alongside brothers Jags (Amar Adatia), and Vinny Panesar ( Shiv Jalota) in episode 6001, broadcast on 4 October 2019, with ...
(
Jaz Deol Jaskiranjit Singh Deol (born 12 March 1989) is a British actor known for portraying the role of Kheerat Panesar on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 2019 to 2022. Career Deol made his onscreen debut in the 2010 television film ''Casting ...
) when he suffers food poisoning after eating a sandwich that he bought from Stacey's Baps. She reappears when
Stacey Slater Stacey Slater (also Branning and Fowler) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Lacey Turner. She first appears in episode 2826, originally broadcast on 1 November 2004. The character is introduced as a feis ...
(
Lacey Turner Lacey Amelia Turner (born 28 March 1988) is an English actress. She gained prominence in the BBC One, BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' for her portrayal of Stacey Slater, a role she initially played between 2004 and 2010 before returning in 2014 an ...
) brings her mother
Jean Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * J ...
(
Gillian Wright Gillian Wright (born 7 December 1959) is an English actress, known for portraying the role of Jean Slater on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' since 2004, for which she has won numerous awards. She previously worked as a drama teacher and a th ...
) to a doctors appointment when she is convinced that Jean is having a manic episode. After
Suki Panesar Suki Panesar (also Kaur and Panesar-Unwin) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Balvinder Sopal. Sopal's casting and details about Suki were announced in December 2019, with the character making her first o ...
(
Balvinder Sopal Balvinder Sopal (born 4 December 1978) is an English actress, whose acting career has spanned over two decades. She rose to prominence for her portrayal as Suki Panesar-Unwin in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' since January 2020. Sopal has al ...
) buys a doctor's surgery, she hires Nina to run it alongside daughter Ash Panesar ( Gurlaine Kaur Garcha). Verity was keen to portray Nina since she liked her characterisation, specifically noting her "complete confidence, no fear of failure, goes after what she wants." Hinting at the future of her character, Verity told
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its initial launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television pro ...
: "There is a lot more to her that is slowly starting to unfold. She has a few wants and goals of her own that go far beyond the surgery. So I am excited for that to unfold!" She was also intrigued by Nina's connection to the Panesar family. She opined that Ash is a great character due to being emotional and reactive while also being feisty and speaking her mind. Verity hoped that Nina would form a long-term friendship with Ash. On being cast on the soap, she said: "There is nothing like this kind of experience, it's so iconic. Just a part of British culture, so it's exciting, but that can be quite nerve-wracking! When I was walking through the corridors and saw the pictures on the wall, I felt a real sense of history. It just felt like I was part of something very special. You are stepping into history. It is a really nice place to experience being an actor." Verity's father would not allow her to watch ''EastEnders'' as a child so she found it amusing to be cast on the soap. Walking onto the set for the first time was an exciting experience for her due to being early in her acting career; it led her to "just take a moment and eso grateful to have this experience".


Ranveer Gulati

Ranveer Gulati is the adoptive father of Ravi Gulati (
Aaron Thiara Aaron Singh Thiara (born 4 May 1993) is a British actor. Thiara rose to prominence in 2022, for his portrayal of Ravi Gulati, in the British television soap opera ''EastEnders.'' For his portrayal of the role, he has received nominations at T ...
) and husband of Nina Gupta (Hersha Verity) who first appears in Episode 6446 on 7 March. He was played by Anil Goutam. He is killed off by Ravi in Episode 6536, which aired on 10 August 2022. He makes further appearances after his character's death when his body was moved in Episode 6589, airing on 10 November 2022 and then three episodes on CCTV footage in Episode 6683 on 19 April 2023 and then in Episodes 6767 and 6768, airing between 13 and 14 September 2023. The first video appearance he was uncredited for. Ranveer was a family friend of the Panesars who has entrusts
Kheerat Panesar Kheerat Panesar is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Jaz Deol. Kheerat was introduced alongside brothers Jags (Amar Adatia), and Vinny Panesar ( Shiv Jalota) in episode 6001, broadcast on 4 October 2019, with ...
(
Jaz Deol Jaskiranjit Singh Deol (born 12 March 1989) is a British actor known for portraying the role of Kheerat Panesar on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 2019 to 2022. Career Deol made his onscreen debut in the 2010 television film ''Casting ...
) to build him a house in
Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
. He was married to Dr Nina Gupta, who ended up becoming Ravi's partner. When he attacks Kheerat's mother Suki (
Balvinder Sopal Balvinder Sopal (born 4 December 1978) is an English actress, whose acting career has spanned over two decades. She rose to prominence for her portrayal as Suki Panesar-Unwin in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' since January 2020. Sopal has al ...
) and tries to rape her in exchange for a business contract, she strikes him over the head with a clock. Ravi walks in and begins covering up the crime but Ranveer wakes up and begins attacking him. Ravi delivers the final blow to Ranveer's head, killing him, and later disposes of his body. Ranveer's body was found by a dog walker on 31 October 2022 and reported to the police, who then contact Ravi and Nina. When everyone else finds out, Kheerat accuses Ravi of killing Ranveer and threatens to go to police. Ravi tells him that Suki killed Kheerat. Kheerat later goes to prison, taking the blame for Ranveer's death. After Ravi moves in with
Chelsea Fox Chelsea Fox (also Atkins) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Tiana Benjamin from 2006 to 2010, and then Zaraah Abrahams from 2020 onwards. Benjamin was cast in the role and she left her role in the ''Harr ...
(
Zaraah Abrahams Zaraah Clover Abrahams (born 7 January 1987) is an English actress and voiceover artist. She is known for her roles as Magda in '' Girls in Love'' from 2003 to 2005, Michaela White in the BBC school-based drama series '' Waterloo Road'' from 200 ...
), her mother,
Denise Fox Denise Fox (also Wicks and Johnson) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Diane Parish. She made her first appearance on 11 May 2006 and temporarily left ''EastEnders'' in early 2008 to give birth to her se ...
(
Diane Parish Diane Carol Richards (born 6 November 1969), known professionally as Diane Parish, is an English actress, who has been portraying the character Denise Fox on the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' since 2006. A graduate of the Royal Academy of D ...
), is furious. Denise discovers the CCTV footage of Ravi killing Ranveer on his laptop. She then tells Chelsea, Suki and
Jack Branning DI Jack Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Scott Maslen. He made his first appearance on 29 October 2007. He is the youngest child of Jim ( John Bardon) and Reenie Branning (Joy Graham) and the ...
(
Scott Maslen Scott Alexander Maslen (born 25 June 1971) is an English actor and model, best known for his portrayal as DS Phil Hunter in the ITV police drama series ''The Bill'' and Jack Branning in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' since 2007. He also too ...
). It was later revealed that Ranveer also attempted to rape Ravi's ex-girlfriend Priya Nandra-Hart (
Sophie Khan Levy Sophie Shaheen Khan Levy (born 25 July 1989) is an English actress. Levy has appeared in Royal Shakespeare Company productions, such as ''Cymbeline'' (2013), ''Love's Labour's Lost'' (2014), ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (2015) and ''As You Lik ...
), and later paid her to abandon Ravi and their son Davinder "Nugget" Gulati (Juhaim Rasul Choudhury), threatening to have her killed if she ever returned. Unbeknownst to Ravi and Ranveer, Priya was pregnant by Ravi for a second time with Avani Nandra-Hart (Aaliyah James) when Ranveer threatened her to leave. It was also revealed that he raped his PA Priti, who had told Ravi about it.


Roland Highway

Roland Highway is the son of
Stuart Stuart may refer to: People *Stuart (name), a given name and surname (and list of people with the name) * Clan Stuart of Bute, a Scottish clan *House of Stuart, a royal house of Scotland and England Places Australia Generally *Stuart Highway, ...
(
Ricky Champ Ricky Champ (born 1 July 1980) is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Paul Parker in the BBC Three sitcom '' Him & Her'', and Stuart Highway in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Champ has also appeared in '' Crims'', ''Plebs'', and ...
) and Rainie Highway (
Tanya Franks Tanya Christine Franks (born 16 August 1967) is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Rainie Cross in the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders''. Career 1986–2006 Franks worked for 14 years in theatre both in the UK and abroad. Her ...
), born on-screen via surrogate
Bernadette Taylor ''EastEnders'' is a BBC soap opera that first aired on 19 February 1985. The following is a list of characters that first appeared in 2017, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive producer Sean O'Co ...
(
Clair Norris Clair Hayley Norris (born 30 December 1997) is a British actress from London, known for portraying the role of Bernadette Taylor on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' between 2017 and 2025. While on the series, she has also made appearances in s ...
) in episode 6460 first originally broadcast on 30 March 2022. The character left along with Stuart and Rainie in episode 6513, originally broadcast on 25 August 2022. Stuart and Rainie first look for a surrogate after given the idea that this may work and potentially create a future for the both of them – Bernadette hears this and offers to be their surrogate after her family are struggling financially. Bernadette's mother Karen Taylor (
Lorraine Stanley Lorraine Marie Stanley (born 28 June 1976) is a British actress from Portsmouth, England, known for playing Kelly in the 2006 film '' London to Brighton'' and Karen Taylor in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (2017–2024). Early life Lorraine ...
) and half-brother
Keegan Baker Keegan Baker (also Butcher-Baker) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Zack Morris. He first appeared in episode 5421, broadcast on 9 January 2017, transpiring to be a school friend of established character ...
( Zack Morris) are initially against the idea but are later convinced to accept the decision. Stuart and Rainie eventually accept Bernadette after much consideration but struggle to conceive anyhow: Bernadette is overweight and can not carry a pregnancy to full-term. Regardless of this, they still proceed with the
surrogacy Surrogacy is an arrangement whereby a woman gets pregnant and gives birth on behalf of another person or couple who will become the child's legal parents after birth. People pursue surrogacy for a variety of reasons such as infertility, danger ...
and are delighted when Bernadette finally is pregnant. Bernadette gives birth to Roland and initially decides to keep him; though eventually gives him to Rainie and Stuart after realising that she would never be Roland's true parent and he is loved by the two. Roland leaves Walford with Rainie after her marriage to Stuart breaks down, but they return and leave Walford with Stuart for a new life in North London.


Lewis Butler

Lewis Butler, played by Aidan O'Callaghan, made his first appearance on 11 April 2022. He was introduced as the new bar manager of the gay bar, the Prince Albert, after being hired by
Kathy Beale Kathy Beale (also Mitchell, Sullivan and Cotton) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Gillian Taylforth. Portrayed as "an attractive, bright, caring and highly moral woman", Kathy is one of the serial's ori ...
(
Gillian Taylforth Gillian Taylforth (born 14 August 1955) is an English actress. She is known for her role as Kathy Beale on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', as well as appearing as Jackie Pascoe on ITV's ''Footballers' Wives'' (2002–2006) and Sgt. Nikki W ...
). He chats up
Callum Highway Callum Highway (also known as Halfway) 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 fri ...
(
Tony Clay Tony David Clay (born 8 August 1991) is an English actor. He is known for playing Callum "Halfway" Highway in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' since 2018. Prior to his tenure on ''EastEnders'', Clay appeared in various stage productions and ha ...
), much to the annoyance of his husband Ben Mitchell (
Max Bowden Max Lewis Bowden (born 31 December 1994) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Justin Fitzgerald in the BBC One school-based drama series ''Waterloo Road (TV series), Waterloo Road'' (2014–2015), and his portrayal of Ben Mitch ...
). The character and O'Callaghan's casting was announced on 6 April 2022 and it was confirmed that Lewis would appear in a storyline involving Callum and Ben, when he approves of Callum's new LGBTQ+ campaign at work despite Ben's objections. Lewis and Ben go on a night out, but Lewis is faced with homophobic abuse. On 23 April 2022, it was announced that Lewis would be involved in a
male rape Some victims of rape or other sexual violence incidents are male. Historically, rape was thought to be, and defined as, a crime committed solely against females. This belief is still held in some parts of the world, but rape of males is now com ...
storyline in which the character rapes Ben. It was also revealed that ''EastEnders'' would be working with charities including Survivors UK, Survivors Manchester, and the Male Survivors Partnership to make sure that the storyline is covered as sensitively and accurately. It was confirmed on 17 August 2022 that O'Callaghan has left the soap with his final scenes airing that episode.


Avery Baker

Avery Baker, played by
Omar Lye-Fook Omar Christopher Lye-Fook MBE (born 14 October 1968), known professionally as Omar, is an English singer, songwriter and actor. He grew up in Canterbury, Kent, and learned his craft classically, playing the trumpet, piano and percussion. He al ...
, made his first appearance on 4 July 2022. Avery is the estranged brother of
Mitch Baker Mitch Baker may refer to: * Mitch Baker (Grand Theft Auto), fictional character from the video game ''Grand Theft Auto'' * Mitch Baker (''EastEnders''), fictional character in ''EastEnders'' See also * Mitchell Baker (born 1957), chairperson of ...
(
Roger Griffiths Roger Griffiths (born 6 February 1965) is an English actor who has had several roles in television. He first rose to prominence opposite Lenny Henry as Gareth Blackstock's foil Everton Stonehead in BBC One 1990s sitcom '' Chef!''. Before star ...
) and will arrive with his sons Felix (
Matthew James Morrison Matthew James Morrison (born 22 June 1992) is an English actor. After joining the National Youth Theatre, he went on to appear in numerous short films. He co-starred in the film '' Boy Meets Boy'' (2021) and portrayed the role of Felix Baker ...
) and
Finlay Finlay is a masculine given name, and also a surname. The given name is represented in Scottish Gaelic as Fionnlagh. Given name Finlay *Finlay Calder, Scottish rugby player * Finlay Christie (comedian), British comedian * Finlay Christie, Scottis ...
(Ashley Byam). Lye-Fook's casting and character were announced on 6 June 2022. Avery was described by
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its initial launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television pro ...
's Justin Harp as having "a much different personality than his humble and caring brother". Avery is revealed to have a tense relationship with Mitch and Harp teased that it would potentially problems for him. On joining ''EastEnders'', Lye-Fook said: "I've been watching ''EastEnders'' since I was at school so it's such a surreal experience to now be part of the show". He also added: "I'm having so much fun and it's an honour to be working alongside this incredible cast". Executive producer Chris Clenshaw added: "The Baker Family bring a fresh, fierce, fun and exciting energy to the Square. Felix and Finlay are two very different firecrackers and, yes, these brothers fall out, take the mick and challenge each other, but none of that compares to their unswerving love and loyalty they have for one another. They may be charming young men, full of sass, swagger and strength but these brothers are Bakers and, like their father, Avery, have their own unique way of surviving. Omar, Matthew and Ashley all bring star quality to ''EastEnders'' and we're excited to see them bring Avery, Felix and Finlay to life. The Baker family are the just the start of some new faces landing in Walford later this year – so watch this space…" Shortly after his introduction, his sons revealed to Mitch that Avery has terminal cancer; ''
Metro Metro may refer to: Geography * Metro City (Indonesia), a city in Indonesia * A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center Public transport * Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urban area with high ...
'' confirmed that the storyline would result in his death.


Ravi Gulati

Ravi Gulati, played by
Aaron Thiara Aaron Singh Thiara (born 4 May 1993) is a British actor. Thiara rose to prominence in 2022, for his portrayal of Ravi Gulati, in the British television soap opera ''EastEnders.'' For his portrayal of the role, he has received nominations at T ...
, made his first appearance on 4 July 2022. Ravi was introduced as a cellmate of
Phil Mitchell Phil Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Steve McFadden. He was introduced on 20 February 1990 and was followed by his brother, Grant ( Ross Kemp), sister, Sam ( Danniella Westbrook/ Kim Medca ...
(
Steve McFadden Steve Robert McFadden (né Reid; born 20 March 1959) is an English actor whose career has spanned three decades. He rose to prominence for his role as longstanding character Phil Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'', which he has ...
) and a former associate of
Kheerat Panesar Kheerat Panesar is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Jaz Deol. Kheerat was introduced alongside brothers Jags (Amar Adatia), and Vinny Panesar ( Shiv Jalota) in episode 6001, broadcast on 4 October 2019, with ...
(
Jaz Deol Jaskiranjit Singh Deol (born 12 March 1989) is a British actor known for portraying the role of Kheerat Panesar on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 2019 to 2022. Career Deol made his onscreen debut in the 2010 television film ''Casting ...
). Thiara's casting and character were also announced on the same day.


Finlay Baker

Finlay Baker, played by Ashley Byam, made his first appearance on 7 July 2022. Finlay is the adoptive son of
Avery Baker ''EastEnders'' is a BBC soap opera that first aired on 19 February 1985. The following is a list of characters that first appeared in 2022, in order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's senior executive producer, Kat ...
(
Omar Lye-Fook Omar Christopher Lye-Fook MBE (born 14 October 1968), known professionally as Omar, is an English singer, songwriter and actor. He grew up in Canterbury, Kent, and learned his craft classically, playing the trumpet, piano and percussion. He al ...
) and half-brother of Felix Baker (
Matthew James Morrison Matthew James Morrison (born 22 June 1992) is an English actor. After joining the National Youth Theatre, he went on to appear in numerous short films. He co-starred in the film '' Boy Meets Boy'' (2021) and portrayed the role of Felix Baker ...
). The character and Byam's casting was announced on 6 June 2022. On his casting on the soap, Byam said: "I'm very excited to be joining the Square. Like many people I grew up with ''EastEnders''; it was almost like an unspoken family tradition. My mum and I sat there together watching so many incredible and iconic storylines. So to now be joining this classic British TV drama is an honour, and I'm truly grateful. I can't wait for everyone to meet Finlay and see what lies ahead for him". Of Finlay, Harp (Digital Spy) said that Finlay will "discover his charm will only get him so far in the square" and described Finlay and Felix as "brothers who always have each other's backs in difficult times.


Felix Baker

Felix Baker, played by
Matthew James Morrison Matthew James Morrison (born 22 June 1992) is an English actor. After joining the National Youth Theatre, he went on to appear in numerous short films. He co-starred in the film '' Boy Meets Boy'' (2021) and portrayed the role of Felix Baker ...
, made his first appearance on 7 July 2022. He is the son of
Avery Baker ''EastEnders'' is a BBC soap opera that first aired on 19 February 1985. The following is a list of characters that first appeared in 2022, in order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's senior executive producer, Kat ...
(
Omar Lye-Fook Omar Christopher Lye-Fook MBE (born 14 October 1968), known professionally as Omar, is an English singer, songwriter and actor. He grew up in Canterbury, Kent, and learned his craft classically, playing the trumpet, piano and percussion. He al ...
) and the half-brother of
Finlay Baker Finlay Baker is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Ashley Byam. The character and casting was announced in June 2022 and he made his first appearance on 7 July 2022. Finlay and his brother Felix Baker (Matthew ...
(Ashley Byam). The character and Morrison's casting were announced on 6 June 2022 as a extension to the established Baker family. Felix is described as "quick with a witty retort" and will throw himself into life in Walford, but his quick-wit and frank honesty could get him into trouble. Of his relationship with his brother, the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
said that "despite being the complete opposite of each other, Felix and Finlay present a united front and always have each other's backs". Executive producer Chris Clenshaw said of the family: "The Baker Family bring a fresh, fierce, fun and exciting energy to the Square. Felix and Finlay are two very different firecrackers and, yes, these brothers fall out, take the mick and challenge each other, but none of that compares to their unswerving love and loyalty they have for one another. They may be charming young men, full of sass, swagger and strength but these brothers are Bakers and, like their father, Avery, have their own unique way of surviving. Omar, Matthew and Ashley all bring star quality to ''EastEnders'' and we're excited to see them bring Avery, Felix and Finlay to life. The Baker family are the just the start of some new faces landing in Walford later this year – so watch this space…" Of his casting, Morrison said, "It's an honour to be a part of such a legendary show that I grew up watching. It hasn't quite sunk in yet, and I don't think it ever will. I'm having a ball getting to grips with Felix and cannot wait for you all to meet him!" In June 2022, during
Pride Month Pride Month, sometimes specified as LGBTQ Pride Month, is a List of month-long observances, month-long observance dedicated to the celebration of LGBTQ pride, commemorating the contributions of lesbian, gay, Bisexuality, bisexual, transgender a ...
, it was revealed by the BBC that Felix is a
drag queen A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses Drag (entertainment), drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate Femininity, female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have ...
whose alias is "Tara Masu". Morrison felt privileged to showcase drag to ''EastEnders'' viewers, as well as representing the
LGBTQIA+ LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The group is ...
community, and he felt that it is "important for people to feel reflected on screen". Morrison had not done drag prior to the role and received mentoring from drag queen and contestant on the
first series First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...
of ''
RuPaul's Drag Race UK ''RuPaul's Drag Race UK'' is a British reality competition television series based on the American television series of the same name. The television series, a collaboration between the BBC and World of Wonder, premiered on 3 October 2019. T ...
'', Vinegar Strokes. The decision to write Felix as a drag queen received praise from Lucas Young, a drag queen who goes by the name of Ms Classpergers. They felt that it was a significant move from the soap and wished that they had that representation on-screen during their youth. On 14 March 2025, ''EastEnders'' announced that Felix had been axed from the serial by new executive producer Ben Wadey. A BBC spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that Matthew will be leaving ''EastEnders'' later in the year. We wish him all the best for the future." Upon this announcement, Divya Soni described Felix's character to be "groundbreaking".


Denzel Danes

Denzel Danes, played by
Jaden Ladega Jaden Luke Ladega (born 28 October 2005) is an English actor. He is known for his role of Denzel Danes in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' (2022–present). Early life Jaden Luke Ladega was born into a Roman Catholic family in Sutton, Gr ...
, is the son of established character, Howie Danes ( Delroy Atkinson) and makes his first appearance in episode 6531, originally broadcast on 2 August 2022. For his role as Denzel, Ladega was longlisted for "Best Young Performer" at the 2024 ''Inside Soap'' Awards. Denzel befriends Davinder "Nugget" Gulati ( Juhaim Rasul Choudhury), and they start bullying
Amy Mitchell The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders,'' which aired in 2008 (in order of first appearance). All characters were introduced by executive producer Diederick Santer, who introduced four cha ...
( Ellie Dadd) after Denzel takes a picture of Amy's legs and posts it all over social media. Amy's stepsister
Chelsea Fox Chelsea Fox (also Atkins) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Tiana Benjamin from 2006 to 2010, and then Zaraah Abrahams from 2020 onwards. Benjamin was cast in the role and she left her role in the ''Harr ...
(
Zaraah Abrahams Zaraah Clover Abrahams (born 7 January 1987) is an English actress and voiceover artist. She is known for her roles as Magda in '' Girls in Love'' from 2003 to 2005, Michaela White in the BBC school-based drama series '' Waterloo Road'' from 200 ...
) forces Denzel to delete the pictures. Denzel soon moves in with Howie and Chelsea's aunt
Kim Fox Kim Fox (also Fox-Hubbard) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Tameka Empson. She is the half-sister of Denise Fox (Diane Parish), and aunt to Chelsea Fox, Chelsea (Tiana Benjamin/Zaraah Abrahams) and Libby ...
(
Tameka Empson Tameka Lydia Empson (born 15 April 1977) is an English actress and comedian. She appeared as one of the three protagonists in the hidden-camera comedy sketch show ''3 Non-Blondes''. In 2009, she began portraying the role of Kim Fox in the BBC O ...
) whilst his mother decides to stay in
Ibiza Ibiza (; ; ; #Names and pronunciation, see below) or Iviza is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It is 150 kilometres (93 miles) from the city of Valencia. It is the third largest of th ...
. He soon begins a relationship with Amy much to the opposition of her father
Jack Branning DI Jack Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Scott Maslen. He made his first appearance on 29 October 2007. He is the youngest child of Jim ( John Bardon) and Reenie Branning (Joy Graham) and the ...
(
Scott Maslen Scott Alexander Maslen (born 25 June 1971) is an English actor and model, best known for his portrayal as DS Phil Hunter in the ITV police drama series ''The Bill'' and Jack Branning in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' since 2007. He also too ...
). In April 2023, Denzel and Kim are involved in a car accident when Kim crashes into the Argee Bhajee after being distracted by a text revealing her sister Denise's (
Diane Parish Diane Carol Richards (born 6 November 1969), known professionally as Diane Parish, is an English actress, who has been portraying the character Denise Fox on the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' since 2006. A graduate of the Royal Academy of D ...
) affair with Nugget's father Ravi Gulati (
Aaron Thiara Aaron Singh Thiara (born 4 May 1993) is a British actor. Thiara rose to prominence in 2022, for his portrayal of Ravi Gulati, in the British television soap opera ''EastEnders.'' For his portrayal of the role, he has received nominations at T ...
). In January 2024, Denzel is attacked by Walford High student
Logan Logan may refer to: Places * Mount Logan (disambiguation) Australia * Logan (Queensland electoral district), an electoral district in the Queensland Legislative Assembly * Logan, Victoria, small locality near St. Arnaud * Logan City, local gove ...
(Liam Hatch) and his friends, after Denzel stands up to him.
Yolande Trueman Yolande Trueman (also Duke) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Angela Wynter. She first appears in episode 2588, originally broadcast on 16 September 2003. The character is introduced as a love interest for ...
(
Angela Wynter Angela Wynter (born 14 July 1957) is a Jamaican-British actress. She is known for her role as Yolande Trueman in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (2003–2008, 2017, 2023–present). In 2021, she joined the cast of the BBC soap opera ''Doctors ...
) attempts to help Denzel but trips over and is videoed by everyone. Denzel is embarrassed and fights with Nugget after his sister, Avani Nandra-Hart ( Aaliyah James), teases him about the incident. Because of this, Denzel decides to take up boxing and is mentored by George Knight (
Colin Salmon Colin Roy Salmon (born 6 December 1961) is an English actor. He is known for playing Charles Robinson in three James Bond films and James "One" Shade in the ''Resident Evil'' film series. He has had roles on many television series such as ''D ...
). Denzel develops
muscle dysmorphia Muscle dysmorphia is a subtype of the obsessive mental disorder body dysmorphic disorder, but is often also grouped with eating disorders.Lee F Monaghan & Michael Atkinson, ''Challenging Myths of Masculinity: Understanding Physical Cultures'' (Su ...
and purchases
steroids A steroid is an organic compound with four fused rings (designated A, B, C, and D) arranged in a specific molecular configuration. Steroids have two principal biological functions: as important components of cell membranes that alter mem ...
. His confidence grows and he starts flirting with other girls, which strains his relationship with Amy. She also becomes jealous of his friendship with fitness influencer Ebony (Annika Whiston) who Denzel collaborates with to make fitness videos. Denzel starts using steroids with Nugget but Nugget overdoses and Denzel confesses to
Zack Hudson Zack Hudson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by James Farrar. He first appears in episode 6237, originally broadcast on 16 March 2021.The character and Farrar's casting details were announced on 31 January ...
( James Farrar). Ravi reports Denzel to the police, but he is later released with a caution. Denzel breaks up with Amy when Nugget lies that he and Amy kissed; however, Nugget reveals the truth and Denzel and Amy reconcile. Denzel supports Amy when she is crushed during a stampede at Peggy's wine bar.


Davinder "Nugget" Gulati

Davinder "Nugget" Gulati (also Panesar), played by Juhaim Rasul Choudhury, is the son of Ravi Gulati (
Aaron Thiara Aaron Singh Thiara (born 4 May 1993) is a British actor. Thiara rose to prominence in 2022, for his portrayal of Ravi Gulati, in the British television soap opera ''EastEnders.'' For his portrayal of the role, he has received nominations at T ...
) and Priya Nandra-Hart (
Sophie Khan Levy Sophie Shaheen Khan Levy (born 25 July 1989) is an English actress. Levy has appeared in Royal Shakespeare Company productions, such as ''Cymbeline'' (2013), ''Love's Labour's Lost'' (2014), ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (2015) and ''As You Lik ...
), as well as being the adoptive grandson of Ranveer Gulati (Anil Goutam), who befriends Denzel Danes (Jaden Ladega). He joins in with Denzel when he begins bullying
Amy Mitchell The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders,'' which aired in 2008 (in order of first appearance). All characters were introduced by executive producer Diederick Santer, who introduced four cha ...
( Ellie Dadd), and continues to do so when Denzel begins a relationship with her. In September 2023, it was announced by ''EastEnders'' that Nugget's mother and his secret sister would be introduced to the soap. After Ravi has
Kheerat Panesar Kheerat Panesar is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Jaz Deol. Kheerat was introduced alongside brothers Jags (Amar Adatia), and Vinny Panesar ( Shiv Jalota) in episode 6001, broadcast on 4 October 2019, with ...
( Jaz Singh Deol) attacked in prison,
Suki Panesar Suki Panesar (also Kaur and Panesar-Unwin) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Balvinder Sopal. Sopal's casting and details about Suki were announced in December 2019, with the character making her first o ...
(
Balvinder Sopal Balvinder Sopal (born 4 December 1978) is an English actress, whose acting career has spanned over two decades. She rose to prominence for her portrayal as Suki Panesar-Unwin in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' since January 2020. Sopal has al ...
) reveals the truth about Ravi killing his adoptive grandfather Ranveer (Anil Goutam). Nugget later goes missing and is reported to the police by the family, to which they search hours for until he calls Suki for money and to reveal that he's safe, unbeknownst that he is staying with his mother Priya Nandra-Hart (
Sophie Khan Levy Sophie Shaheen Khan Levy (born 25 July 1989) is an English actress. Levy has appeared in Royal Shakespeare Company productions, such as ''Cymbeline'' (2013), ''Love's Labour's Lost'' (2014), ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (2015) and ''As You Lik ...
) and sister
Avani Avani is a small village in Mulabaagilu taluk, Kolara district in Karnataka, India, about ten miles from Kolar Gold Fields. The village is located at 32 km from Kolara, the district centre and 13 km from Mulabaagilu, the Taluk headqu ...
(Aaliyah James). They later find Nugget and Priya introduces herself to the family and later reveals the true paternity of Avani, to which they eventually move in. Nugget later shows acceptance of Suki after she comes out as a lesbian and reveals her affair with
Eve Unwin ''EastEnders'' is a BBC soap opera that first aired on 19 February 1985. The following is a list of characters that first appeared in 2021, in order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive producer, Jon Sen. ...
(
Heather Peace Heather Mary Peace (born 16 June 1975) is an English actress, singer and LGBT rights activist. She is known for her roles as Eve Unwin in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' and Nikki Boston in the BBC school-based drama series '' Waterloo Road' ...
). Nugget becomes jealous of Denzel when his confidence and fitness improve due to taking
steroids A steroid is an organic compound with four fused rings (designated A, B, C, and D) arranged in a specific molecular configuration. Steroids have two principal biological functions: as important components of cell membranes that alter mem ...
. Struggling to keep up with workouts and boxing training, Nugget develops
muscle dysmorphia Muscle dysmorphia is a subtype of the obsessive mental disorder body dysmorphic disorder, but is often also grouped with eating disorders.Lee F Monaghan & Michael Atkinson, ''Challenging Myths of Masculinity: Understanding Physical Cultures'' (Su ...
and starts using steroids alongside Denzel. Feeling left out when Denzel deserts him to flirt with girls, Nugget tries to kiss Amy, who rebuffs him. Nugget then lies to Denzel, claiming Amy tried to kiss him, which ends Denzel and Amy's relationship. Nugget's steroid use leads to an overdose, during which he witnesses Priya and his grandfather
Nish Panesar Nish Panesar is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Navin Chowdhry. After being mentioned multiple times beforehand, Nish made his first appearance in episode 6565, broadcast on 29 September 2022. It was confirm ...
(
Navin Chowdhry Navin Chowdhry (born 22nd November 1971 ) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles in ''Teachers'' and '' A Touch of Cloth'', and his role as Nish Panesar in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (2022–2025). Early life Chowdhry is o ...
) kissing. Although Nugget recovers, his kidneys are not functioning properly, and he is told he might need
dialysis Dialysis may refer to: * Dialysis (chemistry), a process of separating molecules in solution **Electrodialysis, used to transport salt ions from one solution to another through an ion-exchange membrane under the influence of an applied electric po ...
. Upon informing Nish of his knowledge of him kissing Priya, Nish tricks the family into believing Priya took advantage of him, resulting in the Panesars disowning Priya; however, Nugget reconciles with his mother when she helps him recover his friendship with Denzel. Nugget becomes concerned for Suki's safety when she reconciles with Nish close to
Halloween Halloween, or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve), is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christianity, Western Christian f ...
2024, unaware that it is being done under duress after Nish discovered Suki's part in the murder of Keanu Taylor ( Danny Walters). When
Stacey Slater Stacey Slater (also Branning and Fowler) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Lacey Turner. She first appears in episode 2826, originally broadcast on 1 November 2004. The character is introduced as a feis ...
(
Lacey Turner Lacey Amelia Turner (born 28 March 1988) is an English actress. She gained prominence in the BBC One, BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' for her portrayal of Stacey Slater, a role she initially played between 2004 and 2010 before returning in 2014 an ...
expresses her concerns to Nugget and Avani on Halloween night, they rush back to the house, where they prevent Nish's attempt to rape Suki. A remorseful Nish falsely confesses to Keanu's murder himself, resulting in his arrest, leaving Nugget stunned. When Nish escapes from prison more than a month later, Nugget is horrified to discover Nish hiding in a dilapidated house outside Walford; Nish then proceeds to guilt trip Nugget into assisting him in evading the authorities by delivering food and water to the house and later faking his death in his plan to sabotage Suki and Eve's wedding. When Nugget starts behaving suspiciously,
Denise Fox Denise Fox (also Wicks and Johnson) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Diane Parish. She made her first appearance on 11 May 2006 and temporarily left ''EastEnders'' in early 2008 to give birth to her se ...
(
Diane Parish Diane Carol Richards (born 6 November 1969), known professionally as Diane Parish, is an English actress, who has been portraying the character Denise Fox on the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' since 2006. A graduate of the Royal Academy of D ...
) follows him and sees him with Nish. Nish attacks Denise with a champagne bottle, and goes to Suki and Eve's wedding where he poisons Eve. He then grabs Suki and falls off the hotel balcony with her after Ravi pushes him. Nugget is devastated by Nish's death, and blames Denise. Nugget is furious when he catches Denise and Ravi embracing, causing him to clash with Denise.


Eric Mitchell

Eric Mitchell, portrayed by
George Russo George Russo is a British actor, screenwriter and producer. Early life and education Russo was born and raised in London. Russo trained at the Anna Scher Theatre School in Islington. In 2005, he took time away from acting to concentrate on a ...
, first appears in a flashback episode set in February 1979. Eric is the deceased husband of
Peggy Mitchell Peggy Mitchell (also Butcher) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Peggy was initially played by Jo Warne when she first appeared in the episode broadcast on 30 April 1991, featuring in 10 episodes. Peggy was rein ...
(
Barbara Windsor Dame Barbara Windsor (born Barbara Ann Deeks; 6 August 193710 December 2020) was an English actress, known for her roles in the Carry On (franchise), ''Carry On'' films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders''.
/
Jaime Winstone Jaime Margaret Winstone (born 6 May 1985) is an English actress, best known for her roles in ''Kidulthood'' (2006), ''Goldplated'' (2006), ''Dead Set (TV series), Dead Set'' (2008), ''Donkey Punch (2008 film), Donkey Punch'' (2008), ''Boogie ...
) and father of
Phil Phil may refer to: * Phil (given name), a shortened version of masculine and feminine names * Phill, a given name also spelled "Phil" * Phil, Kentucky, United States * Phil (film), ''Phil'' (film), a 2019 film * -phil-, a lexical fragment, used as ...
(
Steve McFadden Steve Robert McFadden (né Reid; born 20 March 1959) is an English actor whose career has spanned three decades. He rose to prominence for his role as longstanding character Phil Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'', which he has ...
/Daniel Delaney), Grant (
Ross Kemp Ross James Kemp (born 21 July 1964) is an English actor, author, and television presenter. He rose to prominence in the role of Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. His other roles include Graham Lodsworth in ''Emmerdale'' and ...
/Teddy Jay) and Sam Mitchell (
Kim Medcalf Kim Louise Medcalf (born 8 December 1973) is an English actress and singer. She is best known for portraying the role of Sam Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (2002–2005, 2022–2024). Career ''EastEnders'' In late 2001, Kim Med ...
/Laila Murphy). In the episode, Eric learns that Phil has gotten a job at a garage and is furious. He leaves Peggy at home with Sam and forces Phil and Grant to join him in an armed robbery at a warehouse alongside his cousin Stevie Mitchell (Dean Roberts) and Stephen's sons: Charlie Mitchell (Charlie Heptinstall) and
Billy Mitchell William Lendrum Mitchell (December 29, 1879 – February 19, 1936) was a United States Army officer who had a major role in the creation of the United States Air Force. Mitchell served in France during World War I and, by the conflict's end, ...
(
Perry Fenwick Perry Fenwick (born 29 May 1962) is an English actor. He is known for portraying the role of Billy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', a role which he has played since 1998. Career Television Fenwick's first regular television rol ...
/George Greenland). Peggy objects to this but Eric assaults her. They are later caught by a Security Guard,
Malcolm Keeble ''EastEnders'' is a BBC soap opera that first aired on 19 February 1985. The following is a list of characters that first appeared in 2022, in order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's senior executive producer, Kat ...
(
Christopher Pizzey Christopher Pizzey (born 23 December 1976) is a British actor and comedian from London, best known for playing Mr. Stephen in the CBBC series '' The Basil Brush Show''. Early life Pizzey was born and raised in London and graduated from the Ros ...
), who is the father of DCI Samantha Keeble ( Alison Newman). Billy falls from a ladder whilst trying to steal a VHS package and Eric orders everyone to leave and desert him. However, Phil and Grant decide to remain to save Billy, and Phil holds the policeman at gunpoint. Eric intervenes and takes the gun from Phil, shooting the policeman to death. When Phil confronts him over this, he plans to beat him. Peggy tries to stop Eric from attacking Phil and threatens him with a knife. Eric later hits Phil who eventually overpowers him and beats him. This spells the end of Eric's abuse of Phil, though he continues abusing Peggy until she calls the police on Eric for his abuse and he is arrested. Eric later developed
prostate cancer Prostate cancer is the neoplasm, uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system below the bladder. Abnormal growth of the prostate tissue is usually detected through Screening (medicine), screening tests, ...
and died from the disease in 1985. Eric has been mentioned several times in the show before appearing in the flashback episode. Peggy (
Jo Warne Josephine Margaret Warne (2 January 1938 – 13 January 2017), better known as Jo Warne, was an English actress, who briefly played Peggy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', making her first appearance on 30 April 1991. She appeared i ...
; later
Barbara Windsor Dame Barbara Windsor (born Barbara Ann Deeks; 6 August 193710 December 2020) was an English actress, known for her roles in the Carry On (franchise), ''Carry On'' films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders''.
) married Eric because she was pregnant with their son
Phil Phil may refer to: * Phil (given name), a shortened version of masculine and feminine names * Phill, a given name also spelled "Phil" * Phil, Kentucky, United States * Phil (film), ''Phil'' (film), a 2019 film * -phil-, a lexical fragment, used as ...
(
Steve McFadden Steve Robert McFadden (né Reid; born 20 March 1959) is an English actor whose career has spanned three decades. He rose to prominence for his role as longstanding character Phil Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'', which he has ...
). Eric grew to be a keen boxer and he soon ended up working for his gangland boss, Johnny Allen ( Billy Murray). This impacted the marriage as Johnny constantly taunted Eric, making him do demeaning jobs because Eric was a better boxer than him. Eric fell in love with a glamorous woman called Maureen Loftus and planned to elope with her, but he changed his mind at the last minute – unable to desert his family, who he grew to resent. Eric took his anger out on Peggy and was often violent towards her and Phil. The abuse eventually ended when Peggy told the police that Eric was involved in a
Post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...
robbery and he was sent to prison. Peggy considered leaving when her sons, Phil and Grant (
Ross Kemp Ross James Kemp (born 21 July 1964) is an English actor, author, and television presenter. He rose to prominence in the role of Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. His other roles include Graham Lodsworth in ''Emmerdale'' and ...
) were teenagers, and once even tried to seduce Johnny, but he turned her down. It was then Eric had cheated on Peggy with
Claudette Hubbard Claudette Hubbard is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Ellen Thomas. She made her first appearance on 12 March 2015. Claudette is introduced as a friend of Les ( Roger Sloman) and Pam Coker (Lin Blakley), ...
(
Ellen Thomas Ellen Thomas (born January 24, 1947) is an American peace activist. She first became involved with the White House Peace Vigil on April 13, 1984. The daughter of a US Marine, Thomas was born in Brooklyn and grew up in California. She became oppo ...
), who he also intended to run away with, but he changed his mind again – leading to Claudette hating the entire family. Soon afterwards, Peggy turned to Eric's older brother Archie (
Larry Lamb Lawrence Douglas Lamb (born 1 October 1947) is an English actor and radio presenter. He played Archie Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', Mick Shipman in the BBC comedy series ''Gavin & Stacey'' and Ted Case in the final series of ...
) for comfort because he was there for Peggy when Eric began to abuse her. She tried to save her marriage by having another child in 1975 – her only daughter
Samantha Samantha is an English feminine given name in use since the 17th century that is of uncertain derivation. It is now in popular use worldwide due to various popular culture influences. Etymology Some etymologists have suggested Samantha might ...
(
Danniella Westbrook Danniella Westbrook (born 5 November 1973) is an English actress and television personality. She is best known for playing Sam Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Westbrook has also presented various television shows and was a conte ...
;
Kim Medcalf Kim Louise Medcalf (born 8 December 1973) is an English actress and singer. She is best known for portraying the role of Sam Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (2002–2005, 2022–2024). Career ''EastEnders'' In late 2001, Kim Med ...
). Her relationship with Eric improved, but only temporarily, and when Kevin Masters (
Colin McCormack John Colin McCormack (2 December 1941 – 19 June 2004) was a Welsh actor who enjoyed success in classical stage performances and television shows including BBC TV's ''Dixon of Dock Green'', a show he returned to twenty years later when he pl ...
) employed Peggy to work at his minicab firm, they ended up having a secret affair. When Eric developed
prostate cancer Prostate cancer is the neoplasm, uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system below the bladder. Abnormal growth of the prostate tissue is usually detected through Screening (medicine), screening tests, ...
, Peggy gave up work to care for him until he eventually died in 1985. Following Eric's death, Kevin acquainted himself with Peggy once more and her children grew to harbour resentment towards him.


Stevie Mitchell

Stephen "Stevie" Mitchell is the father of
Billy Mitchell William Lendrum Mitchell (December 29, 1879 – February 19, 1936) was a United States Army officer who had a major role in the creation of the United States Air Force. Mitchell served in France during World War I and, by the conflict's end, ...
(
Perry Fenwick Perry Fenwick (born 29 May 1962) is an English actor. He is known for portraying the role of Billy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', a role which he has played since 1998. Career Television Fenwick's first regular television rol ...
/George Greenland) and Charlie Mitchell (Charlie Heptinstall) and cousin of Eric Mitchell (
George Russo George Russo is a British actor, screenwriter and producer. Early life and education Russo was born and raised in London. Russo trained at the Anna Scher Theatre School in Islington. In 2005, he took time away from acting to concentrate on a ...
), who appeared in Episode 6550, in which he was played by Dean Roberts through flashbacks. He and his wife, Val, put their children into a home when they were very young, but regained contact with them by 1979 when the flashback episode is set. It was announced on 28 December 2023 that Stephen would be reintroduced in the present day and would be portrayed by Alan Ford, though Ford's casting was initially revealed on 18 November 2023. Ahead of playing Stevie, Roberts said: "I didn't really know too much about Stephen, I had to learn a lot about his character based on other people's opinions and I had done a lot of research on Billy when he first entered the show. It's interesting what Peggy says about him – that she's not too fond of that branch of the family. He seems to have a better relationship with his cousin Eric, they are like partners in crime. I see him as a very selfish character, a product of his era.". He added: "He's not a good father, we know that he put both his kids in a home. I don't know if he carries any guilt about that, I did try to bear that in mind. I put a lot of thought into him. I thought the back story was very interesting – I think Stephen is quite envious of Eric and Peggy's family dynamic." In January 2024, Stephen now Stevie, is seen at
Aunt Sal Aunt Sal is a recurring fictional character in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Anna Karen Introduced in 1996, she appeared sporadically from 21 March 1996 until 29 December 1997, then from 28 September 2001 until 17 September 2004, ...
's (
Anna Karen Ann Harrison McCall (19 September 1936 – 22 February 2022), professionally known as Anna Karen, was a British actress best known for playing Olive Rudge in the ITV sitcom ''On the Buses'' from 1969 to 1973 including its film spin-offs and st ...
) funeral where he meets his relative
Phil Mitchell Phil Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Steve McFadden. He was introduced on 20 February 1990 and was followed by his brother, Grant ( Ross Kemp), sister, Sam ( Danniella Westbrook/ Kim Medca ...
(
Steve McFadden Steve Robert McFadden (né Reid; born 20 March 1959) is an English actor whose career has spanned three decades. He rose to prominence for his role as longstanding character Phil Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'', which he has ...
). Phil bans Stevie from attending the wake, and threatens him to stay away from the Mitchell's because of his poor treatment to Billy. Stevie returns against Phil's wishes and tries to make amends with Billy. Billy cannot forgive Stevie for his favoritism towards his older brother Charlie and for telling Billy that he had wished that he had died instead of Charlie. Stevie bonds with his grandchildren
Janet Janet may refer to: Names * Janet (given name) Surname * Charles Janet (1849–1932), French engineer, inventor and biologist, known for the Left Step periodic table * Jules Janet (1861–1945), French psychologist and psychotherapist * Maur ...
(Grace) and
Will Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...
(Freddie Phillips) and great-great-granddaughter
Lexi Pearce The following are characters who first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' during 2012 listed by order of first appearance. New characters were introduced by Bryan Kirkwood, executive producer. He stepped down from the role in April. ...
(Isabella Brown) which Billy initially objects to. Stevie flirts with
Mo Harris Mo Harris (also Porter, also known as Big Mo), is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', who made her first appearance on 18 September 2000, played by Laila Morse. Mo was also played by Lorraine Stanley in the 2004 spin-of ...
(
Laila Morse Maureen Lesley Bass (' Oldman; born 1 August 1945), better known by her stage name Laila Morse, is an English actress. After making her acting debut as Janet in the drama film '' Nil by Mouth'' (1997), she went on to join the BBC soap opera ' ...
) and they begin a relationship. When Will is catfished and blackmailed by Kyle Fletcher (Freddie Hastwel) who threatens to expose his nudes, Stevie and Mo sell stolen toasters to raise money but are shut down by Will's mother Honey Mitchell (
Emma Barton Emma Louise Barton (born 26 July 1977) is an English actress. She is known for her role as Honey Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', which she has portrayed since November 2005. Before her role in ''EastEnders'', Barton appeared in ...
) who forces them to give the money away to a charity fundraiser in honour of his great-granddaughter
Lola Pearce Lola Pearce (also Pearce-Brown) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Danielle Harold. She was introduced as the granddaughter of Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) and Julie Perkins (Cathy Murphy), and an exte ...
(
Danielle Harold Danielle Amy Harold (born 30 May 1992) is an English actress and producer. She rose to prominence playing Lola Pearce in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Her portrayal of Lola's glioblastoma brain tumour storyline, that ultimately resulted i ...
). The charity money is stolen and Stevie is blamed and ostracized. Stevie confronts Will who he believes has stolen the money, and tries to convince him to return it. Will pushes him and Stevie falls unconscious, resulting in him being hospitalised. It is revealed that Stevie has another son
Teddy Mitchell Teddy Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Roland Manookian. Teddy was introduced by executive producer Chris Clenshaw in episode 6931, broadcast on 26 June 2024, as the head of an extension to th ...
(
Roland Manookian Roland Manookian (born 21 February 1980) is a British actor from London. He is known for his roles in the films '' The Football Factory'' (2004) and ''Rise of the Footsoldier'' (2007). On television, he appeared in ''The Bill'' (1999), ''The Vice ...
) who he has hidden from his family. Stevie is forced to reveal Teddy's identity to the Mitchells, and explains that Teddy was conceived during a short affair with a woman named Connie. During a family argument, Will exonerates Stevie by revealing that he had taken the money to pay off Kyle. Billy and Teddy throw Stevie a birthday party, and Stevie has a conversation with Teddy about Billy's mother Val, which Phil overhears. Phil discovers from Ritchie Scott (
Sian Webber Sîan Webber (born 1959) is a British actress. She is known the recurring role of Ritchie Scott in BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', which she first played in 2005, returning regularly to the role up to and including 2023. Career Webber has ap ...
) that Val has been dead for several years and tells Billy. Stevie reveals that his affair with Connie drove Val to commit suicide and that he couldn't cope as a single parent, so put Billy in foster care as a temporary solution, but struggled to reclaim him. Billy struggles to forgive Stevie for concealing Val's death from him, so Stevie decides to leave Walford. As a final act of revenge, Stevie steals Phil's car keys and sells Phil's car with Mo, and leaves the money for Billy. After an emotional farewell with his family and Mo, Stevie leaves in the back of a taxi.


Charlie Mitchell

Charlie Mitchell is the deceased brother of
Billy Mitchell William Lendrum Mitchell (December 29, 1879 – February 19, 1936) was a United States Army officer who had a major role in the creation of the United States Air Force. Mitchell served in France during World War I and, by the conflict's end, ...
(
Perry Fenwick Perry Fenwick (born 29 May 1962) is an English actor. He is known for portraying the role of Billy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', a role which he has played since 1998. Career Television Fenwick's first regular television rol ...
/George Greenland) and father of
Jamie Mitchell Jamie Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Jack Ryder (actor), Jack Ryder. The character debuted on 9 November 1998 and became one of the show's central protagonists, until he was killed off on 25 ...
( Jack Ryder), who appears in Episode 6550 and is played by Charlie Heptinstall. Apart from the flashback episode set in 1979, Charlie has never been seen. Ahead of the flashback episode, Heptinstall suggested that his character would be similar to his brother, Billy: "As a Mitchell, he shares traits with his brother, he's always there and loyal to the family. He still goes and does naughty things, but he is more free, not seriously clued into what's really happening. Charlie would walk into the room with family drama and see some food on the table and be like "Oh ok, let's eat."" It has been revealed that he met Lynne in 1979 and married her in 1982 when he had Jamie with her before she died four years later. Charlie died from a heart condition in 1998, leaving Billy as Jamie's legal guardian, shortly before Billy's arrival in Walford. However, due to Billy's abuse towards Jamie, Charlie's cousin
Phil Mitchell Phil Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Steve McFadden. He was introduced on 20 February 1990 and was followed by his brother, Grant ( Ross Kemp), sister, Sam ( Danniella Westbrook/ Kim Medca ...
(
Steve McFadden Steve Robert McFadden (né Reid; born 20 March 1959) is an English actor whose career has spanned three decades. He rose to prominence for his role as longstanding character Phil Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'', which he has ...
) becomes Jamie's guardian as he is his godfather. Jamie was killed on Christmas Day 2002, when he was accidentally run over by Martin Fowler (
James Alexandrou James Alekos Alexandrou (born 12 April 1985) is a British actor and filmmaker from London. He is known for playing Martin Fowler in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 1996 to 2007. He was also the presenter of ''Bizarre Crime'' on BBC T ...
). Charlie also died not knowing that his father Stevie Mitchell ( Alan Ford) is still alive, or that he has a half-brother,
Teddy Mitchell Teddy Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Roland Manookian. Teddy was introduced by executive producer Chris Clenshaw in episode 6931, broadcast on 26 June 2024, as the head of an extension to th ...
(
Roland Manookian Roland Manookian (born 21 February 1980) is a British actor from London. He is known for his roles in the films '' The Football Factory'' (2004) and ''Rise of the Footsoldier'' (2007). On television, he appeared in ''The Bill'' (1999), ''The Vice ...
).


Nish Panesar

Nish Panesar, played by
Navin Chowdhry Navin Chowdhry (born 22nd November 1971 ) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles in ''Teachers'' and '' A Touch of Cloth'', and his role as Nish Panesar in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (2022–2025). Early life Chowdhry is o ...
, is the estranged husband of
Suki Panesar Suki Panesar (also Kaur and Panesar-Unwin) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Balvinder Sopal. Sopal's casting and details about Suki were announced in December 2019, with the character making her first o ...
(
Balvinder Sopal Balvinder Sopal (born 4 December 1978) is an English actress, whose acting career has spanned over two decades. She rose to prominence for her portrayal as Suki Panesar-Unwin in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' since January 2020. Sopal has al ...
) and the father of
Kheerat Kheerat Panesar is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Jaz Deol. Kheerat was introduced alongside brothers Jags Panesar, Jags (Amar Adatia), and Vinny Panesar (Shiv Jalota) in episode 6001, broadcast on 4 Octobe ...
(
Jaz Deol Jaskiranjit Singh Deol (born 12 March 1989) is a British actor known for portraying the role of Kheerat Panesar on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 2019 to 2022. Career Deol made his onscreen debut in the 2010 television film ''Casting ...
), Jags (Amar Adatia),
Vinny Vinny or Vinnie is a masculine given name, usually a shortened version of Vincent, Vincenzo, or Vicente, which may refer to: Vincents * Vinnie Anderson (born 1979), New Zealand rugby league footballer * Vinny Appice (born 1957), American rock ...
( Shiv Jalota) and Ash ( Gurlaine Kaur Garcha). Chowdhry's casting as Nish was announced on 28 August 2022 and it was confirmed that he had already begun filming at the time. He arrives in
Walford Walford is a fictional borough of East London in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. It is the primary setting for the soap. ''EastEnders'' is filmed at Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, towards the north-west of London. Much of the location wor ...
following a 20-year stretch in prison for murder. Prior to their time on ''EastEnders'', Nish mentally abused and controlled Suki throughout their marriage. Nish arrives determined to repair his family relationships, including his marriage to Suki. Nish was described as a charming and charasmatic character, but they confirmed that viewers would quickly notice that he is "ice-cold, manipulative and driven by a need for power and respect". On his casting, Chowdhry said that since he had never worked on a soap prior to ''EastEnders'', the experience was all new for him. However, he loved the storylines given to him upon his debut. He particularly vented an interest in his onscreen family and liked that "there's so much happening at all times" in the Panesar unit. He found Nish to be an interesting and unconventional character, which he said would bring drama and mayhem". He opined that under his bad persona, there is a good man, but confirmed that Nish would cause "turmoil" for the Panesars. Executive producer Chris Clenshaw echoed Chowdhry's excitement the character, since Nish had been referenced numerous times prior to his arrival on the series. Clenshaw continued: "The spectre of Nish Panesar is finally here, and it's been a pleasure welcoming Navin to the cast, and take to the role so effortlessly. He brings something to the character that none of us could've predicted – his dynamic on and off-screen, and we're excited to see where his character develops as the story grows."


Reiss Colwell

Reiss Colwell, played by
Jonny Freeman Jonny Freeman is an English actor and comedian. He is best known for his role as Frank London in the children's CBBC TV series, ''M.I. High'' and as Reiss Colwell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. He has also starred in '' Dalziel & Pascoe'', ' ...
, is the great-nephew of
Dot Branning Dorothy "Dot" Cotton (also Branning) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', portrayed by June Brown. In a special episode entitled ''EastEnders: Dot's Story'' (2003) a young Dot was played by Tallulah Pitt-Brown in f ...
(
June Brown June Muriel Brown (16 February 1927 – 3 April 2022) was an English actress and author. She was best known for her role as Dot Cotton on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (1985–1993; 1997–2020). In 2005, she won Best Actress at the Inside ...
) and a love interest for
Sonia Fowler Sonia Fowler (also Jackson) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Natalie Cassidy. Her first appearance was on and she departed on She returned briefly in 2010 along with other members of the Jackson fami ...
(
Natalie Cassidy Natalie Ann Cassidy (born 13 May 1983) is an English actress and television personality. She is known for her role as Sonia Fowler in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders.'' She has also appeared in the BBC Two sitcom-horror series '' Psychoville ...
). He made his first appearance on the episode broadcast on 12 December 2022. Freeman's casting was announced on 22 November 2022. Of his casting, Freeman said, "I am delighted to be joining the cast of ''EastEnders'', especially as part of the iconic Dot Branning's extended family. Everybody has been so welcoming and I'm very lucky to have been working so closely with the lovely Natalie Cassidy who is not only a fantastic actress but a delightful person; she has very kindly helped me navigate my first few weeks. I hope I can do Reiss justice. He is kind but socially awkward and seeing how he manages, or doesn't manage, his early exchanges with Sonia and her nearest and dearest has been quite interesting! I'm looking forward to seeing how both audiences and the residents of Walford respond to him. Reiss arrives in Walford for Dot's funeral. He meets Dot's step-granddaughter, Sonia, and reveals that his family became estranged from Dot because of her marriage to
Charlie Cotton Charlie Cotton is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Christopher Hancock. Charlie is a recurring character, introduced in March 1986 as the estranged husband of established character Dot Cotton (June Brown ...
(
Christopher Hancock Christopher Anthony Arthur Hancock (5 June 1928 – 29 September 2004) was a British television and theatre actor. He was born in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, England. His brother was actor Stephen Hancock. He and his brother trained at ...
). He later has sex with Sonia after the wake. Reiss and Sonia begin a relationship and it later transpires that Reiss is still married to his wife Debbie Colwell (Jenny Meier), who has been in an irreversible coma following a severe stroke for many years. Sonia forgives him and they decide to try for a baby via
IVF In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a process of fertilisation in which an egg is combined with sperm in vitro ("in glass"). The process involves monitoring and stimulating the ovulatory process, then removing an ovum or ova (egg or eggs) from t ...
since Reiss cannot conceive naturally. Reiss starts working as an accountant for Keanu Taylor ( Danny Walters) at Taylor's Autos and they become friends. Sonia is unaware that Reiss is using Debbie's life savings to fund the treatment and he keeps this a secret. Reiss has a feud with Sonia's half-sister
Bianca Jackson Bianca Jackson (also Butcher) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders,'' played by Patsy Palmer. The character was introduced by executive producer Leonard Lewis and appeared initially from 1993 to 1999, when Palmer opt ...
(
Patsy Palmer Julie Anne Merkell (''née'' Harris; born 26 May 1972), known professionally as Patsy Palmer, is a British actress and DJ. After appearing as Natasha in the children's drama series ''Grange Hill'' (1985–1987), she came to prominence for her p ...
) who constantly teases Reiss. She follows him to Debbie's care home and overhears him admitting to using Debbie's money for IVF. She forces him to confess to Sonia but Sonia supports Reiss, and they agree to continue using Debbie's money since Reiss has legal control of her finances. When Reiss's debt becomes unmanageable, he resorts to conning
Sharon Watts Sharon Watts (also Mitchell, Rickman and Beale) is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera, ''EastEnders'', played by Letitia Dean. Sharon was one of ''EastEnders'' original characters conceptualised by creators Tony Holland and Jul ...
(
Letitia Dean Letitia Jane Dean (born 14 November 1967) is an English actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Sharon Watts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. An original cast member from 1985 to 1995, she reprised the role from 2001 to 2006, and ag ...
) by tricking her into investing so he can steal her money, but is caught by
Phil Mitchell Phil Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Steve McFadden. He was introduced on 20 February 1990 and was followed by his brother, Grant ( Ross Kemp), sister, Sam ( Danniella Westbrook/ Kim Medca ...
(
Steve McFadden Steve Robert McFadden (né Reid; born 20 March 1959) is an English actor whose career has spanned three decades. He rose to prominence for his role as longstanding character Phil Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'', which he has ...
). Reiss then murders Debbie by smothering her with a pillow to avoid paying for her care home expenses. The following week,
Hugh Hugh is the English-language variant of the masculine given name , itself the Old French variant of '' Hugo (name)">Hugo'', a short form of Continental Germanic Germanic name">given names beginning in the element "mind, spirit" (Old English ). ...
(Michael Bertenshaw) and
Brenda Collins ''EastEnders'' is a BBC soap opera that first aired on 19 February 1985. The following is a list of characters that first appeared in 2024, in order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive producer, Chris C ...
(
Nichola McAuliffe Nichola McAuliffe (born 27 August 1955) is an English television and stage actress and writer, best known for her role as Sheila Sabatini in the ITV hospital sitcom '' Surgical Spirit'' (1989–1995). She has also starred in several stage musi ...
) arrive in Walford soon after to arrange plans for Debbie's funeral where Brenda expresses disdain and dislike for Reiss, suggesting that Debbie had planned to leave him before her stroke and was always complaining to her about Reiss' weird habits. Sonia, however, continues to support Reiss until she is subsequently arrested on suspicion of her murder, having been to visit Debbie before Reiss killed her, leaving her DNA on Debbie's pillow. Sonia is charged and sent to prison to await trial and a guilty, panicked Reiss quickly begins to draw more suspicion from Sonia's ex-husband, Martin Fowler (
James Bye James Edward Bye (born 23 February 1984) is an English actor who played Martin Fowler in ''EastEnders'' from 2014 to 2025. He also competed in series 20 of ''Strictly Come Dancing'' in 2022. Early life James Edward Bye was born on 23 Febru ...
). Reiss tries to gain signatures to prove the community doesn't think she is guilty but is unsuccessful and his desperation worsens once an angry Bianca returns. Bianca, already suffering with depression, quickly believes Reiss is guilty of Debbie's murder, fuelled further by Brenda’s opinions about Reiss. Her behaviour becomes erratic, publicly accusing Reiss, who feigns panic and a timid nature. After Bianca smashes his car window with a brick,
Kat Slater Kat Slater (also Moon and Mitchell) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Jessie Wallace. She was also played by Kate Peck in a flashback in 2001 and Sumar-Elise Sandford in a flashback in 2018. Kat is the ...
(
Jessie Wallace Karen Jane Wallace (born 25 September 1971), known professionally as Jessie Wallace, is an English actress. She made her acting debut in the television police series ''The Bill'' and rose to prominence for her role as Kat Slater on the BBC so ...
) arranges for Bianca's father
David Wicks David Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC TV soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Michael French. David originally appeared from 23 December 1993 to 21 November 1996. He returned to the show on 1 January 2012 and departed two weeks later ...
(
Michael French Michael French (born Michael Clark, 17 September 1962) is an English actor, known for his roles as David Wicks in ''EastEnders''; Nick Jordan, a consultant and Clinical Lead, Senior Consultant in emergency medicine in '' Casualty'' and former ...
) to return from America to intervene. David confronts Reiss, interrogating him about Debbie's murder and Sonia's arrest before sending him to stay in
Peterborough Peterborough ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in the City of Peterborough district in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire, England. The city is north of London, on the River Nene. A ...
to put some distance between him and Bianca. After Reiss returns, he has Debbie will reading and it is revealed that Debbie had made amendments to her will before her stroke, coma, and death. Reiss was shocked to be told that Debbie had named her parents as her sole beneficiaries, allowing them complete control over her financial assets. This means that Reiss wouldn't get a penny of her life insurance policy money, he wasn't left empty-handed as Debbie left him with a doll's house, adding: "the dusty old thing it gives me the creeps", hinting she could have been talking about Reiss all along and Brenda was right. However, Bianca is still not convinced and Reiss eventually confesses to what he did. He manages to convince Bianca he has evidence of Sonia's innocence in a storage locker he rents for band practice, leading Bianca there, where he subsequently imprisons her in a sound-proof room. In January 2025, Reiss, still holding Bianca captive, becomes more concerned for Sonia's case as her trial begins, resulting in him antagonising Martin and others. Having been told by Sonia's lawyer that the nurse who witnessed Sonia leaving Debbie's room without signing in is the key witness to the prosecution, Reiss confronts her in the hope she will drop her statement; this results in the case being adjourned. Bianca is disgusted by Reiss's continued failure to confess and attempts to escape, but is thwarted by Reiss, who threatens to leave her to starve. When Sonia collapses upon the trial's resumption, she contemplates
pleading guilty ''Pleading Guilty'' (1993), is Scott Turow's third novel, and like the previous two it is set in fictional Kindle County. The story is a legal thriller about Mack Malloy, a middle-aged lawyer basically waiting to retire, who is assigned by his ...
to avoid further stress for the baby. When Reiss tells Bianca about this, she persuades him to film a video of herself confessing to Debbie's murder and then allow her to go into hiding, promising not to implicate him in return. Reiss shows the video to the police and Sonia is acquitted after he smuggles the video to one of the jurors. Reiss evades questioning from Martin, Sonia and Kat, who believe that Bianca is lying to protect Sonia, by stressing the supposed truth of the confession. After returning to the storage locker, Reiss refuses to release Bianca, fearful that she will inform the police of his crimes. As the weeks go by, Sonia becomes anxious to see the confession video, much to Reiss' chagrin; he alerts Sonia's uncle
Jack Branning DI Jack Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Scott Maslen. He made his first appearance on 29 October 2007. He is the youngest child of Jim ( John Bardon) and Reenie Branning (Joy Graham) and the ...
's (
Scott Maslen Scott Alexander Maslen (born 25 June 1971) is an English actor and model, best known for his portrayal as DS Phil Hunter in the ITV police drama series ''The Bill'' and Jack Branning in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' since 2007. He also too ...
) suspicions when he lies that the CPS instructed him to delete the video. Jack subsequently obtains the video from the CPS itself and after Sonia watches it, Reiss fully convinces her that Bianca did kill Debbie. The police eventually issue a warrant for Bianca's arrest, leading Reiss to deliver some tablets to the lockup, which he hopes Bianca will use to commit
suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...
; Bianca refuses. Reiss begins removing toys he and Debbie had bought from the lockup for his and Sonia's child, falsely claiming he was buying them from the charity shop; during these visits, he accidentally leaves the door unlocked, allowing Bianca to escape. Sonia eventually recognises Debbie's dollhouse from the confession video and realises Reiss' part in the confession video; Reiss subsequently confesses to murdering Debbie and kidnapping Bianca just as Bianca herself arrives and knocks Reiss out with a teapot. Bianca and Sonia flee to Jack's house to inform the police, but Reiss escapes before Jack arrives to arrest him. Reiss returns to Sonia's, where he encounters Bianca. He tells her that he wants her to give Sonia a letter he wrote for her, and tries to leave, but Bianca attempts to stop him. Reiss eventually makes it to his car, still being chased down by Bianca, and after some failed attempts, his car starts and he drives off. As he is driving,
Ian Beale Ian Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Adam Woodyatt. He is one of four remaining original characters, the others being his mother, Kathy Beale ( Gillian Taylforth), his long standing best friend an ...
(
Adam Woodyatt Adam Brinley Woodyatt (born 28 June 1968) is an English actor. He is known for his role as Ian Beale in the BBC One, BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', a role he has portrayed since the show's inception in 1985, making him one of the shows longest ...
) is pushed out into the road by Cindy Beale (
Michelle Collins Michelle Danielle Collins (born 28 May 1962) is a British actress. She is known for her role as Cindy Beale in the BBC soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (r ...
), causing Reiss to swerve and crash into the Queen Vic. Reiss is pulled out of the car by George Knight (
Colin Salmon Colin Roy Salmon (born 6 December 1961) is an English actor. He is known for playing Charles Robinson in three James Bond films and James "One" Shade in the ''Resident Evil'' film series. He has had roles on many television series such as ''D ...
), but escapes before the flames of his burning car reach some gas bottles in the Queen Vic, causing an explosion which destroys the pub and traps Sonia and her cousin
Lauren Branning Lauren Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. The role was originally played by Madeline Duggan, who first appeared on 3 July 2006. Duggan played the role for four years until her exit on 23 June 2010. Three ...
(
Jacqueline Jossa Jacqueline Mary Osborne (''née'' Jossa) (born 29 October 1992) is an English actress. She is known for portraying Lauren Branning in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. In 2019, Jossa won the nineteenth series of '' I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Ou ...
) inside. Reiss follows Bianca and Grant Mitchell (
Ross Kemp Ross James Kemp (born 21 July 1964) is an English actor, author, and television presenter. He rose to prominence in the role of Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. His other roles include Graham Lodsworth in ''Emmerdale'' and ...
) into the pub as they clear the way to rescue Sharon, Lauren and Sonia. Arriving in the kitchen of the Vic, Reiss confronts Sonia, Bianca and Lauren, resulting in Bianca pushing Reiss into a wall; the resulting impact collapses the roof above him, causing a bathtub to fall on Reiss and crush him to death.


Other characters


References

{{EastEnders characters, year, state=expanded
EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, the ...
2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
*, EastEnders