Career: Dean's first professional job came at the age of 12 when she was cast as Pepper in a stage version of Annie. She also appeared as Sandy in Grease and toured as part of the rock group The Young Uns. TV shows such as Relative Strangers, Grange Hill and Brookside followed, but it was landing the role of Sharon Watts in EastEnders in 1985 that turned her into a household name. Dean spent 10 years in the soap before quitting. She was persuaded to return in 2001, but left again in 2006; she began her third stint in the show in 2012. Other work includes The Hello Girls, Casualty and Strictly Come Dancing on TV, and various pantomimes and straight theatre work on stage.

Career: Nigel's biggest early roles came in 1980s BBC drama Tenko and comedy sketch series Alas Smith and Jones. He appeared on stage in several works, including Summer Holiday, and was among the original cast of Mamma Mia! He returned to TV in 2002 for a role in Red Cap, but the next year would see him land the role of Dennis Rickman in EastEnders and become an overnight star. He left the soap at the end of 2005 and immersed himself in theatre work. He worked on a touring version of The Caretaker and the West End version of Guys and Dolls. On the small screen, he starred in the ill-received drama The Outsiders, and had a brief role in Leonardo DiCaprio vehicle Blood Diamond (2006). More recently, he has starred in Telstar (2008), Lark Rise To Candleford, Plus One, Hotel Babylon, Mount Pleasant and Downton Abbey.

Career: After being involved in some of the most scintillating storylines in the soap's history, including being a suspect in the murder of Dirty Den, Ryan announced in 2005 she was leaving. Since then she has appeared in an episode of Marple, the independent film Cashback, and Jekyll for the BBC, alongside James Nesbitt. She also appeared in Mansfield Park opposite Billie Piper for ITV and as Lila in the film I Want Candy, co-starring Carmen Electra and Mackenzie Crook. In February 2007, it was announced she had been cast as the lead in the US revamp of Bionic Woman. Unfortunately, it was axed after one season. Since then, she has starred in Merlin, Doctor Who and Mr Eleven. On the stage, she has appeared in The Talented Mr Ripley.

Career: Shane lied about his age to get a job as a bluecoat entertainer in Pontins holiday camps, then played the alternative comedy circuit where he was noticed by the BBC. They cast him in short-lived sketch shows such as You Gotta Be Joking, and Up To Something. Daytime show Win, Lose or Draw followed before he got his big break with ITV's Lucky Numbers. His own show, The Shane Richie Experience, was a flop, but he had more success on stage in musicals Grease and Boogie Nights. Richie made his EastEnders debut in 2002 and soon became a firm favourite with fans. During a break from Albert Square, he played the lead role in one series of revamped comedy drama Minder.