List of EastEnders characters introduced in 1987
The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera EastEnders in 1987, by order of first appearance.
Tina Hopkins
Tina Hopkins, played by Eleanor Rhodes, is introduced as Ian Beale's girlfriend in February 1987. Ian's friend Kelvin Carpenter takes a romantic interest in Tina and makes advances towards her, which she shuns.Tina gets a job working at Naima Jeffery's grocery store, the First til Last, and by May 1987 she and Ian decide that they want to move in together. They manage to persuade Kelvin to rent them one of his father's flats. Tina and Ian get the required consent from their parents and although their parents are unhappy with it, they move in together. Tina and Ian struggle to pay the rent and when money goes missing from Tina's workplace, Naima accuses her of stealing it, when in fact it was a friend of Mary Smith's named Sandra. Rod Norman helps clear Tina's name by setting a trap for the real thief.
Shortly after, Tina's parents visit and let themselves into the flat. They are horrified to discover that it is messy. When they discover that Simon Wicks and Magda Czajkowski live next door in an adjoining room, they decide that Tina cannot stay there. Despite Tina's protests, they pack her bags and insist she move back to Ilford with them.
Tina is mentioned in 2008, when Ian tells his stepson Steven Beale that he lost his virginity to her.
Emine Osman
Emine Osman, played by Pelin Ahmet, is the daughter of Mehmet and Guizin Osman. She is first seen on screen in February 1987. Her father gambles away their home and then disappears, so Emine, her mother, and her two brothers, Murat and Rayif, are forced to move in with Mehmet's brother Ali and his wife Sue.Emine and her siblings play pranks and get into trouble, often letting their pet boa constrictor loose to scare the residents of the Square. The Osman children later become friendly with Luke and Sophie Willmott-Brown. They move out of the Square in May that year when their father returns, but occasionally show up on the Square to cause more trouble for their parents.
In November 1987, Guizin hears that Emine has been injured by a firework, in a storyline that hoped to highlight the dangers of children playing with fireworks. Emine's last appearance is in March 1988, but after her parents have a huge argument, Emine and the rest of her family move to Northern Cyprus in March 1989.
Rayif Osman
Rayif Osman, played by Billy Hassan, is the elder son of Mehmet and Guizin Osman. He is first seen on screen in February 1987. Rayif, his mother, sister Emine and brother Murat are all forced to move in with Mehmet's brother Ali and his wife Sue, after Mehmet gambles away their home and then disappears.Rayif and his siblings play pranks and get into trouble, often letting their pet boa constrictor loose to scare the residents of the Square. They also have a penchant for playing on arcade games and fruit machines, and they occasionally sneak away to play on them against their mother's wishes.
The Osman children later become friendly with Luke and Sophie Willmott-Brown. They move out of the Square in May that year when their father returns, but occasionally show up on the Square to cause more trouble for their parents.
Rayif's last appearance is in March 1988, but after his parents have an argument, Rayif and the rest of his family move to Northern Cyprus in March 1989.
Murat Osman
Murat Osman, played by Ediz Izzet, is the son of Mehmet and Guizin Osman. He is first seen on screen in February 1987 after his father gambles away their home and then disappears, so Murat, his mother, sister Emine and brother Rayif, are forced to move in with Mehmet's brother Ali and his wife Sue. Murat is the youngest of the three children.Murat and his siblings play pranks and get into trouble, often letting their pet boa constrictor loose to scare the residents of the Square. The Osman children later become friendly with Luke and Sophie Willmott-Brown. They move out of the Square in May that year when their father returns, but occasionally show up on the Square to cause more trouble for their parents.
Murat's last appearance is in March 1988, but after his parents have an argument, Murat and the rest of his family move to Northern Cyprus in March 1989.
Fi Browning
Sophie "Fi" Browning, played by Natasha Knight in 1987 and 1992, and Lisa Faulkner in 2017, first appeared in the episode broadcast on 31 March 1987, is the daughter of James Willmott-Brown. Faulkner revealed that she would be departing the show when Boyde reprised his role of James Willmott-Brown and made her final appearance on 28 December 2017.Sophie and her brother, Luke Willmott-Brown visit their father in March 1987, but return to living with their mother in July. During their stay, they become friendly with Emine Osman, Rayif Osman and Murat Osman. They return for a guest appearance following James's release from prison in January 1992.
In April 2017, she returns to Walford under the alias Fi Browning as a business consultant employed by Grafton Hill, the new freeholders of The Queen Victoria, in an attempt to understand and improve the business. Upon arriving at Albert Square, she finds Lady Di wandering the square alone and whilst trying to locate her owner is accused by Shirley Carter of dognapping. Fi and Shirley meet again shortly later when Fi enters The Vic just as Shirley opens a bottle of champagne, which accidentally soaks Fi. Fi dries herself and introduces herself to the workforce, immediately telling Shirley and [|Woody Woodward] they have too many staff and need to cut back. The Carters think Woody should leave, Fi insists that Grafton Hill want him to remain, so acting bar manager Sharon Mitchell and barmaid Tracey are ultimately sacked, leaving Tracey devastated. Fi returns to The Vic during a celebration of Tracey's time working there, but she wonders why they are prolonging Tracey's agony, though Shirley says it is bringing in customers. Tracey does not turn up, though, and the customers decide to boycott the pub until she is reinstated. Fi meets The Vic landlord, Mick Carter, when he returns from Bulgaria. Mick later has a meeting with Fi and she tells him that The Vic is a good pub and that it has charm, just like him, and she says that they need a permanent replacement for Whitney Dean, who has left. Fi later suggests to Mick that they should have more younger staff to boost customers and suggests a two-for-one Father's Day meal for the Vic. Fi and Shirley clash over their ideas for the Father's Day meal. Fi arrives when Mick is preparing for his wife Linda Carter's 40th birthday party, and is serving customers when Linda arrives. Linda does not know who she is, but when she finds out, Linda accuses Fi of sacking Tracey but Fi tells Linda that she wants to improve the pub. Linda tells Mick that she does not trust Fi. The following day, Fi brings in craft ale beers for a special event later in the week, which Fi and Mick sample. Fi, Mick and Shirley then conduct interviews for a new staff member, and although Tracey applies, Mick chooses Stacey Fowler, which Fi agrees with. Fi tells Mick that Shirley should be sacked as she is stealing from the till and taking drinks without paying. Mick reluctantly agrees and when Fi leaves the Vic, it is revealed that she and Max Branning are in a relationship and she is in on his revenge plan, allowing him to have sex with council worker Carmel Kazemi to access council documents. Fi overhears Carmel talking to Linda about the council. She then watches Max get more information about the council from Carmel and Denise Fox. She then follows Max to the bathroom where they have sex in a toilet stall which was overheard by Steven Beale. When Max tells Fi that he feels guilty about using Carmel, Fi tells him that he needs a backbone. Fi accuses Shirley of taking £200 from the till but Mick confesses that it was him who had taken £200 to pay Whitney. When Linda gives Keanu Taylor a trial shift, Fi is not impressed and she sends him home. Linda then confronts Fi and she confides in Fi about the breakdown of her relationship with Mick. Fi tells Linda that she hopes that her and Linda would be friends and that she knows what Linda is going through. Fi becomes annoyed with the Carters when they begin to undermine her by giving Tracey her job back, bringing back Ladies night, and refusing to get rid of the piano. When Fi decides to attend Ladies night she questions Carmel about her relationship with Max, and attempts to bond with the other ladies by buying them all Champagne, and later congratulates Linda on the evening. Fi helps to plan for the Walford in Bloom event on the square, and later becomes upset when Max chooses to cancel plans with her in order to go to a council party with Carmel instead.
Mick is suspicious when Fi begins acting strangely and ordering wine in the middle of the day. After being questioned, she reveals that it is the anniversary of her mother's death which she later explains was a suicide. She tells Mick about the day that she went home and found her mother's body and he applauds her for being brave enough to share such a personal story with him. Fi misreads the signals and attempts to kiss Mick who gently rebuffs her. She then calls Josh Hemmings to arrange a meet-up. When Fi makes a speech at Walford In Bloom, she is drunk and she stumbles through her speech. Fi continues to open up about her past with Mick at her home and they have a heart to heart but despite telling Mick that her father has died, she secretly calls him. 25 years later, James anonymously lays flowers addressed to Kathy at a memorial for her step-grandson Steven Beale. The following day, James meets with his children — Fi, who turns out to be Sophie, Luke and Josh — and Fi's uncle Hugo Browning, before introducing himself to Fi's partner, Max. The Carters are given a £60,000 repair bill for The Vic and Fi pretends to defend the Carters in front of Luke. Fi promises James that she will get the sealed bids from Max and Luke promises to persuade Jay Brown to sell the car lot land, though Luke doubts Fi's abilities. When Max contemplates getting the sealed bids from Carmel's work laptop, he phones James, refusing to go through with it. Max meets up with James, Fi and Luke and tells them that he doesn't want Carmel to be involved in their plan any longer. Fi turns up to see Max at Carmel's house, where they have sex. However, unbeknownst to Max, Fi accesses Carmel's computer and steals the sealed bids. When James finds out about Max and Fi's relationship, Fi presents him with the sealed bids to earn James's approval, declaring her and Max are a fling. A disappointed Max ends his relationship with Fi, despite her telling him she wants to be with him. When the Carters are given a 5-week deadline to pay the bill, Fi gives the Carter's the option of selling the leasehold, but they refuse. After Hugo insults them about their personal lives and handling of the business over the course of the year, the Carters realise only Fi could have told him the information, realising she's been lying to them about her intentions for months. Linda throws a drink in Fi's face before her and Hugo are ejected from the pub. When Carmel is suspended from her job pending investigation because of sealed bids being accessed by an unknown person, Max contacts Fi and tells her what has happened. Fi and Max make amends and suggests to her that she takes £10,000 off the repairs bill to get the Carters on her side. The Carters accept her help to raise the money. Fi catches Luke throttling Josh and breaks them up and Josh is hurt that Fi is in on Project Dagmar whilst he is excluded. When Carmel finds a ring at her house left behind by Max, she thinks Max will propose and invites people to The Vic. Fi finds out that the Carters have raised £50,000 and when Max arrive, the pair kiss and Carmel is devastated whilst people turn on Max. James, Luke and Hugo later arrive and James tells them they own Grafton Hill. They serve the Carters with an eviction notice, putting up the money owed to the original amount £60,000. James reveals that they plan to turn their obtained buildings into luxury flats. When Max proposes to Fi, James and Luke reveal that they have used him as they have doubted his loyalty and burn his cheque. Kathy confronts Fi over what James did to her and about all the women James has destroyed, including her own mother. Whilst James and Fi attend a press launch, Josh downloads files that can get the development stopped and Lauren gets arresting when she stages a protest at the launch to hold James and Fi up. When James returns, Lauren contacts Josh and James demands the downloaded files, so Josh decides to quit his job. Fi tries to get Josh to return, but he tells Fi that James has ruined and controls their lives just like with their mothers. When Fi attempts to question James over why he never allowed Josh's mother Wendy to get a job or why Elizabeth committed suicide, James pushes her to the ground. Fi asks Kathy about the rape and her version causes Fi to be physically sick. When James shows Fi documents that could ruin him, Fi says she believes he did rape Kathy, causing James to throw her out. After reconciling with Max and confiding in him her inability to see her father for who he is until too late, Fi sneaks into James' office, trashes it and steals most of the documents. James suffers a heart attack while trying to destroy the remaining evidence pointing to him before the police arrest him and Fi threatens Hugo with the files into signing the company deeds to her. Fi visits Mick and Linda and offers them a chance to buy back the freehold for the Vic for £150,000. Linda rejects this offer, calling it unrealistic and telling her that her family will get their comeuppance. Fi agrees and leaves Walford after visiting Kathy with a letter giving her the cafe back. Fi visits James in hospital, telling him she is not going to keep on trying to get his approval as she wanted his love. As James reaches out for Fi, she tells staff that she is not his daughter and walks out on him for good. Off-screen, Fi later agrees to give The Vic back to Mick and Linda in exchange for a diamond ring, worth £200,000.
Fi is described as a "no-nonsense but sophisticated business woman with strength and vulnerability." Executive producer Sean O'Connor said, "I'm really thrilled that we have been able to tempt Lisa Faulkner back to TV drama and back to the BBC. She's an extremely accomplished and hugely popular actress and we're very excited to have her in Albert Square. Fi Browning is something of a departure for EastEnders; a no-nonsense but sophisticated business woman with strength and vulnerability. But does she have an agenda? And who—or what—has she set her sights on?" In August 2017, Faulkner was longlisted for Best Bad Girl at the Inside Soap Awards, while the revelation that Fi is associated with Max was longlisted for Best Shock Twist. She did not progress to the viewer-voted shortlist.
William Boyde reprised his role as James Willmott-Brown following a 25-year absence in September 2017 and Fi was revealed to be his daughter Sophie. Faulkner enjoyed working with Boyde and described him as "lovely". Faulkner was told about Fi's real identity upon meeting the show bosses and found the story and Fi's background "so exciting". She felt she could not reject the role, although she was ordered not to inform anyone about Fi's identity. The actress revealed that at the conclusion of the storyline, which she said had "a beginning, middle and end", Fi would be leaving the serial.