List of EastEnders characters introduced in 2009

Debra Dean, played by actress Ruth Gemmell, first appears on 5 January 2009. She is the mother of established character Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty), who she left along with Whitney's father, Nathan Dean, when Whitney was very young. Debra kept in touch with Nathan and his partner Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer) so Nathan and Bianca could keep her informed about Whitney. Debra is known to have worn a crucifix, which she gave to Whitney before she left. She also gave Whitney a porcelain doll that was broken by Whitney's sister, Tiffany Dean (Maisie Smith). Debra is first mentioned in late December 2008 when Whitney decides to get in touch, only to discover Debra has not received the letter as Bianca gave her the wrong address. She claims not to have the right address when Whitney asks for it, wanting to protect her, but Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks) discovers Bianca is lying and steals it from Bianca's address book, and gives it to Whitney. Debra and Whitney meet on 5 January at a café where Debra works. Whitney tries to discuss when they had lived together but Debra is not interested. She shows no interest in Whitney, coldly rejecting her, upsetting Whitney so much that she breaks down in tears just after she leaves the café. She goes home and tells Bianca that she is her mother as Whitney felt visiting her birth mother was the biggest mistake she has made. Whitney does not have any further contact with Debra until 5 June when she arrives unexpectedly. Bianca sends her away but Debra returns a few days later, insisting she wants to get to know her daughter. Bianca tells Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen) that Debra is not to be trusted and on Whitney's first birthday, she went on holiday with friends instead of being there for her daughter. Debra takes Whitney out for lunch at The Queen Victoria public house, where they start to bond, and Debra confesses that she is homeless. As a result, Whitney asks Bianca to let her stay with them. Whitney helps her sell some counterfeit DVDs. Their bond grows stronger and she surprises Whitney with her plan to move to Greece and asks if she will come. Whitney delightedly accepts, only to realise that Debra is using her when she leaves suddenly, passing her a sealed envelope and saying she will be back for it, and warning her not to open it or she would be "sorry". Debra returns on 17 July with cuts on her face, just after Ricky leaves after failing to convince Whitney to go to Brighton with them. Debra says that someone is after her; it turns out to be her son Ryan Malloy (Neil McDermott). Whitney and Debra go to an abandoned school and retrieve a bag. Debra will not let Whitney see the contents and when they get home, a man who has been stalking Whitney is inside. The man is Ryan and he and Debra argue. When Whitney defends her mother, Ryan tells her she is his mother too. It is revealed that the bag contains a knife with which Ryan stabbed somebody. Ryan returns the next morning and argues with Debra again, causing Whitney to run out and throw the knife into the canal. When she returns, Debra plans to leave but when Whitney tells her about her abuser Tony King (Chris Coghill) and his upcoming trial and says she is going to cook them a family meal, she agrees to stay. When Ryan and Debra are alone he tells her to leave, insisting she is a bad mother and that Whitney is better off without her. Looking frightened, Debra leaves. In December, Debra sends Ryan a text message to say that she cannot attend Tony's trial to support Whitney and not to contact her again. ==Marissa Moore==

Marissa Moore, played by Finn Atkins, makes her first on-screen appearance on 13 January 2009, working at the newly opened Gilly's Massage Parlour. The parlour is met with opposition from Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor) and Dot Branning (June Brown), amongst other residents. Peggy tries to convince Patrick Trueman (Rudolph Walker) not to serve Marissa in his shop, but Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) sticks up for her and strikes up a friendship with her. As Kris Green of Digital Spy reports, "Jay tries to take his friendship with Marissa to another level. [...] He plans to run away with Marissa. [...] When Jay meets with Marissa, however, he's confused by her behaviour. All's not what it seems with the young female as she brushes Jay off and makes a call and says into the mic: 'I did what you said. Now leave him alone.'" Atkins discussed her role in an interview with the Nottingham Evening Post. When asked about her using her Nottingham accent in the show, Atkins said that she had had "nice feedback" about it and explained that she had prepared a London accent for her audition but was told the producers preferred her Nottingham accent, so she was pleased and felt like she was "representing the city". Atkins described the character at some length, noting, "My character, Marissa, was in a lot of scenes with Jamie Borthwick, who plays Jay Brown... Marissa was a runaway who had been let down by people. She arrived in London to stay with a friend, but found the friend wasn't there, so she'd been on her own and the hardship had forced her into prostitution. Obviously that wasn't something that EastEnders could delve too much into, but you got the idea that she was going through hard times. She could seem quite hard but she did have a softer side. I don't know if they'll return to the storyline or not... The character, Marissa, was only 16. Because I'm quite small I can play anything from 15 up to my age or even a bit older." Grace Dent writes, "I feel sad for Marissa already. Gilly's brothel is a garish tribute to why this really is still a man's world and Marissa's just the faceless droid who masturbates him. I'm not sure that banning Marissa from the [café] so she can't have a bacon sandwich afterwards is really solving anything." ==Andy Jones==

Andy Jones, played by Aneirin Hughes, is the adoptive father of established character Danielle Jones (Lauren Crace). He is mentioned frequently when Danielle arrives in Albert Square in August 2008 to locate her birth mother Ronnie Mitchell (Samantha Womack) and makes his first on-screen appearance on 16 January 2009 after Ronnie phones him after Danielle confesses to her about her pregnancy. Hughes briefly reprised the role for a short stint beginning on 6 June 2016. . Andy asks Danielle to return to their hometown Telford as her brother, Gareth, is getting married. He also says that they will support her through her pregnancy but she says she wants to stay in London. After he leaves, Danielle tells Ronnie that her father has said she should have an abortion and later that evening, books one at the hospital. Andy is mentioned a month later when Danielle visits him and Gareth after her bond with Ronnie begins falling apart. However, she soon misses Ronnie and Walford. Andy is upset and angry when Danielle tells him about her abortion and how she searched for her biological mother. Danielle decides to return to Walford because of this. Two months later, Danielle finally reveals her true identity to Ronnie, but is accidentally knocked down by Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks) and dies. Andy returns and talks to Danielle's friend Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) about the life Danielle had in Walford. When he meets Ronnie again, he realises that she is the woman who gave Danielle up for adoption and blames her for Danielle's death. He returns for Danielle's funeral and does not allow Ronnie to attend but makes amends later at the house by telling her about Danielle's childhood and life up till she came to Walford. He gives Ronnie Danielle's childhood teddy bear and at first she declines, knowing Danielle means more to him than her, but later accepts for the sake of Danielle. As Ronnie leaves, he talks about Danielle's good nature, saying she must have got it from her adoptive mother, Lizzie. He then calls Ronnie back into the house before she leaves and gives her all of Danielle's photos. He tells her he was wrong to blame her for her death, and that he realises it was her father Archie Mitchell's (Larry Lamb) fault she died. Seven years later, a bedridden Andy is visited in hospital by his son Andy Flynn (Jack Derges), who tells his father he is getting closer to Ronnie, who does not know his true identity. In August, Andy Jr brings Ronnie's son Matthew Mitchell Cotton, along with her partner, Jack Branning's (Scott Maslen) children, Amy Mitchell (Abbie Knowles) and Ricky Mitchell (Henri Charles) to see Andy Sr, and notes that Matthew looks like Danielle. Andy Jr is then revealed to be Gareth, when Andy Sr calls him such. ==Theo Kelly==

Theo Kelly, played by Rolan Bell, was scripted as a love interest for the character Chelsea Fox (Tiana Benjamin), who, it is claimed, was won over by his "good looks and impeccable manners". He appears between 26 January and 15 June 2009. According to a BBC news release, "Theo's good looks and manners make him a hit with the ladies on the Square. He seems like the perfect gent". Discussing his casting, Rolan Bell said, "As a lifelong fan of EastEnders it is amazing to be part of the show – everyone has been so welcoming on set. Working with actors such as Rudolph Walker has been a dream come true and I can't wait to see how my character develops on screen." He added, "I auditioned for EastEnders a few years ago when I 'd just left drama school and, quite luckily, I didn't get the part because it was only a small walk-on role. When the audition for Theo came up, I just went for it and gave it all I could." In an interview with media website Digital Spy, Bell revealed information about his character's personality: "He's a well-to-do guy [...] He's been raised with good manners and he's definitely a mummy's boy. He's the kind of guy that wants to do right by women, but at the same time, he's a bit of a ladies' man. He's quite a gentleman and definitely old-fashioned." According to Bell, the writers of EastEnders pitched Theo as "a young, charming guy with impeccable manners"; however, he revealed that not much about his character's background was revealed in the beginning, so development has been "an organic process". The character's backstory was revealed by Bell: "Theo's grown up in a one-parent family in Brixton [...] he's the eldest of his brothers and sisters – he's actually one of six children [...] The father/son relationship is quite distant – almost non-existent – and I think that's why he has the attitude towards women that he has. Theo's seen the pain his mother's been through and he has quite a compassion for women in that situation." Theo arrives in Walford in search of Patrick Trueman (Rudolph Walker). He is looking for him on behalf of Tommy Clifford (Edward Woodward) in regard to the 1950s race riots that Patrick was involved with. He introduces Tommy to Patrick, not realising that Tommy is the man who killed Patrick's fiancée during the riots. Theo begins dating Chelsea, who is close to Patrick, but when Tommy's true identity is discovered, Theo falls out with Chelsea, although she eventually forgives him, believing that he was not a part of Tommy's deception. Chelsea believes she is not intelligent enough for Theo, and she strays with a footballer named Ellis Prince (Michael Obiora) in June 2009. Theo is willing to forgive her, but Chelsea rejects him due to her insecurities. Chelsea later dumps Theo in favour of Ellis and leaves Walford with Ellis. However, she returns a few weeks later, admitting to her family that she has been the victim of domestic abuse. She has had no further contact with Theo and he has not been seen around Albert Square since. ==Roger Clarke==

Roger Clarke, played by Geoffrey Hutchings, is the husband of Linda Clarke (Lynda Baron) and father of Jane Beale (Laurie Brett) and Christian Clarke (John Partridge). He lives in Florida with his wife and rarely sees his children. He is first mentioned in November 2006 when Linda arrived in Walford for Jane's wedding to Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt), explaining that Roger's absence was due to ill health. He is again mentioned by Linda when she turns up on Ian and Jane's doorstep in November 2008, announcing that Roger has left her and has been having an affair with a nurse named Marion for months. After a few months apart, Roger writes to Linda in January 2009 asking for a reconciliation. Roger arrives in Walford on 3 February 2009 after being contacted by Ian to take Linda home. Upon his arrival, Roger and Linda reminisce over old times and, after he reveals that he and Marion have gone their separate ways, he declares his love for Linda and asks her to return to Florida with him. After initial doubts, Linda agrees and the couple leave Walford on 6 February 2009. ==Syd Chambers==

Sydney "Syd" Chambers is played by Nina Toussaint-White and appeared on screen between 6 February and 11 December 2009. After her first appearance, it was revealed that Syd has a deaf son named Noah. In January 2009, it was announced that actress Nina Toussaint-White would join EastEnders playing Syd, a new love interest for Bradley Branning (Charlie Clements). Speaking of her part, Toussaint-White said: "I have been a fan of EastEnders for as long as I can remember and I am extremely excited to be working on such a great show. Finding out I got the job was exciting, but standing on the Square for the first time was amazing although very surreal." She added: "I'm looking forward to working with Charlie Clements and seeing what Syd is going to get up to." The result of Syd's relationship with Bradley is directly linked to the high-profile storyline of Stacey Slater's (Lacey Turner) ongoing battle with bipolar disorder, and her subsequent sectioning. Storylines Syd and her dog, Sugar, come to Walford in February 2009 to return Gumbo, Bradley Branning's (Charlie Clements) dog, who had gone missing. Upon meeting Bradley, she accepts his offer of a cup of tea and is seen again in March when Bradley finally plucks up the courage to phone her. Later that evening, they spend time together at his home but are briefly interrupted by Bradley's estranged wife, Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner). Liking the area, Syd moves into the flat above the bookmakers and begins dating Bradley. She finds herself attracted to him as he is different from the other men she has dated, and when Bradley confesses that he is unemployed, she admires his honesty and kisses him, cementing their relationship. However, she disappears for some time, making Bradley worried that she is no longer interested. When she finally reappears, she insists that she has been busy with her job as a nurse. Bradley, however, remains unconvinced that Syd has feelings for him and, attempting to prove him wrong, she gives him a rose and they sleep together. Bradley is delighted by this but Syd breaks his heart when she finishes with him. After seeing a man leave her flat, Bradley decides to move to Edinburgh until Syd hears about it. She rushes to his house and begs him to reconsider, inviting him to her flat so she can explain her actions. Bradley relents and Syd introduces him to her deaf son Noah (Micah Thomas), informing him that the man he saw was her babysitter. When Bradley is admitted to hospital, his father Max Branning (Jake Wood) urges Syd to visit him, but she refuses because she does not want to leave Noah. She changes her mind when Noah takes a shine to Bradley and asks about him. In August, she receives a job offer in Canada. Excited, Noah announces that Bradley is coming with them, but Bradley is worried about leaving his family behind, particularly his grandfather, who has just returned from a nursing home. She is sad but understands his circumstances. Noah too is against the idea of moving to Canada as he has made friends in Walford. After arguing with Stacey, Bradley tells Syd that he will go to Canada with her and Noah whenever she wants. They leave on 9 October but return on 7 December to visit his mother, Rachel Branning (Pooky Quesnel), in hospital. However, Bradley tells Syd that he is still in love with Stacey and refuses to return to Canada. She tries but fails to convince him that Stacey is trying to split them up and that he cannot leave Noah. However, he insists he is staying in Walford and says goodbye to them after helping to put their luggage in the car. Heartbroken, she and Noah leave without Bradley. Syd was not heard from again until February 2010 when her former roommate Amira Masood (Preeya Kalidas) contacted her to inform her of Bradley's death. ==Todd Taylor==

Todd Taylor, played by Ashley Kumar, is introduced as a love interest for Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty). The pair meet at the laundrette on 10 February 2009 when they are doing their laundry. They are later reacquainted when coincidentally Todd is working for Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen) as a car valet and Whitney accidentally picks up and washes a pair of Todd's boxer-briefs. Todd is shy but asks her out on a date. Whitney initially is not interested, but later changes her mind. Their first date starts well, but when Todd tells Whitney about his past relationship with another girl, he puts pressure on her, wanting to know about her past relationship too. Whitney runs away when she feels haunted over her sexual abusive relationship with paedophile Tony King (Chris Coghill). Todd later bumps into Whitney and asks her what was bothering her, but she storms off, although he finds her later again and immediately contact Ricky, where he discovers her drunk in a dark alleyway. The next day Todd visits the Whitney's home to check on her and drops off some chocolates for her. This makes a good impression on Ricky as he states that Todd is a mature person that cares for Whitney, unlike Tony who took advantage of her. Todd appears two months later after his new boss Darren Miller (Charlie G. Hawkins) buys the car lot back from Ricky's manipulative sister Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks). He meets Whitney again when he comes to play on his Xbox 360. However things do not end as expected when Tiffany Dean (Maisie Smith), Whitney's adoptive sister's pet caterpillar crawls into his clothes and he takes off his shirt in a panic. When Ricky walks into the room, he thinks that Todd is stripping for Whitney and kicks him out. Later on, Todd helped Whitney down from the swing in the playground and she stumbles onto him, which leads her to think he was about to kiss her. Todd later turns up at her home where Ricky apologises for the misunderstanding, along with Whitney making up with him. They go to play on the Xbox again but Todd accidentally stands on the caterpillar, much to Tiffany's dismay. Whitney and Todd decide to just be friends, but Whitney discovers a condom in his wallet, which he left behind by mistake, discovering that he is still thinking of being more than just friends. After trying to apologise to Whitney and telling her his mother made him carry a condom, he is threatened into leaving by Whitney's older brother Ryan Malloy (Neil McDermott). He returns in December 2009 when he bumps into Ricky in The Queen Victoria, who thinks Todd may help Whitney take her mind off Tony's abuse trial. Todd goes to see Whitney to give her a Christmas card, saying he hopes they are still friends, and she lets him in. He cooks mince pies and says he wants to be a mechanic like Ricky. Whitney realises that Ricky has put him up to spending time with her but they later play darts together in the pub. However, the next time he invites her out, she turns him down and he embarrasses himself and leaves. Whitney starts ignoring Todd's calls, and she is upset when Ricky invites him to his and Bianca Jackson's (Patsy Palmer) engagement party on New Year's Eve. When he turns up, Whitney apologises and they kiss after midnight. Todd and Whitney find Darren asleep on a park bench and help him, as he is freezing cold. Todd reveals he is a first aider. Lucy Beale (Melissa Suffield) invites Todd to a house party and he invites Whitney. At the party, Lucy comes onto Todd so Whitney takes him off to a bedroom. He tells her about a girl whose life he once saved when she was choking. They plan to have sex but then change their minds and decide to wait. At a meal with Whitney, Janine and Ryan, Ryan sarcastically makes fun of Todd's anecdotes. When Whitney's step-uncle Billie Jackson (Devon Anderson) arrives for Bianca and Ricky's wedding in February 2010, Whitney shows a clear interest in him and once again starts shunning Todd, much to his jealousy. As her feelings for Billie start to deepen, she breaks up with Todd, despite his pleading with her to give him another chance, telling her that he loves her and that he will get a motorbike like Billie if that will impress her, but she remains cold with him, and he leaves the Square in tears. ==Pearl Rogers==

Pearl Rogers, played by Su Elliot, is a local homeless woman who takes shelter in fish and chip shop Beale's Plaice on 17 February 2009, much to the chagrin of owner Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt). This prompts him to forbid his charitable employee Lucas Johnson (Don Gilet) to serve her. However, Lucas ignores him and gives her some chips for free. She has a conversation with Dawn Swann (Kara Tointon) when she confides in Pearl about her relationship with Garry Hobbs (Ricky Groves). During this conversation, Pearl states that she is a widow and her husband died of cancer. She is last seen on 20 February 2009 when Lucas is caught giving free food from Beale's Plaice to her and homeless friends. This leads to Ian and Lucas having an argument and Lucas decides to quit his job. ==Trina Johnson==

Trina Johnson, played by Sharon Duncan-Brewster, is introduced as the wife of already established character Lucas Johnson (Don Gilet) and mother of his son Jordan (Michael-Joel David Stuart). She first appears on 23 February 2009, unexpectedly to Lucas, Jordan and Lucas's fiancée Denise Wicks (Diane Parish). At first, Lucas is shocked to see her and tells her that their marriage is over and that he is going to marry Denise. It is revealed that Trina is also a drug addict. After being warned by Patrick Trueman (Rudolph Walker) to stay away from them, she shockingly tells him that Lucas spent Christmas with her. She is not seen after this and when Patrick confronts Lucas, he says he has applied for a divorce. Patrick sees Trina spying on Lucas and Denise kissing, on 19 June 2009. A week later, Lucas reveals to Denise he dislikes Trina because she was a bad mother to Jordan. When he was a baby, he was born addicted to heroin – the reason why she abandoned him. The following week, Trina reveals that Lucas spent Christmas with her, which prompts Denise to throw Lucas out. After being rejected by Lucas, Trina is kicked out of The Queen Victoria public house by barmaid Roxy Mitchell (Rita Simons) for throwing a drink over Jack Branning (Scott Maslen). Trina goes to Pat Evans' (Pam St Clement) house where Lucas is staying and comes downstairs in her underwear, asking Lucas to come back to bed, witnessed by Denise who has only just forgiven Lucas. Trina plays a trick on Denise by telling the police that Denise is abusing Jordan. However, the social worker can find no evidence of abuse. Despite all of her plans to drive them further apart, Trina tells Lucas and Denise that she has agreed to a divorce. However, she also tells them that she is planning to relocate to Walford with Jordan. A few weeks later she returns during an exciting day for Denise's daughter Libby Fox (Belinda Owusu). The family are planning to go to celebrate as Libby has a place to study at Oxford University. Trina turns up and Jordan is ecstatic, but Denise tells Lucas to get rid of her. Outside, he asks her if she is back on drugs to which she walked off, determined to have Lucas back. She sleeps with Lucas again and the next day arranges to meet him in the allotments. They meet in Charlie Slater's (Derek Martin) shed but as she tries to seduce him he pushes her away and her throat is impaled on a rake. Lucas leaves the shed as she lies bleeding to death. She attempts to phone Denise but dies before the call connects. When Lucas goes in to check on her, he sees she is dead and hears Denise on the phone. He ends the call and assembles evidence around Trina to make it look like she died in an accident whilst taking drugs. Her body is discovered on 14 September by Jordan and his friend Abi Branning (Lorna Fitzgerald), with Lucas watching from a distance. Trina's death is pronounced as an accident by the police on 29 September 2009. In October 2011, Duncan-Brewster received a special mention at the Screen Nation Awards for her portrayal of Trina, which celebrated the best British Black talent. ==Manda Best==

Amanda "Manda" Best, played by Josie Lawrence, is an old friend and former girlfriend of Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden). She was first seen on screen on 6 March 2009. Lawrence appeared in nearly 50 episodes as Manda between 2009 and 2010. It was announced in November 2009 that Lawrence had quit EastEnders and she made her final appearance on 12 February 2010. Most of Manda's storylines revolve around her former school friends and history, such as meeting Phil after their brief relationship in their teens and Minty Peterson (Cliff Parisi) with whom she went on to have a relationship. In June 2009, Manda's son, Adam Best (David Proud), a wheelchair user who has spina bifida, was introduced. Adam takes an instant dislike to Minty which causes friction between Manda and Minty. Manda is described as "loving, strange (in a good way) and creative". Lawrence described Manda as spiritual. She is also described as independent, but secretly yearns to meet "Mr Right". ==Tommy Clifford==

Tommy Clifford, played by Edward Woodward, is a man who is interested in Patrick Trueman (Rudolph Walker). He is a neighbour of researcher Theo Kelly (Rolan Bell), who has already met Chelsea Fox (Tiana Benjamin) and confirmed that she lives with Patrick. Together they want to meet with Patrick and ask him about the 1958 Notting Hill race riots. He makes friends with Patrick, claiming to be an author writing about the riots. However, it is revealed that Tommy is not an author and he was racist back then. He sincerely apologises and cries when Patrick realises Tommy is the person who started a fire that killed Patrick's fiancée, Ruth. He then goes on to reveal that the reason he is confessing now is because he is dying from kidney failure and does not have long left to live. Patrick refuses to forgive Tommy, but Libby Fox (Belinda Owusu) says that Tommy deserves a chance to explain himself and that Patrick should visit him. He tells her to mind her own business but she later visits Tommy only to find he has been admitted to hospital. Patrick goes with Denise Wicks (Diane Parish) to visit Tommy in hospital, where Tommy begs for forgiveness, but when he mentions Ruth, Patrick storms out. Denise tells Patrick that the nurse said Tommy will most likely not make it through the night, so decides to go back in and forgive Tommy, who dies with Patrick by his side on 23 April 2009. ==Syed Masood==

Syed Masood, played by Marc Elliott, first appeared on screen on 21 April 2009. Syed is a British Pakistani and is the eldest son of Masood Ahmed (Nitin Ganatra) and Zainab Masood (Nina Wadia), and brother of Tamwar Masood (Himesh Patel), Shabnam Masood (Zahra Ahmadi) and Kamil Masood (Arian Chikhlia). Syed's storylines see him fall in love with a man, Christian Clarke (John Partridge), and his eventual acceptance that he is gay. Syed initially marries girlfriend Amira Shah (Preeya Kalidas) but later comes out, and enters a relationship with Christian, despite the pressures of his family and his Muslim faith. ==Ryan Malloy==

Ryan Malloy, played by Neil McDermott, was introduced to the show as a mystery character, who was credited simply as "Man" to keep his identity hidden but was revealed to be the half brother of established character Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty). He has a dark past and Santer called him "intriguing and complex". Ryan's first on-screen appearance was on 28 April 2009. He has been involved in a love triangle with his wife, Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks) and Stacey Branning (Lacey Turner), the mother of his daughter, Lily Branning. ==Al Jenkins==

Al Jenkins, played by Adam Croasdell, is introduced as the new general practitioner, arriving on 1 May 2009. Al is described as "a big kid [and a] free spirit", and Croasdell called him "outdoorsy, a good doctor and generally nice – but not too nice." Croasdell quit the role in 2010 to embark on a charity visit to Malawi, and Al's last appearance was on 4 February 2010. His storylines involved romances with Roxy Mitchell (Rita Simons) and Chelsea Fox (Tiana Benjamin). ==Amira Masood==

Amira Masood (also Shah), played by Preeya Kalidas, is the girlfriend, and later wife, of Syed Masood (Marc Elliott), she first appeared on screen in the episode broadcast on 7 May 2009. The character was described as high maintenance, lonely and insecure. Amira and Syed's wedding on 1 January 2010 was watched by an average of 11.64 million viewers. Kalidas quit the show in January 2010 to concentrate on a career in music, filming her final scenes in March 2010. Her final episode was broadcast on 26 April 2010, after Amira discovered that her husband was gay and had been having an affair with Christian Clarke (John Partridge). Amira returned in October 2011, with her one-year-old daughter Yasmin Masood in tow. She left EastEnders again in early 2012. ==Noah Chambers==

Noah Chambers, played by Micah Thomas, is the deaf son of Syd Chambers. He first appears on 19 May 2009 when Syd introduces him to her boyfriend Bradley Branning in a bid to stop him leaving for Edinburgh, as he thinks she has been unfaithful. Syd is offered a job in Toronto, Canada, and Noah responds by running away. Bradley and Syd find him at the arcade, playing car games. Syd, Noah and Bradley leave for Toronto on 9 October 2009, but return to Walford to see Bradley's mother Rachel who is in hospital after being involved in a car crash. Noah and Syd return permanently to Toronto on 11 December without Bradley as he wants to remain in Walford with his ex-wife Stacey Slater, leaving both Noah and Syd heartbroken. ==Viv Bates==

Viv Bates, played by Dido Miles, first appears on 25 May 2009 for a guest stint. It was reported in the 12–18 October 2019 issue of Inside Soap that Miles had reprised the role while also appearing as a regular cast member in Doctors. The character appeared in episode 6011, originally broadcast on 22 October 2019. Following her return, Laura-Jayne Tyler of Inside Soap dubbed her a "classic gangster moll" and "boss", demanding that she be promoted to the regular cast. She first appears when she buys a newspaper and smiles at Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick). Billy meets her again in the café and knocks into her, spilling her tea over her, and he buys her another. She appears later on in The Queen Victoria public house where she buys Billy a drink and comes onto him flirtatiously. Billy walks away, and she follows him, revealing her identity as the wife of Terry Bates (Nicholas Ball), the man who murdered Jase Dyer (Stephen Lord). She threatens that if Billy testifies against Terry, she will hurt Jase's son, Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick), who Billy is the legal guardian of. After Terry is found guilty of Jase's murder, Viv visits him in his holding cell, saying she will no longer take orders from him. She removes her wedding ring and throws it at him. Terry threatens her, but she absconds, leaving him incarcerated for life. A decade later, Terry dies and Viv returns to organise his funeral. At first, Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) refuses on behalf of Jay, who is in now charge of Coker and Mitchell funeral parlour, much to Viv's irritation but Jay relents and agrees to bury Terry after realising that Viv does not recognise him. ==Bushra Abbasi==

}} Bushra Abbasi, played by Pooja Ghai, is an old friend of Zainab Masood's (Nina Wadia). She and Zainab attempt to set Zainab's eldest son Syed (Marc Elliott) up with one of Bushra's three daughters. When this fails, they decide to set him up with her fourth daughter Parveen (Farzana Dua Elahe). She requests the services of the Masoods' business, Masala Queen, including for a party on 19 June 2009, where she is impressed with Amira Shah's (Preeya Kalidas) singing and books them for further events in July. She is impressed with caterer Christian Clarke (John Partridge) and asks if his wife will be joining them at the party. She later tells her friend that she cannot believe Christian is single. When Christian said he just has not found the right man yet, Bushra is disgusted, says "your poor mother", and walks off. She later sees Zainab and her family at mosque and helps Zainab home after she suffers a dizzy spell. In December 2009, she attends Syed and Amira's Mehndi celebration, and in April 2010, she attends their flat-warming party, where it is revealed that Syed is gay. In May, she and her husband Nadim (Kriss Dosanjh) visit Zainab and Masood, and Bushra tells Zainab she must show that she will never approve of Syed to be accepted by the community. She attends a meal at the Masoods' in July. In November, Zainab invites her to visit when she wants to find out some information about Afia Khan (Meryl Fernandes) and her family. In January 2011, she visits the Masoods when they are opening their new restaurant, bringing Zulekha to interview as a waitress. She returns in October 2011, where she finds out Syed and Christian are now living next door to Zainab as a gay couple. She insults the pair after seeing them kissing in the street and Zainab slaps Bushra, saying she is the sick one and she never wants to see her again. Bushra returns on 20 February 2014 to visit the Masoods. She is delighted to see Shabnam Masood (Rakhee Thakrar), but is not very impressed to see Masood or Tamwar. Masood rages at Bushra over her behaviour, and throws her out of the house. Masood later reveals to Tamwar and Shabnam how good it felt to shout at Bushra. In June 2015, Bushra attends Shabnam's engagement party to Kush Kazemi (Davood Ghadami) and is shocked to discover that Shabnam had a baby with Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo). She then gossips about the rest of the Masood family to Kush's mother Carmel Kazemi (Bonnie Langford), but Carmel calls her two-faced and threatens to slap her. Later in the month, Bushra attends a charity event for homeless people held at the community centre. She makes a speech and objects to Stacey Branning (Lacey Turner) being present at the event. ==Zulekha Abbasi==

Zulekha Abbasi, played by Lisa Shah, is one of Bushra Abbasi's (Pooja Ghai) three "beautiful" daughters that Zainab Masood (Nina Wadia) tries to set up her son Syed (Marc Elliott) on a date with on 26 May 2009. She appears alongside her two sisters who are unnamed and uncredited. She returns on 29 December 2009 before Syed's wedding to Amira Shah (Preeya Kalidas), for their Mehndi where she shows an interest in Syed's younger brother Tamwar (Himesh Patel), writing a mobile number on his palm. Tamwar arranges a date but is surprised when Zulekha's friend Afia Khan (Meryl Fernandes) turns up as Zulekha gave him Afia's number instead. On 13 January 2011, Zulekha turns up in Walford as a potential waitress for the Argee Bhajee restaurant that Zainab and Masood Ahmed (Nitin Ganatra) bought for Tamwar, but Tamwar realises that all the waitresses are actually potential wives. She appears again on 1 April 2011 when Masood gets an eye test where she works. She tells Masood that Afia could get any man she wanted. This leads Masood to believe that Afia has lied that she has not been with anybody before Tamwar, and to Afia and Tamwar marrying in secret. Zulekha attends Afia and Tamwar's mangni (engagement party) and apologises to Afia. She visits Afia and Tamwar again on 1 June 2012 and asks them if they will host a speed dating event at their restaurant. Tamwar refuses initially but Afia agrees to host the event. Zulekha attends the event on 6 June, and tells Afia about her travels abroad. ==Parveen Abbasi==

Parveen Abbasi, played by , is Bushra Abbasi's (Pooja Ghai) fourth daughter. She appears on 28 May 2009 when Zainab Masood (Nina Wadia) tries to fix her son Syed (Marc Elliott) on a date with her. She later dumps curry all over him during lunch, but after catching Zainab and Syed's father Masood Ahmed (Nitin Ganatra), she and Syed pretend they are getting on and want to live together and get married. They realise that Syed's parents have set up a hidden camera to spy on them, and eventually expose it, ending the pretence. She also mentions that she has a photographic memory. Her last appearance is on 11 June 2009. In December 2009, it is revealed by Bushra that Parveen has gone to Washington D.C. to study for a PhD. In November 2010, it is revealed that Parveen is engaged to be married. ==James Mackie==