List of Family Affairs characters
This is a list of characters from the British soap opera Family Affairs listed in alphabetical order by the characters' surnames.
A
- Scarlett Anderson
- Caleb Andrews
It is revealed that he is Brendan Boulter's biological father. Caleb tries to restart his affair with Denise, but she chooses Les. Caleb shares a kiss with Eileen Callan, whose husband, Pete Callan, is sent back to prison for murder. Caleb leaves Charnham because Eileen's daughter, Lucy Day, witnesses the kiss and threatens to tell Pete.
- Gavin Arnold
- Polly Arnold
- Tanya Ayuba
Tanya's boyfriend Gavin Arnold asks her to move in. She feels that their relationship is moving too fast, and is curious about his relationship with his estranged wife Imogen. Tanya finds Imogen's address and goes to see her, resulting in a "disastrous visit".
B
Cheryl Barker
Cheryl Barker was played by Cathy Murphy between 2003 and 2004. She is in a live-in relationship with Dave Matthews, which sometimes causes tensions given his propensity to sometimes operate outside the law, alongside his feud with slimy publican Pete Callan.Madge Bennet
Madge Bennet was played by Heather Chasen, and appeared in 5 episodes in 2005.Brendan Boulter
Brendan Boulter was played by Steven Burrell between autumn 2003 and November 2004.Brendan was a closeted bisexual. He began a relationship with Melanie Costello and they became engaged. Mel was unaware that Brendan was having an affair with Sean Steel. At Brendan and Mel's engagement party, Brendan confessed that he was bisexual, devastating Mel who dumped him after outing him. After much coaxing, Mel decided to go to New York City with Brendan, who had originally bought the tickets as an engagement present. Upon their return, Brendan and Mel surprised their families by announcing they had gotten married while in New York. Not long after, Brendan began an affair with a man named Jason, which Melanie found out during Brendan's niece, Suzie's, christening. She decided to end their relationship permanently and Brendan left Charnham in November 2004.
Denise Boulter
Denise, along with her husband Les and children Brendan and Kelly move onto Stanley Street in December 2003 shortly after Roy Farmer's death in the cybercafé fire. She and Les purchase the corner café and 16 Stanley Street from Nikki Farmer, turning the former into a restaurant and moving the family into the latter. Caleb Andrews is employed to work in the restaurant as a cook.Denise initially tries to keep secret about an affair she had with Caleb, and that Brendan is actually Caleb's son. Denise and Caleb resume their affair, but quickly end it when Denise realises she loves Les, though he finds out about the affair afterwards.
During her time on Stanley Street, Denise builds up strong friendships with Cat MacKenzie, Chrissy Costello, Eileen Callan, and Cheryl Barker. The five of them form a pub darts team.
While walking home one night in December 2004, Denise is raped by an unidentified assailant. Les immediately suspects Christian Habgood, Denise's tutor at Charnham College. However, when she enters Graham Harker's cab, Denise suspects him of the crime based only on her recollections of the smell of his aftershave and his usage of the phrase "Scout's honour". The police question Harker, but no forensic evidence is found to link him to the crime, and they are forced to release him due to lack of evidence. Denise persists with her desire to see him arrested, and eventually learns the true identity of her attacker.
Shortly after, Denise discovers that Les had gone to see prostitutes on a number of occasions. Marriage counselling is unsuccessful, and they split. In late 2005, Denise moves away. Her daughter Kelly and granddaughter Suzie later join her.
Denise was portrayed by Claire Perkins.
Kelly Boulter
Kelly Boulter, played by Carryl Thomas, made her first appearance in October 2003 and departed in August 2005.Kelly first appears in Charnham in October 2003 dating Benji McHugh. She has also been sleeping with Justin MacKenzie. When Kelly becomes pregnant with twins, there is some doubt over the babies' father's identity, who is revealed to be Justin. Despite Benji's warnings to take things easy, Kelly begins drinking and is later hospitalized. In the hospital, doctors reveal Kelly lost one of the twins. Benji leaves Charnham afterwards.
Kelly's family, particularly Les and Brendan, do not care for Justin, as they liked Benji. However, Denise is prepared to give Justin the benefit of the doubt. After the Boulters settle into the area and purchase the corner cafe previously owned by Roy, Kelly becomes friends with local teenage girls Lucy Day and Melanie Costello.
In July 2004, Kelly gives birth to a baby girl, Suzie, named after Justin's mother. Justin and Kelly later became engaged. Throughout the rest of the year, Kelly is involved in several family dramas, including Brendan's divorce to Melanie after learning that Brendan is bisexual, and Denise's rape.
In early 2005, Kelly and Justin are horrified when they are accused of abusing Suzie after she suffers severe head injuries. The Boulters and MacKenzies are under surveillance from social workers for several months until a judge at a hearing is satisfied that nobody was at fault, but orders a review every three months.
In August 2005, after Denise leaves Les, Kelly leaves Charnham after she discovers Justin sleeping with Scarlet Anderson, and she joins Denise with Suzie.
Les Boulter
Lester "Les" Boulter, played by Howard Saddler, made his first appearance in November 2003. He departed in August 2005.Les first appeared in Charnham in November 2003, shortly after he and Denise hear the news that their daughter Kelly is pregnant. Just before Christmas, Les and Denise move into the area and began running their own cafe on the site of the previous cybercafé that had been destroyed in a fire, resulting in Roy's death.
Les initially dislikes Kelly's boyfriend, Justin MacKenzie, but eventually warms up to him.
During the first few months of 2004, Denise has been having an affair with Caleb. Les finds out but eventually forgives Denise. He later learns Brendan isn't his son, but Brendan reassures Les that he considered him his dad. Les becomes jealous of Denise spending so much time with her tutor at Charnahm College, Christian Habgood. One night in December, Denise is raped while walking through an alleyway.
When Graham moves into Stanley Street, Denise immediately recognizes his voice. After months of high drama and Graham's arrest for kidnapping Denise and holding her daughter-in-law Melanie against her will in his flat, Les and Denise try to get things back to normal but the damage has been done.
Les begins seeing prostitutes on two occasions, despite hesitating. Les is arrested one day and fined. Afterwards, Les and Denise separate.
Les sells the corner café to Marc MacKenzie and moves up to Liverpool, leaving Justin in charge of renting his house.
Conor Byrne
Conor Byrne was played by Glenn Mulhern. He is Declan's brother, and is a resident in Charnham for several months in 2000.Declan Byrne
Declan Byrne was played by Quentin Jones between 1999 and 2001.Declan shared a flat with Clive Starr and Gabby Johnson. He dated Gabby, but was unaware that Clive had fallen in love with him. Declan was straight and rejected Clive. He became friends with Josh Matthews and later dated his estranged wife Yasmin.
C
Eileen Callan
Eileen Callan was played by Rosie Rowell from 2002 until the final episode in 2005.Pete Callan
Peter "Pete" Callan was played by David Easter from September 1997 until the character was killed off in September 2005. As Maria Simons's callous former husband he is disliked by most of her friends: the Hart and Gates families, and their associates. Nevertheless, he takes over running local bar restaurant The Lock where they all regularly hang out. In an attempt to force Pete out of The Lock, Maria hires two thugs to threaten him into leaving. They beat him up and leave him in a coma, but he remains in Charnham. Pete develops an enmity with Roy Farmer and later develops similar rivalries with his employee Josh Matthews and Josh's father Dave.In 1998, Pete starts dating Claire Toomey and they soon get married. He bonds with her twin children Ewan and Stella, although he is violent towards Claire. In January 1999, a mentally unbalanced Roy kidnaps and threatens to murder Claire. When Claire defends Roy, Pete beats her and she leaves Charnham. Pete becomes close to Julie-Ann Jones and almost sleeps with her. Julie-Ann's mother realises what could have happened and informs Pete that he is Julie-Ann's father. Easter told Sue Malins from Soaplife that "Pete always regrets that Julie-Ann came into his life a fully grown woman and that he missed out on her childhood years."
Pete begins a brief relationship with Dave's ex-wife Cat Matthews. Pete goes into a de facto marriage to Cat for several months, but it is revealed to have been a con perpetrated by Pete to exact revenge on Dave, and to swindle Cat out of her home; he convinces her to sign over ownership of her home to him as a formality to expedite a business transaction. After this was done he reveals the con to her, ends the relationship, and keeps the house. Soon after this Cat finds out she is pregnant. Tests show the child to be Pete's. She gives birth to a son David. Pete is annoyed when Cat puts Dave as David Jr's father on his birth certificate. Pete decides he will be more successful in a custody battle if he is also married, and he decides on family friend Siobhan Jones. Easter explained that "he realises that he has to find a partner so he can present himself as part of a stable relationship equipped to raise a child." Easter believed that Pete targets Siobhan despite being aware that she is vulnerable. But she had always called him "Uncle Pete" and viewed him as a friend. As the storyline progresses he proposes to her. Easter added that "despite being completely calculating in the beginning"; Pete proposes marriage out of genuine love.
Pete enters into a rivalry with Josh over Siobhan's affections. After selling The Lock and buying The Black Swan, Pete's employs Josh as a barman to pay off a debt. Josh realises Pete's marriage with Siobhan is bigamous, though they legally remarry. During a showdown at The Black Swann, Pete murders Josh and frames Siobhan for the crime. She is found guilty and given a suspended sentence. Soon after the trial she realises that Pete had framed her. She aborts their child and walks out on him. He never forgives her.
Claire returns and clashes with Pete. She blackmails him when she discovers his part in Josh's death, and uses the money to buy a share of the cybercafé. When Pete is acquitted of Josh's murder, he uses that to proposition her into giving him her shares of the cafe. Claire offers him 5% of her shares. She dates his rival Tom Shackleford. Pete has a vendetta against the Shacklefords and forces George Shackleford out of Charnham, when he finds out he is cheating on Pete's sister Diane Short with Claire. Pete romances Tom's ex-wife Kate Matherson and becomes a surrogate father to her and Tom's daughter, Harriet, much to Tom's annoyance. Their feud escalates and Pete accidentally causes a car accident that kills Kate and leaves Siobhan infertile.
Pete begins a relationship with Charlotte Day. She later proposes to him despite allegations that he has slept with Claire. Following advice from Siobhan that Charlotte may be his final chance of happiness, Pete decides to accept. However, Charlotte sleeps with Pete's nemesis Johnny Palmer multiple times. Pete learns of their affair and sets a trap. Claire has a fling with Johnny and they conspire to get revenge on Pete by faking Claire's death and framing Pete for her murder. Pete finds out and confronts Claire. She trashes her house to make it seem like Pete had broken in and murdered her. However the plan was ruined by Ben Galloway. Claire continues to hide and fake her death, whilst Johnny blackmails Pete into giving him The Black Swan Pub. Johnny betrays Claire by revealing her whereabouts to Pete, forcing her to return. She leaves Charnham permanently.
Pete enters into a rocky relationship with Charlotte's mother Eileen in December 2002. They briefly separate when Eileen sleeps with her daughter Lucy's boyfriend Jake Walker. As revenge Pete sleeps with Lucy and humiliates her, causing her to attempt suicide. Pete is unaware that Eileen has formulated a plan with her former boyfriend Mike Shaw to marry Pete so she can divorce him and take half of his money, and have him put away for arson as revenge. Mike sets fire to the cybercafe in September 2003, which kills Roy whilst he is saving his wife, Nikki Farmer. Pete is arrested on his and Eileen's wedding day in December 2003, which occurs on the same day as Roy's funeral. After spending several months in prison, he returns after being acquitted at his trial in June 2004. He returns to discover Lucy murdering Mike in order to protect Eileen and helps them to dump Mike's body at a footbridge. Pete, however, discovers Eileen's true colours when her enemy Trish Wallace provides him with the tape of Eileen confessing to framing him for arson, which culminates in Pete throwing Eileen in the River Thames on their first wedding anniversary, after playing the tape back to her.
After a brief fling with Katie Williams, Pete and Eileen realize they love each other and reunite. In summer 2005, Trish returns heavily pregnant with Pete's baby, which delights him as he had always wanted a baby with Eileen but Eileen had suffered several miscarriages. She has a son, Thomas, but on his christening in September 2005, Trish appears upstairs at the pub with a gun and holds Pete, Eileen and Katie hostage. Pete manages to wrestle the gun away from Trish and shoots her with it. Worse is to come when S019 officers storm the pub and order Pete to drop the gun. After an emotional moment with Eileen, Pete takes a shot at the police and is shot dead by the armed officers. In his will, Pete leaves nothing to Eileen but gives everything to his two sons, Davie and Thomas. To repay Pete for this, Eileen flushes his ashes down the toilet.
A reporter from Soaplife observed that "nearly every woman who walks into this soap seems to walk into his arms – and is soon made to regret it".
A Soaplife writer said "Charlotte and Pete's relationship is proving more elastic than a pair of Cat's leopard-skin leggings. But, unlike the aforementioned garment, it seems to be holding up very well, despite much outside interference." Beth Hart from Digital Spy believed that Pete had met his match in Charlotte because she kept him "on his toes" since they met. Hart later branded him "Charnham's arch manipulator". Soaplife's Di Hollingsworth said "Pete Callan's a cunning, devious charmer who manages to smile that evil smile of his even when he's delivering the nastiest threat imaginable. Women don't seem able to resist falling at his feet." The writer later opined that "Pete's a guy totally without morals. Combine that with oodles of sex appeal and you've got a deadly cocktail, one that Pete serves up when he needs to get his own way. He can turn on the charm like a tap, and he frequently does." Columnist Emma Pomfret observed "Pete Callan's love life is about as savory as one of Fred Elliott's best tripe pies."
Pete came 7th in a poll to find the most-hated soap villains.