EastEnders - 25/12/2023 - 8:15 pm Thursday, December 25 on BBC Three

Zaraah Abrahams (Actor) .. Chelsea Fox

Born: March 27, 1987 in London

Best Known For: Waterloo Road and Dancing on Ice.

Early-life: Zaraah was born in London on March 27, 1987. She is of Iraqi and Barbadian descent on her mother's side and Jamaican on her father's side. She is the oldest of three siblings. While attending the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, she landed the role of Magda in children's series Girls in Love. Her first big break came in 2005 when she joined Coronation Street. She played the character of Joanne Jackson on the Manchester soap for 176 episodes until 2007.

Career: In 2008, Abrahams joined the cast of Waterloo Road as student Michaela White. She remained with the drama until the end of the fifth series in 2010. In 2008 she also took part in Dancing on Ice as a replacement for the injured Michael Underwood. She survived four skate-offs on her way to finishing third behind Chris Fountain and eventual winner Suzanne Shaw. More recently, Abrahams has made guest appearances in Scott & Bailey and Bedlam. In January 2014, she joined fellow former contestants in the final series of Dancing on Ice.

Quote: "I don't want to be anyone's thinspiration! Like any woman, my weight fluctuates all the time."

Trivia: Abrahams is an ambassador for positive body image campaign Body Gossip.

Delroy Atkinson (Actor) .. Howie Danes

Emma Barton (Actor) .. Honey Mitchell

Born: July 26, 1977 in Portsmouth

Best Known For: Playing Honey Mitchell in EastEnders.

Early-life: Emma Louise Barton was born in Portsmouth on July 26 1977 to David and Penelope. She trained at the Guildford School of Acting. In 2003, she made her TV debut in an episode of Spooks.

Career: Barton's big break came in 2005 when she joined the cast of EastEnders, playing Honey Mitchell. She left the show in 2008, came back in 2014 and made the return permanent in late 2015. Away from TV, Barton has appeared on stage in Grease, Loveshack, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Chicago and One Man, Two Guvnors.

Quote: "You have got to take risks with your choices."

Trivia: In 2009, Barton opened two BreastHealth UK clinics in the Birmingham area.

Jamie Borthwick (Actor) .. Jay Brown

Born: June 23, 1994 in London

Best Known For: Playing Jay Mitchell in EastEnders.

Early-life: Jamie Simon Borthwick was born in London on June 23, 1994. He attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School in London. His early roles included guest appearances on Not Going Out and Gina's Laughing Gear.

Career: Borthwick's breakthrough came when he was cast as Jay Mitchell in EastEnders. His first appearance on the soap came in December 2006 and he was made a regular in 2007. A year later, he won Best Dramatic Performance from a Young Actor or Actress gong at the British Soap Awards.

Quote: "I'm obsessed with the Argentine footballer Lionel Messi. I'm a huge football fan anyway, but he is the greatest ever."

Trivia: Borthwick supports West Ham United FC.

Ross Boatman (Actor) .. Harvey Monroe

Max Bowden (Actor) .. Ben Mitchell

Bobby Brazier (Actor) .. Freddie Slater

Kellie Bright (Actor) .. Linda Carter

Born: July 01, 1976 in Brentwood, Essex

Best Known For: Playing Linda Carter in EastEnders.

Early-life: Kelly Denise Bright was born in Brentwood, Essex, on July 1, 1976. She was a child actor and her early credits include T-Bag and the Revenge of the T-Set, Maid Marian and Her Merry Men and Brush Strokes. In 1990, she landed one of the main roles in popular ITV sitcom The Upper Hand, playing the daughter of Joe McGann's character. It ran for seven series until 1996.

Career: Bright had a main role in the fourth series of Bad Girls, and she has made guest appearances in a number of TV shows, including The Bill, Silent Witness, Jericho, The Catherine Tate Show, New Tricks, Hotel Babylon, Holby City and Vera. She played Joan Trotter in Only Fools and Horses' spin-off Rock and Chips. In 2013, she joined the cast of EastEnders as Linda Carter. Her film credits include Ali G Indahouse (2002). In August 2015, it was announced that she would be a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing.

Quote: In preparation for her role on Vera: "I watched loads of Ant & Dec clips on YouTube. It was nice to do something very different - I quite liked being a Geordie!"

Trivia: Bright is the voice of Kate Aldridge in Radio 4 series The Archers.

Ashley Byam (Actor) .. Finlay Baker

James Bye (Actor) .. Martin Fowler

Born: February 23, 1984 in Basingstoke

Best Known For: Playing Martin Fowler in EastEnders.

Early-life: James was born in Basingstoke on February 23, 1984 to Leonard and Pauline. He has a younger sister, Amy. He made his TV debut in a 2006 edition of The Bill.

Career: Bye had small roles in the films Cemetery Junction (2010) and Redemption (2013). He went on to appear in the miniseries The Great Train Robbery and the film The Hooligan Factory (2014). His big break came in 2014 when he began playing Martin Fowler in EastEnders.

Quote: On EastEnders: "It's difficult taking on such a well-known character. My main concern when I got the part was that I saw Martin as James Alexandrou, because he did such a great job."

Trivia: His favourite drink is Guinness.

Natalie Cassidy (Actor) .. Sonia Fowler

Born: May 13, 1983 in Islington, London

Best Known For: Playing Sonia in EastEnders

Early-life: Natalie Ann Cassidy was born on May 13, 1983, in Islington, London. She became interested in performing at an early age, despite none of her family having been involved in showbusiness, and claims she was inspired to tread the boards after watching Rainbow as a child. At the age of eight, she enrolled at The Anna Scher Theatre School and it soon became clear she had an impressive future ahead of her.

Career: At 10 she auditioned for a role in EastEnders and won the coveted part of Sonia, a member of the infamous Jackson clan. During her time in the soap her character had to deal with giving birth after not realising she was pregnant, the death of her fiance and a lesbian affair that almost wrecked her marriage. Cassidy won both British Soap and TV Quick Awards, and is one of EastEnders' most popular stars. She's also appeared on So Graham Norton, taken part in Celebrity Driving School, and reported for Holiday. She was a contestant on the seventh series of Strictly Come Dancing. In 2012, she entered the Celebrity Big Brother house.

Quote: "I know that my face is well known because of TV, but I don't feel famous, I just feel like a really normal person."

Trivia: In 2007, Natalie released a fitness DVD.

Navin Chowdhry (Actor) .. Nish Panesar

Tony Clay (Actor) .. Callum Highway

Michelle Collins (Actor) .. Cindy Beale

Born: May 28, 1961 in Hackney, London

Best Known For: Playing Cindy Beale in EastEnders and Stella Price in Coronation Street.

Early-life: Born Michelle Danielle Collins on May 28, 1961, in Hackney, London. When Collins was a baby, her father walked out, leaving her mother to bring up two daughters. Collins dreamed of becoming an actress, but didn't do anything about it until the age of 16 when her best friend Kate died of a heart attack. Suddenly life seemed short, and Collins set about getting onto a drama course.

Career: A self-confessed workaholic, her first professional job was as a backing singer for Mari Wilson, which she followed up by appearing in a Squeeze video. She made several minor TV appearances before joining EastEnders in 1988. Since quitting her role as Cindy Beale in the BBC soap she has starred in numerous other major TV shows - including Sunburn (she also released the theme tune as a single), Real Women, Ella and the Mothers, Daylight Robbery, Rock Rivals and Getting Out. She joined the cast of Coronation Street in 2011, playing Stella Price, the landlady of the Rovers Return, but left three years later. She's since appeared in Casualty.

Quote: "I'm not too beautiful, I'm not too ugly. I'm normal, and I think other women find me accessible."

Trivia: Away from showbusiness, she is a committed supporter of Oxfam and has travelled to various countries to witness the charity's work in action.

Brian Conley (Actor) .. Tom `Rocky" Cotton

Born: August 07, 1961 in London

Best Known For: A wealth of stage and TV work.

Early-life: Brian Paul Conley was born in west London on August 7, 1961. His father was a cab driver, his mother a dinner lady. Conley, who has severe dyslexia, wanted to get into showbusiness while still at school. He studied Performing Arts at The Barbara Speake Stage School and then, at the age of 16, hit the road and made a living performing cabaret in nightclubs. His father got a job working as a rigger supervisor at the BBC, while his brother Alan and sister Lynn also work in TV.

Career: Conley began his TV career as a warm-up man, but was fired because the producers thought he was so funny he wore the audience down. Since then he has had his own show, starred in TV sitcom Time After Time and played music legend Al Jolson in the West End musical Jolson. He is also famed for playing bullying PE teacher Doug Digby in ITV's 1970s-set comedy The Grimleys. On stage he has appeared in Me and My Girl, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Hairspray. He has also starred on the big screen in Circus, and on the small screen in Arthur's Dyke, Equilibrium, Marple and The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle. He also hosted the BBC talent series Let Me Entertain You. He largely works on the stage these days in pantomimes and his own show, The Best of Brian Conley, which showcases some of his material from past TV shows. In 2011, he toured the UK in Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show, a celebration of singer Neil Diamond. In 2012, he was a contestant on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!

Quote: "Fame? I love it. It's a right ego trip. I get a lot of money for doing something I enjoy."

Trivia: Conley frequently plays Buttons in pantomime versions of Cinderella.

Matt Di Angelo (Actor) .. Dean Wicks

Born: May 01, 1987 in London

Best Known For: EastEnders and his Strictly Come Dancing run.

Early-life: Born Mario Angelo Constantinou on May 1, 1987, in London. He studied at Southgate School, Bodens Studios School of Acting Singing and Dancing, and then the Sylvia Young Theatre School. He made his TV debut as Robbie in the BBC series Harbour Lights in 2000. Four years later he played Felix in the CBBC musical comedy series I Dream. By 2006 he made a few appearances in the Sunday morning children's TV show Smile, and also appeared in the movie Telling Lies.

Career: In January 2006, Di Angelo made his debut as Deano Wicks in EastEnders and became one of the show's biggest heart-throbs. However, in August 2007 it was announced he would be leaving the show. He filmed his final episode in December 2007, which aired in February 2008. He appeared in the 2007 series of Strictly Come Dancing, with dance partner Flavia Cacace. He was runner-up to winner Alesha Dixon. Di Angelo and Cacace also took part in the live tour of Strictly Come Dancing in January and February 2008, winning more shows than any other couple. Di Angelo has also appeared on The Paul O'Grady Show, Saturday Kitchen, Ready Steady Cook, Alan Carr's Celebrity Ding Dong, The Weakest Link and The Friday Night Project. He became a series regular on Hustle in 2009 and stayed in the show until it ended in 2012. He returned to EastEnders in 2014.

Quote: On being recognised in the street: "You've got to take everything as it comes, it's just part of the job."

Trivia: Di Angelo had a three-year relationship with Cacace which ended in 2010.

Letitia Dean (Actor) .. Sharon Watts

Born: November 14, 1967 in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire

Best Known For: Playing Sharon in EastEnders.

Early-life: Born November 14, 1967, in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, in a rented property on Barbara Cartland's estate. She's the youngest child of a tailor and his wife and has two older brothers. The family moved to Buckinghamshire when Letitia was three, and it was there that she became hooked on performing. At 10 she attended the Italia Conti Academy, and later went full-time to the Sylvia Young Theatre School so that she could concentrate on singing, acting and dancing.

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.

Quote: "(EastEnders) has always been very close to my heart."

Trivia: As of 2014 she is the fourth-longest serving actress in the history of EastEnders.

William Ellis (Actor) .. Theo Hawthorne

Tameka Empson (Actor) .. Kim Fox

Born: April 16, 1977 in London

Best Known For: Playing Kim Fox in EastEnders, and 3 Non-Blondes.

Early-life: Tameka was born in London on April 16, 1977. She has a younger sister, Emilia. Tameka trained to be an actress at the Anna Scher Drama School in London. In 1996, she made her film debut in Beautiful Thing. A year later, she starred in Stephen Poliakoff's Food of Love. Her other film credits include Goodbye Charlie Bright (2001), The Martins (2001), Silent Cry (2002) and Notes on a Scandal (2006).

Career: In 2001, Empson starred alongside Davina McCall in the short-lived ITV sitcom Sam's Game. She played various characters in two series of the BBC hidden camera comedy 3 Non-Blondes. Empson has also appeared on TV in Beautiful People and Whitechapel. In 2009, she joined the cast of EastEnders, playing Kim Fox.

Quote: "People tend to think that I am Kim, or that I'm playing myself. But I think she's more fit than me, because I couldn't get away with the clothes that she wears."

Trivia: Empson voices Tickbird in Tinga Tinga Tales.

James Farrar (Actor) .. Zack Hudson

Perry Fenwick (Actor) .. Billy Mitchell

Born: May 29, 1962 in Canning Town

Early-life: Perry was born in Canning Town on May 29, 1962. He has a sister, Tracey, and two brothers, Faron and Lee. He went on to attend the Sylvia Young Theatre School. He had minor roles in a number of TV shows, including Tucker's Luck, Bergerac and Inspector Morse, before landing a recurring role on the hugely popular sitcom Watching.

Best Known For: Playing Billy Mitchell in EastEnders.

Career: Throughout the 1990s, Fenwick made guest appearances in the likes of Lovejoy, Minder, Pie in the Sky, Shine on Harvey Moon, Ellington, Casualty and The Bill. His big break came in 1998 when he joined the cast of EastEnders as Billy Mitchell.

Quote: "People believe Walford does exist."

Trivia: He filmed his 1,000th episode of EastEnders in August 2010.

Jonny Freeman (Actor) .. Reiss Colwell

Roger Griffiths (Actor) .. Mitch Baker

Francesca Henry (Actor) .. Gina Knight

Shiv Jalota (Actor) .. Vinny Panesar

Thomas Law (Actor) .. Peter Beale

Scott Maslen (Actor) .. Jack Branning

Best Known For: Playing Jack Branning in EastEnders.

Early-life: Scott Alexander Maslen was born on June 25, 1971 in Woolwich, London. He signed up to join the Royal Marines at 16 but ending up breaking his foot and not getting into the Recruit training course. He visited Miami at 18 and was spotted by photographer Bruce Webber, which started his career as an international model. Five years later, he turned to acting and joined the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Career: After graduating, Maslen landed a role in the TV series Lock, Stock… as well as parts in Highlander: The Raven and the promotional video for Grand Theft Auto 2. He played Phil Hunter in The Bill between 2002 and 2007, before going on to join the cast of EastEnders as Jack Branning. In 2015, Maslen played MP James Holloway in The Royals. He also appeared in the 2010 series of Strictly Come Dancing.

Quote: "In my secondary school, they stuck me in drama because I was a gobby kid and they were like ‘what are we going to do with him?'"

Trivia: He enjoys fishing.

Kim Medcalf (Actor) .. Sam Mitchell

Steve McFadden (Actor) .. Phil Mitchell

Born: March 20, 1959 in London

Best Known For: Playing Phil Mitchell.

Early-life: Born Steve Robert Reid on March 20, 1959, in London. His parents split up when he was two, and he took his stepfather's surname, McFadden. He admits to not being particularly academic and after leaving school, he worked as a builder's labourer, but eventually decided he wanted to do something he found more fulfilling. He got a job working with blind people, and went back to college to study for his A-levels. He won a place studying economics at university, but dropped out after seven weeks when he realised he wanted to be an actor.

Career: After graduating from Rada in 1987, he made his screen debut in TV film The Firm. He followed this with small roles in the movie Buster and TV series The Bill and Bergerac, before joining the cast of EastEnders as Phil Mitchell in 1990. Along with his on-screen brother Ross Kemp, he made a huge impression on soap fans, and quickly became a household name. Away from EastEnders, he's appeared in Murder in Mind, Kevin & Perry Go Large, and a number of pantomimes. He took a break from Walford in 2003 but returned in 2005; he's remained there ever since.

Quote: On some of his less plausible storylines: "It's the writers' job to throw stuff at you and it's your job to go 'watch this, I will make it work.'"

Trivia: McFadden supports Manchester United and is a keen sailor.

Shona McGarty (Actor) .. Whitney Dean

Born: October 14, 1991 in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire

Best Known For: Playing impressionable Whitney Dean in EastEnders.

Early-life: Born Shona Bernadette McGarty on October 14, 1991, in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire. She is the daughter of Patrick McGarty and Jennifer McNamara. She attended St Teresa RC School in Borehamwood before attending Loreto College in St Albans.

Career: Before taking up the role of bad-'un-turned-prostitute Whitney in EastEnders, Shona was involved in amateur musical theatre for six years. She later joined drama school Young Stars, from which she snagged lead roles in several plays.

Quote: "I met teenage girls who'd been sexually exploited, and it was shocking to hear how they'd been abused by people they trusted".

Trivia: She performed the song A Change is Gonna Come on Children in Need 2012.

Clay Milner Russell (Actor) .. Bobby Beale

Matthew Morrison (Actor) .. Felix Baker

Born: October 30, 1978 in California

Best Known For: Playing teacher Will Schuester in Glee.

Early-life: Matthew James Morrison was born on 30th October 1978 in Fort Ord, California. He began singing and acting at a young age at theatre camp and began his success early when he was crowned Prom King at high school. Performing wasn't his only passion as a youngster as he was also a talented footballer. Morrison then went on to New York University's Tisch School of Arts, honing his theatrical skills.

Career: After appearing on Broadway in Footloose and The Rocky Horror Show, Morrison won a major role in Hairspray which launched him into the public consciousness. Bit parts on TV followed, including appearances in Ghost Whisperer and Numb3rs. In early 2009, he won a major role in school musical comedy Glee, which saw him combine his musical and acting talents once again.

Quote: On Glee's runaway success: "We all knew we were part of something great but we didn't know if we would find an audience. It's just been overwhelming."

Trivia: In June 2013, he released his second studio album, Where It All Began.

Clair Norris (Actor) .. Bernadette Taylor

Diane Parish (Actor) .. Denise Fox

Born: November 01, 1969 in London

Best Known For: Playing Denise in EastEnders.

Early-life: Born in north London on November 1, 1969. Her mother is a teacher, and she has two older brothers. After her parents split up when she was eight, Diane didn't speak to her father again for 20 years, but she says that she was young enough to adapt to his absence. Diane discovered her love of acting at a young age, and with the encouragement of her mother and teachers went on to win a place at the prestigious drama school, Rada.

Career: Parish began her career in theatre, going on to make TV appearances in the likes of Lovejoy, Casualty, Holding On, The Vice and Clocking Off. She also made her soap debut in 1998, when she turned up as singer Lola in EastEnders. She followed up an acclaimed role in the drama series Babyfather with a two-year stint in The Bill as DC Eva Sharpe, a role she reprised in the spin-off MIT: Murder Investigation Team. In 2006, she returned to Albert Square, this time as Denise Fox and has stayed in Walford ever since.

Quote: "EastEnders tackles issues just as much as any other soap. It's important to deal with everyday life. This is Britain - people enjoy misery!"

Trivia: She became the first black actress to win a Royal Television Society award for her performance in Babyfather.

Heather Peace (Actor) .. Eve Unwin

Born: June 16, 1975 in Bradford

Best Known For: London's Burning and Waterloo Road.

Early-life: Heather Mary Peace was born in Bradford on June 16, 1975. She has an older brother. At the age of 10, she was singing in her local church and attending the Bradford Youth Players. She went on to study acting at Manchester Polytechnic. After a number of stage roles, Heather's big break came in 1998 when she was cast as Sally `Gracie" Fields in London's Burning.

Career: Peace followed up London's Burning with a role in military drama Ultimate Force. Since then, she has starred in The Chase, Coronation Street, Heartbeat, Blue Murder, Holby City and Lip Service. In 2012, she was cast as Nikki Boston in school drama Waterloo Road. More recently, she starred alongside John Simm in ITV drama Prey. Away from acting, she released her debut album in 2012.

Quote: "I've always been very sporty. I was very good at football but there weren't really any professional female football teams around, so I thought I'd better become an actress."

Trivia: Peace is a patron of Manchester Pride.

Molly Rainford (Actor) .. Anna Knight

Shane Richie (Actor) .. Alfie Moon

Born: March 11, 1964 in London

Best Known For: Playing Alfie Moon in EastEnders.

Early-life: Born Shane Patrick Roche on March 11, 1964, in Harlesden, north London. His dad was a dustman and the family struggled to make ends meet - they spent the first nine years of Shane's life living in an attic flat at a hostel for Turkish women, where his mum was a cleaner. He joined an amateur theatre group in his teens and left school at 16 to become a DJ in Plymouth, but the job fell through and he ended up living rough.

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.

Quote: "Even now, to this day, if it all goes belly-up and I had to make a living, I would go back to Pontins."

Trivia: He is a patron of the Huntington's Disease Association.

Colin Salmon (Actor) .. George Knight

Born: December 06, 1962 in Luton

Best Known For: His appearances in several James Bond movies.

Early-life: Born in Luton on December 6, 1962. Raised on a council estate, Salmon's education ended abruptly when he was expelled from his local sixth form college. He later began modelling before turning to acting, eventually making his TV debut in 1992 in the first sequel to Prime Suspect.

Career: Salmon worked steadily on the big and small screens with small roles in such projects as Lovejoy, Between the Lines, Soldier Soldier and All Men Are Mortal. A longer stint in Kay Mellor's 1997 TV series Gold made casting directors sit up and take notice. Later that year he played Charles Robinson for the first time in Tomorrow Never Dies - a part he reprised in The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day. Salmon has also appeared in Resident Evil, AVP: Alien vs Predator, Match Point and cult series Hex. Recent TV appearances include The Number One Ladies' Detective Agency, Sky One's Strike Back, and Arrow. In 2012, he partnered professional dancer Kristina Rihanoff on Strictly Come Dancing; they were eliminated in week five. He occasionally appears in Law & Order: UK as barrister Doug Green.

Quote: "All I ever wanted as a kid was to be Paul Robeson, mixed with Miles Davis and Duke Ellington - which I think is a pretty cool combination."

Trivia: He supports Luton Town FC.

Balvinder Sopal (Actor) .. Suki Kaur Panesar

Lorraine Stanley (Actor) .. Karen Taylor

Gillian Taylforth (Actor) .. Kathy Beale

Born: August 14, 1955 in London

Best Known For: EastEnders and Footballer's Wives.

Early-life: Born 14 August, 1955, in London. She was brought up with four siblings, including former Family Affairs actress Kim Taylforth, in Islington, north London. Her parents were big movie fans who passed on their interest to their children. Taylforth enrolled at the Anna Scher theatre school at 17, where fellow students included Pauline Quirke and Linda Robson. Later, the lifelong Arsenal fan worked at a travel agency, as a solicitor's secretary and in the Radio Times photo library.

Career: Taylforth's early career included small roles in The Long Good Friday, Shelley, Hi-de-Hi! and Minder. In 1985 she landed the part of Kathy Beale in EastEnders, which brought her national stardom. Thirteen years later she decided to leave Albert Square, only to return a year later. She left the soap for good in 2000. Since then she's appeared in TV series Big Cat, Lost In France, the acclaimed Messiah and short-lived sitcom The House that Jack Built. Her biggest recent hit has been glossy drama Footballers' Wives. She's also appeared in bus depot drama Jane Hall and played Sergeant Nikki Wright in The Bill. More recently, she played Sandy Roscoe in Hollyoaks.

Quote: On turning 50: "This industry can be ageist - you're always being scrutinised for bags and wrinkles."

Trivia: In early 2013, she entered the Celebrity Big Brother House. She was the fourth person to be evicted.

Aaron Thiara (Actor) .. Ravi Gulati

Harriet Thorpe (Actor) .. Elaine Peacock

Lacey Turner (Actor) .. Stacey Slater

Born: March 28, 1988 in Barnet

Best Known For: Playing Stacey Slater in EastEnders.

Early-life: Lacey Amelia Turner was born in Barnet on March 28, 1988 to Bev and Les. She has two younger sisters, Lily and Daisy, who is also an actress. Lacey was born close to where EastEnders is filmed. At the age of 10, she began attending the Sylvia Young Theatre School, but left after a year. She would later take dance, singing and acting classes elsewhere after school.

Career: Turner's big break came in 2004 when she landed the role of Stacey Slater in EastEnders. She started on the BBC soap the day after leaving school, and her first spell on the show lasted until 2010. She went on to have roles in Being Human, Bedlam, Switch, Our Girl, and Call the Midwife, before returning full-time to EastEnders in August 2014.

Quote: On EastEnders: "I always dreamt of being on the show and so I can't believe that I've fulfilled my greatest ambition!"

Trivia: Turner has won a number of National Television and British Soap awards.

Rudolph Walker (Actor) .. Patrick Trueman

Born: September 28, 1939 in Trinidad

Best Known For: Love Thy Neighbour and EastEnders.

Early-life: Rudolph was born in Trinidad and Tobago on September 28, 1939, and moved to England in 1960 to pursue a career in acting. In 1967 he starred in Obi Egbuna's play Wind Versus Polygamy, but it was a role in controversial sitcom Love Thy Neighbour (1972-76) that made him a household name. Other TV parts followed in the 1970s and 1980s.

Career: Working steadily throughout his career, he is best known today as Patrick Trueman in EastEnders, a role he has played since 2001. Although most of his work has been on TV, he has appeared in several movies, including 10 Rillington Place, King Ralph, and Let Him Have It. He has also played the titular character in stage productions of Shakespeare's Othello, directed by David Thacker and Charles Marowitz, and also as Caliban in a production of The Tempest directed by Jonathan Miller.

Quote: "An actor's life for me is one which keeps you creative; forever developing, growing, flourishing and enriching, yourself and others. Therefore you cannot afford to become complacent or relaxed for too long… hence retirement is never a choice; you simply go on to the end."

Trivia: Walker received an OBE in 2006.

Danny Walters (Actor) .. Keanu Taylor

Born: June 01, 1993 in Harlow

Best Known For: Playing Tiger Dyke in Benidorm.

Early-life: Danny was born in Harlow on June 1, 1993. He spent a year training at the London School of Musical Theatre.

Career: Walters made his TV debut in an episode of BBC3 combat drama Our World War in 2014. In the same year he became a regular on the ITV sitcom Benidorm, playing Tiger Dyke.

Quote: On landing his role in Benidorm: "I went from being a young wannabe actor to being surrounded by amazing talent."

Trivia: He enjoys juggling and playing poker.

Jessie Wallace (Actor) .. Kat Mitchell

Born: September 25, 1971 in Enfield

Best Known For: Playing Kat in EastEnders.

Early-life: Born Karen Jane Wallace in Enfield on September 25, 1971. Jessie's parents divorced when she was three and she and her sister were raised by their father. After leaving school at the age of 15, Jessie had a number of jobs, including folding kilts. She moved to Portugal for seven months when she was 21 to work in a number of bars. When she returned, she trained as a make-up artist at the College of East London, which led to a job with the Royal Shakespeare Company. But she quickly realised she would rather be an actor, and she went on to train at London's Poor School.

Career: Wallace took her stage name from her grandmother and made her first TV appearance in a 1999 episode of The Bill. A year later, she landed her biggest role to date, playing Kat Slater in EastEnders. Since playing Kat, Wallace has won numerous best actress awards. She took a break from the show in 2005 and went on to appear in French and Saunders, A Class Apart, Miss Marie Lloyd, The Dinner Party and Wild at Heart. In 2010, she played Pat Phoenix in The Road to Coronation Street. In 2007, she made her West End debut in Rent Remixed. A year later, she partnered with Darren Bennett on Strictly Come Dancing, but they were eliminated in the fourth week. Wallace returned to EastEnders in 2010.

Quote: On Strictly Come Dancing: "When you're on TV you do look bigger than you are and Darren's tiny, he just looked like he was dancing with a big bear."

Trivia: Wallace is a patron of the theatre charity The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America.

Adam Woodyatt (Actor) .. Ian Beale

Born: June 28, 1968 in London

Best Known For: Playing Ian Beale in EastEnders.

Early-life: Adam Brinley Woodyatt was born in Walthamstow, London, on June 28, 1968. He is only one of a handful of EastEnders' cast members who really are from the East End. He was at primary school with future England cricket captain Nasser Hussein before joining the Sylvia Young Theatre School. His first starring role came in 1983's children's drama The Baker Street Boys. He then worked as a butcher in Wales before landing the role of Ian Beale.

Career: In February 1985, Woodyatt appeared in the first-ever episode of EastEnders and has been with the show ever since - despite originally intending to stay with the soap for only a year. He is the only cast member who's been in the programme continuously since it began. Away from Walford, he has starred in a number of pantomimes, and regularly appears on TV game shows such as Celebrity Ready Steady Cook, A Question of TV and The Weakest Link (which he won). He has also presented Value For Money, Dreamhouse and National Lottery Live. He's an avid science fiction fan, and appeared in a BBC Two themed night dedicated to Star Trek.

Quote: "If people are polite when they greet you, then you're polite back. If people are rude, then guess what they're going to get? Nine times out of 10, I get a good response."

Trivia: Woodyatt supports Liverpool FC and enjoys cricket, fishing, football, golf and cycling. He is also a talented photographer and won the Architectural Photographer of the year award from the SWPP BPPA Society. His winning picture was of St Pancras, which he took while filming EastEnders there.

Gillian Wright (Actor) .. Jean Slater

Angela Wynter (Actor) .. Yolande Trueman

Rocco Brenner (Actor) .. Arthur Fowler

Cody Briffett (Actor) .. Ernie Moon

Elliot Briffett (Actor) .. Bert Moon

Isabella Brown (Actor) .. Lexi Pearce

Michael Jose Pomares Calixte (Actor) .. Raymond Dawkins

Juhaim Rasul Choudhury (Actor) .. Davinder `Nugget" Gulati

Ellie Dadd (Actor) .. Amy Mitchell

Frankie Day (Actor) .. Ricky Mitchell

Harry Farr (Actor) .. Ollie Carter

Kara-Leah Fernandes (Actor) .. Bailey Baker

Grace (Actor) .. Janet Mitchell

Arayah Harris-Buckle (Actor) .. Pearl Fox

Sonny Kendall (Actor) .. Tommy Moon

Jaden Ladega (Actor) .. Denzel Danes

Isaac Lemonius (Actor) .. Mackenzie Atkins

Mahalia Malcolm (Actor) .. Mia Atkins

Freddie Phillips (Actor) .. Will Mitchell

Lillia Turner (Actor) .. Lily Slater

Lauren Klee (Writer)

Lance Kneeshaw (Director)

Chris Clenshaw (Executive producer)

EastEnders: 25/12/2023

8:15 pm - 9:15 pm, Thursday, December 25 on BBC Three (23)

About this Broadcast

25/12/2023
Episode 1

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