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Yolande Trueman (also Duke) is a fictional character from 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 ...
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 ...
''
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 ...
'', played by
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 ...
. She first appears in episode 2588, originally broadcast on 16 September 2003. The character is introduced as a love interest for
Patrick Trueman Patrick Trueman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Rudolph Walker. He made his first appearance on 13 September 2001. On 7 December 2015, Walker filmed his 1,000th episode as Patrick. For his portrayal of ...
(
Rudolph Walker Rudolph Malcolm Walker CBE (born 28 September 1939) is a Trinidadian-British actor, best known for his roles as Bill Reynolds in ''Love Thy Neighbour'' (1972–1976) and Constable Frank Gladstone in '' The Thin Blue Line'' (1995–1996), as wel ...
). She is characterised as attentive, caring and "principled". Her stories have focused on her marriage to Patrick, and using their characters, producers explored
fostering Fosterage, the practice of a family bringing up a child not their own, differs from adoption in that the child's parents, not the foster-parents, remain the acknowledged parents. In many modern western societies foster care can be organised by t ...
, a feud with
Pat Butcher Pat Butcher (also Harris, Wicks and Evans) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Played by Pam St Clement from 12 June 1986, just over a year after the show first aired, until her departure on 1 January 2012. Pat was ...
(
Pam St Clement Pamela Ann Clements (born 11 May 1942), known professionally as Pam St Clement, is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Pat Butcher in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 12 June 1986 until 1 January 2012, with a guest ...
), and suffering from being a victim of
racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one Race (human categorization), race or ethnicity over another. It may also me ...
. Wynter was written out of the series in 2008 and Yolande departs in episode 3658, originally broadcast on 3 October 2008. Wynter reprised her role for two guest appearances in 2017. The character is reintroduced in 2023 and returns in episode 6745, originally broadcast on 7 August 2023. The following year, producers used Yolande to explore the topic of
sexual assault Sexual assault is an act of sexual abuse in which one intentionally Physical intimacy, sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or Coercion, coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their w ...
in the hands of her
pastor A pastor (abbreviated to "Ps","Pr", "Pstr.", "Ptr." or "Psa" (both singular), or "Ps" (plural)) is the leader of a Christianity, Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutherani ...
Gideon Clayton ''EastEnders'' is a BBC soap opera that first aired on 19 February 1985. The following is a list of characters that first appeared in 2023, in order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive producer, Chris C ...
(Howard Saddler).


Development


Creation and characterisation

Yolande Duke was created as a love interest for
Patrick Trueman Patrick Trueman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Rudolph Walker. He made his first appearance on 13 September 2001. On 7 December 2015, Walker filmed his 1,000th episode as Patrick. For his portrayal of ...
(
Rudolph Walker Rudolph Malcolm Walker CBE (born 28 September 1939) is a Trinidadian-British actor, best known for his roles as Bill Reynolds in ''Love Thy Neighbour'' (1972–1976) and Constable Frank Gladstone in '' The Thin Blue Line'' (1995–1996), as wel ...
) in 2003. Actress
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 ...
was cast in the role. Wynter and Walker had previously worked together when appearing in the play ''Meetings'', the former's first acting job. The original character outline for Yolande describes her as "bubbly and positive". Wynter then worked to develop the character and make her more well-rounded. She drew inspiration from her sister Merlene, who had recently died, and incorporated her sister's "gregarious" personality. Yolande is characterised as "a thoughtful, religious woman". She has also been described as assertive with a sassy attitude. Wynter opined that her character is "vulnerable, but she's principled" and has a sense of "toughness". She added that the character provided a representation of woman in the community – "aunts, sisters and mothers". The actress felt a responsibility in portraying her character. The character's backstory states that she experienced a "holiday romance" with Patrick when visiting Trinidad, despite being married to
Victor Duke The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in 2003, by order of first appearance. Dominic Price Detective Inspector Dominic Price, played by Paul Brennen, is first seen in March 2003, while ...
(Ben Thomas).


Storyline development

The character's most notable story is her relationship with Patrick. Yolande's character profile names her as "the best thing that's happened to Patrick". Wynter explained that Yolande and Patrick are well-suited as they have the "same principles", which Patrick does not "stray too far away from" to avoid upsetting Yolande. The pair run a
bed and breakfast A bed and breakfast (typically shortened to B&B or BnB) is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast. In addition, a B&B sometimes has the hosts living in the house. ''Bed and breakfast'' is also used to ...
together on Albert Square. In 2004, the pair were married in a small on-screen ceremony, followed by a reception in the local pub,
The Queen Victoria ''EastEnders'' is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, the programme follows the ...
. Wynter explained that as they have both been married before, they opt for a small ceremony. She enjoyed filming the wedding as it was a day with good weather. The show hired a choir as part of the wedding. Wynter liked this element of the wedding the most and found it "really emotional". She admitted that she would prefer a bigger wedding herself and would not want a reception in the Vic. In a 2004 interview with the show's publicity team, Wynter expressed a desire to explore Yolande's interactions with children and for more guests in the B&B. In February 2004, it was announced that the Truemans would be at the focus of a
fostering Fosterage, the practice of a family bringing up a child not their own, differs from adoption in that the child's parents, not the foster-parents, remain the acknowledged parents. In many modern western societies foster care can be organised by t ...
storyline as part of the BBC's Taking Care season, which explores different childhoods. In the show, Patrick and Yolande meet a 14-year-old boy, JJ ( Daniel Anthony), and support him after learning he is a runaway. The four-episode story arc concludes as the pair then decide to foster children. Walker thought fostering was a reflection of the couple's relationship and believed they wanted to do it because they do not have their own children. He added that the story had the potential to "run and run". In 2007, executive producer
Diederick Santer Diederick Santer (born 3 July 1969) is a British television producer and is best known for his work on the popular BBC television soap opera ''EastEnders'', a post which he assumed on 23 October 2006 and left on 1 March 2010. He was Chief Execu ...
used Patrick and Yolande to cover a storyline about racism that, according to the producer, was inspired by the 2007 ''
Celebrity Big Brother ''Celebrity Big Brother'' or ''Big Brother VIP'' is an adaptation of the '' Big Brother'' reality television series. It is the celebrity version of its parent franchise ''Big Brother'', the celebrity version airs in several countries, however, t ...
'' race row, sparked by the racist bullying of Bollywood actress
Shilpa Shetty Shilpa Shetty Kundra (born Ashwini Shetty, 8 June 1975) is an Indian actress who works primarily in Hindi, Kannada and Telugu films. She made her screen debut in the thriller '' Baazigar'' (1993) which gained her first nomination for the Film ...
by UK celebrity
Jade Goody Jade Cerisa Lorraine Goody (5 June 1981 – 22 March 2009) was an English media personality. She was a contestant on the Big Brother (British TV series) series 3, third series of the Channel 4 reality show ''Big Brother (British TV series) ...
. In the storyline, the characters
Jay Brown Jay Brown (also Mitchell) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Jamie Borthwick. He made his first appearance on 14 December 2006. Jay's storylines since joining the programme have included being part of a ...
(
Jamie Borthwick Jamie Simon Borthwick (born 23 June 1994) is an English actor. He rose to prominence for his portrayal of Jay Brown in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', in which he has starred since 2006. His role on ''EastEnders'' earned him a British Soap A ...
) and
Sean Slater Sean Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Robert Kazinsky, he made his first appearance on 22 August 2006. Sean's existence was revealed on 9 December 2005 when his sister Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) ...
(
Rob Kazinsky Robert John Appleby (born 18 November 1983), known professionally as Robert Kazinsky, is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Casper Rose in the Sky One drama '' Dream Team'' (2005–2006) and Sean Slater in the BBC soap opera ''EastE ...
) used racist phrases to the Truemans, and their reaction to the insults were explored. Santer commented, "The ''Celebrity Big Brother'' race row kicked off as I took charge of my first scripts. I thought it was fascinating because it showed there was a real need for a debate about race in Britain. 'Big Brother''didn’t do it particularly well, so I thought it could be something ''EastEnders'' should do. Our stuff won’t be overly moralistic or preachy but it will tackle this serious issue head on."


Departure and returns

In June 2008, it was announced that the character would be written out of the series after producers opted not to renew Wynter's contract. They made the decision after struggling to create new stories for the characters. Wynter was disappointed with the reasoning as she felt that "you can always write stories for people to act". Speaking to Jasmine Dotiwala from '' The Voice'', Wynter theorised that her character may have actually been written out due to the show exceeding their black and Asian character 'quota'. The actress was proud of her work as Yolande and thought she was "a part of the fabric of ''EastEnders''". She recognised that Patrick and Yolande's marriage was "the only representation of a black union on British TV", which she was proud of. Wynter confirmed that Yolande would not be killed off and hoped that Patrick would not reignite his affair with Pat Evans (
Pam St Clement Pamela Ann Clements (born 11 May 1942), known professionally as Pam St Clement, is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Pat Butcher in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 12 June 1986 until 1 January 2012, with a guest ...
). Walker was also disappointed with Yolande's departure, but thankful for her stint on the show. In 2017, Wynter reprised her role as Yolande for a single episode. She appears in episode 5461, first broadcast on 20 March 2017. Her return had not been announced prior to transmission and was a surprise for the audience. In the narrative, Yolande is involved in a disciplinary meeting for
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 ...
). The character's second return was announced on 20 June 2017 and she appears in episode 5517, first broadcast on 26 June. Yolande features in a story exploring Derek Harkinson's (
Ian Lavender Arthur Ian Lavender (16 February 1946 – 2 February 2024) was an English stage, film and television actor. He is best known for his role as Private Pike in ''Dad's Army'', a BBC sitcom set during World War II, of which he was the last survivi ...
) backstory. Writers also included a scene between Yolande and Patrick where they dance on his birthday. Grace Morris from ''
What to Watch ''What's on TV'' is a weekly television listings magazine published by Future PLC. Overview ''What's on TV'' is a weekly UK television magazine. It publishes features, TV listings, news and gossip from soap operas, as well as puzzles and compe ...
'' felt they had obvious feelings for each other.


Reintroduction

A return for the character was hinted in scenes broadcast in March 2023 when Patrick decides to seek a reunion with Yolande. Wynter's return was then confirmed on 29 June 2023. The actress expressed her excitement at reprising the role and felt welcomed back to set. She was excited to work opposite Walker again and compared it to "heaven". Chris Clenshaw, the show's
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 ...
, spoke of his delight at Wynter's return, calling her "immensely talented". He wanted to reunite Yolande with Patrick and believed their reunion was "important" for them. The character returns in episode 6745, originally broadcast on 7 August 2023. Since her original departure, Yolande has been living in
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...
with her partner, Anton. Wynter explained that Yolande felt she was moving onto "greener pastures", but has now recognised that Patrick is "the true love of her life" as they love each other "unconditionally". Yolande returns to Walford after her relationship ends and she decides to revisit her relationship with Patrick. This shocks him and he worries about the reunion. Wynter recognised that Patrick "loves her without condition", but his hesitancy surprises her. Writers also revisited the friendship between Yolande and Denise, which Wynter enjoyed. She acknowledged that they have a mutual respect as Denise understands that Yolande is not using Patrick and genuinely loves him, as he does her. The actress was excited to explore her character's position as an older woman in the Trueman-Fox family unit and the wider community. Additionally, Wynter was looking forward to showcasing the "gentleness" and "fragility" in her character's relationship with Patrick. She commented, "It's nice to show an older, loving and sometimes sassy couple growing older together."


Sexual assault

In December 2023, producers introduced Pastor Gideon Clayton (Howard Saddler) to the series as the
pastor A pastor (abbreviated to "Ps","Pr", "Pstr.", "Ptr." or "Psa" (both singular), or "Ps" (plural)) is the leader of a Christianity, Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutherani ...
at Yolande's church group. Yolande's religion serves as a major part of her characterisation, so writers used this as part of her new story. Over multiple months, a friendship is established between Yolande and Pastor Clayton. Wynter explained that Yolande trusts him because "he's a man of the cloth". Writers challenged the friendship through rumours about the pair's closeness. A show insider explained that other members of the prayer group start "making everyone think that something untoward is going on!" The friendship between Yolande and Pastor Clayton serves as a build-up to a story exploring
sexual harassment Sexual harassment is a type of harassment based on the sex or gender of a victim. It can involve offensive sexist or sexual behavior, verbal or physical actions, up to bribery, coercion, and assault. Harassment may be explicit or implicit, wit ...
as Pastor Clayton abuses his position to make Yolande uncomfortable. When Yolande suggests that the church raise money for a food truck to deliver food to the homeless, the Pastor is impressed and gives Yolande a long hug. Alison Slade from ''
TV Times ''TV Times'' is a British television listings magazine. From 1955 until 1991, it was the only source of seven-day listings for ITV and, from 1982, Channel 4 (as well as S4C in Wales in an enclosed local supplement titled '' Sbec''). The magaz ...
'' observed that Pastor Clayton is "inappropriately over-tactile", leaving Yolande "frozen with fear". Yolande initially ignores the moment, but when Pastor Clayton touches her again the next day, she confronts him. He becomes defensive and cancels her food truck plan, isolating her from the project. A show publicity officer told Johnathon Hughes from ''
Inside Soap ''Inside Soap'' is a weekly soap opera and television listings magazine published in the United Kingdom. The magazine is currently released every Tuesday. It covers storylines featured in British and Australian soap operas that are broadcast in t ...
'' that the pastor "manipulates the situation to paint olandeas unreasonable". Yolande reaches a point where she feels forced to apologise for confronting the pastor. Wynter explained that Yolande believes that she has sorted the problem and also "believes in the greater good in Pastor Clayton", but has been cautious since. The plot develops further to explore the impact of
sexual assault Sexual assault is an act of sexual abuse in which one intentionally Physical intimacy, sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or Coercion, coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their w ...
after Yolande is assaulted by Pastor Clayton. Writers wanted to highlight how someone in a position of power can take advantage and established Pastor Clayton as a serial offender through flashbacks of other women previously assaulted by him. They also planned to consider how elements of Yolande's life is impacted by the assault, including her relationship with Patrick. Wynter thought the story was important to portray as it was a true reflection of people's lives. On playing the story, she commented, "As an actor, I tell stories, and I felt I could tell this story and put a spotlight on this issue." The development was scripted as part of an hour-long special episode. Yolande's assault takes place on the day of her fundraiser. Wynter explained that it is an important day for Yolande and she is proud of her work on the project. She added, "the whole experience has made her feel purposeful". Yolande's work on the fundraiser creates tension between her and Patrick. Wynter told Lewis Knight from ''Radio Times'' that Patrick wants more from Yolande than she can provide, but she "promises Patrick that she'll be all his" after the fundraiser. The show's story team worked with End Violence Against Women Coalition and Hourglass to accurately portray the story. Chris Clenshaw, the show's executive producer, wanted the story to raise awareness about "how women at any age can be groomed by someone in a position of power". Andrea Simon, the director of End Violence Against Women Coalition, praised how the story explores sexual assault with an older, black woman and hoped it would "dispel myths and stereotypes about what victims and survivors look like and how perpetrators behave". Veronica Gray, deputy CEO of Hourglass, called the story "a landmark moment for all older victims of abuse in the UK and beyond". She hoped it would create an open dialogue for the audience around the sexual abuse of older people.


Storylines


2003–2017

Yolande arrives in
Albert Square Walford is a fictional borough of East London in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. It is the primary setting for the soap. ''EastEnders'' is filmed at Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, towards the north-west of London. Much of the location work i ...
as
Patrick Trueman Patrick Trueman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Rudolph Walker. He made his first appearance on 13 September 2001. On 7 December 2015, Walker filmed his 1,000th episode as Patrick. For his portrayal of ...
's (
Rudolph Walker Rudolph Malcolm Walker CBE (born 28 September 1939) is a Trinidadian-British actor, best known for his roles as Bill Reynolds in ''Love Thy Neighbour'' (1972–1976) and Constable Frank Gladstone in '' The Thin Blue Line'' (1995–1996), as wel ...
) holiday romance. They had met during Patrick's visit to his homeland of
Trinidad Trinidad is the larger, more populous island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the country. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is the southernmost island in ...
, where the middle-aged couple enjoyed a steamy affair, much the contrary to Yolande's unhappy and stolid marriage to a strict, uptight, and
religious Religion is a range of social- cultural systems, including designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relate humanity to supernatural ...
Victor (Ben Thomas), whose traditional beliefs objectify women to the purpose of bearing and raising children. Concerned that all Patrick wants is a casual fling, Yolande prepares to return to Trinidad, but is persuaded to stay after Patrick admits he has fallen in love with her. Victor arrives in Walford to take Yolande home, and gives Patrick £10000 to relinquish and allow him to bring his wife back to Trinidad unhindered. Although tempted, he ultimately refuses, and goes to return the money to Victor; however, Yolande spots Patrick with the money in his hand and mistakenly believes that he has accepted Victor’s offer. She leaves for Trinidad alone, taking the £10,000 with her, but returns to Walford upon Victor’s arrival back in Trinidad, settling down and sharing the money with Patrick. Yolande and Patrick eventually marry, fostering a little girl, Katie (Parhys-Jai Cato). They forge a small business empire in Walford, owning and managing the Minute Mart convenience store, the square’s
bed and breakfast A bed and breakfast (typically shortened to B&B or BnB) is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast. In addition, a B&B sometimes has the hosts living in the house. ''Bed and breakfast'' is also used to ...
and eventually Trueman's Motors. Yolande strikes up a feud with Pat Evans (
Pam St Clement Pamela Ann Clements (born 11 May 1942), known professionally as Pam St Clement, is an English actress. She is known for portraying the role of Pat Butcher in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 12 June 1986 until 1 January 2012, with a guest ...
) when she starts to become involved in Trueman's Motors, in competition with Pat’s own car dealership. Their rivalry intensifies when Pat begins an affair with Patrick, with their Minute Mart employee
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 ...
) catching them kissing and telling Yolande, causing a brawl in the
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...
public house A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption Licensing laws of the United Kingdom#On-licence, on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the ...
. Yolande goes to a nightclub to seek revenge in kind on Patrick, and propositions
Kevin Wicks Kevin Wicks is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Phil Daniels. Kevin made his first appearance on 17 February 2006, when he was introduced to the show alongside his two children, Carly ( Kellie Shirley) and ...
(
Phil Daniels Philip William Daniels (born 25 October 1958) is an English actor, musician and singer, most noted for film and television roles playing Londoners, such as the lead role of Jimmy Cooper in ''Quadrophenia'', Richards in '' Scum'', Stewart in '' T ...
); he reciprocates, and the pair arrange to go back to his house for sex, but she has second thoughts and backs out. The next day, she confesses to Patrick that she almost had sex with another man, and, albeit reluctantly, decides to give Patrick another chance. Patrick accidentally turns off the chiller cabinet at the Minute Mart and sells the unrefrigerated food, giving a number of customers food poisoning. Complaints result in a visit from a Minute Mart head office inspector, who is so impressed with Yolande's efforts to clean up the shop that she is subsequently offered a job at the Minute Mart HQ in
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...
. Yolande accepts with delight and busily prepares for the move, despite Patrick wanting her to stay in Walford. Yolande leaves Walford and, as he waves her off at the tube station, Patrick tells her that once the house is sold he will join her in Birmingham; however, the plan never comes to fruition, and Patrick later receives their divorce papers. Nine years later, Yolande returns when she attends
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 ...
'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 ...
) disciplinary hearing at the Minute Mart HQ, attempting to control the meeting to ensure Denise keeps her job. An argument ensues when
Harry Beckett Harold Winston Beckett (30 May 1935 – 22 July 2010) was a British trumpeter and flugelhorn player of Barbadian origin. Biography Born in Bridgetown, Saint Michael, Barbados, Harry Beckett learned to play music in a Salvation Army band. A ...
(Mark Bagnall) tells Denise that she needs to go on a training course; however, Denise refuses and quits her job while Yolande says that if anyone needs to go on a course, it should be Harry. Yolande goes to see her former husband Patrick for his birthday, where they dance and reminisce.


2023–present

In March 2023, Patrick announces that he is leaving Walford to try and locate Yolande, in an attempt to win her back. Months later, Yolande returns to the square after being kicked out of her ex-partner's property in Birmingham after he found out about Patrick and Yolande's secret affair. Yolande asks Patrick if she can stay with him, but he is reluctant so Yolande decides to leave. Patrick changes his mind and convinces Yolande to remain in Walford. Soon after Yolande' ex-boyfriend
Anton Anton may refer to: People *Anton (given name), a list of people with the given name *Anton (surname), a list of people with the surname Places *Anton Municipality, Bulgaria **Anton, Sofia Province, a village *Antón District, Panama **Antón, ...
(Cavin Cornwall) arrives in Walford and it is revealed that Yolande has been on the run for money that he has stolen from their church, though Anton leaves after exonerating Yolande. Yolande feuds with
Elaine Peacock Elaine Peacock (also Knight) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Introduced as the mother of established character Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), Elaine is originally played by Maria Friedman from October 2014 until J ...
(
Harriet Thorpe Harriet Amelia Thorpe (born 8 June 1957) is an English actress. Thorpe trained at London's Central School of Speech and Drama. She is known for her roles in the British sitcoms '' The Brittas Empire'' (1991–1997) and ''Absolutely Fabulous'' ( ...
) over setting up a community carol singing group. When Yolande sees Denzel Danes (Jaden Ladega) being attacked by a group of youths, she attempts to help him but falls and is videoed and posted online. In Patrick’s absence, Yolande becomes close to Pastor Clayton (Howard Saddler). Their friendship draws suspicion from residents, including Denzel and Yolande's church members. When one of her church members Agatha (Chloe Okora) spreads rumours that Yolande is sleeping with Pastor Clayton, she slaps her. Yolande proposes that the church’s offering should fund a food truck to feed the community. Pastor Clayton agrees with the idea and embraces Yolande by groping her. She grows uncomfortable around Pastor Clayton and when he attempts to touch her again, she expresses her concerns. He then gives the idea to his wife Stella Clayton (
Velile Tshabalala Velile Tshabalala is an English actress, known for portraying Kerching!#Kareesha Lopez, Kareesha Lopez in ''Kerching!'' and Rosita in the 2008 ''Doctor Who'' special "The Next Doctor". Background Born in Whitechapel, London, Tshabalala was raise ...
). Patrick returns as the food truck idea is being passed back to Yolande, who was gaslighted by Pastor Clayton into believing she made up his harassment. At a fundraiser for the food truck, Pastor Clayton sexually assaults Yolande, and she later confides in Elaine about the attack. Flashbacks reveal that Yolande is not Pastor Clayton's only victim, and that he has been raping and assaulting women across London since 2001. Yolande urges Elaine to not to tell anybody about the attack. Yolande’s loved ones become concerned about her withdrawn behaviour and Patrick confides in Pastor Clayton, who tries to manipulate Patrick into believing that Yolande is suffering from dementia. Furious, Yolande eventually reveals to Patrick that Pastor Clayton had sexually assaulted her. Patrick tries to persuade Yolande to report the incident to the police, but she refuses for fear that she will not get justice, so decides to report him to their church minister, Levi (Mark Akintimehin). Levi does not get back to Yolande, causing her to worry. Chelsea asks Yolande to be godmother to her son Jordan Atkins and during his baptism, Pastor Clayton gropes her again. Yolande reports him to the police and he is arrested. Pastor Clayton is released due to insufficient evidence, upsetting Yolande. Levi returns and agrees to help Yolande gain justice, and encourages Yolande to once again report Pastor Clayton with
Delia Bennett Delia Bennet (1892–1976) was an American artist. She is associated with the Gee's Bend quilting collective, and is said to be "the matriarch of perhaps the largest family of quilt producers in Gee's Bend. Her work is included in the collection ...
(
Llewella Gideon Llewella Gideon (born 27 September 1967) is a British actress, comedian and writer. She has appeared in a number of comedy series, including '' Absolutely Fabulous'', '' The Real McCoy'', '' The Crouches'', and '' The Delivery Man'', and provid ...
) – another woman who Pastor Clayton had sexually assaulted. More women who Pastor Clayton had assaulted start to speak up, causing him to return to Walford to confront Yolande. After unsuccessfully threatening Yolande into dropping her case against him, he commits suicide. After realising that she will never achieve justice, Yolande has a crisis in faith; however, she recovers it on Christmas Eve 2024 when she meets with the other survivors of Pastor Clayton's abuse. Yolande helps to serve food to the homeless on Christmas Day, where she meets
Nigel Bates Nigel Bates is a fictional character from the British BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Paul Bradley (English actor), Paul Bradley. Introduced in 1992 by Leonard Lewis, the character was incorporated gradually and brought back as a regula ...
( Paul Bradley). Yolande and Nigel become friends and he reveals to her that he has early onset dementia.


Reception

For her role as Yolande, Angela Wynter won "Best Actor" at the 2024
Radio Times ''Radio Times'' is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in September 1923 by John Reith, then general manage ...
Soap Awards. She was longlisted for "Best Actress" at the 2024 ''Inside Soap'' Awards. ''The Voice'' claimed that Yolande "was an instant hit with viewers, especially within the African-Caribbean community" and hailed Yolande and Patrick as "most loved Black TV couple." Morris from ''What to Watch'' dubbed Yolande a "legendary" and "iconic" character. Stephen Patterson, writing for the ''
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 ...
'', expressed hope that the character would return and called her "a firm-favourite with viewers". The ''
Radio Times ''Radio Times'' is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in September 1923 by John Reith, then general manage ...
'' Laura Denby believed that a return for the "strong-willed" character would be a positive move for the soap and opined that she is "one of the good ones". She called her a "feisty, vibrant character we know and love." Her colleague, Stefania Sarrubba, deemed her return "hotly-anticipated". Lewis Knight, also from the publication, included Yolande's reintroduction as an example of the show's "renaissance". In 2024, he said that Yolande's return " emindedus just how much we had missed her warmth and wisdom".


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Trueman, Yolande British female characters in soap operas EastEnders characters Fictional Black British people Fictional Caribbean people Fictional shopkeepers Television characters introduced in 2003 Fictional victims of sexual assault