Ben Wadey (2025) }}
Ritchie Scott, played by
Sian Webber, is
Phil Mitchell's (
Steve McFadden) solicitor, taking the place of
Marcus Christie (
Stephen Churchett). In 2020, Sara Wallis and Ian Hyland from The
Daily Mirror placed Ritchie 89th on their ranked list of the best
EastEnders characters of all time, calling her an "unsung hero" and a "Glam lawyer" who has the "toughest gig in town" due to having to fix the "Mitchell messes". Ritchie is first seen when she visits Phil's mother
Peggy Mitchell (
Barbara Windsor) and gives her information and advice about Phil's upcoming trial for armed robbery. In November 2005, Ritchie gives Phil advice about his sister
Sam's (
Kim Medcalf) arrest for the murder of
Den Watts (
Leslie Grantham), and in April 2006 advises him on his custody battle for his son,
Ben (Charlie Jones), with Ben's older half brother
Ian Beale (
Adam Woodyatt), following their mother
Kathy's (
Gillian Taylforth) supposed death. In 2006, she works alongside
Stella Crawford (
Sophie Thompson), who meets with Phil when Ritchie is not available. Phil re-hires Ritchie in January 2007 to represent
Sonia Fowler (
Natalie Cassidy) when she is arrested for the murder of her ex-mother-in-law,
Pauline (
Wendy Richard). Ritchie appears again in January 2008 when
Jack Branning (
Scott Maslen) has recorded evidence that Phil supplied
Kevin Wicks (
Phil Daniels) with stolen
cut-and-shut cars that led to Kevin's death. In September 2009, upon the return of Sam (now played by
Danniella Westbrook), she advises the Mitchells that Sam faces five and a half years in prison for perverting the course of justice, failure to surrender and travelling on a false passport. In June 2010 she visits Phil to talk about Ben's upcoming court case for assaulting
Jordan Johnson (
Michael-Joel David Stuart) and suggests that Jordan could change his story to say Ben was provoked. When Ben is due to attend Crown Court, Ritchie tells Phil that, based on a recent, similar case, Ben could get six weeks' custody. However, Phil is angry with Ritchie when Ben is sentenced to five months. In December 2011, Phil re-hires Ritchie when he is arrested for Kevin's murder after
Denise Fox (
Diane Parish) hands in a copy of Jack's recording. She returns soon after to warn Phil to flee the country as the police are coming to arrest him. Although she does not know why, it is for Stella's murder. In March 2012, Phil's partner
Shirley Carter (
Linda Henry) confronts Ritchie because Phil is going to plead guilty to the manslaughter of Stella. Ritchie informs Shirley that Phil was attacked in prison. After Ian reveals to the police that Ben had lied about Stella's murder, Ritchie informs Shirley of Phil's release from prison. In April 2012, Ritchie represents
Billy Mitchell (
Perry Fenwick) when he is arrested on suspicion of the murder of
Heather Trott (
Cheryl Fergison) after he is found in possession of a large amount of money, which the police suspect he stole from her before she died, though this is not true. Ritchie convinces Phil to tell the police that he loaned the money to Billy and he is later released on bail. In August 2012, Ben (now Joshua Pascoe) confesses to Heather's murder. Ben refuses to let Ritchie represent him, which angers Phil. She is present when Phil's family are interviewed, and later informs Phil that Ben could face a minimum of 10 years in prison. Ritchie returns, in March 2014, when she sorts out the contract for Phil and
Sharon Rickman's (
Letitia Dean) new bar, The Albert. She advises Phil to watch Sharon carefully as she had tried to take full control of the bar without Phil's knowledge. In May 2014, Phil asks Ritchie to contact Ben in prison to convince him to see Phil and grant him a visiting order, but Ritchie tells Phil that Ben had been released from prison the previous month. In July, Ritchie gives Billy legal advice when he is accused of involvement in the murder of
Lucy Beale (
Hetti Bywater) (see
Who Killed Lucy Beale?). She leaves when Phil advises him to implicate Lucy's twin brother
Peter Beale (
Ben Hardy) to draw attention away from himself. Ritchie is present when Billy gives his statement to the police and it is revealed that she knows the lead investigating officer,
DI Samantha Keeble (
Alison Newman). Billy ignores the advice and tells the truth and Ritchie tells him that he has implicated himself as a prime suspect in the investigation. In August, Ritchie appears in an online clip, representing
Jay Brown (
Jamie Borthwick) whilst he is questioned by Keeble in connection with a robbery. The following day, Ritchie visits Phil and Sharon and explains that the robbery Jay is suspected of was committed the night Lucy was killed. She also reveals that there was another boy present during the robbery who matches Ben's description. Phil later meets Ritchie outside the police station and she reveals that she has found out the address of the witness who identified Jay and Phil tells her to visit him, whilst he gives Jay an alibi. In January 2015, Ritchie appears when Phil is charged with attempting to murder his cousin
Ronnie Mitchell (
Samantha Womack) by cutting the breaks on her car. Ritchie informs Phil's family of the charges against him and tells Sharon that Phil wants her to visit him in prison. The following day, Ritchie refuses to help the Mitchells further, as she has not been paid, and offers to pass Phil's case files to another solicitor; this angers Sharon, who accuses Ritchie of being disloyal. Two weeks later, Sharon contacts Ritchie and convinces her to take on Phil's case again after promising to come up with the money Ritchie is owed. In April, Phil meets up with Ritchie after stealing her client book from her office. He threatens to reveal her criminal clients if she does not clear the Mitchell's debt with her. Ritchie reluctantly agrees to Phil's demands and he gives her the client book back. Phil then hires her to represent
Dot Branning (
June Brown) when she is accused of murdering her son
Nick Cotton (
John Altman), and she also helps Phil track down Sharon's birth father. She also gives Phil information about
Vincent Hubbard (
Richard Blackwood). In July 2015, Ritchie represents Ben (now
Harry Reid) when he is arrested for Lucy's murder. She barges into the police station and interrupts a video identity parade Keeble and
DCI Jill Marsden (
Sophie Stanton) are holding with a witness. Ritchie is furious with Marsden and berates her for her methods, accusing her of bending the rules. She then advises Ben to remain silent during his interview, which she sits in on. She later updates Phil on Ben's situation and he thanks her, causing Ritchie to remind him to pay her on time. Marsden asks Ritchie to wait in the interview room whilst she and Keeble review some new evidence. Ritchie then calls Phil from the police station and gives him another update on Ben's situation. Ritchie is annoyed at being kept waiting by Marsden and nearly overhears her telling
DS Cameron Bryant (
Glen Wallace) that she used to be a stripper to pay her fees for law school. Later in the week, Ritchie reveals that Ben will still be held in custody for mugging Lucy and that the police will be wanting to question Jay over the mugging too, causing Jay to flee. Ritchie sits in on Marsden's interview of Ben over Lucy's mugging. When Marsden goads Ben and reduces him to tears, Ritchie orders her to terminate the interview and release Ben, threatening to report her to her superior officer if she does not. In November, Ritchie helps Sharon seize control of Phil's assets by power of attorney after his drinking spirals out of control and she signs them over to Sharon and Ben. In March 2016, Ben and Ronnie contact Ritchie when they attempt to seize control of Phil's businesses as he continues to behave erratically, and Phil throws them out of his house when he discovers what they are planning. Ritchie tells Ronnie that there is nothing she can do and Phil shouts at her as she gets in her car to leave. After Phil destroys the car lot with a digger and is arrested, Ritchie brings him home from the police station the following day. In April, Ritche reappears when Jay is arrested for having a relationship with an underage girl. Ritchie refuses to represent him, but advises him to speak to the duty solicitor and informs the Mitchells that Jay is being charged with possession of indecent images of a child. In May, Sharon hires Ritchie to represent
Bobby Beale (Eliot Carrington) after he is arrested for assaulting his adoptive mother
Jane Beale (
Laurie Brett). Ritchie advises Bobby not to comment during his police interview but Bobby ignores this. After the interview, Ritchie leaves the room, and
DS Howard South (Paul Stocker) then informs her that Bobby has confessed to Lucy's murder. Ritchie then sits in when the police interview Bobby about Lucy's death. The following week, Ritchie is present when Bobby is charged with unlawful killing, and is annoyed when he is refused bail. Ritchie then visits Jane and Ian at the hospital, where Jane is recovering, and advises them to convince Bobby to plead not guilty, to give her time to build up a convincing defence case before the trial. Ritchie visits Ian and Jane at the hospital again on the day of Bobby's sentencing. She tells them that as Bobby had pleaded guilty there is a chance that he could return home if the judge sentences him to a non-custodial youth rehabilitation order. Ritchie later attends Bobby's sentencing and mitigates for him, but despite her best efforts, Bobby is sentenced to three years youth custody. The following day she informs Ian of Bobby's progress in prison and tells him that Bobby is doing well as it is different from an adult prison. Ritchie also suggests appealing against Bobby's sentence, and offers to argue that he could be rehabilitated more at home. She then tells Ian that the choice is Bobby's but then tells Sharon and Kathy, who is actually alive, that Bobby may choose to stay in prison and serve his sentence. In October, Ritchie visits Phil in hospital, where he is suffering from
liver failure, and helps him amend his will, leaving everything to his daughter
Louise Mitchell (
Tilly Keeper). After Sharon objects, Phil calls Ritchie back to the hospital and gets her to change the will to include Ben and Sharon's son
Dennis Rickman Jnr (
Bleu Landau). Ritchie returns in September 2018 to help the Carters free
Mick Carter (
Danny Dyer) from prison after he is accused of shooting
Stuart Highway (
Ricky Champ). Ritchie returns again in July 2019 when Phil gets her to amend his will to include Louise's fiancée,
Keanu Taylor (
Danny Walters). Phil hires Ritchie once more in April 2020 when Phil hands himself into the police for his role in a boat accident on the
River Thames which lead to Dennis' death. Ritchie attempts to help Phil but is unable to due to the fact Phil blames himself forcing Ritchie to leave him to his own devices. She returns again in September in order to help Phil and Denise regain custody of their son, and once more in December to finalise Phil and Sharon's divorce. Ritchie appears in January 2022 to defend Phil against Keeble's investigation into his involvement in the death of
Vincent Hubbard (
Richard Blackwood). Phil's sister Sam (now played by Kim Medcalf again) meets with Ritchie in May 2022 about her predicament with
Denise Fox's (
Diane Parish) money. Ritchie later represents
Freddie Slater (
Bobby Brazier) in October 2023 after he is arrested on suspicion of the attempted murder of
Theo Hawthorne (
William Ellis). In September 2025 she returns once again to help defend
Zoe Slater (
Michelle Ryan) after she is brought into the police under suspension of an assault she had committed Ritchie gives her full name as "Richmal" when confirming her presence at one of Phil's recorded police interviews. Although no further details are given about her personal life, Ritchie references "the missus" in one episode, suggesting she is either a lesbian or bisexual. ==Honey Mitchell==