Danny Mitchell | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
EastEnders character | |||||||||||||||
Portrayed by | Liam Bergin | ||||||||||||||
Duration | 2010, 2016–2017 | ||||||||||||||
First appearance | Episode 3935 21 January 2010 | ||||||||||||||
Last appearance | Episode 5429 20 January 2017 | ||||||||||||||
Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||||
Introduced by | Diederick Santer (2010) Sean O'Connor (2016) | ||||||||||||||
|
Danny Mitchell [1] is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders , played by soap newcomer Liam Bergin, who appeared from 21 January 2010 [2] to 18 June 2010. He, along with his mother Glenda (Glynis Barber), made a previously unannounced return on 30 December 2016, before departing again on 20 January 2017.
Danny Mitchell first appeared when he visits his mother, Glenda (Glynis Barber), at her house unannounced. Though she is startled, Glenda allows her son to stay with her and he soon learns that her late ex-husband Archie Mitchell (Larry Lamb) had recently been murdered. The next day, Glenda takes Danny to Archie's obituary and gives him the address of The Queen Victoria public house in Walford where his sisters Ronnie (Samantha Womack) and Roxy (Rita Simons) live. Danny goes to The Queen Victoria and interrupts an argument between Ronnie and Roxy. Roxy tells Danny to go away they have just buried their father, to which Danny says he thinks they have just buried his father too. After a visit from Glenda to prove that Danny is who he claims to be, Danny gets talking to his sisters who ask him to stay. Glenda wants him to have nothing to do with them because Archie is still "inside their heads". However, he goes against Glenda's wishes. His cousin Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) is unhappy, thinking he is possibly a younger version of Archie. Danny starts working behind the bar of The Queen Victoria where he meets Amira Masood (Preeya Kalidas). He compliments her, and they later kiss, but the next day she tells him it was a stupid mistake. Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor) overhears Danny on the phone to Glenda and is furious, asking him to leave. Roxy insists that Peggy does not make the rules, but Danny decides to go anyway and packs his things. Before he leaves the Square, Amira's husband Syed Masood (Marc Elliott) confronts him about the kiss, but he assures Syed he will never be returning.
Several weeks later, Peggy receives a call from the police station. When she gets there, she finds Danny shouting to be let out, bloodied and bruised. He explains he had an argument with Glenda and left home, then got in a drunken fight and was put in cells to sober up. He tells her he hoped Roxy would come as Peggy hates him, but she confirms his identity and he is able to leave. He reunited with Roxy who is very pleased to see him, and after a heart-to-heart with Peggy, he vows to help her get The Queen Victoria back from Roxy. Roxy is angry with him for putting the bust of Queen Victoria back on the bar as it was used to kill Archie, but he tells her it is what Archie would have done and she should make him proud. He later sabotages a pump at the pub so Roxy is forced to ask for Peggy's help, and convinces Roxy to buy the beauty salon that is coming up for auction. He is befriended by Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks), who wants to turn him against his family in order to get Roxy's inheritance. Ronnie tells Roxy he cannot be trusted, but he reveals Janine's plan, cementing his place in the Mitchell family. He and Glenda then plan to con Roxy out of her inheritance themselves. He later tells Ronnie that Roxy has hardly any money left because she is spending it on expensive things she hardly uses.
Roxy is curious when Danny asks her for a £700 investment, which he later returns in full, having apparently made a profit. She asks him if she can invest £1000 for his friend to do the same for her, and she is satisfied when she sees him going into a building and meeting somebody. Danny speaks to Glenda on the telephone and tells her to pack a bag. Later, Roxy overhears him on the phone saying he can get a bigger return if he invested more money, so she offers to go halves with him. Danny thinks Ronnie may have figured out his plan when she asks to invest as well, and says he was too late and the deal is off. Glenda arrives in a taxi and Danny tells her he thinks Ronnie is on to him, to which Glenda says they cannot leave empty handed and Ronnie cannot stop them. Glenda urges Danny to find out if Ronnie knows. Ronnie denies overhearing Danny's telephone conversation with Glenda, though Danny tells Glenda that Ronnie is playing games with him. Danny gives Glenda a plane ticket to the United States and says he'll meet her at the airport. Ronnie tells Danny she has worked it out—that Danny is seeing someone. Danny agrees and says it is a married woman, and then calls Glenda to say Ronnie knows about their scheme and Glenda should go to the States on her own. However, she simply tears up the ticket. Danny convinces Roxy to open a joint-signature account so he can help control her money. Glenda returns reveal the plan to Ronnie, after which Roxy catches him putting her cash in a bag. He blames Glenda and Roxy believes him. Roxy attempts to evict her mother but she reveals bruises on her arm and says that Danny has been hitting her. Danny says he is entitled to a share of Archie's money, so Glenda reveals to her daughters that Danny knows Archie was not his father. Danny denies this but Glenda insists it is true, saying that Danny has lied about his middle name being Archie. Ronnie asks to see his driver's license for proof but he says he does not know where it is. Eventually Roxy tells Danny to leave, as she believes her mother over her brother. As Danny leaves, Glenda offers him a key to her flat, revealing her eviction was a lie. In 2011, when Glenda leaves Walford, she moves back into her flat with Danny.
In 2016, Glenda returns to Walford and receives a phonecall from Danny asking her of her whereabouts. A few months later, Glenda returns looking for Roxy, as she has borrowed £3,000 from her and Danny before disappearing. At the end of the year, Roxy calls Glenda to collect her from Walford because she realises she needs help because of her cocaine habit; Glenda and Danny both collect Roxy. The next day, Danny and Glenda bring Roxy back to Walford to collect her things, and Ronnie invites them to her second wedding to Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) that day. After the wedding, Ronnie and Roxy both drown in the hotel swimming pool. Danny supports an emotional Glenda when she identifies Ronnie and Roxy's bodies with Jack and his brother Max Branning (Jake Wood). Danny shows indifference to his half-sisters' deaths and asks about inheritance but is forced to end the subject when Glenda emotionally breaks down as a result of her grief. Danny flirts with Whitney Carter (Shona McGarty) but she pushes him away when he tries to kiss her. When Glenda intends to take custody of Matthew, Danny tells Jack that he can get Glenda to change her mind in exchange for £20,000, so Jack attacks Danny shortly before Glenda tells Jack that she is not doing it for financial gain. She slaps Danny upon learning of his plan and Jack throws him out.
Danny's arrival and casting were announced on 26 December 2009. [2] He arrives for his father Archie's funeral to meet his sisters Ronnie and Roxy. Archie did not know of Danny's existence before his death, as his mother Glenda left Archie after discovering she was pregnant. A secret son for Archie was discussed by the programme's makers for almost a year before the character was announced. [3] However, later episodes reveal that Danny is not Archie's son.
The character is described as a "loveable rogue" and "a charmer with an eye for the ladies, while guys instantly see him as competition in the alpha male stakes." [2] Speaking of his role, Bergin said: "The first time I walked into Albert Square and saw the Queen Vic was a very special moment and I'll have that memory forever. All of my on-screen family have made me feel very welcome from the first moment that I met them and I am enjoying every minute working here." [2] Executive producer Diederick Santer said "Liam is a fine young actor, and a proper East Londoner, who I've been keen to bring into EastEnders for quite some time. His character Danny Mitchell is something of an enigma. [...] Is he simply [Ronnie and Roxy's] kid brother, keen to get to know his exciting big sisters? Or is there something else that he's after?" [2] Bergin previously auditioned for another part in EastEnders early in 2009. Then he auditioned again for the part of Danny, but was not told the character was part of the Mitchell family, and was offered the part within 90 minutes of the audition. [3] He was surprised when he was offered the part as he felt his audition did not go well. [4] He started filming about a week and a half later. [3]
Bergin said of his departure: "I've had a great six months working on EastEnders playing Danny. He has been a great character to play and without giving too much away, he's sure to ruffle a few feathers before he leaves Walford." [5] He said the conclusion of Danny's storyline was "satisfying for [him] as an actor" and that it was the ending the audience deserves. He added that he knew the length of his contract from the start, and although there is always a possibility of a contract being extended, he could never see that happening with Danny. [6] He later told All About Soap that he would love to return as Danny, as his storyline was left on a cliffhanger, and explained that Danny's final scenes were emotional with a final twist, saying "his exit sums the character up perfectly." [7] Bergin later said that people used to jeer at him in the street saying: "I would get booed in the supermarket but, because he did everything with a smile, he had that energy about him that he was not really like that. People would boo me, although it wasn't aggressive. It was in a panto spirit." [8]
Discussing his relationship with the rest of the Mitchell family, Bergin assessed that Peggy is "the one person he wants to get on with" as she is the family matriarch. He felt that Danny genuinely likes and respects Peggy, impressed by her ability to handle trouble in the pub, explaining: "Danny wants to be liked and loved by the Mitchells and, most importantly, by Peggy." Asked why Danny desires to become part of the Mitchell family, Bergin responded: "He has no one else so maybe he wants to be part of a family. Or maybe it's because Roxy has suddenly got a lot of money. Perhaps he thinks a portion of that is rightfully his..." Bergin had heard speculation that his character may not be a Mitchell at all, but hoped that he is as he enjoyed being part of the family. [9] Bergin stated that Danny did not deserve to be trusted, [3] and Simons said she was unsure how trustworthy Danny is but said that Roxy likes him, adding "He's their baby brother, so Roxy really takes him under her wing and it's Roxy and Danny against the world for a little while. He's got a great story. There's loads of mystery that comes with it, so it's definitely one to watch!" [10] Simons also praised the casting, noting facial similarities between Bergin and Lamb, though she had expected a blond-haired actor to take the role. [10] Bergin said that Danny likes Roxy but because of her money he sees it as a big game, as he is a "money-driven lunatic." [11]
After Danny's departure was announced that Ruth Deller of website Lowculture opined that she would be glad to see him leave, as he was "introduced rather randomly, he has had little purpose ever since, other than to make everyone else's acting look better. There's no intrigue to him, no charisma, no character development—nothing except floppy hair and moping around like a teenager from 1993." [12] In their 1 January 2011 issue, Inside Soap branded Danny as one of 2010's departed characters that would not be remembered. [13]
Alfie Moon is a fictional character from the BBC drama EastEnders, played by Shane Richie. He made his first appearance on 21 November 2002, and left on 25 December 2005. He returned on 21 September 2010, following the return of his on-screen wife, Kat Slater, two episodes previously, and they continued to feature until 22 May 2015. Alfie appeared in a guest stint between 26 December 2015 and 25 January 2016, before starring in the six-part drama spin-off series Kat & Alfie: Redwater in 2017. Richie returned for two short stints in 2018, concluding with his exit on 22 January 2019. Richie then made a virtual cameo appearance on 12 July 2022, followed by a permanent return from 12 September 2022.
Kathleen "Kat" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Jessie Wallace. She was also played by Kate Peck in a flashback in 2001 and Sumar-Elise Sandford in a flashback in 2018. Kat is the second eldest Slater family sister and first appeared on 18 September 2000. Kat's usual dress is very short skirts and leopard-print tops, with much make-up and heavy fake tan. Her initial stint saw her involved in many storylines, most significantly in a plot twist that sees her supposedly sister Zoe Slater, revealed to be her daughter after she was raped by her uncle Harry Slater as a child. Kat and Zoe's relationship is tested several times, and a feud forms when they compete against each other for the affection of Anthony Trueman. Another key aspect to the character's storylines is her marriage to Alfie Moon, prior to which she became briefly engaged to Andy Hunter ; after Kat jilted Andy on their wedding day, he blackmailed her into sleeping with him in his revenge bid against Alfie and Kat. Kat was absent between November 2004 and May 2005 following Wallace's maternity leave, but returned early to tie in with Zoe’s exit storyline. Kat later left the soap on 25 December 2005.
Phil Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Steve McFadden. He was introduced to the soap opera on 20 February 1990 and was followed by his brother Grant, sister Sam and mother Peggy. Phil was one of the major characters introduced by executive producer Michael Ferguson, who wanted to bring in some macho male leads. Phil and his brother Grant became popularly known as the Mitchell brothers in the British media, with Phil initially portrayed as the more level-headed of the two thugs. Storylines featuring the Mitchell family dominated the soap opera throughout the 1990s, with Phil serving as one of the show's central characters and protagonists since the 1990s. McFadden temporarily left the series in late 2003, then returned in April 2005 for a brief appearance before making a permanent return in October 2005, and has now overtaken Dot Cotton as the second-longest-serving character in EastEnders, surpassed only by original character Ian Beale. A teenage version of Phil, played by Daniel Delaney, appeared in a flashback episode broadcast on 5 September 2022, which focuses on the Mitchell family in the 1970s.
Aunt Sal is a recurring fictional character in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Anna Karen Introduced in 1996, she appeared sporadically from 21 March 1996 until 29 December 1997, then from 28 September 2001 until 17 September 2004, 19 July 2007 until 4 April 2011 and 22 November 2013 to 20 January 2017. She appears for just a few episodes at a time and has been collectively featured in 58 episodes of the show.
Roxanne Lizette "Roxy" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, portrayed by Rita Simons. Roxy arrived in Walford with her sister Ronnie on 24 July 2007 and decides to move permanently to Walford from Ibiza where they ran a bar together. Roxy is the younger of the two sisters. She is described as the "fire", as opposed to Ronnie's "ice". Simons took a temporary hiatus in 2016, with Roxy off screen from 1 January until 4 May 2016. Following the announcement that Womack would be leaving the series, Simons' departure was also announced. Roxy departed the series in scenes broadcast on 1 January 2017, when she drowned in a hotel swimming pool along with Ronnie. Simons returned in 2019 to record a voiceover as Roxy, which was broadcast on 3 May 2019. A younger version of Roxy, played by Elodie de Rohan Willner, appeared in a flashback episode broadcast on 5 September 2022, which focuses on the Mitchell family in the 1970s. Simons reprised her role on 27 April 2023 for a one-off appearance as a hallucination to her daughter, Amy Mitchell.
Jack Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Scott Maslen. He made his first appearance on 29 October 2007. He is the youngest child of Jim and Reenie Branning and the brother of April Branning, Carol Jackson, Derek Branning, Suzy Branning and Max Branning. The character was introduced to the show during a period when EastEnders was being routinely criticised in the media for its reliance on resurrecting old characters. The casting of Maslen provoked some controversy, being the first time an actor had been poached from one mainstream soap to another. It was quickly established that Jack is a morally ambiguous character with a murky past in the police force resulting in the paralysis of his young daughter, Penny. Tabloid media have praised the character for his role as resident Romeo, commenting frequently on his good looks and attractiveness, although broadsheet press have been more critical of Maslen's acting. On 1 July 2019, Maslen filmed his 1,000th episode as Jack.
Veronica "Ronnie" Branning is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Samantha Womack. She and her younger sister Roxy Mitchell were introduced by executive producer Diederick Santer in July 2007. Ronnie is described as the "ice" to Roxy's "fire". As an extension to the already established Mitchell family, Ronnie quickly became a prominent character, taking over the square’s local nightclub. She later formed an on-off relationship with her business partner, Jack Branning.
Archibald Lionel "Archie" Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Larry Lamb. He first appeared on 8 July 2008 as a newest member of the Mitchell family—who had first appeared on the soap in 1990—and became the show's main antagonist until the character was killed-off on Christmas Day 2009; with Archie making his last appearance as a corpse on 28 December 2009 and later serving as a posthumous impact throughout the majority of 2010, which involves making a brief voice appearance on 19 July 2010 on a family video tape overheard by his ex-wife Glenda and their two daughters Ronnie and Roxy respectively.
Suzy Branning is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, played by Julie Christian-Young for a brief appearance in April 1996, and Maggie O'Neill in 2008, who began filming in May that year, and she appeared from 8 July to 26 December 2008. Soon after her reintroduction in 2008, Suzy begins a relationship with Phil Mitchell and enters into a rivalry with Phil's other love interest Shirley Carter. She schemes to con Phil out of his money and after her intentions are discovered, Suzy leaves Walford.
Danielle Jones is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Lauren Crace. The character appeared between 18 August 2008 and 3 April 2009. Crace's casting in the role was announced in July 2008, when she was described as a love interest for fellow new character Callum Monks. In October 2008, it was revealed that Danielle was actually the long-lost daughter of established character Ronnie Mitchell. Crace has disclosed that even she was unaware of this fact upon being cast in the role, but always knew Danielle would only have a short arc. Danielle's feelings were further explored in a segment of the BBC EastEnders homepage entitled Danielle's Diary, documenting the character's thoughts on the storylines she was involved in, while a special episode of EastEnders Revealed entitled "The Secret Mitchell" further explored the character's impact on the show.
"The Secret Mitchell" was a storyline in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, involving the characters of Ronnie Mitchell and Danielle Jones, starting in May 2008 and climaxing on 2 April 2009. It became one of the most dramatic storylines in EastEnders and also impacted on the "Who Killed Archie?" storyline.
The Mitchell family is a fictional family in the UK soap opera EastEnders. They were first introduced in February 1990, when brothers Phil and Grant Mitchell bought the local garage, the Arches. Their sister Sam was introduced later in 1990, and their mother Peggy shortly after in 1991, before being reintroduced as a regular character in 1994, with the role recast to Barbara Windsor. Since then, the family has been significantly expanded to include both the immediate and extended families. Phil has been the longest running Mitchell on the show, and the family has expanded significantly in the years since, remaining a large presence on the square.
Glenda Mitchell is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Glynis Barber. The character first appeared in the programme on 7 January 2010. She was axed in February 2011, departing on 8 March 2011. She later returned for two episodes in January 2016 and three in May 2016. She made an unannounced return on the 30 December 2016 episode for the departures of her two daughters. She made her second departure from the show on 10 February 2017. Glenda has been described as "complex", "vulnerable"," "demure, dynamic and assured". She is the former wife of Archie Mitchell ; and mother of both her son Danny and Archie's two daughters Ronnie and Roxy.
"Who Killed Archie?" is a storyline from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. It began on 25 December 2009, Christmas Day, when the character Archie Mitchell, played by Larry Lamb, was murdered by an unseen person. Events leading up to and following the murder put several characters in the frame, in the style of a Whodunit mystery. The culprit was kept a tight secret within the production crew as well, with only seven people knowing the identity of the killer. The murderer was revealed as Stacey Slater during a live episode titled "EastEnders Live", broadcast on 19 February 2010, the show's 25th anniversary. Turner was told thirty minutes before the broadcast that Stacey was the killer, and actors rehearsed several possible endings. Finally, a two-hander episode between Stacey and her ex-lover Max Branning on 26 March 2010 explained how she killed Archie - who had previously been the show's main antagonist prior to the character's death and murder storyline.
Michael Moon is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Steve John Shepherd. The character is a second cousin once removed of Alfie Moon, and first appears on 1 October 2010 after Alfie's return. He is also the father to Tommy Moon, whose mother is Alfie's wife Kat Moon. Michael is later joined by his father Eddie Moon and half brothers Tyler Moon and Anthony Moon.
"Queen Vic Fire Week" is a group of four episodes of the BBC soap opera EastEnders, broadcast between 6 and 10 September 2010 on BBC One. The episodes included a fire at The Queen Victoria public house, also known as The Queen Vic or The Vic, and the departure of the character Peggy Mitchell, portrayed by Barbara Windsor, who left the series after sixteen years in the role. During the episodes, Peggy—the pub landlady—has her crack cocaine-addicted son Phil imprisoned in The Queen Victoria, forcing him to go cold turkey. She later learns that her deceased husband Archie was murdered by the person he raped: Stacey Branning. Before she can report Stacey to the police, Phil escapes and sets the pub on fire. Stacey and her infant daughter Lily are trapped inside, but are rescued by her lover Ryan Malloy – prompting Stacey to reveal to him that he is Lily's father. In light of the incident, Peggy decides against reporting Stacey for Lily's sake. She then plans to make a fresh start, bidding her family goodbye and leaving Walford.
Greg Jessop is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Stefan Booth. He is introduced as the fiancé of Tanya Branning, and first appeared on screen on 1 October 2010 to work on the reconstruction of The Queen Victoria public house. On 15 April 2011, Greg and Tanya wed, just before hearing that Tanya's ex-husband Max and their daughter Abi have been involved in a car accident. Joyner has warned that Tanya could break Greg's heart. In June 2011, it was announced that Booth was leaving the soap at the end of his storyline, and Greg left on 12 August 2011. Booth confirmed that Greg will return. He returned for a single episode on 21 October 2011.
DCI Jill Marsden is a fictional character in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Sophie Stanton. She made her first appearance on 5 March 2001 investigating the shooting of Phil Mitchell, which was part of the whodunit storyline "Who Shot Phil?". Marsden returned in 2002, 2003 and 2009. She returned on 5 January 2012 for her third whodunit storyline, "Who's Stalking Phil?", departing four months later on 10 May 2012. Marsden returned for two episodes on 17 August 2012 to conclude the latter storyline. On 16 July 2015, she returned for part of the "Who Killed Lucy Beale?" whodunit storyline.
Charlie Cotton is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Declan Bennett. He first appeared on 10 March 2014. He was introduced as the grandson of established character, Dot Branning, played by June Brown and the son of original character, Nick Cotton. The character and casting was announced on 22 January 2014. Charlie arrived to inform Dot, who was unaware of his existence, that Nick had died, but it later transpired that this was not the truth as Nick returned in October. His storylines have included: his desperation to keep Nick's fake death secret; his relationships with Dot and mother, Yvonne Cotton ; a one-night stand with Ronnie Mitchell which resulted in her pregnancy and their marriage; the car accident that resulted in the birth of his son, Matthew Mitchell Cotton and Ronnie being left in a coma; his affair with Ronnie's sister, Roxy Mitchell ; the breakdown of his marriage and subsequent departure.