List of EastEnders characters introduced in 1995


The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera EastEnders in 1995, by order of first appearance.

Tiffany Mitchell

Tiffany Mitchell is played by Martine McCutcheon from 1995 until 1998. The character was created by the writer, Tony Jordan. She is introduced as a school friend of Bianca Jackson and becomes a prominent and popular character during her tenure due to a combustible relationship with the soap's landlord, Grant Mitchell. McCutcheon quit the role in 1998 to pursue a musical career. Introduced in 1995 by series producer Barbara Emile, Tiffany Raymond was conceptualised by EastEnders scriptwriter Tony Jordan as a school friend of already established character, Bianca Jackson. Actress Martine McCutcheon was cast in the role. McCutcheon has revealed that she was initially hesitant about auditioning for the part, commenting to The Guardian, "An agent called me and said there was a part on EastEnders and I said, very offhandedly, 'I don't really want to do soap, because I want to do movies, and nobody I know goes from soap to movies, and it's just not the sort of actress I want to be this agent said to me, just let me send you a synopsis of the character and see what you think, and I thought she was fantastic. And I watched EastEnders that night and I realised just how many people talked about it. So I told my agent, 'All right, I'm going to go for it, I'm not in a position to be fussy".

Andrea Price

Andrea Price, played by Cindy O'Callaghan, is the mother of Natalie Price. During 1994 and 1995 she lives at 87 George Street with Natalie. Although she isn't seen often on screen, she is referred to regularly by her daughter and depicted as the "mother from hell". After Natalie has an affair with Ricky Butcher – her best friend, Bianca Jackson 's boyfriend – Andrea sends her to her sister's in Basingstoke in February 1995 to avoid the wrath of the Jackson family. Sometime later, Andrea also leaves Walford to move near to the rest of the Price family. Natalie had not spoken to her mother for several years before they are reunited in August 1999 by Natalie's meddling fiancé, Barry Evans.
Natalie had always had a tempestuous relationship with her boozy mother. Andrea favoured her eldest daughter Susie and would constantly make it clear that Natalie wasn't good enough. Things have not improved in the time since they have been apart, and upon Natalie's arrival Andrea gets extremely drunk and proceeds to embarrass and humiliate her in front of Barry. She picks holes in her appearance, brands her a waste of space, and blames her for her own fleeting looks, her failure to make it as a singer and even for the break-up of her marriage to Natalie's father. Upon witnessing Andrea's true colours and seeing how upset she made Natalie, Barry prohibits her from having any part in their lives.
However, in November of that year, Andrea turns up on Natalie's doorstep. She has won some money playing bingo and wants to help pay for Natalie's wedding. Natalie is opposed to the idea, but she is struggling to fund the wedding so she begrudgingly accepts. Andrea proceeds to take over the whole organisation of the wedding, concocting themes and colour codes, which only infuriates an already stressed Natalie. Andrea manages to offend Natalie's future father-in-law, Roy Evans, by goading him for not paying anything towards the wedding, which causes a huge row between Andrea and Roy's wife, Pat Evans, who is already offended after Andrea tells her that she has bad taste.
On Natalie's joint hen night with Mel Healy in Amsterdam, Andrea, true to form, gets extremely drunk and delights in making a fool of her daughter yet again. After chatting Barry up and cruelly telling Natalie that he is having second thoughts, she proceeds to kiss him right in front of her. Natalie is devastated, but the final straw comes when she discovers that her mother has arranged an Adam and Eve themed wedding, in which she begins to believe they are "The Adam and Eve of the New Millennium". Horrified, Natalie calls off the wedding, after which Barry banishes Andrea from their lives for a second time, bribing her with money only for Andrea to shout at her daughter "I hope you and your Garden of Eden are happy!". Natalie and Barry manage to patch things up and marry on New Year's Eve. Andrea attends, but despite her best efforts, she is restrained from having anything to do with the wedding.
Andrea Price was the second role that Cindy O'Callaghan played in EastEnders, having previously played Stella, the mistress of Ashraf Karim, from 1989 to 1990.

Lydia

Lydia, played by Marlaine Gordon, is a recurring character appearing between 1995 and 1996. Lydia is first seen in Walford in March 1995, when she is hired as an apprentice hairdresser by Della Alexander. She is a bit obnoxious and likes to gossip, and she often ends up infuriating her employer, particularly as she is often the topic of the gossip. Lydia loses her job in May that year when Della decides to move away from Walford. Audacious Lydia spends the last few days of her employment badmouthing Della to anyone who will listen and boasting about a new job she is applying for in an upper class salon. She then gives Della her reference to sign, which describes her as popular, bubbly and humorous. Della has the last laugh however, when she re-writes the reference depicting her as obnoxious and useless. A furious Lydia then leaves, uttering a tirade of homophobic abuse at her lesbian employer as she goes.
Later in the year Lydia comes back to Walford to apply for a job at Ian Beale 's chip shop. She is rejected after a disastrous interview, but manages to get herself a job working on Sanjay and Gita Kapoor 's market stall instead. She soon starts dating the philandering chef Steve Elliot. Steve, who has always run a mile from commitment in the past, seems quite taken with Lydia, and in 1996, the two move into a flat together. In February, Steve gets into trouble with a criminal firm, who refuse to allow him to testify at a trial, which they fear will place them under a police investigation. After several threats Steve decides not to testify, but this earns the scorn of Lydia and she manages to persuade him to go through with it. To change his mind the firm kidnapped Lydia. Steve is frantic, but he eventually finds a distraught Lydia, who informs him that the mobsters have attempted to drown her and threatened to kill her if he doesn't back out of testifying. Fearful for his girlfriend's life, Steve packs his things and both he and Lydia leave Walford later that night. Their last appearance is in February 1996.

Willy Roper

Willy Roper, played by Michael Tudor Barnes, was introduced to EastEnders on 1 June 1995, and departed on 20 June 1996. He was a villainous character, and was later dubbed "Wicked Willy" by the British press after he framed Arthur Fowler for embezzlement, leading to Arthur being falsely imprisoned. The truth was later uncovered by Arthur's wife Pauline, though it was too late for Arthur – he died shortly after his release due a head injury he sustained in a prison riot.

Ted Hills

Ted Hills, played by Brian Croucher, is introduced in 1995 as the patriarch of the Hills family, who are the extended family of established character Kathy Beale. Ted was axed in 1997. Brian Croucher was selected to play Ted Hills after auditioning for the part of Roy Evans in 1994. Croucher was short-listed to play Roy, a love interest for Pat Butcher, but the show ultimately decided they did not want to use him for Roy and instead cast him as Ted Hills, the older brother of original character Kathy Beale. Ted is the patriarch of a family of three introduced in 1995. In his storyline, Ted moves back to Walford, the area he was born and raised in, with his son Tony Hills and daughter Sarah Hills. In 1997, Brian Croucher was axed from the show. It was reported that his character Ted would "go out with a bang". A source said, "Brian was near the end of his contract and it was an opportunity to create a classic EastEnders moment."

Tony Hills

Tony Hills, played by Mark Homer, is first shown on screen on 7 September 1995 after arriving from Norfolk with his sister, Sarah Hills. At first, he is painted as an unsympathetic character; at one point he sells ecstasy with a friend, Dan Zappieri. Eventually, he quits dealing after Dan gives Sarah ecstasy without her knowledge. Homer's departure from EastEnders was announced in late 1998, along with that of his co-star Andrew Lynford. They both decided to leave following discussions with the executive producer Matthew Robinson, and a spokesperson for the programme said "They have mutually agreed that both characters have fulfilled their potential and will conclude their stories with a dramatic exit." Their departures left only one gay character in the UK's mainstream soap operas, that of Zoe Tate in Emmerdale. Gay campaigning group Stonewall's spokesman Matt Aston commented on this, saying: "Gay characters did seem to be on the rise for a while, but now they've got a bit of a low profile. We'd like to see a few more positive role models in the media, especially to encourage young people who are coming to terms with their sexuality, as well as their friends and members of their family." However, Aston praised the way Tony's sexuality was handled, saying, "It was very good for breaking what had been a taboo on prime-time television. It was a positive portrayal of how people can be confused about their sexuality. And as with any kind of exposure of these issues, people are made more aware of them and the problems people have with their sexuality. People also link them with us and get in touch to talk about it." EastEnders first gay kiss attracted criticism, but it was noted that by the time Tony and Simon had their first kiss, "fewer feathers were left to be ruffled."