List of EastEnders characters (1996) facts for kids

The following is a list of characters who first appeared in the BBC soap opera EastEnders during 1996.

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Michael Rose

Michael Rose, played by Russell Floyd, arrived in Walford in 1996. He worked as a Market Inspector. Michael was chosen to be the best man at Terry Raymond's wedding, but the wedding did not happen.

Later, his teenage son Matthew and former wife Susan Rose came to Walford in 1997. Susan was unwell, and Michael took care of her. He and Susan got back together. They seemed happy until Lisa Shaw, another Market Inspector, arrived. Michael and Lisa became close for a short time. Michael decided to end this and leave Walford with Susan. They moved to Leeds to start a new life. Susan did not know about his brief relationship with Lisa.

Michael returned sometimes in 1999. This was when his son Matthew was wrongly put in prison for a serious crime. Michael's last appearance was in December 1999, when he visited Matthew in prison.

Dan Zappieri

Dan Zappieri, played by Carl Pizzie, first appeared on 19 March 1996. This was Carl Pizzie's first big role on television. He enjoyed playing a character who was a bit of a "bad guy." Before this, he had only played "regular guys."

Aunt Sal

Aunt Sal is played by Anna Karen. She has appeared on the show since 21 March 1996. She usually appears for only one or two episodes at a time. She is Peggy Mitchell's sister.

Ben Mitchell

Ben Mitchell has been played by six different actors. Matthew Silver played Ben as a baby from 1996 to 1998. Morgan Whittle played him as a toddler from 1999 to 2000. After six years, Charlie Jones took over the role in 2006.

Ben returned to EastEnders in 2006, played by child actor Charlie Jones. Jones was cast at the same time as Megan Jossa, who played his cousin Courtney Mitchell. Ben is partially deaf in the show.

Joe Wicks

Joe Wicks, played by Paul Nicholls, appeared on screen from 25 March 1996 to 14 November 1997. EastEnders was praised for how it showed Joe's story about schizophrenia. The show's story editor, Ian Aldwinkle, wanted to introduce a character with this illness. He had worked on another show, Casualty, which showed dramatic events about people with the illness, but only focused on the medical side.

Aldwinkle researched the illness and learned that it affects many people, but it was rarely talked about. He said that EastEnders could show how schizophrenia affects a family and relationships. He wanted to make it more understandable and show the emotional impact on people. He hoped the storyline would help viewers. He felt that mental illness was often joked about, which he thought was wrong. He said he would be happy if even one person felt that Joe Wicks's character helped change their life for the better.

Lorraine Wicks

Lorraine Wicks, played by Jacqueline Leonard, joined the show in April 1996. She was the former wife of David Wicks (Michael French). She came to the show with her son Joe Wicks (Paul Nicholls).

Lorraine was described as "sensible, fair and nice." She had a tendency to choose the wrong kind of men. Her main story was about Joe's diagnosis of schizophrenia. Another big story for Lorraine was a love triangle. This involved her, Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp), and Grant's wife Tiffany (Martine McCutcheon). Lorraine found out that Tiffany was keeping a secret from Grant about her unborn child. When Tiffany would not tell Grant, Lorraine did. This led to Lorraine and Grant becoming a couple for a short time.

Alistair Matthews

Alistair Matthews, played by Neil Clark, was a store manager. In April 1996, he caught Sarah Hills (Daniela Denby-Ashe) taking something from his store without paying. He promised not to call the police if she joined his Christian group. Sarah was interested in Alistair's Christian teachings and joined his group. Frankie Pierre (Syan Blake) was also interested in Alistair.

Jim Branning

Jim Branning was a character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. He was played by John Bardon. Jim first appeared on 29 April 1996 and became a regular character in 1999. He stayed on the show until 2011.

Jim was written out of the show in August 2007 because John Bardon had a stroke. A story was created where Jim also had a stroke. Bardon returned to film a few episodes in late 2008. He came back permanently in August 2009. In April 2011, it was reported that Bardon had filmed his last scenes. He left the show on 26 May 2011.

In 2000, Jim started a romantic story with Dot Cotton, played by June Brown. Their relationship developed slowly. Dot often seemed surprised by Jim's interest and turned him down many times. Dot finally said yes to his marriage proposal in November 2001. These scenes were filmed inside one of the capsules of the London Eye. Their wedding was shown on 14 February 2002, which was Valentine's Day.

Suzy Branning

Suzy Branning (originally called Sue) is the daughter of Jim and Reenie Branning. She was first seen in 1996 for her sister April Branning's wedding. She came with her children, Rebecca and Kevin. Julie Christian-Young first played Suzy in 1996. Maggie O'Neill took over the role in 2008. O'Neill started filming in May 2008 and first appeared on screen on 8 July 2008. Her last appearance was on Boxing Day 2008.

Derek Branning

Derek Branning, played by Terence Beesley in 1996 and Jamie Foreman from 2011 to 2012, is the oldest child of Jim Branning and Reenie Branning. Derek first appeared on 29 April 1996 and left soon after. The character returned as a regular in November 2011, played by Foreman.

Derek was first shown as someone who did not like his sister Carol marrying Alan. Derek was described as a "charmer" and a "proper East-End" person. Jamie Foreman said he wanted viewers to "like Derek." Foreman explained that Derek was a "very complicated character." He could be seen as a bully or as someone who cares a lot for his family. Derek had just returned from a 10-year prison sentence. The character passed away on Christmas Day 2012 after having a heart attack.

Reenie Branning

Reenie Branning, played by Joy Graham, was the first wife of Jim Branning. She was the mother of Derek Branning, April Branning, Carol Jackson, Suzy Branning, Max Branning, and Jack Branning.

Reenie was a very caring mother to all her children. She was especially close to her oldest daughter, April. Her relationships with Carol and Suzy were more difficult because of their life choices. Reenie appeared on screen in April 1996, before April's wedding. She did not appear with her youngest sons, Max and Jack, as they joined the show later. In October 1999, it was revealed that Reenie was very ill. Her daughter Carol left Walford to care for her. Reenie passed away a few weeks later.

Huw Edwards

Huw Edwards, played by Richard Elis, joined the show in 1996 and stayed until 1999. Richard Elis was first cast for a small role of three episodes. However, the producers liked the character and extended his contract. In December 1998, it was reported that Huw would leave the show. However, Elis said in 2010 that he chose to leave in 1999. He had played Huw for three years and did not want to be known only for that role.

Elis said that being on the show was great, but it was just a job for him.

Lenny Wallace

Lenny Wallace was played by Desune Coleman from 28 May 1996 to 6 July 1999. Coleman was performing in a musical when he was cast as Lenny. He filmed for EastEnders and performed in the musical at the same time for two weeks. He called it the "most hectic time" of his life.

Lenny was introduced around the same time as Huw Edwards. Coleman felt they were not "huge storyline characters." He said they helped support other stories. Lenny was a fun-loving person who did not take life too seriously. He liked loud music and was interested in ladies. He first appeared in Walford in May 1996. Lenny and his friend Huw were hired by George Palmer to work as barmen at the Cobra Club.

Lenny and Huw soon moved to Albert Square. They rented a house from Mark and Ruth Fowler. Their house was next to Ian Beale's. They often annoyed Ian by playing very loud music at night. They also ran a pirate radio station from their home for a while. Besides working as a barman, Lenny also became a cab driver in 1997. Lenny spent much of his time playing poker and hosting parties. He was also a bit of a flirt. He quickly took an interest in Bianca Jackson.

When the Cobra Club closed, Lenny lost his job. He and Huw could not pay their rent. Mark and Ruth asked them to leave, but they refused. Huw then moved into Barry Evans's flat, leaving Lenny alone. Lenny was angry, but Mark and Ruth let him stay as a lodger. He lived with them for several months. Then, he and Huw made up and decided to live in a flat at 47 Albert Square.

Lenny was very interested in speedway motorbike racing. He took Ricky Butcher to a race once. Ricky turned out to be a good racer. Lenny tried to convince Ricky to become a professional speedway racer so he could be his manager. However, Ricky's wife Bianca took over the job instead. In 1998, Lenny returned to working as a barman. He worked for Annie Palmer at the Market Cellar until she fired him. Then he worked for Steve Owen at the e20 club.

Lenny's past relationships caused problems when his ex-girlfriend, Alice McMahon, arrived. She told him she had tested positive for Hepatitis B. She worried he might also have it and told him to get tested. Robbie Jackson overheard them and told his sister, Bianca. Everyone in the Square turned against Lenny. He felt alone and sad. However, Huw supported him. Lenny was relieved when his test results for Hepatitis B were negative.

Later that year, Lenny helped promote Mick McFarlane's band. He also went to France with Huw, Barry, and Robbie to watch the 1998 World Cup. He also started a relationship with Teresa di Marco. This ended when Teresa's brother, Gianni, found out. Gianni knew about Lenny's past and did not want Teresa to see him.

After Huw left Walford in April 1999, Lenny stayed and worked at the e20. When his boss, Steve Owen, was put in prison, Lenny's friends were angry because he supported Steve instead of Matthew Rose. Steve had wrongly said Matthew was involved in a serious crime. Soon after, Lenny was offered a job at a club in the West End. He took the offer and left Walford in July 1999.

Simon Raymond

Simon Raymond, played by Andrew Lynford, joined the show in 1996. He was the brother of Tiffany Mitchell (Martine McCutcheon). Simon stayed on the show until 1999. It was decided by Andrew Lynford and the producer that the character's story had come to an end. Simon's story ended happily. He reunited with his former friend Tony to travel around Europe. Lynford said that he and the writers wanted to show Simon as a "perfectly normal" young man.

Frankie Pierre

Frankie Pierre appeared between 1996 and 1997, played by Syan Blake. Frankie was introduced as someone who caused trouble in relationships. She tried to break up several couples during her year on the show. Frankie's arrival in June 1996 was part of a story that broke up the marriage of Alan and Carol Jackson. Frankie left the show in March 1997. It was reported that Syan Blake and the producers decided to write her character out. This was because the actress was receiving threats from angry fans who could not tell the difference between the character and the actress.

Mick McFarlane

Mick McFarlane was played by Sylvester Williams from 24 June 1996 to 22 January 2002. Williams liked the role because Mick's background was interesting.

Mick was a musician. He arrived in Albert Square in June 1996. His jazz band came to try out for a regular performance at the Bridge Street café's night Bistro. Alan Jackson, who managed the night café, hired them. Mick's ex-girlfriend Frankie Pierre was the singer in the band. She caused problems in several relationships before she left the band. This left Mick without a band and no income. He had to find other work. He started working at the café in May 1997.

In 1998, Mick decided to start his band again. He held auditions for a new singer. After many tries, he found a young singer named Lola Christie. Mick was immediately interested in Lola, and they started dating. However, Lola was offered a contract as a professional singer later that year. She broke up with Mick and left the band.

Later that year, Mick's mother, Josie McFarlane, visited him from Jamaica. Mick was worried about her visit. He had told her he was a successful musician. She was not happy to find out Mick was working in a café. However, Josie had her own secrets. She brought a young girl named Kim with her. Josie said Kim was a distant relative. Eventually, Josie admitted that Kim was Mick's half-sister. Kim's mother had passed away, and Josie took Kim in. Josie also confessed that she had lost all her money in a scam in Jamaica. Mick was very surprised to learn that his parents had kept this secret for so long. But he welcomed his mother and half-sister into his life and home. Mick soon liked having a little sister, even though Kim followed him around a lot at first. Later that year, Ian Beale fired Mick. This happened after several people got sick from food poisoning.

In January 1999, Mick became friends with the new doctor, Fred Fonseca. Mick moved in with Fred. Fred later lent Mick money when Mick decided to take over Matthew Rose's CD stall. Later that year, Mick, Fred, and some other Walford residents went to Brighton. Fred was attending a medical meeting there. While they were away, it became clear to everyone, except Mick, that Fred had something to tell him. Fred was afraid to tell Mick. He took Mick to a club hoping Mick would understand. Mick did not realize what Fred was trying to say. He was very surprised when Fred finally told him. Mick was hurt that Fred had not felt able to trust him. Their friendship stayed strong. Mick later started dating barmaid Nina Harris. However, Mick's mother caused problems again. Mick and Josie's relationship was difficult. Mick even called his mother a "lonely, bitter, old woman." Soon after, Josie had to leave England because of a problem with her visa. She left Kim in Mick's care. Mick and Nina's relationship ended when Nina left Walford to care for her sick father.

With the added responsibility of caring for his young sister, Mick got a part-time job. He worked as a limousine driver for Phil Mitchell. However, Phil fired him after finding dog hair in the car. This started a disagreement between them. Phil tried to make things difficult for Mick. Despite his dislike for Phil, Mick's money problems made him ask for his job back at the café. He also worked as a radio controller for Barry Evans's cab company. In early 2002, Mick was offered a job as a touring saxophone player in a band. But he had to turn it down because he was Kim's legal guardian. Soon after, he needed money to send Kim on a school trip. He asked Phil for an advance on his wages. Phil refused. Mick had to sell his saxophone to get the money instead. When Kim found out, she bought his saxophone back with the money for her school trip. She contacted Mick's musician friend and accepted the job for him. Kim insisted that Mick should follow his dream. So, Mick left Kim with a relative away from the Square. He left Walford himself in January 2002.

George Palmer

George Palmer, played by Paul Moriarty, appeared between 1996 and 1998. Paul Moriarty was asked to read for the role of George along with 10 other actors. Moriarty was called back right away and asked to start working the next day. He said it was "quite overwhelming." He had watched the show but not regularly. He showed up at the studios the next day, went straight to makeup, and then to Albert Square for his first scene. He felt like he had "landed on Mars." George was described as "shady." The character was one of many to be written out in 1998. This happened after the show's ratings went down.

Betty

Betty, also known as Auntie Betty, was played by Vivienne Martin. She was Arthur Fowler's aunt from Leigh-on-Sea.

Betty was often mentioned in the show. Her home was a place where the Fowlers could go to escape Walford. In 1986, Arthur, his wife Pauline, and daughter Michelle told Pauline's mother, Lou Beale, they were visiting Betty. But they were actually looking for their missing son Mark. Later that year, Arthur thought about asking Betty for money for Michelle's wedding. He did, but instead of money, she sent Michelle a note about "what to expect of married life."

In 1988, Lou spent some time with Betty before returning home. Arthur and Pauline also stayed at Betty's in late 1989. This was while Pauline was recovering from being hit by Ricky Butcher's car.

Betty appeared in 1996 for Arthur's funeral. She came with her friend Gerard. Betty was greeted by Pauline and Mark. Gerard made some rude and insensitive comments about Arthur, which upset many people there. Betty had a long-standing disagreement with Nellie Ellis. This went back to World War II.

In 2004, Pauline named her dog after Betty.

Charlie Mason

Detective Chief Inspector Charlie Mason, played by Campbell Morrison, was a detective. He first appeared when Ian Beale was shot. This happened because of his wife, Cindy Beale. Charlie Mason later appeared when Tiffany Mitchell fell down the stairs at The Queen Victoria pub. He arrested Grant Mitchell for a serious incident on Christmas Day 1998. He also appeared at the investigation into Tiffany's passing in January 1999. He investigated Saskia Duncan's disappearance in March 1999. He also appeared at the trial of Steve Owen and Matthew Rose in October 1999. This was his last appearance.

Terry Raymond

Terry Raymond, played by Gavin Richards, first appeared briefly in 1996. He was the father of Tiffany Mitchell and Simon Raymond. He became a full-time character in 1997 and stayed until 2002. Actor Gavin Richards decided to leave the show. Terry was not removed from the show's story. He left in 2002 to find his estranged wife.

Other characters

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