The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the British soap opera EastEnders in 2021, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive producer, Jon Sen.[1] The first character to be introduced in 2021 is Caleb Malone (Ben Freeman), who joined as part of a storyline involving Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams) and Lucas Johnson (Don Gilet). Zack Hudson (James Farrar) made his debut in March, followed by Dana Monroe (Barbara Smith) and Estelle Jones (Sue Holderness) in April. Violet Highway (Gwen Taylor) was then introduced in May. Tom "Rocky" Cotton (Brian Conley) made his first appearance in May pretending to be Terry Cant, the father of Sonia Jackson (Natalie Cassidy). Dani Dyer guest-starred as Jeanette in June and Harvey Monroe (Ross Boatman) made his debut in July. Kate Robbins was then cast in the guest role of music agent Jen Glover, making her first appearance in August. In October, Delroy Atkinson, Charlie Wernham and Heather Peace made their debuts as Howie Danes, Aaron Monroe and Eve Unwin, respectively, as well as Alyssa, the child of Jada Lennox (Kelsey Calladine-Smith) and Dennis Rickman (Bleu Landau). Additionally, multiple other characters appear throughout the year.
Caleb Malone
| Caleb Malone | |
|---|---|
| EastEnders character | |
| Portrayed by | Ben Freeman |
| First appearance | Episode 6209 25 January 2021 |
| Last appearance | Episode 6238 16 March 2021 |
| Classification | Former; guest |
| Introduced by | Jon Sen |
Caleb Malone, played by Ben Freeman, first appears in episode 6209, originally broadcast on 25 January 2021.[2] The character and Freeman's casting details were announced on 12 January 2021.[3] Caleb is introduced as part of a story with Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams) and her father, Lucas Johnson (Don Gilet), although details regarding the story were embargoed.[3] Rianne Houghton from Digital Spy suggested that Caleb could be involved in Chelsea's plot against her father.[3] Freeman was contracted for multiple episodes, appearing in a small stint.[3] A Heart reporter called Caleb "a very mysterious new character".[4] The character departs in episode 6238, originally broadcast on 16 March 2021.[5]
Caleb arrives in Walford to meet Chelsea, having spoken previously on the phone about a "job" in which Cheslea is using Lucas as a "courier". Caleb comments to Chelsea that her clothes appear expensive so she clearly knows how to spend the money she took from him. She insists he will get it back and he says to make sure nothing goes wrong, making a veiled threat towards her.[2]
Zack Hudson
Zack Hudson, played by James Farrar, first appears in episode 6237, originally broadcast on 16 March 2021.[5] The character and Farrar's casting details were announced on 31 January 2021.[6] Zack is introduced as the son of Gavin Sullivan (Paul Nicholas) and half-brother of established character Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), although this is embargoed until his first appearance.[7] The character is billed as a "unpredictable troublemaker who lives life in the fast lane".[6] He is described as "forever the ladies' man" and Jon Sen, the show's executive producer, called him a "charming rogue".[6] Farrar noted that Zack becomes a "heartthrob" who causes tension with the Carter family.[7] The character's backstory states that he experienced a challenging childhood which gave him attachment issues and turned him into a "lone wolf".[6] Farrar expressed his delight at joining EastEnders and hoped to bring his experience as "a born and bred Londoner" to the role.[6] He liked Zack's backstory and commented, "there is a real depth to him that I can't wait to explore."[6] He found the role of Zack different to other roles he has portrayed.[7] Sen dubbed Farrar "a wonderful addition" and teased that "trouble is always just round the corner" for Zack.[6]
Dana Monroe
Dana Monroe (initially credited as Dana Adams), played by Barbara Smith, first appear in episode 6247, originally broadcast on 1 April 2021.[8] She is introduced as a love interest for Bobby Beale (Clay Milner Russell), who meets her under a false alias.[9] Smith previously appeared on EastEnders in 2019 as Ellie.[10] Smith auditioned for the role of Dana over Zoom due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on television and despite thinking that she had not performed well, Smith was cast as Dana. She was initially cast in a 6-month guest stint, but was promoted to a regular cast member and had her family introduced to the soap. Dana has been shown to be a bubbly and likeable character and critics have noted that it has been refreshing to have a character with good intentions on EastEnders.[11]
As well as her on-off relationship with Bobby, her tumultuous relationships with her relatives have been central to Dana's storylines. Father Harvey Monroe (Ross Boatman) is shown to be a strict father to Dana and attempts to control her, while brother Aaron Monroe (Charlie Wernham) disgusts Dana with his racist and Islamophobic attitudes. Smith noted that despite Dana being at the bottom of the Monroe family's power hierarchy, it would not stop her from attempting to change their family's old-fashioned mindsets.[11] Smith's departure was announced in June 2022, having been written out by new executive producer Chris Clenshaw.[12] Dana made her departure in episode 6549, originally broadcast on 1 September 2022.[13] The character's relationship with Bobby has been well received by viewers and critics, with one of their scenes nominated for Feel Good Moment at the 2021 Inside Soap Awards.[14] Smith was also nominated in the newcomer categories at the 2021 I Talk Telly Awards and the Digital Spy Reader Awards for her portrayal of Dana.[15][16]
Estelle Jones
| Estelle Jones | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EastEnders character | |||||
| Portrayed by | Sue Holderness | ||||
| First appearance | Episode 6261 26 April 2021 | ||||
| Last appearance | Episode 6264 30 April 2021 | ||||
| Classification | Former; guest | ||||
| Introduced by | Jon Sen | ||||
| |||||
Estelle Jones, played by Sue Holderness, first appears in episode 6261, originally broadcast on 26 April 2021.[17] The character and Holderness' casting details were announced on 26 March 2021.[18] Holderness was contracted for a guest stint and appears in four episodes.[19] The actress expressed her delight at her casting and found filming on the EastEnders set a "surreal" experience.[18] EastEnders marks Holderness' first time filming a soap.[19] Estelle is introduced as a love interest for Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick).[18] Holderness described her character as "a good time girl" who adopts a carefree attitude to money and enjoys "fine dining".[19] The character is a theatrical agent who works with children.[19] She arrives for a photoshoot with Billy's daughter, Janet Mitchell (Grace).[18] Estelle meets Billy and becomes "very intrigued" by him.[19] Holderness did not think that Estelle and Billy were well suited, but felt Billy needed "some fun in his life".[19] Estelle departs in episode 6264, originally broadcast on 30 April 2021.[20] Holderness expressed an interest in reprising the role again.[19]
Estelle is theatrical agent who Billy meets at when dropping his daughter Janet off for a photoshoot. They go on a date and Estelle asks Janet's mother and Billy's ex-wife, Honey Mitchell (Emma Barton), if she is okay with them dating. Honey approves but is upset to learn that Estelle is paying Janet less than the other children, believing it to be because Janet has Down syndrome. Estelle states that this isn't the case and that she is paid less because of her inexperience. Estelle goes on another date with Billy and Honey appears, refusing to take Janet to any more photoshoots.
Vi Highway
| Vi Highway | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EastEnders character | |||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Gwen Taylor | ||||||||||
| Duration | 2021–2023 | ||||||||||
| First appearance | Episode 6265 3 May 2021 | ||||||||||
| Last appearance | Episode 6660 9 March 2023 | ||||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||
| Introduced by | Jon Sen | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Violet "Vi" Highway, played by Gwen Taylor, first appears in episode 6265, originally broadcast on 3 May 2021.[21] The character and Taylor's casting details were announced on 17 March 2021.[22] Vi is billed as the "quick-witted and blunt" grandmother of established characters Callum Highway (Tony Clay) and Stuart Highway (Ricky Champ).[22] She is described as a "steely" and dependable woman with a "very warm heart" deep down.[22] Taylor characterised Vi as "sharp but honest" and said that she places importance on her family.[23] Johnathon Hughes from the Radio Times dubbed Vi a "plucky pensioner" who is "no-nonsense, takes no prisoners and has absolutely no filter".[23]
When developing the character, Taylor took inspiration from her own mother who would regularly share her opinions.[23] Hughes felt that Vi could fill the void of the "cockney matriarch" missing from the show. Taylor liked the idea of developing Vi into this character and hoped writers would explore this.[23] Taylor first auditioned for EastEnders in 1984 for one of the show's original characters, but was rejected due to not being from the area.[23] Jon Sen, the show's executive producer, was pleased with Taylor's casting, calling her "the perfect actress to play the multi-faceted Violet Highway".[22]
The character is introduced in the build up to Callum's wedding to Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden).[22] She arrives after Ben informs her about the wedding and when she meets him, Vi warns Ben that Callum was a good person until he met Ben.[22] Vi then arranges a chat with Ben's father, Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden); Taylor explained that Vi is not in "fighting mode" when she meets Phil, which meant he did not need to fear her. The actress enjoyed working with McFadden, who helped her adjust to the filming schedule.[23] Sen teased that Vi is "a grandmother not to be messed with", which he said Callum and Stuart would quickly learn.[22] On Vi's relationship with her grandchildren, Taylor commented, "She loves those boys and is incredibly protective of them."[23] In her backstory, Vi spent a lot of time caring for Stuart as a child, but did not do the same with Callum. As a result, she favours Stuart.[22][23]
Discussing future storylines for her character, Taylor told Hughes that Vi has a secret, which would explain how her life has panned out. She wanted the character to be well-embedded in the show before the secret was explored.[23] The secret was revealed in November 2021 when it emerges Vi has another son, Christopher, who she gave away because she feared she couldn't provide enough support as he has Down syndrome.[24]
Tom "Rocky" Cotton
| Tom "Rocky" Cotton | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EastEnders character | |||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Brian Conley | ||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 2021–2023 | ||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | Episode 6274 18 May 2021 | ||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | Episode 6830 29 December 2023 | ||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Jon Sen | ||||||||||||||||
| Crossover appearances | Emmerdale (2021) | ||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
Tom "Rocky" Cotton, played by Brian Conley, first appears in episode 6274, originally broadcast on 18 May 2021.[25] The character and Conley's casting details were announced on 15 February 2021.[26] The character is introduced as Terry Cant, the father of established character Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy).[26] Whilst the concept of Terry Cant had been referenced since Sonia's introduction, it received more focus in June 2020 when Sonia decides to search for him.[26] The character is billed as the "ultimate people pleaser" and a charmer.[26] His arrival creates "a huge shock" for Sonia, who had given up looking for her father.[26] Conley expressed his delight at joining the cast, calling it "an incredible moment for me".[26] His father was a big fan of EastEnders, so the actor was proud to be a part of the show.[26] Jon Sen, the show's executive producer, thought Conley was the perfect casting for Terry Cant and called him "a talented performer whose charm, wit and charisma are exactly the qualities we want for Terry".[26]
Development
Producers plotted a twist in the character's story when it is revealed that he is not Terry Cant, Sonia's father. In reality, he is Tom Cotton, the uncle of Dotty Cotton (Milly Zero), who she introduced to con Sonia out of her inheritance.[27] Conley was informed of his character's real identity when he was cast and explained that the double identity led to the creation of the nickname "Rocky".[27] Over time, Rocky becomes emotionally connected to Sonia and struggles to continue with the plot. He also develops a relationship with Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth), and later marries her.[27]
On 12 September 2023, it was confirmed that Conley had quit the show,[28] and his last appearance aired on 29 December 2023 which saw Rocky in police custody admitting to the fire at the cafe after an emotional goodbye to Kathy.
Storylines
Rocky arrives in Walford and instantly bumps into Rainie Highway (Tanya Franks) after leaving the tube station. He asks her for directions to Albert Square and then arrives at the local club, where he charms punters with stories. Sonia walks into the club and argues with Dotty Cotton (Milly Zero) and comes face with Rocky but is unaware of who he is and leaves after labelling him a pervert. Rocky then arrives at The Queen Vic looking for Sonia, who hides from him but he finds her and introduces himself as her father, confirming that he received a letter that she had sent to him. After Sonia tells Rocky that her mother, Carol Jackson (Lindsey Coulson) told her that he had walked out on them, Rocky tells Sonia that he loved Carol and says they would have remained together, if it had not been for Carol's next partner Alan Jackson (Howard Antony). He asks Sonia to have a drink with him, which she agrees to and recognises Carol's brother, Jack Branning (Scott Maslen). Rocky tries to build bridges but Sonia is unwilling to.
He later marries Kathy Sullivan (Gillian Taylforth), to which unbeknownst to Kathy he has a previous wife he married in 1997. Jo Cotton (Vicki Michelle) arrives onto the square and reveals to Rocky she still has "Jasper", who was later revealed to be a Parrott after much speculation Rocky had a secret son. She later arrives on their wedding day and tells Rocky she wants money for her silence. Kathy later finds out what had happened and orders Jo to leave. Jo later then blackmails them both for £50,000 to keep quiet about Rocky's bigamy and they later both rack up the money and Jo then leaves the square.
In October 2023, it is revealed that Rocky has a gambling addiction. He is falling into more debt and later falls into the bad hands of Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry) after he falls into a debt with him. Nish continues to blackmail Rocky, to which Harvey Monroe (Ross Boatman) finds out and tries to help Rocky through his debt – to which Rocky then burns down Kathy's cafe in an insurance scam attempt to receive the money to satisfy Nish's demands.
Jeanette
| Jeanette | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EastEnders character | |||||||
| Portrayed by | Dani Dyer | ||||||
| Appears in | Episode 6289 15 June 2021 | ||||||
| Classification | Former; guest | ||||||
| Introduced by | Jon Sen | ||||||
| |||||||
Jeanette, played by Dani Dyer, appears in episode 6289, originally broadcast on 15 June 2021.[29] The character and Dyer's casting details were announced on 5 May 2021.[30] Jeanette is introduced as a pregnant taxicab driver who drives Mick Carter, portrayed by her real-life father Danny Dyer, to his wife's baby scan appointment.[31] Dyer was contracted for a cameo appearance in one episode.[30] She enjoyed filming with her father and admitted that he would try making her laugh during filming.[31] For the role of Jeanette, Dyer had to learn how to drive a taxi. She admitted to not being a confident driver, so she did test runs before filming.[31] While taxiing Mick, Jeanette's waters break and he has to help her give birth. Dyer initially researched how to act pregnant, before deciding to use her own experiences when portraying the character. She also had to wear a fake baby bump, which she enjoyed.[31]
Jeanette is flagged down by Mick after his car suffers a flat tyre in his attempts to get to the hospital where his wife Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) is having a baby scan. Jeanette is heavily pregnant herself, and when they stop for her to use the loo, her waters break. She panics as her partner is away, but Mick takes charge of the situation and drives her to the hospital. Once there, she pleads with Mick not to leave her, calling him her guardian angel (something which Mick called her when they first met), and Mick accompanies her as she has the baby.[29] She gives birth to a boy, who she names Michael.[32]
Harvey Monroe
| Harvey Monroe | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EastEnders character | |||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Ross Boatman | ||||||||||
| Duration | 2021–present | ||||||||||
| First appearance | Episode 6311 22 July 2021 | ||||||||||
| Classification | Present; regular | ||||||||||
| Introduced by | Jon Sen | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Harvey Monroe, played by Ross Boatman, first appears in episode 6311, originally broadcast on 22 July 2021.[33] The character and Boatman's casting details were announced on 9 June 2021.[34] Harvey is introduced as the father of newcomer Dana Monroe (Barbara Smith), who is in a relationship with Bobby Beale (Clay Milner Russell).[34] He is billed as "traditional and a real family man".[34] Boatman described him as "an old-school East Ender with traditional values".[35] Harvey is a taxi driver.[35] The character's backstory states that he was brought up in Bow, London and has raised Dana on his own. Subsequently, they have a close relationship.[34]
Boatman had long dreamt of joining EastEnders, so when he learnt about the role of Harvey, he became determined to win the part. Due to social distancing restrictions, the actor had to record his audition; he spent two days recording the audition and estimated that he rehearsed "about 20 times" for each scene.[35] He admitted to being nervous about his first day on-set, despite his long career.[35] Boatman felt "blessed" to join the cast of a show he has dreamed of joining.[34] Jon Sen, the show's executive producer, called Boatman "perfect to play the affable father to Dana" and thought the character would "shake up the Beale family dynamics".[34]
Producers gave the character a home on Albert Square, the show's setting, and a job as a taxi driver at the local taxi firm.[36] Boatman was excited about the developments and commented, "it feels solid. I can't tell you how exciting it is - I feel fantastic".[36] The actor explained that Harvey is "excited" to move closer to Dana and thought it was "a new beginning for them both".[36] Writers used Harvey's arrival as an obstacle in Dana and Bobby's new relationship.[34] Harvey is initially delighted with Dana's new relationship, but does not realise that Dana is not telling the truth about Bobby. Boatman noted that his character thinks "Bobby is a keeper".[36] During the moving process, Harvey learns that Bobby killed his sister as a child.[36] Boatman explained that Harvey feels understandably "alarmed" and "worried" about Dana's safety and related to the situation as he has a daughter of a similar age to Dana.[35] He used his experience as a father to develop his character and thought it was realistic for Harvey to be "interfering".[36] Boatman enjoyed working with Smith and Milner Russell, who he praised.[36]
A friendship is soon formed between Harvey and Tom "Rocky" Cotton (Brian Conley), after Rocky tells Harvey about Bobby's past. Boatman told Alice Penwill of Inside Soap that Harvey sees Rocky as a "really nice guy, almost a kindred spirit on the Square", but warned that his character perhaps should not trust Rocky.[36] Boatman liked the friendship and wanted it to be explored further, as he enjoyed working with Conley.[36] The Monroe family were developed in October 2021 through the introduction of Harvey's eldest son Aaron Monroe (Charlie Wernham). Harvey and Aaron have a close relationship.[37] The introduction of Aaron solidified the family as a new unit within the soap, with connections to the Beale family through Dana and Bobby's relationship.[37] For his portrayal of Harvey, Boatman won the Best Newcomer award at the 2022 British Soap Awards.[38]
Jen Glover
Jen Glover, played by Kate Robbins, first appears in episode 6319, originally broadcast on 5 August 2021.[39] The character and Robbins' casting details were announced on 11 July 2021.[40] Jen is introduced as the music agent friend of Terry "Rocky" Cant (Brian Conley).[40] She is billed as "no-nonsense" and an "old-school rocker".[40] Jen arrives to work with singer Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) on the recommendation of Rocky and becomes "determined" to make Whitney famous.[40] Robbins was contracted to the soap for a guest role.[40] The actress expressed her joy at appearing in EastEnders and called it "a dream".[40]
Annie Carter
| Annie Carter | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EastEnders character | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Uncredited (2021–2022, 2023–present) Savannah Keir (2022–2023) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 2021–present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | Episode 6342 13 September 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Present; recurring | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Jon Sen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Annie Carter is the daughter of Max Branning (Jake Wood) and Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), born in episode 6342, first broadcast on 13 September 2021. Annie is a result of a long-term affair between her parents, which is a major factor in her mother's declining marriage to Mick Carter (Danny Dyer), in addition to Linda's alcoholism which also played a large part in their divorce. Annie is later raised in Sharon Watts' (Letitia Dean) home; Sharon is Linda's best friend, who let Linda stay with her after the breakdown of her marriage, under the condition she stays sober. Linda mostly manages this, and is falsely reported to social services by Jada Lennox (Kelsey Calladine-Smith) after being blackmailed into it by Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks), in a desperate attempt to keep Mick away from Linda.
Mick disappears on Christmas Day 2022, following an attempt to save Linda after she is driven off of a cliff by Janine and is presumed dead. Linda takes back control of the Vic, struggling with grief over Mick, but continues to hang on for her children Ollie Carter (Harry Farr) and Annie. They are later joined by grandmother Elaine Peacock (now Harriet Thorpe), her fiancé George Knight (Colin Salmon), and his two daughters Gina (Francesca Henry) and Anna Knight (Molly Rainford). In January 2024, Annie's half-sister Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) returns to Walford along with her nephew Louie Beale (Jake McNally) and her cousin Penny Branning (Kitty Castledine) – Lauren doesn't know of Annie's existence until a brief conversation with her cousin Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy) in a bid to stop her again departing Walford. Lauren goes into the Vic and demands to meet Annie. Linda later lets Lauren meet Annie and they soon bond as Lauren is still struggling with the death their sister Abi Branning (Lorna Fitzgerald).
Howie Danes
| Howie Danes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EastEnders character | |||||||||
| Portrayed by | Delroy Atkinson | ||||||||
| Duration | 2021–present | ||||||||
| First appearance | Episode 6357 11 October 2021 | ||||||||
| Classification | Present; regular | ||||||||
| Introduced by | Jon Sen | ||||||||
| Spin-off appearances | Kimfluencer (2022) | ||||||||
| |||||||||
Howie Danes, portrayed by Delroy Atkinson, first appears in episode 6357, originally broadcast on 11 October 2021.[41] The character was first publicised in advanced spoilers released on 4 October 2021, where he was named Vince Hubbard.[42] Howie is introduced as part of a story exploring the disappearance of established character Vincent Hubbard (Richard Blackwood) as his wife, Kim Fox (Tameka Empson), searches for him.[43] The character is a children's entertainer and had been using Vincent's identity.[42] Atkinson described his character as vulnerable, which he thought was "refreshing".[44]
Writers then integrated Howie into the Fox-Trueman family unit by developing a romance between him and Kim. Atkinson was pleased to be involved in the group and liked working with Empson, Diane Parish (Denise Fox) and Scott Maslen (Jack Branning).[44] Howie's son, Denzel Danes (Jaden Ladega), was introduced in August 2022.[45] Atkinson thought it would be interesting to see how Howie responds to being a parent and could offer a deeper exploration of the character.[44] For his portrayal of Howie, Atkinson was nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2022 Inside Soap Awards.[44]
Kim overhears Mitch Baker (Roger Griffiths) cab booking for someone using the name "Vince Hubbard" and decides to investigate it as she believes it is her husband, Vincent. She traces the booking to Walford East restaurant, where she finds children's entertainer Howie. He reveals that he was a security guard at a junkyard and found Vincent's wallet. Kim learns that Vincent is dead and pleads with Howie to accompany her to report his death to the police. Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) realises their plan and scares Howie away, leaving Kim devastated. Kim later visits the junkyard to seek answers and spots Howie, who explains that Phil threatened him. At Christmas, Howie visits Kim with presents for her children and agrees to join Kim in reporting Vincent's death.
He then returns to help Kim film a scholarship video for her daughter, Pearl Fox (Arayah Harris-Buckle). Howie decides to change the video without Kim's permission and she orders him to leave. She comes around when Pearl gets the scholarship. Kim assumes that Howie is gay and does not realise that he has feelings for her; she sets up him on a date with another man until Howie confesses his feelings. Kim is initially not keen on a relationship with Howie and he leaves. However, when Howie injures his leg, Kim decides to help him and invites Howie to move in with her at 20 Albert Square. Howie struggles with Kim's eagerness to help and decides to move back home to Walford Towers after recovering. Kim drops a bag on his leg resulting in him staying longer. Howie pursues a relationship with Kim once again and they start dating.
Howie starts receiving phone calls from an unknown person and he tells the caller that he loves them. He meets with a woman, Delilah (Chereen Buckley), who is revealed to be his ex-girlfriend and mother to his son, Denzel. She leaves Denzel to stay with Howie and Kim and they struggle to bond together. Denzel causes trouble and when Amy Mitchell (Ellie Dadd) collapses after taking drugs, Denzel is accused of providing her with the drugs until Lily Slater (Lillia Turner) admits the truth.
Aaron Monroe
| Aaron Monroe | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EastEnders character | |||||||||
| Portrayed by | Charlie Wernham | ||||||||
| Duration | 2021–2022 | ||||||||
| First appearance | Episode 6363 21 October 2021 | ||||||||
| Last appearance | Episode 6475 26 April 2022 | ||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||
| Introduced by | Jon Sen | ||||||||
| |||||||||
Aaron Monroe, played by Charlie Wernham, first appears in episode 6363, originally broadcast on 21 October 2021.[46] The character and Wernham's casting details were announced on 9 August 2021.[37] Aaron is introduced as the eldest son of Harvey Monroe (Ross Boatman) and brother of Dana Monroe (Barbara Smith).[37] The character's introduction establishes the family as a new unit in the show, with connections to the Beale family through Dana's relationship with Bobby Beale (Clay Milner Russell).[37] The character is billed as "a confident and fiercely loyal individual".[37] He is described as a "wayward son".[37] Aaron's backstory states that he was raised by Harvey, who he shares a close relationship with, and left home as soon as he got a job in finance in inner-city London.[37] Wernham expressed his happiness at being cast and called joining the soap "a childhood dream".[37] Jon Sen, the show's executive producer, was pleased with Wernham's casting and teased that there is "more to Aaron than his bravado lets on".[37]
The character arrives to visit his family in their new home and quickly decides to stay in Walford.[37] Aaron has a "strained" relationship with Dana, who feels isolated from Aaron.[37] Sen called Aaron the "opposite" of Dana and teased that their differences would test Aaron and Dana's respective relationships with Harvey.[37] Producers used the characters of Aaron to explore racism and religious hatred, and far-right radicalisation.[47][48] Thomas Coombes was cast as Neil, the leader of the far-right group, who encourages Aaron's involvement in a terrorist attack. To accurately portray the story, the show's story team worked with Nigel Bromage, the founder of Exit UK, and a team of former far-right members.[48] Sen wanted to explore the issue in a different way, by telling the story through "a family who have an extremist in their midst".[48] Wernham departed the series at the conclusion of the story, as confirmed on 8 June 2022.[49] Aaron's final scenes feature in episode 6475, originally broadcast on 26 April 2022.[50]
Eve Unwin
| Eve Unwin | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EastEnders character | |||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Heather Peace | ||||||||||||
| Duration | 2021–present | ||||||||||||
| First appearance | Episode 6369 29 October 2021 | ||||||||||||
| Classification | Present; regular | ||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Jon Sen | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
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Eve Unwin, played by Heather Peace, first appears in episode 6369, originally broadcast on 29 October 2021.[51] The character and Peace's casting details were announced on 29 August 2021.[52] Eve is introduced as the cellmate and wife of established character Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner), who recently returned to the show.[53] The character is billed as "tough-as-nails" and Peace described her character as "tough, but fair; super bright and cheeky".[54] She dubbed her a "loveable and quick-witted" woman with a short temper.[55] The actress thought that any of Eve's illegal and immoral behaviour is often justified and understandable.[55] Turner called Eve "hot-headed".[56] The character, like Peace, is a member of the LGBT community. The actress was proud to create representation of the community on the soap.[55] Peace expressed her delight at joining the cast and enjoyed working opposite Turner.[54] On Peace's casting as Eve, executive producer Jon Sen commented: "Heather brings the perfect amount of boldness and wit to the role".[54]
The character's backstory states that she was imprisoned for a short sentence but it was repeatedly extended after committing crimes in prison.[52] She then met Stacey in prison and they became friends, marrying to secure a permanent residence for Eve.[53] Sen explained that Eve and Stacey share a "very unique friendship", stemming from their shared prison experience.[52] Turner told Sophie Dainty from Digital Spy that Eve and Stacey have "a great chemistry", reflected in her working relationship with Peace.[56] The friendship between Eve and Stacey was tested by Stacey's mother, Jean Slater (Gillian Wright). Kate Oates, the show's senior executive producer, explained that Jean thinks Eve will create trouble for Stacey. She teased that Jean may go to "extreme" lengths to protect Stacey from Eve.[52]
Alyssa Lennox
| Alyssa Lennox | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EastEnders character | |||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Uncredited | ||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 2021–2022 | ||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | Episode 6368 29 October 2021 | ||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | Episode 6614/5 25 December 2022 | ||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Former; recurring | ||||||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Jon Sen | ||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
Alyssa Lennox is the baby daughter of Dennis Rickman Jnr (Bleu Landau) and Jada Lennox (Kelsey Calladine-Smith), who first appears in Episode 6368 on 29 October, when she is left on Zack Hudson (James Farrar) and Sharon Watts' (Letitia Dean) doorstep. They initially believe her father to be Zack. Martin Fowler (James Bye) also suspects that he is the father of Alyssa; to clear up their beliefs, they both participate in a paternity test. The test results conclude that neither of them are the father of Alyssa, however, when mother Jada was first seen, it was revealed that it was Sharon's son Dennis who was the father.
Alyssa was born on 22 August 2020 and was conceived when her parents were only thirteen and fourteen years old. When Dennis drowned in the boat, Jada was three months pregnant, meaning she never got the chance to tell him about the pregnancy. When Jada revealed that Dennis was the father of Alyssa, Sharon did a DNA test, which proved she was telling the truth. After a while, Sharon tried to go for full custody of Alyssa, with the help of her ex-husband Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden), however when Zack tells Jada about this, her convinces her to move in with him, Sharon, her son Albie (Arthur Gentleman) and Martin. When Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) moves into the Watts' household, Jada, Martin and Zack are against this due to her being a recovering alcoholic and having Alyssa, Albie and Linda's daughter Annie Carter livinhg there. Jada ends up being blackmailed by Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks) into planting empty bottles around the house and calls social services. The guilt causes her to move to her aunts, taking Alyssa with her. However, Alyssa returns on Christmas Day when Jada returns to tell Sharon the truth about the blackmail.
Jada Lennox
| Jada Lennox | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EastEnders character | |||||||||
| Portrayed by | Kelsey Calladine-Smith | ||||||||
| Duration | 2021–2022 | ||||||||
| First appearance | Episode 6373 8 November 2021 | ||||||||
| Last appearance | Episode 6614/6615 25 December 2022 | ||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||
| Introduced by | Jon Sen (2021) Chris Clenshaw (2022) | ||||||||
| |||||||||
Jada Lennox, played by Kelsey Calladine-Smith, first appears on episode 6373, originally broadcast on 8 November 2021.[57] The character and Calladine-Smith's casting was first publicised in advanced spoilers released on 2 November 2021.[58] Jada is introduced as the mother of 1-year-old Alyssa, who was left on the doorstep of 29 Albert Square in earlier episodes.[58] This sparked a new story as Zack Hudson (James Farrar) and Martin Fowler (James Bye) were considered as possible fathers.[59] The character's arrival reveals the truth: established character Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), Zack's half-sister, is the grandmother of Alyssa, via her dead son Dennis Rickman (Bleu Landau).[60]
On 10 June 2022, the character's departure was announced, having been written out alongside three other characters by new executive producer Chris Clenshaw.[12] A show insider explained that the decision was part of "a creative decision" from Clenshaw, who wanted to "take the show back to its roots".[12] Calladine-Smith reflected on her tenure in a social media post, commenting, "My EastEnders experience has brought me nothing but smiles".[61] The character departs after being blackmailed by Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks) into framing Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) and having her daughter, Annie Carter, removed from her care.[62] Jada exits in episode 6548, originally broadcast on 31 August 2022.[63] Calladine-Smith's return was confirmed on 13 December 2022; Jada returns during the show's Christmas episodes as part of the conclusion to Janine's story.[64] Brooks explained that Jada's return would cause "shock and fear" for Janine.[65] The character appears in episode 6614/6615, originally broadcast on 25 December 2022.[66]
Jada first appears whilst watching Alyssa from a distance. When Alyssa drops her teddy, Jada keeps it and tries to leave it on Sharon's doorstep. Zack notices her and when she tries to run, she is chased by Zack and Sharon. Jada reveals that she is Alyssa's mother and that Sharon's deceased son, Dennis, is Alyssa's father, but Sharon accuses Jada of lying. When Jada reveals intimate details of Dennis' life, including Sharon's affair with Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters), she comes around and takes Jada in. Sharon later gets a DNA test which proves that Alyssa is Dennis' daughter. Dennis' adoptive father Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) believes that Jada is struggling to look after Alyssa and convinces Sharon to go for full custody. Zack overhears their plan and tells Jada, who flees with Alyssa.
Months later, Zack meets her to return Alyssa's toy after seeing them in Bethnal Green. He persuades her to return to Walford, and whilst outside the train station, Jada is inattentive to Alyssa, causing her pram to roll into the path of an oncoming car. Sharon saves her and asks Jada and Alyssa to move in with her, promising to let Jada keep Alyssa. Jada starts working for Denise Fox (Diane Parish) at her salon, Fox & Hair. She befriends Will Mitchell (Freddie Phillips) and bumps into her old friends Chess Newland (Liani Samuel) and Melody Wiles (Niamh Longford). When Sharon decides to go on holiday with her infant son Albie Watts, Chess and Melody plan a party at Sharon's house without Jada's permission. Jada persuades Zack and Martin to leave the house, however, Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy) overhears the music and ends the party after catching Will smoking. Zack and Martin decide to tell Sharon but change their mind. Jada learns that Denise is selling her salon, causing Jada to lose her job. She is comforted by Zack and they spend time together; Jada tries kissing Zack, but he rejects her. Jada lies to Sharon that Zack had kissed her instead, so Sharon decides to evicts him until Jade admits the truth. When Linda buys into the salon, Jada is reemployed.
When Jada sees Stuart Highway (Ricky Champ) purchasing pills, they have a heart-to heart and he realises his mistake. He asks Jada to dispose of the pills but Denise discovers the pills on Jada, and confiscates them. Lily Slater (Lillia Turner) steals them and gives them to Amy Mitchell (Ellie Dadd), who collapses after taking them. Jada is confronted by residents, including Linda, and she sacks Jada, who struggles to find another job. Janine convinces Jada to help her scheme against Linda, but when Linda rehires her, Jada refuses to help Janine. However, Janine has recorded Jada admitting her intentions for revenge and blackmails her into planting alcohol on Linda and reporting her to Social Services for neglecting and harming her daughter Annie. Jada is guilt-ridden and confesses the truth to Sharon before fleeing Walford with Alyssa. Jada agrees to return for Christmas Day with Alyssa and confesses to Sharon that Janine blackmailed her. Together, they reveal the truth to Linda and Mick Carter (Danny Dyer).
Jordan Atkins
| Jordan Atkins | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EastEnders character | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Uncredited | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 2021–present | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | Episode 6404 27 December 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Present; recurring | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Jon Sen | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
Jordan Atkins is the son of Chelsea (Zaraah Abrahams) and Gray Atkins (Toby-Alexander Smith) who is born prematurely at 24 weeks.[67] He is named after Chelsea's deceased half-brother, Jordan Johnson (Joivan Wade). Just before his birth, Chelsea discovered Gray's abuse towards his previous wife, Chantelle Atkins (Jessica Plummer) and was trying to escape him.
On 20 January 2022, Chelsea went with Kheerat Panesar (Jaz Singh Deol) to get him registered as 'Jordan Fox', without Gray's name on the birth certificate, only to find out Gray had already registered him with both he and Chelsa's name on the certificate, which devastates Chelsea as Gray now has full control and if they did split he has parental rights. In March 2022, Gray attempts to flee Walford, taking Jordan along with his other two children Mia (Mahalia Malcolm) and Mackenzie (Issac Lemonius) with him, but Karen Taylor (Lorraine Stanley) stops him after he admits to murdering Chantelle, and is subsequently arrested and imprisoned. On 21 June, Jordan has a meningitis scare, due to Chelsea not having him vaccinated, but got the all clear. In February 2023, Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) loses a baby scan photo, but to her delight Jordan finds it.
Other characters
| Character | Episode date(s) | Actor | Circumstances |
|---|---|---|---|
| DS Latham | 1 January 2021 | Kumbi Mushambi | A police officer who asks Stuart Highway (Ricky Champ) to talk in his car; Stuart is taken to the police station and Latham is present while Stuart is questioned by DI Steve Thompson (Philip Wright) off the record about Stuart's attack on Thompson. |
| Elspeth | 7 January 2021 | Jo Coffey | Lucas Johnson's (Don Gilet) parole officer. He meets with her and says a recent attack on him was a coincidence and not targeted towards him. He tells her he is sticking to his parole conditions and she says she is impressed that he is not looking for revenge. |
| Dr Robinson | 11 January 2021 | Jane Garda | A doctor who Jean Slater (Gillian Wright) visits after finding a lump in her breast. Dr Robinson is due to take a biopsy but Jean says she knows it is cancer. While Dr Robinson is out of the room, Jean leaves before having the biopsy. |
| Dr Shah | 14 January 2021 | Bhawna Bhawsar | A doctor looking after Patrick Trueman (Rudolph Walker) following his stroke. She tells Patrick there should be no lasting damage. Patrick refuses to take his blood thinning medication but his wife, Sheree Trueman (Suzette Llewellyn) tells Dr Shah that she will make sure he does. |
| Dr Ibrahim Ramzen | 15 January 2021 | Valmike Rampersad | A GP who Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) visits with his wife, Sharon Beale (Letitia Dean), when he is feeling unwell. He thinks he is struggling to recover following an attack the previous month and Sharon suggests it could be his mental health rather than something physical, so Dr Ramzen offers to give him blood tests and a mental health assessment. |
| Dr Hobbs | 18–22 January 2021 (2 episodes) |
Tim Lewis | A private doctor who Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) visits when he is feeling unwell. Dr Hobbs offers a toxicology examination in case Ian has taken an overdose. The next day, Dr Hobbs leaves Ian a voicemail saying the test results are concerning and asking Ian to call him. |
| Jed | 25 January 2021 | James Backway[2] | A man who Frankie Lewis (Rose Ayling-Ellis) introduces to Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) as the paternal half-brother of her dead maternal half-brother, Harry, on the anniversary of Harry's death. Jed says that his father never wanted anything to do with Harry but allowed him to keep in touch, which raises suspicions in Linda because her husband, Mick Carter (Danny Dyer), was raped by his carer, Katy Lewis (Simone Lahbib), when he was 12, resulting in Frankie's birth. Linda presses Jed for details on his connection to Harry, asking if he is actually Harry's father but Jed denies this and calls Linda sick, but then becomes angry and says he did as he promised and never mentioned Harry or what happened between Katy and "any of us", revealing that he and other boys were victims of Katy's and he is indeed Harry's father. |
| PC Turner | 28 January 2021 | Poppy Roe | A police officer who takes a statement from Mick Carter (Danny Dyer) about the abuse he suffered as a child. |
| Darien | 29 January 2021 | Alex Austin | A man who watches Lucas Johnson (Don Gilet) and Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams). Darien leaves something on some flowers, which Chelsea takes. Lucas then confronts Darien as a man who had previously attacked him. Darien asks if Lucas is the person who will be delivering drugs for Chelsea, to which Lucas says he is but does not know many details so Darien tells him details. |
| Bea | 10 February 2021 | Maria Leaf | A clairvoyant who visits Max Branning (Jake Wood), however, he changes his mind about seeing her and accuses her of being a con artist. Bea talks about Max's daughter, Abi Branning (Lorna Fitzgerald) and says she can sense her presence. She says that Abi forgives Max for what happened in the past. |
| Simone Garner | 12 February 2021 | Teresa Zaylor | A solicitor hired by Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) to finalise his annulment from Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) and to make her the sole proprietor of The Queen Victoria public house. |
| DI Pine | 12 February– 13 December 2021 (3 episodes) |
Seabert Henry | A police colleague of Jack Branning (Scott Maslen), who tells Jack he is interviewing a victim of child sexual abuse. Jack sees Mick Carter (Danny Dyer) in the interview room. |
| Nurse Novia Fernandez | 16 February 2021 | Yvonne Wickham | A nurse who treats Peter Beale (Dayle Hudson) after a fall but has to leave before she can administer pain relief. |
| Mrs Tenadii | 16 February–14 October 2021 (3 episodes) |
Michelle Huirama | A hospital consultant who arrives to give Peter Beale (Dayle Hudson) pain relief after a fall but sees it has already been administered. Peter says he did it himself but she assumes his friend, Ash Kaur (Gurlaine Kaur Garcha), an off-duty nurse who has been drinking, has done it, and suspends Ash from her job pending an investigation. |
| Stan "Stas" Saunders | 22 February–28 May 2021 (6 episodes) |
Adam Young | An associate of Phil (Steve McFadden) and Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden). He comes to the Mitchells to launder money but also speaks to Kheerat Panesar (Jaz Deol), who offers to do it cheaper and faster. However, Phil's girlfriend, Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace), tells him that Stas met Kheerat so Phil is able to secure the business with Stas by revealing that his meeting was leaked. Kat sees Stas and later, Stas does not go to his meeting with Ben, revealing that he dislikes the Mitchells' nickname for him, "Shell Suit Stan", which he heard from Kat, who was upset by something Phil said about her. Phil tells Ben to let Kheerat have the deal with Stas because he will mess it up. Stas increases the amount of money to be laundered from £50,000 a week to £100,000 and Kheerat agrees. Kheerat allows Ben to work with him and Stas because the Panesar name is not well known but the Mitchells are. Stas says he cannot trust Ben because of his relationship with a police officer, Callum Highway (Tony Clay) and asks Ben if he and Phil have called him "mad" behind his back, threatening to shoot someone if he does not tell the truth. Ben admits that they have, so Stas then says because he cannot trust Ben, he now cannot trust Kheerat and the deal is off, demanding his money back or he will shoot someone. Kheerat calls his brother, Vinny Panesar (Shiv Jalota) to bring the cash but Vinny is confronted by a thief. With Callum's help, Vinny escapes the thief. Stas threatens to shoot someone when Vinny arrives, giving Stas his cash. Stas agrees to keep to the deal but confirms to Ben that Kat told him about the Mitchells' "mad" comments about him. Later, Kheerat decides to give Vinny a job to look after one of Stas's associates. Vinny agrees to drive the man and sees he has gold bars in a bag in the boot of the car. Vinny then sees the man has died suddenly so he calls Callum and shows him the gold. Callum contacts Ben, who delivers the gold to Stas. When Ben returns, he says Stas thinks the man stole some of the gold and it will not be found and he congratulates Vinny on his good job. Vinny then reveals to his family that he stole the gold. Kheerat's mother, Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal), later agrees to launder money for Stas but Kheerat says it is too much and turns him down. |
| Fern Driscoll | 23 February 2021 | Carrie Bunyan | A pregnant woman that Ruby Allen (Louisa Lytton) meets at a clinic. She carries around a photo of her 12-week scan photo, which Ruby steals to pretend that she is pregnant. |
| Mike | 4 March 2021 | Charlie MacGechan | Two men at the E20 nightclub that harass Tiffany Butcher-Baker (Maisie Smith) whilst she is serving them drinks. |
| Tony | Lewis Rainer | ||
| Amelia | 8 March 2021 | Lydia Piechowiak | A talent scout who wants to audition Janet Mitchell (Grace) for a commercial. |
| Kel | 11 March 2021 | Matt Tedford | |
| Jade | 11 March 2021 | Libbi Fox | |
| Sally | 16 March 2021 | Jill Stanford | Gavin Sullivan's (Paul Nicholas) sister. She informs Gavin's ex-wife Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth) of his death and later meets Kathy and Gavin's daughter, Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), at his wake. |
| Fiona | 22 March 2021 | Suzy Cooper | |
| Pricilla Madden | 25 March 2021 | Chevin Dash | |
| Miss Bellamy | 25 March 2021 | Maisie Greenwood | |
| Dr Cheng | 25 March 2021 | Meryl Griffiths | |
| Richard | 29 March 2021 | Nico Tatarowicz | |
| Alanagh | 30 March 2021 | Shala Nyx | |
| Kam | Luke Kidd | ||
| Paul Chewins | 1 April–16 June 2021 (3 episodes) |
Scott Baker | |
| Tom | 1 April–21 May 2021 (3 episodes) |
Richard Pryal | |
| Clara | 5–6 April 2021 (2 episodes) |
Chelsea Smith | |
| PC Murray | 6 April 2021 | Charlotte Bradford | |
| Molly Ellis | 6 April 2021–18 April 2022 (7 episodes) |
Juliette Alexandra[68] | The owner of a dog that Bailey Baker (Kara-Leah Fernandes) and Bernadette Taylor (Clair Norris) have been taking care of. After retrieving her dog, Molly asks Bernadette on a date. However, she learns that Bernadette has plans to be a surrogate mother for Rainie (Tanya Franks) and Stuart Highway (Ricky Champ), which Molly vocalises her disagreement with. Bernadette explains that their payment is to benefit her family, who come first for her, and she tells Molly that they are done. |
| Rafe Vaughan | 12 April–20 July 2021 (5 episodes) |
Daniel Boys | |
| Chloe | 15–16 April 2021 (2 episodes) |
Saskia Chambers | |
| Billie | Keturah Chambers | ||
| Greg | 15–19 April 2021 (3 episodes) |
Lloyd Morris | |
| Judge Doherty | 15 April 2021 | Lin Sagovsky | |
| DC Ahmed | 15 April 2021 | Shelley McDonald | |
| DC Abrahams | 15 April 2021 | Sophie Cartman | |
| Alex (Alexander) Oakton | 16 April 2021 | Luke Higgins | |
| Leah | 27 April 2021 | Amie Buhari | |
| Nyangi Marwa | 30 April–1 June 2021 (3 episodes) |
Lucy Vandi[69] | The mother of Mila Marwa (Ruhtxjiaïh Bèllènéa). She finds Mila in Walford and tries to persuade her to marry a man named Joseph. However, Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth), who Mila is living with, affirms that Mila is gay and that the marriage would not be good for her. Nyangi continues to tell Mila that she will marry Joseph until Mila states that she has done enough for their family. Mila learns that Nyangi plans to take her sister Kioni (Florisa Kamara) away on a supposed holiday. Mila recalls to when her mother told her the same story when she was Kioni's age and realises that Nyangi is having Kioni undergo female genital mutilation. Kathy calls the police on her and Nyangi is subsequently arrested. Nyangi is sentenced to imprisonment in December 2021. |
| DS Haden | 30 April–3 May 2021 (2 episodes) |
Jo Napthine | |
| Dr Sakura Mori | 4 May 2021 | Haruka Kuroda | |
| Jeremy | 10–11 May 2021 (2 episodes) |
Alim Jayda | |
| Reg | 10–11 May 2021 (2 episodes) |
Geoffrey Freshwater | |
| Rita | 13 May 2021 | Madelyn Smedley | |
| Dr Nitesh Devi | 13 May 2021 | Armaan Kirmani | |
| Georgina Barnes | 24 May 2021 | Uncredited | |
| Cassie | 17 May 2021 | Rhiannon Bailey | |
| Shanice | 17 May 2021 | Siobhan Bevan | |
| Kioni Marwa | 24 May 2021– 3 February 2022 (15 episodes) |
Florisa Kamara[70] | The sister of Mila Marwa (Ruhtxjiaïh Bèllènéa) who informs Mila that their mother Nyangi (Lucy Vandi) plans to take her on a trip to see an unnamed aunt. Mila later reveals that Nyangi is planning to have her taken to be genitally mutilated, as she was when she was younger. Mila's girlfriend, Iqra Ahmed (Priya Davdra), gets Nyangi sent to prison and Mila is given custody of Kioni. |
| Dwayne | 25–28 May 2021 (3 episodes) |
Emmanuel Ogunjinmi[71] | A man that Kim Fox (Tameka Empson) meets at The Queen Victoria public house selling hand sanitiser. She approaches him and asks if he would like to go on a date, to which he says yes. When Kim's niece Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams) meets him, she informs Kim that he previously dated her best friend and cheated on her with four other women. The two pair up against Dwayne and mess up his car. |
| Fitzy | 3–8 June 2021 (4 episodes) |
Sam Buchanan | |
| Damon Ives | 3 June–13 August 2021 (3 episodes) |
Ekow Otoo | |
| Mya | 10 June 2021 | Lily Howkins | |
| Angela | 15 June 2021– 11 March 2022 (4 episodes) |
Lisa Gorgin | |
| Ella | 16 June 2021 | Maisey Bawden | |
| Chloe | 16 June 2021 | Hannah Brian | |
| PC Johnson | 15 July 2021 | Derek Oppong | |
| Nina | 15 July 2021 | Mariah Louca | |
| Beth | 19–23 July 2021 (2 episodes) |
Natalie Spence | |
| Luce | 29 July 2021 | Amelia Cavallo | |
| Liv | 30 July 2021 | Grace Frost | |
| Jodie | 2 August 2021 | Antonia Rita | |
| Nurse Teresa | 5–13 August 2021 (2 episodes) |
Brede McDermott | |
| James | 10–24 August 2021 (2 episodes) |
Ben Dilloway | |
| Waseem Qureshi | 12 August– 3 December 2021 (3 episodes) |
Faraz M. Khan[72] | Imran Qureshi's (Reda Elazouar) brother. He helps Bobby Beale (Clay Milner Russell) to open a Mosque in Walford, but disagrees with the Mosque being located next to a gay bar. |
| Dr Spears | 12–13 August 2021 (2 episodes) |
Jacqueline Tate | |
| Jackie | 13–20 August 2021 (4 episodes) |
Suzanna Hamilton | |
| Imogen | 16 August 2021 | Athena Stevens | |
| Glen Tilson | 30 August 2021 | Neil Smye | |
| Carrie Walsh | 6–10 September 2021 (3 episodes) |
Lisa Cawthorne | |
| Dr Cole | 7 September– 25 October 2021 (3 episodes) |
Basienka Blake | |
| Judge Hallett | 7–14 September 2021 (2 episodes) |
Amanda Osborne | |
| DS Foden | 14–17 September 2021 (3 episodes) |
David Schaal | |
| Helen Baxter | 16–17 September 2021 (2 episodes) |
Louise Barrett | |
| Ethan | 16–21 September 2021 (4 episodes) |
Richard Bennett | |
| Alex Atkins | 17 September 2021 | Charlie Roe | The father of Gray Atkins (Toby-Alexander Smith) who walked out of his life when Gray was young. Alex calls Gray and tells him that he is currently dying in hospital. Alex later dies from natural causes. |
| Omari | 20 September 2021 | Michael Amariah | |
| Tyler Richards | 20 September 2021 | Uncredited | |
| Lenny | 23 September 2021 | Ben Nelson | |
| Mr Chris Hancock | 24 September 2021 | Simon Tcherniak | |
| Nathan Wood | 27 September– 1 October 2021 (3 episodes) |
Tyrone Huntley | |
| Curtis | 1 October 2021 | Adam Jackson-Smith | |
| Jamal | 12 October 2021 | Aaron Phinehas Peters | |
| Alfie | Uncredited | ||
| Mrs Davis | 14 October 2021 | Jean Warren | |
| Troy | 19 October– 18 November 2021 (2 episodes) |
Craig Nash | |
| PC Goddard | 26 October 2021 | Esther Shanson | |
| George | 28–29 October 2021 (2 episodes) |
Paul Albertson | |
| Justine Simpson | 28–29 October 2021 (2 episodes) |
Debra Michaels | |
| Maria Connor | 2 November 2021 | Samia Longchambon | The Coronation Street character makes an uncredited cameo appearance as part of a week of crossover episodes to coincide with the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26).[73] |
| Freddie | 9 November 2021 | Samson Ajewole | |
| Mr Anderson | 9 November 2021 | Jack Thomson | |
| Sophie | 11 November 2021 | Francesca Williams | |
| Leanne | 11 November 2021 | Camille Ucan | |
| Harriet | 15 November 2021 | Alison Dowling | |
| Magda | 15 November 2021 | Michelle Jeram | |
| DS Hawkins | 16 November 2021 | Gunnar Cauthery | |
| Anna | 30 November–2 December (2 episodes) |
Alice May Simpson | |
| Neil Hughes | 2 December 2021– 12 April 2022 (12 episodes) |
Thomas Coombes[74] | A childhood friend of Aaron Monroe's (Charlie Wernham) who is part of a far-right terrorist group. He arranges numerous crimes to be committed against minority groups, including having Keegan Butcher-Baker (Zack Morris) beaten up, a bomb being planted at a mosque in Albert Square and assaulting a group of LGBTQ+ people including Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden), Callum Highway (Tony Clay), Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner), Eve Unwin (Heather Peace) and Ash Panesar (Gurlaine Kaur Garcha). |
| Mr Pandit | 6–9 December 2021 (3 episodes) |
Andrew Joshi | |
| Cliff | 13 December 2021 | Darren Clarke | |
| Woody | 13 December 2021 | Phil Atkinson | |
| Erica | 14 December 2021 | Libby Liburd | |
| Cody Harris | 14 December 2021 | Joshua Lyster | |
| Derrick | 14–16 December 2021 | Adam Achour | |
| Bill | 16 December 2021 | Uncredited | A customer in The Queen Victoria pub. |
| Dr Reuben | 28 December 2021 | Helene Maksoud | |
| Paula | 31 December 2021 | Lisa Geoghan |
References
- ↑ "EastEnders boss reveals FIRST LOOK at this year's explosive Christmas drama". What's on TV. 31 August 2020. Archived from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- 1 2 3 Rob Gittins (writer); Sarah Esdaile (director); Jon Sen (executive producer) (25 January 2021). "Episode dated 25/01/2021". EastEnders. BBC. BBC One.
- 1 2 3 4 Houghton, Rianne (12 January 2021). "EastEnders casts former Emmerdale star Ben Freeman for Chelsea Fox storyline". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
- ↑ "Who plays Caleb Malone in EastEnders?". Heart. 26 January 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
- 1 2 Steve Casey (writer); Christopher McGill, Richard Lynn and Conor Morrissey (directors); Jon Sen (executive producer) (16 March 2021). "Episode dated 16/03/2021 - Part 2". EastEnders. BBC. BBC One.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Edwards, Chris (31 January 2021). "EastEnders casts former Hollyoaks actor James Farrar as newcomer Zack". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
- 1 2 3 Dainty, Sophie (30 March 2021). "EastEnders newcomer James Farrah promises big trouble as Sharon's brother arrives in Walford". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
- ↑ Carey Andrews (writer); Christopher McGill, Richard Lynn and Conor Morrisey (director); Jon Sen (executive producer) (1 April 2021). "Episode dated 01/04/2021". EastEnders. BBC. BBC One.
- ↑ Patterson, Stephen (28 March 2021). "EastEnders spoilers: Wicked Suki Panesar destroys Bobby Beale's sexual confidence". Metro. DMG Media. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
- ↑ Theil, Michele (15 August 2021). "EastEnders star Barbara Smith recalls forgotten role as another Walford character". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
- 1 2 Lindsay, Duncan (11 February 2022). "EastEnders star Barbara Smith talks Dana and Bobby and kissing scene nerves". Metro. (DMG Media). Retrieved 26 February 2022.
- 1 2 3 Kilkelly, Daniel; Dainty, Sophie (10 June 2022). "EastEnders exits for four characters as show shake-up continues". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
- ↑ Seddon, Dan (2 September 2022). "EastEnders star Barbara Smith speaks out on Dana Monroe exit". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
- ↑ "The Inside Soap Awards 2021". Inside Soap. 28 September 2021.
- ↑ Gonzalez, Elliot [@elliot_gonzalez] (20 November 2021). "What about Soap Newcomer? Will it be @Barbarasmith0 @JamesFarrar or Ruhtxliaih Bèllènéa from #EastEnders? @emilejohn or @KevMathurin from #Emmerdale? Omar Malik or @rhiannonclem from #Hollyoaks? Or @VintaMorgan from #Corrie?Vote now:" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ↑ Joe, Draper (1 December 2021). "Vote for your TV, movies and soaps favourites in the 2021 Digital Spy Reader Awards!". Digital Spy. (Hearst Magazines UK). Retrieved 3 December 2021.
- ↑ Jonny O'Neill (writer); Lance Kneeshaw, Matthew Evans and Laurence Wilson (directors); Jon Sen (executive producer) (26 April 2021). "Episode dated 26/04/2021". EastEnders. BBC. BBC One.
- 1 2 3 4 Houghton, Rianne (26 March 2021). "EastEnders signs up Only Fools and Horses star as Billy Mitchell love interest". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Dainty, Sophie (19 April 2021). "EastEnders newcomer Sue Holderness speaks out on Billy Mitchell's new romance". Digital Spy. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
- ↑ Matt Hartley (writer); Lance Kneeshaw, Matthew Evans and Laurence Wilson (directors); Jon Sen (executive producer) (30 April 2021). "Episode dated 30/04/2021". EastEnders. BBC. BBC One.
- ↑ Kim Revill (writer); Coilin O Scolai, Sarah Esdaile and David Tucker (directors); Jon Sen (executive producer) (3 May 2021). "Episode dated 03/05/2021". EastEnders. BBC. BBC One.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Harp, Justin (17 March 2021). "EastEnders casts Gwen Taylor as Stuart and Callum's grandmother Violet". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Hughes, Johnathon (1 May 2021). "Gwen Taylor on joining EastEnders with a dark secret, and why she's closed the door on Corrie". Radio Times. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
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