Kyle Slater

In February 2015, EastEnders executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins announced at National Student Pride that EastEnders was looking to cast a transgender actor for a "transgender storyline". He explained that he wanted to do research on the subject in order to tell the story "properly", which he said he "always" likes to do for the soap. It was Carter Millington's first acting role, and he was excited to be joining the soap, saying, "I can honestly say that I have now fulfilled my two biggest dreams - to be living my life as a man and to be an actor". Not much was revealed about the character, but it was reported that he would move in briefly later that month and then be a "new permanent resident" by the end of 2015. EastEnders casting a transgender actor to play a transgender character made British soap opera history, and EastEnders bosses described it as a landmark moment. One of Millington's former tutors at Eccles College told Manchester Evening News that she always knew that Millington was "very talented" and would succeed, adding, "Everyone one at Eccles Sixth Form Centre is very proud of him". Millington initially signed a six month contract, and this was later extended to twelve. Kyle's official BBC profile called Kyle a "big-hearted optimist finding his way in the world", and questioned whether Walford would force him to "toughen up". Wallace revealed that the announcement of Kyle changed the announcement of her casting, explaining, "Hollyoaks originally wanted to just bring me in as a teacher and let people go, 'Is she trans or isn't she?', because I look a certain way and it's fine. But what happened was that EastEnders put out their big press release about Riley Millington. It was the week before my press release was about to be released, so our press office went, 'We better make sure people know about Annie as well'. We announced it within 24 hours of each other". As Sally debuted before Kyle, Wallace became the first transgender person to play a transgender character in a British soap opera. Millington told Sarah Morris from The Independent that he had read about Treadwell-Collins's intention to introduce a transgender actor and character in an OK! magazine, which prompted him to write to the soap opera telling him that he was transgender and training to be an actor and at university, in addition to briefly outlining his transition. Millington then "completely forgot" about it, but that June he was invited to the EastEnders studio. ==Development==

Introduction and family Kyle is introduced in mysterious circumstances and is connected to the mystery of Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner)'s secret key, which had been a mystery on EastEnders since March 2014. Kyle begins stalking and reveals to her that he is her paternal half-brother, but Stacey's dying great uncle, Charlie Slater (Derek Martin) says that Stacey's father, Brian Slater, only had daughters (in addition to Sean Slater (Robert Kazinsky)). However, EastEnders bosses confirmed that Kyle is Stacey's brother and was assigned female at birth. Kyle repeatedly tries to get Stacey to believe that they have the same father and tells her that she does need to be scared of him. Welch was excited to join the soap and called the role "powerful", and it was reported that she had dyed her hair brown for the role. Welch's stint revealed Alison's struggle to accept her son's transition, and the episode dealt with "very sensitive issues" as Alison meets Kyle for the first time since he has transitioned. Alison's firm refusal to spend more time getting to know Kyle leaves him "distraught and wishing she'd never visited at all", but Stacey suggests that there is hope as Alison had taken the flowers that Kyle bought for her. Millington commented on how the role was increasing understanding about the transgender community; he told Radio Times that he had received a letter from a trans man telling him that he had been disowned by his mother, but they had known reconciled due to seeing the similar storyline regarding Kyle. Kyle begins working as a chef for Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt). The profile revealed that kitchen is "Kyle's domain – he can express himself creatively and control his environment." Kyle finds "incriminating evidence" of Andy's "dark" secret – a folder full of pictures of Danielle and her mother, Ronnie Mitchell (Samantha Womack) – and asks later Andy about it, who snaps at Kyle and shuts him down, which takes Kyle aback. Kyle later reluctantly tells Ronnie about the concerning folders that he found of Danielle, which leads to Ronnie finding out Andy's true identity. Kyle later finds out that Steven Beale (Aaron Sidwell) was behind the robbery at their restaurant when someone arrives to complain about the kitchen equipment that Steven had sold them. Kyle confronts Steven about it, who manages to buy his "silence" by sending Kyle off to an expensive cooking course with a celebrity chef. Life for Kyle becomes "unbearable" at his house due to overcrowding and financial issues and he becomes uncomfortable that Stacey is struggling to make ends meet, so he asks Steven for a pay rise. Steven rejects him due to his family's own financial difficulties, so Kyle "bites back" and blackmails him, implying that he reveal the truth about the robbery if Steven does not reconsider, leaving Steven "firmly on the back foot". Daniel Kilkelly from Digital Spy teased the storyline by writing "No more Mr Nice Guy..." and questioned whether Steven had met his match or if Kyle would be forced to back down. Speaking about his exit, Millington said, "When I landed a 6 month contract at 'EastEnders' it was a dream come true. For that to be extended to a year was something I never expected. However, as the time comes for Kyle to depart Walford I am looking forward to taking on new roles and who knows, Kyle may find his way back to Walford one day." An EastEnders inside told Metro that "Kyle's storylines on the show came to a natural end for now", whilst an EastEnders spokesperson confirmed that Millington would be departing and wished him "all the best for the future". Kyle's exit storyline was not revealed, but it was expected that the door would remain "open" for the character to return. Kyle considers moving out when Martin's daughter, Bex Fowler (Jasmine Armfield), moves in and there is not enough room for everyone, but Stacey stops him as it is the "last thing she wants" and she decides to get a bigger house for them. Kyle is later offered a job abroad, but due to the household struggling financially, he tells Stacey that he will be turning it down. Millington added that Kyle "had the big coming-out story and it was dramatic and emotional, but we didn't get to see a happy ending, like a relationship of any sort other than the reunion with his half-sister, Stacey. It was frustrating". Millington felt that he had let himself and fans down for not "pushing" for something better, commenting that it a "shame to have gay characters and then you have to say goodbye". Millington also criticised creators for not expanding on Kyle's character after he came out. ==Storylines==

Kyle arrives in Walford and watches Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) from afar. He briefly attends her Halloween party, and when he leaves it is revealed that he has a similar key around his neck that Stacey used to have. Kyle sits behind Stacey at a Church service and she asks him if she knows him, but he leaves when she notices him. Stacey tells her boyfriend Martin Fowler (James Bye) and her mother Jean Slater (Gillian Wright) that she is being stalked, and Jean discloses that she was visited by someone. Jean eventually reveals that Stacey's father, Brian Slater, had another family, and Stacey realises that Kyle is her half-brother. Kyle tries to reveal himself to Stacey and comes to Walford with his close friends Sophie Dodd (Poppy Rush) and Ricksy Hicks (Joel Phillimore) as support. Kyle tells Stacey that he is her half-brother and they talk about their father. Kyle tells Stacey about his sisters, Siobhan and Shannon, and gives Stacey envelopes that were in Brian's safety deposit box for her and her brother Sean (Robert Kazinsky). Stacey realises that Kyle is the only one of Brian's children whose name does not begin with an S. They agree to stay in touch, and Kyle tells Sophie that he does not want Stacey to know his secret. When Stacey has a mental breakdown, she runs away from Walford with her baby Arthur Fowler and calls Kyle, feeling he is the only one she can trust. Kyle takes Stacey to a café and calls Martin, who calls Kyle a fraud due to finding out that Brian only had daughters with his other family. When Martin tells Stacey that Kyle is not her brother, she believes that he is the Devil and runs away. Kyle is warned off by Martin and Kush Kazemi (Davood Ghadami). Kyle then returns at Charlie Slater's (Derek Martin) funeral, which causes Stacey to freak out and flee with Arthur. Kyle returns a month later to give Stacey a box from Brian's safety deposit box. Martin blames Kyle for Stacey's Postpartum psychosis and being sectioned and warns him away from Walford. Kyle later visits Stacey during her home visit and explains to her that he is transgender and used to be called Sarah. Stacey is accepting and allows Kyle to move in. Stacey arranges a lunch with Kyle and her family, where Kyle reveals that he is trans after Jean refuses to believe him. Stacey is angry at Jean for her prejudice towards Kyle. Kyle later gets a job as a chef in Ian Beale's (Adam Woodyatt) restaurant. Kyle briefly feuds with Andy Flynn (Jack Derges) when he appears to be flirting with Stacey despite her engagement to Martin. Kyle tries to shake Andy off the ladder but stops after Stacey reminds him that that is how Brian died. Kyle is disappointed when Walford residents start to realise that he is trans but they are accepting. Stacey, having been told by Kyle that his mother, Alison Slater (Denise Welch), never accepted him as a man, invites Alison over and tries to get them to reconcile. Alison tells Kyle that she cannot accept him as he is not Sarah and leaves, though she tells him that she is glad that he is not alone. This devastates Kyle, but Stacey tells him that there is hope. Kyle is happy when Stacey and Martin get married. Kyle finds Andy's file filled with photos and newspaper clips of Ronnie Mitchell (Samantha Womack), and when he asks Andy he tells him that it is not his business. The restaurant that Kyle is working at is robbed, and Kyle later finds out that Steven Beale (Aaron Sidwell) was behind the robbery when someone arrives to complain about the dodgy kitchen equipment Steven sold them. Kyle keeps quiet after Steven pays for Kyle to attend an expensive cooking course with a celebrity chef. The Slater household begins to get crowded and the bills become worse, so Kyle asks Steven for a pay rise. When Steven says no, Kyle threatens to tell the truth about the robbery. Following the cooking course, Kyle is featured in a magazine and is headhunted for a job in France. Kyle wants to take the job but does not want to worsen Stacey and Martin's financial problems. However, Stacey, Martin and Ian encourage Kyle to take the job and follow his dreams. Kyle's confidence is boosted when Alison phones him and calls him Kyle for the first time. Kyle then cooks a final time for his family and leaves. ==Reception==

Following the news of Millington's casting, transgender actress Bethany Black, who had previously auditioned for EastEnders, praised the decision to introduce a transgender actor, saying, "It's about time we saw more trans roles on television. Being trans is like being gay was in the late 90s - it's a cool thing, so people are saying, 'Let's go and do this as a storyline'. As we progress we're going to see more of these roles. It's democratising the whole process." The reception was not all positive; Meka Beresford from PinkNews reported how the soap was "barraged with transphobic abuse" when Kyle's character was announced. Responding to this, LGBT politician Lord Michael Cashman, who had appeared in EastEnders as Colin Russell and took part in the soap's first same sex kiss, told PinkNews, "The BBC's courage and determination in reflecting the world in which we live honestly is to be applauded. The negative headlines of 'gender bender' and the negative backlash on some aspects of social media, should encourage the BBC that they are doing absolutely the right thing to tackle homophobia and transphobia by showing the lives of people within our communities, who would otherwise be overlooked and misrepresented." Kyle's debut was nominated for "LGBT+ Media moment" at the 2016 British LGBT Awards. For his role as Kyle, Millington was placed first on the 2015 Rainbow List, with Sarah Morrison writing "The 21-year-old is the first trans man to top the Rainbow List. After decades of directors arguing that there were not any transgender actors to cast in high-profile roles, Millington is proving them wrong. Our judges felt his decision to play the character Kyle in EastEnders could help trans people – even save lives – and represents a landmark cultural moment." Morrison also called the decision to introduce Kyle a "trailblazing move". A writer from BBC Bitesize included Kyle joining the soap as one of EastEnderss "Memorable LGBTQ moments" in its history, calling Kyle a "historic role" and a "landmark moment" for EastEnders. A writer from Irish Independent believed that "Transgender actors are beginning to make an impact on television", citing Millington, Rebecca Root and Annie Wallace. Battson also noted how viewers had seen Kyle's "battle" for acceptance from some characters. The writer observed that there "must be something in the water" at EastEnders due to "yet another cast member" announcing their exit. Laura-Jayne Tyler from Inside Soap thought that it was a shame that Kyle would no longer be appearing. Áine Toner ''Women's Way'' from believed that Kyle "deserved better" in reference to his exit and Millington's 2017 comments over his disappointment over how the character was written out. In 2018, Kerry Barrett from Soaplife wrote about Kyle possibly returning, explaining that "Kyle left the Square just as we were getting to know him, but we liked him a lot", and suggested that Kyle could return with his sisters Shannon and Siobhan "in tow". ==See also==