List of EastEnders characters introduced in 1986
The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera EastEnders in 1986, by order of first appearance. All characters were introduced by the show's co-creator Julia Smith. The first character to be introduced during the year is [|John Fisher], a drag queen hired for The Queen Victoria pub. Jan Hammond, the long-term mistress of Den Watts, was introduced in January. March sees the first appearances of The Firm mobster [|Brad Williams], Dot Cotton's husband Charlie Cotton and new brewery area manager [|James Willmott-Brown]. The newborn daughter of Michelle Fowler, [|Vicki Fowler], was introduced in May.
In June, Judith Jacob and Pam St. Clement made their debuts as health visitor [|Carmel Jackson] and Pat Butcher, the former wife of Pete Beale. June also sees the beginning of a new storyline, The Banned, which introduces [|Harry Reynolds], [|Tessa Parker] and [|Eddie Hunter]. [|Irene], the aunt of Lofty Holloway, begins appearing from July. Michael Cashman and Donald Tandy joined the cast as middle-class yuppie [|Colin Russell] and army war veteran [|Tom Clements] respectively in August. New general practitioner Jaggat Singh and [|Barry Clark], a love interest for Colin, make their first appearances in November. [|Rezaul Kabir], the cousin of Naima Jeffery, is introduced in December. Additionally, multiple [|other characters] appear throughout the year.
John Fisher
John Fisher, played by Dave Dale, is a drag queen who is hired by publican Angie Watts in January 1986 to perform for the premier drag night at The Queen Victoria public house. Following the publicity over Angie's drink driving case, she and her husband, Den, worry that the brewery which owns the pub might find cause to cancel their tenancy, and 'free entertainment' is seen as a way to bolster the evening trade.The first drag night is a success until Pete Beale starts heckling the performer. John mistakes Pete's intent, thinking he wants to join in with the act. John playfully takes Pete's pint on-stage and Pete leaps after it, causing a tussle to ensue. Seconds later, Den finds himself on the floor breaking up the pair. The surprise arrival of Den's mistress, Jan Hammond, prompts Den to close the pub early, so the act is halted prematurely.
Sharon Watts is quite impressed with the drag artiste and thinks him to be a caring and sensitive person. When he mentions that his other job is delivering 'kiss-o-grams', she hatches a plan for starting her own business. John performs several more drag evenings in The Vic. His last appearance is on 27 February 1986.
Jan Hammond
Jan Hammond, played by Jane How, appears in 1986 as the long-term mistress of Den Watts. Jan is considered by the locals as a posh upper-class sort of woman and works at an art gallery. Den has an affair with her while he is still married to Angie Watts. She is always hated by Angie and Den's adopted daughter Sharon Watts but she tries her best to get along with her. She moves into The Queen Victoria at one point on Den's insistence, but is not much of a landlady so moves out soon after. Den tries to leave Angie for Jan so he tells Angie he is leaving her. Angie grows desperate and to stop him from leaving her she tells him that she only has six months to live. Den believes her but discovers many months later that she is lying while they are on holiday in Venice. Den serves Angie divorce papers on Christmas Day 1986.Eventually, Jan grows tired of Den not having a proper relationship with her, so she ends their affair after he refuses to leave Walford with her. She leaves Walford in 1987 and goes on to marry a man called Dario Chimisso on a gondola in Venice. She makes a brief return in 2002 for Angie's funeral. She returns to give Sharon a portrait that Den had left with her many years earlier. She briefly returns again in 2003 in a lead-up to Den's return 14 years since he has been shot and presumed dead by an employee of the gangland organisation The Firm. Den's long lost son Dennis Rickman tracks Jan down and she reveals that Den had survived the shooting and came to her for help. With her help, Den was able to flee to Spain to protect himself and his family.
Brad Williams
Brad Williams, played by Jonathan Stratt, is a mobster heavy for the East End gangster organisation known as The Firm. He is of low importance within the organisation and is generally used as an errand boy. He is first seen in March 1986 and over the next two years he appears occasionally to inform Den Watts of his bosses' orders. Den works in league with the Firm on a variety of dodgy dealings.Towards the end of 1987 Brad is instructed to scare graphic designer Colin Russell, who is a jury member in a trial for an associate of the Firm. Brad and Den put pressure on Colin to give a verdict of 'not guilty' at the trial, and when he refuses Brad steals his keys and vandalises his flat, causing all sorts of problems for Colin.
During 1988 Brad is seen more frequently, turning up to aid the running of the Firm's business in Walford, Strokes winebar, which is being managed by Den and is really a front for an illegal gambling den. The petty criminal Darren Roberts manages to get on the wrong side of Brad when he tries to play him off against the owner of The Dagmar, James Willmott-Brown. The Firm's money lending business, 'Walford Investments', are in the process of securing the takeover of James' ailing winebar, albeit against his wishes. Darren, sensing an opportunity, promises to provide James protection against the Firm, whilst all the while attempting to get onto the Firm's payroll via Brad. Incensed by Darren's audacity, Brad takes him aside and gives him a severe beating, and Darren leaves Walford shortly after.
In July 1988, Den discovers Kathy Beale after she had been raped by James Willmott-Brown, and instantly seeks revenge. He demands retribution from his contacts within the Firm, Brad and Joanne Francis, and is enraged when they refused to act. Den manages to persuade Brad to help him anyway by conning him into thinking that James' downfall will please his bosses and Den watches with glee as the Dagmar burns down in flames. However the resulting police investigation puts the Firm's business in serious jeopardy. They then decide that to put a halt to the investigation either Brad or Den have to take the blame for the arson attack. Neither Brad nor Den is willing to take the blame, and both are then involved in a personal war to persuade the other to take the rap.
Brad immediately calls on the services of Rod Norman, via threats, and forces him to give the police a tip off about Den. The police begin questioning Den and realising that he has gotten in way over his head, he decides that he will accept the blame for the arson, but instead of serving time in prison, he decides to flee the country to avoid arrest. The Firm agree to this and Den is taken into hiding. However the Firm subsequently set up a hit on Den, which fails when he escapes from hiding and turns himself into the police to avoid the Firm's heavies.
As the Firm busy themselves with ways in which to silence Den from inside, Brad causes more grief by doing a bit of moonlighting; breaking into several people's houses on the Square with an accomplice who works as a cab driver for Ali Osman. The burglaries result in a greater police presence in the area. The Firm are not impressed and Gregory Mantel – a superior member of the Firm – threatens Brad with serious repercussions should his deviance continue. Brad stops the burglaries, but his accomplice continues without him and is eventually caught by the police and is quick to implicate Brad. The investigating officer, D.I. Ashley, decides to use this piece of information to manipulate the dimwitted Brad. He threatens to put him in prison unless he acts as an informant. Brad is forced to relay information on The Firm. Strokes is closed down as a result and various members of the Firm are arrested. With the Firm under threat from the police, Gregory Mantel decides that Den has to be the informant and makes arrangements to have him eliminated.
On the day of Den's trial, Mantel's heavies break Den out of custody and take him to the Firm's headquarters, where he is greeted by Brad. Brad imprisons him in a room to await the arrival of Mantel. However, Den is not about to go down without a fight and knowing how easily influenced Brad is, he makes one last attempt to secure his freedom. He plays upon Brad's fears, relaying that he had heard that Brad is to be the next victim on the Firm's hit-list. Brad is easily swayed and he decides to help Den escape. He lures the other gang member, Marco, into the cell where an awaiting Den jumps him and throws him to the floor, whilst Brad locks him up in Den's place. The two then escape from the headquarters, and Brad speeds off in his car, leaving Den to fend for himself.
Brad immediately goes to the police and hands himself in. He promises to confess everything he knows regarding the arson, Den, and the Firm. Meanwhile, Mantel, who is furious with Brad's betrayal, tracks Den down, he is shot and presumed dead for over 14 years. However he returns to Walford in 2003, revealing that he had faked his own death to secure his survival. It is also revealed that a man named Brad has been charged for the arson attack of the Dagmar. Subsequently, Den is no longer wanted by the police.