July 20, 20204 yr Sonia is a bit of a joke character but she is iconic so allow her being this high. Cindy and Roxy also both huge characters. My faves are starting to come through now :dance:
July 21, 20204 yr Author 19. Phil Mitchell King Rollo 24, Slick 14, Feel The Fever 7, Scene 6, JosephStyles 17, HausofGhibli 23 = 91 points Philip "Phil" Mitchell, played by Steve McFadden, was introduced on 20 February 1990, and was followed by his brother Grant, sister Sam and mother Peggy. Phil is one of the major introductions made by executive producer Michael Ferguson, who wanted to bring in some macho male leads. As of 2020, McFadden is the second longest serving male cast member behind Adam Woodyatt and the fourth overall behind Woodyatt, Letitia Dean and Gillian Taylforth. Phil's most prominent storylines include his battles with alcoholism and addiction; suffering from cirrhosis of the liver; various criminal dealings; having an affair with Grant's wife Sharon Watts — a storyline popularly dubbed "Sharongate"; a failed marriage to Kathy Beale; a longstanding rivalry with his tormented stepson and Kathy's eldest child, Ian; seeking to avenge the death of Sharon's adopted brother-turned-husband Dennis Rickman by confronting his gangland killer, Johnny Allen; becoming a prime suspect in the murder of his uncle Archie; developing an addiction with cocaine that sparks the events of the Queen Vic fire; framing one of his enemies, Max Branning, for killing Ian's daughter Lucy in order to cover-up the fact that Lucy's younger half-brother, Bobby, is the murderer; coping with the death of his mother Peggy after she had cancer; his ongoing struggle to bond with his children Ben and Louise, discovering that Sharon has been having a clandestine affair and that he is not responsible for her pregnancy and losing his adoptive son Dennis in a boat accident. One of the most culturally significant storylines featuring the character aired in 2001 and was dubbed "Who Shot Phil?". The events saw Phil shot in a whodunit mystery, with the assailant eventually revealed to be his former girlfriend and Louise's mother Lisa Fowler. The "Who Shot Phil?" storyline captured viewer and media interest and the culprit-reveal episode was watched by 22 million viewers.
July 21, 20204 yr Author 18. Max Branning Feel The Fever 18, Pippa 23, Hide&Seek 24, JosephStyles 7, HausofGhibli 20 = 92 points Max Branning, played by Jake Wood, made his first appearance on 27 June 2006. Many of Max's storylines focus on his relationships, including his marriages to Tanya Branning, Kirsty Branning and Rainie Cross, and relationships with Gemma Clewes, Stacey Slater, Vanessa Gold, Lucy Beale, Emma Summerhayes, Karin Smart, Carmel Kazemi, Fi Browning and Ruby Allen, many of which are extramarital affairs. Max has also embarked on feuds with his father Jim Branning, brothers Jack and Derek, as well as Sean Slater, Harry Gold, Janine Butcher, Phil Mitchell, Cora Cross, Jay Brown, Carl White, Charlie Cotton, Ben Mitchell, Ian Beale, Jane Beale, Steven Beale, Mick Carter, Martin Fowler, Stuart Highway and Kathy Beale. In 2008, Max became central to a whodunit storyline that saw him run over by a mystery assailant who was eventually revealed to be his daughter Lauren. He has also had to come to terms with the death of his son Bradley, being framed for attempted murder by Carl White and his girlfriend Emma's death. In October 2015, Max was wrongly convicted for Lucy Beale's murder, the true murderer was later revealed to be her younger half-brother Bobby. After his release from prison, Max became the show's central antagonist as he sought revenge against Ian and Phil along with everyone else - including his own family - who saw him wrongfully imprisoned, by conspiring with James Willmott-Brown in his nefarious scheme to redevelop Albert Square. Throughout the events of his revenge storyline, Max arranged for Jack to lose custody over his stepson Matthew Mitchell-Cotton; framed Phil's rival Vincent Hubbard for drug dealing, resulting in his arrest; blackmailed and later caused the death of Ian's stepson Steven; and forced Jane to leave Walford under the threat of having Bobby harmed in prison. The storyline ultimately concluded with Max attempting to commit suicide after his plan for revenge had failed, but this ended with both his daughters Lauren and Abi accidentally falling off the roof from The Queen Victoria when they attempted to stop their father; Lauren survived the fall whilst Abi died. A couple of months later in 2018, Max had married Tanya's sister Rainie in his bid to help win his custody case over Abi's daughter.
July 21, 20204 yr Author 17. Grant Mitchell Slick 22, AaronTM 6, Feel The Fever 24, Lukuzz 10, Pippa 30 = 92 points Grant Mitchell, played by Ross Kemp, was introduced by producer Michael Ferguson to revamp the show, first appearing in 22 February 1990 and then departing on 25 October 1999. He made brief returns in 2005, 2006 and 2016. Throughout the course of his 1990s duration, Grant established himself as one of the show's most prominent characters. He was portrayed as a tough persona, wildly known for his fiery temper and his tendency to resort to violence. Despite this, however, his family is important to him – particularly his relationship with his older brother Phil. One of EastEnders' most popular and highly rated storylines was "Sharongate", where Grant discovers that his wife Sharon has been having an affair with his brother. In light of this revelation, Grant attacked Phil and exacted revenge on Sharon until she departed the programme following her betrayal. Grant then went on to embark on a second marriage with local barmaid Tiffany Raymond, up to the point where she gave birth to their daughter Courtney. However, their marriage ended in tragedy when Grant's prolonged mistreatment towards Tiffany ultimately led to her being accidentally killed by his would-be stepfather Frank Butcher. The character has also become a prime suspect in the murder of Sharon's hated boss Eddie Royle; sparked a longstanding feud with her best-friend Michelle Fowler; developed a close friendship with local shopkeeper Nigel Bates; cheated on Tiffany by having an affair with her mother Louise; triggered a rivalry with his archenemy Beppe di Marco; established an antagonistic business partnership with Phil's would-be sworn nemesis, Steve Owen; had a one-night stand with Phil's estranged wife Kathy Beale; exonerated Sam for the murder of Sharon's illegitimate father, Den by proving to his ex-wife that her stepmother Chrissie was responsible for the crime; teamed up with Phil to confront their mother's gangland enemy, Johnny Allen, and get justice for the death of Sharon's adopted brother-turned-second husband Dennis Rickman; infuriated Kathy's son Ian after sleeping with his eventual wife Jane prior to their wedding; ended his third ill-fated marriage to Carla upon learning that she turned him against Courtney; and discovered that he is the father of Michelle's secret son, Mark, in light of coping with losing his mother Peggy to cancer.
July 21, 20204 yr Forgot about Cindy, Sonia is funny and got a few points simply for that, Love Roxy one of my faves. Phil I find a bit boring Max I can't stand Grant is definitely one of the best ever male characters for me
July 21, 20204 yr I think some voters may not have been into the show when characters such as angie watts, grant mitchell and cindy Beale were great characters as they are all very low, too low.
July 21, 20204 yr The recent results make me think the top 10 is full of surprises and not all good surprises.
July 22, 20204 yr Author 16. Zainab Masood King Rollo 8, AaronTM 9, Lukuzz 9, Scene 22, Cameron 26, JosephStyles 18 = 92 points Zainab Masood (also Khan), played by Nina Wadia, made her first appearance on 16 July 2007. Zainab is the mother of Syed, Shabnam, Tamwar and Kamil Masood. She is the wife of Masood Ahmed, who divorces her, and of Yusef Khan, who she remarries after a divorce decades earlier, and who abuses her. She departed on 8 February 2013. Zainab is portrayed as a "tough-talking businesswoman". Described as "Walford's answer to Sir Alan Sugar", Zainab has a "direct manner" with "a tongue that could cut glass", which can be "hugely intimidating". This became evident shortly after the character's introduction, when Zainab become embroiled in an ongoing feud with her employee Denise Wicks. An EastEnders spokesperson has commented: "Zainab's not there to make friends". Despite her "fierce manner", Zainab is a "devoted mother", and she is also described as "great fun" with a "wicked sense of humour." Wadia has said that Zainab's relationship with her husband, Masood, allows for her character to show a "softer side". She adds "with him, you will get to see her smile!". Diederick Santer also said that she will be the new battle-axe on the show (replacing Pauline Fowler) — the "Asian" matriarch of the Square. Wadia later described Zainab as someone she would not want to meet in real life: "I constantly say on set, 'I annoy myself' when I play Zainab. She's really irritating — the kind of woman that I'd never want to meet but she is such good fun to play." Wadia has also said that Zainab is the more traditional of the Masood family but is also conflicted: "She's the more devout Muslim, even though she was married when she was younger to another man before falling in love with Masood. Being in this country at the age she's at, she has her traditional values but she fights terribly to be modern and to fit into Western society. Look at the way she dresses for a start. She only wears the traditional clothes when it's to her advantage, like if she has to meet the imam. So she does play the game, but deep down, Zainab's someone who'll come across as traditional but inside, she's a free spirit. That's what makes her so angry and conflicted, because she's constantly fighting herself."
July 22, 20204 yr Author 15. Kim Fox Feel The Fever 6, Lukuzz 22, Cameron 28, Hide&Seek 13, JosephStyles 29 = 98 points Kimberly "Kim" Fox (also Fox-Hubbard), played by Tameka Empson, is the half-sister of Denise Fox, and aunt to Chelsea and Libby Fox. She first appeared as a guest character on 24 November 2009, and was reintroduced in 2010 as a regular character after piquing the interest of new executive producer Bryan Kirkwood. Empson took maternity leave in October 2013 and after appearing several times during her break via webcam, Kim returned to Albert Square on 30 December 2014. She departed again on 23 July 2019 and will return following her maternity break later in 2020. Kim is described as "vivacious and bubbly" on the outside, but hiding vulnerability and low self-esteem. The EastEnders website describes Kim as having big hair, a loud personality, hyperactive and a big heart. She is sharp, family-orientated and cares about her appearance, having a loud dress sense and being the life and soul of any party. She chooses the wrong men to have relationships with, but knows what she wants when it comes to love. Kim makes her first appearance for Denise's wedding to Lucas Johnson. She briefly returns after Denise is presumed dead, but makes a more permanent return when she separates from her boyfriend Dexter Mulholland. Kim kisses Ricky Butcher, sparking a brief feud with his wife, Bianca. She establishes a short-lived speakeasy and later opens a bed and breakfast. Kim also goes through a HIV scare and has a relationship with Ray Dixon. Kim gave birth to a baby girl, Pearl, prematurely during EastEnders Live Week, which celebrated its 30th anniversary. In later storylines, Kim has suffered a miscarriage and had to cope with becoming a single mother to her and Vincent Hubbard's children, Pearl and Mica, following Vincent's mysterious disappearance in April 2018. Empson said she felt good about bringing humour to EastEnders through her character. The actress explained "I think people want to smile, people want to have a laugh and I love Kim. You get so much theatre with Kim. I'm not actually like her but I love it. I like to party like Kim, but Kim can out-drink me any time." Empson said of the character and her style: "I like to have a good time but Kim's like ten times more full-on than me. Her outfits—I could only dream about wearing her outfits. The tighter the better for Kim! I like a bit of comfort and to be able to breathe. Kim knows no bounds—she feels no shame. Kim's very feminine and she's all about 'the look' and pampering herself."
July 22, 20204 yr Author 14. Kathy Beale King Rollo 16, Slick 11, AaronTM 4, Cameron 18, Hide&Seek 30, JosephStyles 10, HausofGhibli 13 = 102 points Kathy Beale (also Mitchell and Sullivan) is played by Gillian Taylforth. Portrayed as "an attractive, bright, caring and highly moral woman", Kathy is one of the serial's original characters, appearing in the first episode on 19 February 1985. Taylforth was originally dismissed for the role of Kathy due to her young age, but was reconsidered when she impressed show bosses. Kathy remained in a prominent role throughout her original stint on the serial, featuring in high-profile storylines involving her rape at the hands of James Willmott-Brown and the discovery of a long-lost daughter, Donna Ludlow, after she was sexually assaulted as a teenager. In 1993, after the character's marriage with her husband Pete ended with the latter's departure from the square, Kathy developed a romance with Phil Mitchell and they later had a son - Ben, who caused Kathy turmoil when he contracted a rare form of meningitis. The relationship between alcohol abuse and domestic violence was explored through Kathy and Phil in 1997, which led to their separation. Taylforth opted to leave the serial and Kathy departed on 10 April 1998 after deciding to move to South Africa with Ben. Despite reports that Taylforth would be returning to the serial, Kathy was killed off-screen in a road collision in 2006 to facilitate Ben's reintroduction. The character made a shock return during a live segment which aired on 19 February 2015 during EastEnders Live Week commemorating the 30th anniversary. Taylforth was initially hesitant about her reintroduction storyline, which was inspired by the John Darwin disappearance. Kathy's husband, Gavin Sullivan, was also introduced following her return and their turbulent marriage was explored. The character later had an affair with Buster Briggs, and became critical in the events surrounding Max Branning's revenge campaign in light of the Who Killed Lucy Beale? saga when James Willmott-Brown reappeared in his plan to reignite his relationship with Kathy by taking control of the square for her. Additionally, Kathy has had a brief relationship with Masood Ahmed and feuds with both Max Branning and Rainie Cross over the custody of her deceased adoptive grandson Steven Beale's daughter with Abi Branning - Abi Jr.
July 22, 20204 yr Really strong 3 there. It's definitely getting good now. Kathy in particular is an absolute icon.
July 23, 20204 yr Author 13. Tiffany Mitchell Slick 27, AaronTM 12, Feel The Fever 29, Lukuzz 17, Pippa 20 = 105 points Tiffany Mitchell (also Raymond), played by Martine McCutcheon from 1995 until 1999, was created by the writer, Tony Jordan. She was introduced as a school friend of Bianca Jackson in January 1995. In 1996, after getting herself a job as barmaid of the soap's Queen Vic pub, Tiffany started a relationship with the former pub landlord Grant Mitchell. They married before the year was out. In 1997, Tiffany gave Grant a daughter called Courtney. Tiffany was a prominent and popular character during her tenure. McCutcheon quit the role at the end of 1998 in order to pursue a musical career. Producers made the decision to kill the character off, an act that McCutcheon publicly criticised as she had hoped to return at some stage. BBC executive Mal Young has suggested that Tiffany was an iconic character, akin to original characters Den Watts and Angie Watts. McCutcheon has suggested that Tiffany was universally liked by men and women, "was the kind of allowable fantasy, fancied by men, admired by women, that enabled all viewers to love her". McCutcheon claims that she received lots of fanmail whilst in the role, with offers of marriage proposals. She claims that young girls idolised Tiffany. McCutcheon's performance as Tiffany saw her win 'Most Popular Actress' at the 1997 National Television Awards, and 'Best Actress' at the 1998 TV Quick and TV Choice Awards. In the book, Monarchies: What Are Kings and Queens For?, the authors relate Tiffany's death in EastEnders to the real death of Princess Diana - a senseless death of a beautiful young woman. The authors suggest that Tiffany's death was one of the most powerful and popular stories featured in EastEnders. They suggest that like Diana, Tiffany was "A beautiful, flawed and misunderstood woman, she died in tragic circumstances while escaping a pursuer who wanted to possess her." Tiffany's death has been described as event television in the book 'Television At The Crossroads', meaning a programme that causes audiences to break their viewing habits for an evening and all migrate to the same channel at the same time.
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