EastEnders is a British television soap opera first broadcast on BBC1 on 19 February 1985. The following is a list of characters who currently appear in the programme, listed in order of first appearance. In the case that more than one actor has portrayed a character, the current actor portraying the character is listed last.
| Character | Actor(s) | Duration | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Janet Mitchell | Grace | 2006–2011, 2014–present | [56] |
| Will Mitchell | Toby Walpole | 2007–2012, 2014–present | [57] |
| Freddie Phillips | |||
| Ricky Branning | Henri Charles | 2010, 2016–present | [58] |
| Frankie Day | |||
| Lexi Pearce | Dotti-Beau Cotterill | 2012–2015, 2019–present | [59] [60] |
| Isabella Brown | |||
| Bert Moon | Freddie Beale | 2014–2016, 2018–present | [61] |
| Stanley Beale | |||
| Elliot Briffett | |||
| Ernie Moon | Freddie Beale | 2014–2016, 2018–present | [61] |
| Stanley Beale | |||
| Cody Briffett | |||
| Pearl Fox | Arayah Harris-Buckle | 2015–present | [62] |
| Louie Beale | Oscar Winehouse | 2015–2018, 2023–present | [24] |
| Freddie Harrington | |||
| Jake McNally | |||
| Ollie Carter | Jack Tilley | 2015–present | [63] [64] [65] |
| Charlie Harrington | |||
| Harry Farr | |||
| Arthur Fowler | Hunter Bell | 2015–present | [66] |
| Rocco Brenner | |||
| Raymond Dawkins | Michael Jose Pomares Calixte | 2017, 2020–present | [67] [68] |
| Hope Fowler | Frankie Brennan | 2017–present | [69] [70] [71] |
| Noach Persell | |||
| Isabelle Smith | |||
| Mica Fox | Maylo Miller | 2018–present | [72] |
| Albie Watts | Arthur Gentleman | 2020–present | [73] |
| Annie Carter | Uncredited | 2021–present | [74] |
| Jordan Atkins | Uncredited | 2021–present | [75] |
| Tyson (dog) | Spud | 2023–present | [36] |
| Jasper Parrott (parrot) | Uncredited | 2023–present | [76] |
| Charli Slater | Uncredited | 2023–present | [77] |
| Brenda Collins | Nichola McAuliffe | 2024–present | [78] |
| Hugh Collins | Michael Bertenshaw | 2024–present | [78] |
| Roman Allen | Uncredited | 2024–present | [79] |
| Character | Actor(s) | Duration | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tracey | Jane Slaughter | 1985–present | [80] |
| Winston | Ulric Browne | 1985–present | [81] |
| Marie Evans | Liz Sweet | 2000–present | [82] |
| Shrimpy | Ben Champniss | 2014–present | [83] |
EastEnders is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, the programme follows the stories of local residents and their families as they go about their daily lives. Within eight months of the show's original launch, it had reached the number one spot in BARB's television ratings, and has consistently remained among the top-rated series in Britain. Four EastEnders episodes are listed in the all-time top 10 most-watched programmes in the UK, including the number one spot, when over 30 million watched the 1986 Christmas Day episode. EastEnders has been important in the history of British television drama, tackling many subjects that are considered to be controversial or taboo in British culture, and portraying a social life previously unseen on UK mainstream television.
Bobby Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, who made his first appearance in episode 2557, originally broadcast on 24 July 2003. The character was originally played by Kevin Curran as an infant. Prior to his introduction, Bobby's paternity is at the centre of a storyline and is resolved when Ian Beale is revealed as Bobby's father. His mother, Laura Beale, is killed off in 2004 and Bobby's stepmother, Jane Beale, later adopts Bobby. Curran was replaced by Alex Francis in 2007. Following Jane's departure, Bobby finds a mother figure in Mandy Salter and is upset when she leaves.
Dominic Treadwell-Collins is a British television producer, known for his work on the soap operas Family Affairs and EastEnders, creating the EastEnders spin-off series Kat & Alfie: Redwater and Executive Producing the award-winning A Very English Scandal for the BBC and Amazon. In 2019, he set up his own television company, Happy Prince under ITV Studios.
Jacqueline Mary Osborne is an English actress. She is known for portraying Lauren Branning in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. In 2019, Jossa won the nineteenth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!.
The Slater family are a fictional family from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, that have appeared since Episode 1,997, first broadcast in September 2000. The family are introduced as a central family unit, originally consisting of father Charlie Slater, grandmother Mo Harris, Charlie's daughters, Kat Slater, Lynne Slater, Little Mo Morgan and Kat's teenage daughter Zoe Slater, and Lynne's partner Garry Hobbs. A fifth sister, Belinda Peacock, was introduced one year later. The family were the eighth to be introduced in the soap's history, replacing the di Marco family who departed during the previous month. The Slaters were created by Tony Jordan and introduced by John Yorke. The Slater sisters were cast in an improvisation session. In their first years on the show, the family were involved in storylines about child sexual abuse and domestic violence.
Jaskiranjit Singh Deol is a British actor known for portraying the role of Kheerat Panesar on the BBC soap opera EastEnders from 2019 to 2022.
The twenty-third and final series of the British medical drama television series Holby City began airing on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 6 April 2021. The series consists of 50 episodes, which focus on the professional and personal lives of medical and ancillary staff at the fictional Holby City Hospital. Seán Gleeson serves as the series producer. A new theme tune was introduced in the series, but was negatively received from viewers. As the series was filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic, it had to comply with safety protocols, including social distancing and reduced people on-set. Early in the series, actors Dawn Steele and Trieve Blackwood-Cambridge isolated and became a work bubble for two episodes to film close proximity scenes. The series was promoted through multiple trailers and behind-the-scenes videos.
Dana Monroe is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Barbara Smith. Smith auditioned for the role over Zoom due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on television and was cast as Dana, a love interest for established character Bobby Beale, making her first appearance on 1 April 2021. 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. She was overjoyed to have been cast due to having been a fan of the soap since her youth. Dana has been shown to be a bubbly, generous and likeable character. Smith was initially unsure if viewers would like her, but critics have said that it has been refreshing to have a character with good intentions on EastEnders. It was announced on 10 June 2022 that Smith had been axed by new executive producer Chris Clenshaw, with Dana set to exit the show later in the year. Smith admitted that it was fitting for Dana to leave as she was of university age and was excited for her final scenes to air. She also confirmed that if she was asked, she would return to the soap in the future. Dana's final scenes aired on 1 September 2022.
The thirty-seventh series of the British medical drama television series Casualty began airing on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 20 August 2022. The series focuses on the professional and personal lives of medical and ancillary staff at the emergency department (ED) of the fictional Holby City Hospital. Jon Sen continues his role as the executive producer and Liza Mellody begins her position as series producer. Series 37 marks the return to regular filming protocols after the COVID-19 pandemic. The series has been marred by scheduling conflicts, with one episode premiering on BBC Two.
Suki Panesar is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Balvinder Sopal. Sopal's casting and details about Suki were announced in December 2019, with the character making her first onscreen appearance on 27 January 2020. She was portrayed as the protective mother of Kheerat, Jags, Vinny and Ash who believe that she always has the right answer. Prior to her arrival, it is confirmed that her relationship with Ash is severed due to disagreeing with her bisexuality. Her initial storyline sees her lying about having cancer to garner sympathy and get closer to her children. She was immediately well-received by viewers and critics, with Inside Soap writing that Suki had reached "soap icon status in record time". Sopal was shocked by the praise that she and Suki had received from the beginning of her tenure.
Barnaby Clay Milner Russell is an English actor, known for playing Bobby Beale on the BBC soap opera EastEnders from 2019 to 2024.