Ravi Gulati (EastEnders)

Introduction and backstory Executive producer Chris Clenshaw also added: "Ravi is captivating, cunning and dangerous, and can go from pleasant to menacing with very little warning – unlike Aaron who's a wonderful addition to the EastEnders cast. We're all excited to see Aaron bring the character to life and there's plenty of drama and shocking twists in store – wherever Ravi goes, trouble follows". Thiara's casting and character were also announced on the same day as his debut aired. Shaun Wren of Digital Spy described the character as "charming and charismatic" and "ruthless and unpredictable", while show bosses have also teased that Ravi is "willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants with no fear of the consequences". Affair with Denise Fox The storyline's build up to the affair is scenes where viewers can see Ravi and Denise Fox (Diane Parish) drinking together in Peggy's wine bar. He insists on walking her home but once they make it to the square, he attempts to make an advance. Denise quickly shuts Ravi down after much temptation because she realises how much she values her husband Jack Branning (Scott Maslen). They start passionately kissing after Ravi reminds her of her current marital issues. After chemistry is developed between Ravi and Denise, she cannot help herself but entertain Ravi's attention as he is her only source at that time as the family are also struggling with Amy Mitchell's (Ellie Dadd) self-harm and Ricky Mitchell's (Frankie Day) teenage pregnancy with Lily Slater (Lillia Turner). In the light of recent events, Denise begins to struggle in her marriage and begins contracting feelings for Ravi. He invites Denise to a hotel, to which after much consideration she accepts. They meet in the hotel and begin again passionately kissing however Denise realises she can no longer go through with it. She is caught on CCTV at the hotel as Jack and Callum Highway (Tony Clay) are working on a case against Ravi. Denise then tells Ravi about the case and how Callum is aware of where she was, he begins to blackmail Denise. Avani Nandra-Hart (Aaliyah James) was also announced as a new character, and was introduced as Ravi and Priya's secret daughter, and Nugget's sister. The characters and both James' and Khan Levy's casting details were announced on the same day. Nugget runs away to his mother after Suki reveals to him that Ravi murdered Ranveer. Nugget is found staying with Priya. Nugget is returned to Albert Square by Jack, Nish, Suki and Ravi. The next day, Priya, along with Avani, arrive in Walford. Scenes earlier showed Priya and Avani being evicted from their home, and so they scheme until Nish allows them stay. Viewer voted storyline Ahead of the show's 40th anniversary celebrations, it was announced that a live episode would be broadcast to celebrate the occasion (as had been done previously in 2010, 2012 and 2015); however, unlike previous occasions, this would feature an interactive element by allowing the viewers to vote on one of the show's storylines. On the 6th of January 2025, it was confirmed that this element of the episode would see the conclusion of a love triangle between Denise, Jack and Ravi, with viewers given the choice as to whether she would reunite with Jack (following their divorce earlier in the year) or Ravi. Clenshaw expressed excitement to give viewers the opportunity to choose, as well as to see which suitor would win the vote. Clenshaw, who has been recognised for attempting to appeal EastEnders to a younger audience during his tenure, incorporated the twist to appeal to Generation Z, explaining: "They watch reality TV, they've grown up with video games, they're used to being involved in the narrative".He has also stated that the interactive element was incorporated as a "gift" for consistent viewers. The storyline began on Christmas Day 2024, when Denise and Ravi share a kiss in the snow, eventually having sex. After Nish attacks Denise on New Year's Day and leaves her in a comatose state, Ravi angrily kills him, and the two eventually rekindle their romance in the aftermath, despite Jack's continued attempts to woo his ex-wife.. Denise ends her relationship with Ravi, but comes to realise she must choose between her two suitors. In the aftermath of an explosion at the Queen Vic, she eventually decides to reconcile with Jack. The vote opened on 19 February 2025, following the respective episode's conclusion, and remained open from 8:30 pm to 7:10 pm the following day, closing only twenty minutes before the live episode's airing. To vote, audiences had to answer a poll on the BBC website. It was teased on 31 January 2025 that as well as voting for Denise's partner, viewers would also be given another vote to decide a development in a story. The results of each vote were revealed in the live episode, as it depicted Denise rekindling her romance with Jack and Sonia naming her newborn daughter Julia. Thiara said of his role in the storyline that he was "deeply grateful" to be involved in the show's anniversary, having enjoyed the soap's previous milestone events. Clenshaw has since opined that he believed viewers had made the right choice and that he was "pleased" with the outcome. Return to crime and cuckooing storyline In February 2025, Nish's will is unsealed, where Bernadette Taylor (Clair Norris is made executor of Nish's estate. Bernadette subsequently uses this as an opportunity to embezzle the family's wealth in order to get revenge on Ravi's step-mother Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal) and her fellow conspirators for their role in the murder of her brother Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters). With the Panesar family left in financial ruin, Ravi returns to a life of crime, despite his promises to Priya that he would go straight. Okie and Ravi formed what Joshua Halm from Metro described to be a "dangerous alliance". It was also revealed that Kojo, an autistic man, was made vulnerable to the cuckooing process, which is the practice of using a person's dwelling, usually one who is vulnerable, for illegal activities. Executive producer Ben Wadey spoke about the storyline: "At EastEnders, we're proud to tell stories that reflect the real challenges people face, and Kojo's cuckooing storyline is one that feels especially important." He continued: "Cuckooing is a form of exploitation that too often goes unseen and hasn't featured on EastEnders before. Through Kojo's experience we hope to have shined a light on how easily vulnerable people can be manipulated and isolated – something that can happen in any community, but feels particularly resonant in a city like London, where people live side by side and yet can still slip through the cracks. Working closely with experts and charities, our aim has been to tell this story with care and authenticity, and to raise awareness as to how to identify the signs of exploitation and the importance of reaching out for help." To portray the cuckooing storyline, EastEnders has worked with Causeway, a modern slavery charity, and the National Autistic Society as well experts in the field of the cuckooing element of the storyline. Helen Ball, CEO of Causeway, spoke about the storyline: "Causeway are proud to have supported EastEnders on this important and timely storyline. Cuckooing is a cruel and dehumanising form of exploitation where the home of someone vulnerable is taken over by criminals. We were grateful to EastEnders for the opportunity to work with their team on the research behind this storyline and we hope that by shining a light on cuckooing, EastEnders can help raise awareness of the issue and help people spot the signs of grooming and exploitation around them." Dr Judith Brown, Head of Evidence and Research at the National Autistic Society, also commented on working with the show's bosses to carefully and truthfully portray the story: "It's a privilege to work with the EastEnders team on such a painful yet significant storyline about Kojo's "cuckooing" or home takeover. We thank the entire EastEnders team for focusing on a genuine issue that impacts the lives of autistic people. The awful truth is that autistic people are more at risk of abuse, victimisation and exploitation than non-autistic people. Because autistic people can find it hard to interpret social cues, emotions and inferred meaning, some may not always recognise manipulative or dangerous behaviours from others. We hope this storyline encourages any autistic person or parent of autistic children to learn what abuse and exploitation can look like." ==Storylines==