So it's Zainab/Stacey in the top 2? Stacey will walk it.

 

Jean Slater is MARVELLOUS, and you know, I think tied as she is to Stacey, she COULD cope as a character in her own right. She interacts well with Mo, Kat and Alfie, and there's no reason that would stop with Stacey gone.

 

Ronnie grew on me massively last year, but shrank back again this year. I didn't like her game playing during the Sam saga. I doubt the next few months will do much to improve my opinion of her, although I do expect good things from Sam Womack.

 

Bianca was so $h!t when she first made her comeback and they were trying to market this whole "Jackson 5" NONSENSE. But the Tony/Whitney plot seemed to finally pull Patsy Palmer back up to her full potential, and she's never looked back. Even though she was overshadowed by Lindsey Coulson, I thought she was brilliant throughout the whole Billie thing, and I've liked her setting up friendships with the likes of Kim and Kat. There's DEFINITELY a place for her in the Square.

I am pleased to see Jean will be staying on after Stacey leaves, she's become much more than just Stacey's mother and has now reached the status of being one of the best characters of her own merit. HOWEVER I completly understand why some might not feel she'll be able to stand alone, she revolves around Stacey completly but I think she'll able to stand on her own.

 

I do adore Bianca aswell, Ronnie on the otherhand I tend to vary with. I sometimes can consider her one of my favourites but then there are other episodes where she just sinks to Roxy levels of discontent where I just dont like her. Usually strong though and most certainly worthy of a top 5 placing. Cant believe I was her lowest scorer, shows how long ago we rated them I suppose.

 

Dont really mind who wins out of Stacey or Zainab. If pushed would probably chose Zainab but it's gonna be Stacey really isnt it.

Stacey ftw over Zainab please!

02 Zainab Masood 9.19 +++ 10 from Aaron, C.R., Callum, Gary, Gooddelta, James, Jark, Luke, Ryan & Shoat --- 07 from Dandy, FeelTheFever & Theo

(Last year: 15th, 6.41)

 

Zainab's rise and popularity within EastEnders is quite astonishing. She's now been a cast member for three and a half years, but for the first two the Masood family had very little in the way of actual storylines - it was thanks largely to Zainab's bossy nature and competetive friendship with Denise that she emerged as one of the show's finest characters. It wasn't until mid way through last year and Syed's arrival that Zainab (or Masood) got a chance to show off her dramatic prowess, and revealed herself to be not only one of the best (if not the best) comic actors in the show but also one of the best with serious drama. The Masoods have single handedly RIDDED EE of its reputation as a show who 'can't do Asians' - lest we forget the Ferreira family were an abomination - and have without doubt carried the show for months at a time. I like the way their religion brings a new aspect to most of their storylines - a closet case gay storyline is shocking enough but when he's a Muslim, and when you realise what Zainab's going to have to say about that, it becomes DYNAMITE. Even the notorious soap tradition of an underwhelming wedding episode was transformed during Syed and Amira's festivities, when we were dazzled with swathes of colour and all manner of wonderful traditional dances to distract from the high drama of the storyline.

 

But back to Zainab - I think it says a LOT about her that despite coming out with some truly foul statements about gays generally, and declaring that she wished her son was dead rather than alive and gay, we still side with her. Everything Zainab has ever done, no matter how awful, has in a strange way endeared her. She's rude, she's selfish, she's deluded, she's a bitch at times and a terrible wife, and with it she's hilarious and loving, she gives as good as she gets, she's vulnerable and big-hearted. Whose cockles were not warmed when despite everything she pulled Syed's body out of the Vic during the collosal fire this Summer (I only hope she was careful not to pull any of his beautiful hair out)? Zainab is an incredible complex character, a tour de force who became a classic EastEnder remarkably fast. Long may she reign!

 

01 Stacey Branning 9.75 +++ 11 from Gary, Luke & Theo +++ 10 from Aaron, Callum, Dandy, Gooddelta, FeelTheFever, James, Jark, Mikey, Mikeyjosh & Ryan --- 07 from Aled

(Last year: 03rd, 7.76)

 

Nobody came close in the end. If there's one character who has defined EastEnders over the past half a decade it's Stacey. It didn't take the writers long to realise that they were onto a winner with the latest in a long line of sassy Slater sisters - as is evidenced by the fact that during her time on the show she has fallen pregnant, been forced into having an abortion, embarked on an affair with her father-in-law, been outcast from the family in the wake of the affair reveal, had to care for her barmy Bipolar mother, been diagnosed with Bipolar disorder herself, watched her (wet drip of a) best friend get run over and killed, been raped by a pensioner, murdered said pensioner, watched as her husband fell to his death whilst on the run from the police and slept with Callum Jones. All in a day's work. With practically any other character this amount of MISERY would surely feel like overkill but such is Lacey Turner's startling acting ability (and there's no doubt she's the best in all of soapland) that we've never stopped rooting for Stacey, thanks partly to the way she's been written - she never sits and wallows for too long, she just gets on with it and paints a style on in true soap tart-with-a-heart fashion. It's truly bizarre to think that in one week an era will come to end when Stacey bows out of the Square in dramatic Christmas Day style (although Kat continues to fly the torch for the Slater slappers). A truly legendary character in every sense of the word.

OMG

 

I don't know whether to congratulate Stacey or you, in all honesty. Is the next one starting now? I've only been waiting FOUR MONTHS to vote.

I think we can do that, yep! I'll make a new thread. Oh and I just want to say, for the record:

 

I predict this to be over by 14/02/2011.

 

HA! I WIN!

I only gave Stacey a 7? Really? I wonder what I was on all those years back.

 

Anyway, I've always felt a slight tinge that Stacey is rather overrated at times but theres no denying that Lacey has been an asset to the show these past few years. Truely one of the very best and a great loss when she leaves. Perhaps wouldnt have been my own choice but definatly a worthy winner.

Flying pigs have just come TUMBLING from the sky.

 

Predictable winner, but there's no denying that 2010 really has been Lacey Turner's year. Much as I'm really finding it difficult to sympathise with her in the current love triangle plot, Stacey has been THE essential character for a long time now, and

her absence will most DEFINITELY be felt after Christmas.

 

 

Zainab is MARVELLOUS, but and as far as family dynamics go, Zainab/Masood/Tamwar/Syed are by far the most watchable. As you say, Nina Wadia has really shown this year that she's not just a great comic actress, but she's just at home with the more traditional EE angst and gloom, so hopefully they will work on keeping the Masoods as long-term players.

Brilliant top two and a great winner. I agree with Shoat though, that I don't feel for her at all currently, but for the majority of this year she's been the one to watch. :D