Murphy previously appeared in EastEnders in 1991 playing the character of Lorna. After playing Trisha in 2005, she returned to the series in 2010 playing a third character, Julie Perkins.

Johnny Allen, played by Billy Murray, first appears in January 2005, and is the father of Ruby Allen (Louisa Lytton). An old East End gangster, Johnny established himself as Walford’s crime kingpin upon killing fellow mob boss Andy Hunter (Michael Higgs) and later ordering the death of his friend Dennis Rickman (Nigel Harman). He also has relationship with Tina Stewart (Charlotte Avery). He soon becomes central to the Get Johnny Week storyline, in which Grant and Phil Mitchell (Ross Kemp and Steve McFadden) confront Johnny over his role in Dennis’ death. The storyline ends with Johnny – at his daughter’s urging – handing himself to the police to confess to his life of crime, including his role in the murders of both Andy and Dennis. Nearly seven months later, Johnny ultimately meets his downfall when he learns that Ruby’s boyfriend Sean Slater (Robert Kazinsky) attempts to extracts their assets; after failing to warn him off, Johnny dies of a heart attack whilst attempting to arrange for Sean to be killed.

The Reverend George Stevens, played by Michael Keating, is a recurring character who is the vicar in Walford. His first appearance was in the episode originally broadcast on 10 January 2005, being introduced by executive producer Kathleen Hutchison, and he has appeared in at least one episode every year until 2014, when he does not appear at all throughout the year. He returns in April 2015 until his exit on 28 September 2017 when he retires.

He first appears to discuss Freddie Mitchell’s christening with his mother Little Mo (Kacey Ainsworth) in 2005. Following this, he appears to discuss Den (Leslie Grantham) and Chrissie Watts’ (Tracy-Ann Oberman) vow renewals, and conducts the funerals of Neil and Sue Miller, Nana Moon (Hilda Braid), Dennis Rickman (Nigel Harman), Pauline Fowler (Wendy Richard) and Frank Butcher (Mike Reid). Stevens occasionally visits Dot Branning (June Brown) to discuss her faith, including following the death of her friend Pauline and Dot’s struggle when she takes on the responsibility of caring for a refugee baby. In December 2008, he returns, after Dot donates a substantial amount of money to have the church roof repaired. He feels it is his need to investigate whether Dot has donated from her own life savings but she does not want to make a fuss.

Margaret Wilson, played by Janet Amsden, is the adoptive grandmother of Sonia (Natalie Cassidy) and Martin Fowler’s (James Alexandrou) daughter, Rebecca Miller, and mother of Rebecca’s adoptive mother, Sue Miller (Sadie Shimmin/Victoria Willing). When Sue, along with her husband Neil (Robin Sneller) were killed in a car crash in 2005 Margaret became the parental guardian of Rebecca.

Margaret is first seen when Sonia visits her (under the name “Pamela”) to see Rebecca. Margaret discovers that Sonia is Rebecca’s biological mother, but after initially being hostile, she allows Sonia, along with Martin and Martin’s mother Pauline (Wendy Richard) to continue to visit Rebecca. On 15 December 2005, Margaret admits that she is getting tired so she lets Pauline, Martin and Sonia look after Rebecca for Christmas 2005. On 1 May 2006, Margaret visits Sonia to tell her she wants her and Martin to be Rebecca’s legal guardians. Just days later, she is disgusted with Sonia, as she discovers that Sonia has left Martin and lied about being together. Sonia later visits Margaret, who is almost convinced to allow Sonia back into Rebecca’s life, until Sonia tells Margaret she is in a relationship with another woman, Naomi Julien (Petra Letang). The next day, Martin visits Margaret and convinces her that Rebecca would be more secure with him and Pauline. On 1 June 2006, Martin receives a phone call to say Margaret has died. Margaret’s funeral is on Monday 12 June 2006.

He arrives in Walford on Christmas Day 2005, following the illness of his mother Nora Swann (Pamela Cundell). He is then persuaded to stay at the Millers’ house by Dawn after he reveals he is penniless and has nowhere to stay. Keith Miller (David Spinx) doesn’t like that Mike is staying and constantly tries to get him out. Mike stays on the Millers’ sofa, where Darren Miller (Charlie G. Hawkins) has hidden a large sum of money he has found. Mike discovers the money and steals it, suggesting to Keith that he buys a new sofa as the old one is in poor condition. The old sofa is then burnt on a bonfire and the family believe the money has been destroyed.

Ritchie Scott, played by Sian Webber, is Phil Mitchell’s (Steve McFadden) solicitor, taking the place of Marcus Christie (Stephen Churchett). Ritchie is first seen when she visits Phil’s mother Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor) and gives her information and advice about Phil’s upcoming trial for armed robbery. In November 2005, Ritchie gives Phil advice about his sister Sam’s (Kim Medcalf) arrest for the murder of Den Watts (Leslie Grantham), and in April 2006 advises him on his custody battle for his son, Ben (Charlie Jones), with Ben’s older half brother Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt), following their mother Kathy’s (Gillian Taylforth) supposed death. In 2006, she works alongside Stella Crawford (Sophie Thompson), who meets with Phil when Ritchie isn’t available.

In the flashbacks, Sid joins the army aged 16, lying about his age (he pretended to be 18) to become a “hero”. He is consoled by William Moon (Dickon Tolson) before going into battle, which he survives, but William does not. Sixty one years later, on 11 November 2005, Sid meets William’s grandson, Alfie Moon (Shane Ritchie), trying to force-feed his sick grandmother and William’s widow, Victoria (Hilda Braid), in a Normandy restaurant. When Alfie leaves the restaurant, Sid follows him to shout at him, but they soon start talking, both being unaware of their connection to William.

Honey Mitchell, played by Emma Barton, is employed by Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter) as a “honey trap” to see if her husband Patrick (Rudolph Walker) is willing to commit adultery. During the set up Honey meets Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick). They soon become attracted to each other, and finally become a couple in December 2005. Honey becomes pregnant by Billy, and gives birth to a girl, Janet, on their wedding day in September 2006. Honey and Billy have a second child, Will Mitchell, November 2007. However Billy’s lies and deceptions ultimately lead to Honey leaving Billy in September 2008.

Joe Macer, played by Ray Brooks, meets Pauline Fowler (Wendy Richard) at a salsa dance club, and they become friends. Joe falls in love with Pauline and pursues her. They marry in February 2006, however when Joe’s old friend Bert Atkinson (Dave Hill) arrives, Joe has to admit his criminal past to Pauline. As time progresses, Pauline’s erratic and devious behaviour causes the couple to split with terrible consequences.

Amy, played by Nina Fry, first appears in late October 2005 as a barmaid in Johnny Allen’s (Billy Murray) nightclub, Scarlet. Amy then has an affair with Johnny without his partner Tina Stewart (Charlotte Avery) knowing. When Johnny leaves Albert Square and the new manager, Mike Swann (Mark Wingett) has fled, Amy becomes manager of the club. She last appears in January 2006, when Stacey Slater’s (Lacey Turner) drink in the club is laced with illegal drugs by Deano Wicks (Matt Di Angelo), and she and Stacey have a fight.

She first appears when Mike’s former wife and daughter, Rosie Miller (Gerry Cowper) and Dawn Swann (Kara Tointon), visit her in hospital. She gets on well with Rosie and Dawn but doesn’t appear to get on well with Mike. Her illness is the reason Mike comes to Walford and stays with the Millers. She dies on 16 February 2006 of pneumonia with Rosie at her side.

Phil re-hires Ritchie in January 2007 to represent Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy) when she is arrested for the murder of her ex-mother-in-law, Pauline (Wendy Richard). Ritchie appears again in January 2008 when Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) has recorded evidence that Phil supplied Kevin Wicks (Phil Daniels) with stolen cut-and-shut cars that led to Kevin’s death.

In March 2009, he arranges plans for Peggy Mitchell’s (Barbara Windsor) wedding to Archie Mitchell (Larry Lamb), and also conducts Amy Mitchell’s christening in April and May 2009. In January 2010, he performs Archie’s funeral. Stevens is also seen in March, conducting Bradley Branning’s (Charlie Clements) funeral. In September, he meets Heather Trott (Cheryl Fergison) and Minty Peterson (Cliff Parisi) to talk about a christening for Heather’s baby son George, and is confused about Heather and Minty’s relationship. The next week he conducts the christening. In October 2010, Max Branning (Jake Wood) arranges for him to visit his sister Carol Jackson (Lindsey Coulson) following the death of her son, Billie Jackson (Devon Anderson), but Carol gets angry as Billie was not religious.

In September 2009, upon the return of Sam (now played by Danniella Westbrook), she advises the Mitchells that Sam faces five and a half years in prison for perverting the course of justice, failure to surrender and travelling on a false passport. In June 2010 she visits Phil to talk about Ben’s upcoming court case for assaulting Jordan Johnson (Michael-Joel David Stuart) and suggests that Jordan could change his story to say Ben was provoked. When Ben is due to attend Crown Court, Ritchie tells Phil that, based on a recent, similar case, Ben could get six weeks’ custody. However, Phil is angry with Ritchie when Ben is sentenced to 10 months.

In October 2011, he conducts a funeral of a local man, but Dot’s sister, Rose (Polly Perkins), who works in the doctor’s surgery, fears she mistakenly killed the man by misplacing his test results. Stevens tells her the patient died of a bee sting, and a relieved Rose then flirts with him, much to the chagrin of Dot. A few days later, Dot reveals Rose’s colourful past to Stevens. However, he is intrigued, and he and Rose share a drink at The Queen Victoria public house, as he wants to know more about her life. At a church social event, the pair become closer, resulting in Stevens asking for Dot’s blessing to date Rose.

In December 2011, Phil re-hires Ritchie when he is arrested for Kevin’s murder after Denise Fox (Diane Parish) hands in a copy of Jack’s recording. She returns soon after to warn Phil to flee the country as the police are coming to arrest him. Although she does not know why, it is for Stella’s murder. In March 2012, Phil’s partner Shirley Carter (Linda Henry) confronts Ritchie because Phil is going to plead guilty to the manslaughter of Stella. Ritchie informs Shirley that Phil was attacked in prison. After Ian reveals to the police that Ben had lied about Stella’s murder, Ritchie informs Shirley of Phil’s release from prison.

He, Dot and Rose later attend a Mayoral banquet, and on their return to Walford, they announce that the Olympic torch for the 2012 Summer Olympics will be passing through Walford. When Stevens visits Rose to invite her out, he finds that she has spent the night with Patrick Trueman (Rudolph Walker). In January 2012, he conducts Pat Evans’s (Pam St. Clement) funeral. On Maundy Thursday, he performs the rite of washing feet on Dot and comforts her following the death of Heather. In May 2012, he speaks to Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks) and Michael Moon (Steve John Shepherd) about their upcoming wedding, as Janine has decided on a church wedding for them. Michael tells Stevens that Janine is Jewish and has had three previous husbands, and Janine decides against the church wedding as a result. In June he conducts the christening at the hospital of Michael and Janine’s daughter Scarlett.

In April 2012, Ritchie represents Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) when he is arrested on suspicion of the murder of Heather Trott (Cheryl Fergison) after he is found in possession of a large amount of money, which the police suspect he stole from her before she died, though this is not true. Ritchie convinces Phil to tell the police that he loaned the money to Billy and he is later released on bail. In August 2012, Ben (now Joshua Pascoe) confesses to Heather’s murder. Ben refuses to let Ritchie represent him, which angers Phil. She is present when Phil’s family are interviewed, and later informs Phil that Ben could face a minimum of 10 years in prison.

In April 2013, Stevens visits Dot to ask why she has not attended Mass on Easter Sunday. Her friend Fatboy (Ricky Norwood) tells Stevens that Dot is about to lose her home, so Stevens convinces her that she has not sinned in the eyes of God. He conducts Michael’s funeral in November 2013. He appoints Dot as Church Warden and gets her to raise funds to fix the church roof. He appears on Christmas Eve to conduct a carol service.

Ritchie returns, in March 2014, when she sorts out the contract for Phil and Sharon Rickman’s (Letitia Dean) new bar, The Albert. She advises Phil to watch Sharon carefully as she had tried to take full control of the bar without Phil’s knowledge.

In May 2014, Phil asks Ritchie to contact Ben in prison to convince him to see Phil and grant him a visiting order, but Ritchie tells Phil that Ben had been released from prison the previous month. In July, Ritchie gives Billy legal advice when he is accused of involvement in the murder of Lucy Beale (Hetti Bywater) (see Who Killed Lucy Beale?). She leaves when Phil advises him to implicate Lucy’s twin brother Peter Beale (Ben Hardy) to draw attention away from himself. Ritchie is present when Billy gives his statement to the police and it is revealed that she knows the lead investigating officer, DI Samantha Keeble (Alison Newman). Billy ignores the advice and tells the truth and Ritchie tells him that he has implicated himself as a prime suspect in the investigation. In August, Ritchie appears in an online clip, representing Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) whilst he is questioned by Keeble in connection with a robbery. The following day, Ritchie visits Phil and Sharon and explains that the robbery Jay is suspected of was committed the night Lucy was killed. She also reveals that there was another boy present during the robbery who matches Ben’s description. Phil later meets Ritchie outside the police station and she reveals that she has found out the address of the witness who identified Jay and Phil tells her to visit him, whilst he gives Jay an alibi.

Stevens conducts the funeral of Jim Branning (John Bardon) in April 2015. He first discusses the arrangements with Carol and Max is rude to Stevens and tries to get him to leave. Carol sends Max away and Stevens is sympathetic. When Stevens asks who will be reading the eulogy at the funeral, Carol tells him that they will not be having one. At the funeral, Stevens is pleased to see Dot, who has been granted day release from prison in order to attend. Stevens is shocked and outraged during the funeral when Max delivers a damning eulogy about his father, and tries to get him to stop but Max ignores him. In July 2016, Stevens conducts Peggy’s funeral. In December 2016, Stevens appears when a nativity play is held at the church, which Lily Branning and Amy perform in. Stevens greets Lily’s mother Stacey Fowler (Lacey Turner) and stepfather Martin Fowler (James Bye) as they arrive at the church to watch the performance. Stevens later speaks to Roxy Mitchell (Rita Simons) after he discovers her sitting alone in the Square gardens, depressed. She tells him that she feels like she is a bad mother to Amy and has let her down all her life. Stevens reassures Roxy that strong people can bear to hurt themselves for the good of others. In January 2017, Stevens conducts the joint funeral of Roxy and her sister Ronnie Mitchell (Samantha Womack).

In January 2015, Ritchie appears when Phil is charged with attempting to murder his cousin Ronnie Mitchell (Samantha Womack) by cutting the breaks on her car. Ritchie informs Phil’s family of the charges against him and tells Sharon that Phil wants her to visit him in prison. The following day, Ritchie refuses to help the Mitchells further as she hasn’t been paid and offers to pass Phil’s case files to another solicitor, which angers Sharon who accuses Ritchie of being disloyal. Two weeks later, Sharon contacts Ritchie and convinces her to take on Phil’s case again after promising to come up with the money Ritchie is owed.

In July 2015, Ritchie represents Ben (now Harry Reid) when he is arrested for Lucy’s murder. She barges into the police station and interrupts a video identity parade Keeble and DCI Jill Marsden (Sophie Stanton) are holding with a witness. Ritchie is furious with Marsden and berates her for her methods, accusing her of bending the rules. She then advises Ben to remain silent during his interview, which she sits in on. She later updates Phil on Ben’s situation and he thanks her, causing Ritchie to remind him to pay her on time. Marsden asks Ritchie to wait in the interview room whilst she and Keeble review some new evidence. Ritchie then calls Phil from the police station and gives him another update on Ben’s situation. Ritchie is annoyed at being kept waiting by Marsden and nearly overhears her telling DS Cameron Bryant (Glen Wallace) that she used to be a stripper to pay her fees for law school. Later in the week, Ritchie reveals that Ben will still be held in custody for mugging Lucy and that the police will be wanting to question Jay over the mugging too, causing Jay to flee. Ritchie sits in on Marsden’s interview of Ben over Lucy’s mugging. When Marsden goads Ben and reduces him to tears, Ritchie orders her to terminate the interview and release Ben, threatening to report her to her superior officer if she does not. In November, Ritchie helps Sharon seize control of Phil’s assets by power of attorney after his drinking spirals out of control and she signs them over to Sharon and Ben.

In March 2016, Ben and Ronnie contact Ritchie when they attempt to seize control of Phil’s businesses as he continues to behave erratically, and Phil throws them out of his house when he discovers what they are planning. Ritchie tells Ronnie that there is nothing she can do and Phil shouts at her as she gets in her car to leave. After Phil destroys the car lot with a digger and is arrested, Ritchie brings him home from the police station the following day. In April, Ritche reappears when Jay is arrested for having a relationship with an underage girl. Ritchie refuses to represent him, but advises him to speak to the duty solicitor and informs the Mitchells that Jay is being charged with possession of indecent images of a child. In May, Sharon hires Ritchie to represent Bobby Beale (Eliot Carrington) after he is arrested for assaulting his adoptive mother Jane Beale (Laurie Brett). Ritchie advises Bobby not to comment during his police interview but Bobby ignores this. After the interview, Ritchie leaves the room, and DS Howard South (Paul Stocker) then informs her that Bobby has confessed to Lucy’s murder. Ritchie then sits in when the police interview Bobby about Lucy’s death. The following week, Ritchie is present when Bobby is charged with unlawful killing, and is annoyed when he is refused bail. Ritchie then visits Jane and Ian at the hospital, where Jane is recovering, and advises them to convince Bobby to plead not guilty, to give her time to build up a convincing defence case before the trial. Ritchie visits Ian and Jane at the hospital again on the day of Bobby’s sentencing. She tells them that as Bobby had pleaded guilty there is a chance that he could return home if the judge sentences him to a non-custodial youth rehabilitation order. Ritchie later attends Bobby’s sentencing and mitigates for him, but despite her best efforts, Bobby is sentenced to three years youth custody. The following day she informs Ian of Bobby’s progress in prison and tells him that Bobby is doing well as it is different to an adult prison. Ritchie also suggests appealing against Bobby’s sentence, and offers to argue that he could be rehabilitated more at home. She then tells Ian that the choice is Bobby’s but then tells Sharon and Kathy, who is actually alive, that Bobby may choose to stay in prison and serve his sentence. In October, Ritchie visits Phil in hospital, where he is suffering from liver failure, and helps him amend his will, leaving everything to his daughter Louise Mitchell (Tilly Keeper). After Sharon objects, Phil calls Ritchie back to the hospital and gets her to change the will to include Ben and Sharon’s son Dennis Rickman (Bleu Landau).

In September 2017, he retires and moves to Australia to live with his daughter and is replaced by Irene Mills (Melanie Kilburn).

Ritchie returns in September 2018 to help the Carters free Mick Carter (Danny Dyer) from prison after he is accused of shooting Stuart Highway (Ricky Champ). Ritchie returns again in July 2019 when Phil gets her to amend his will to include Louise’s fiancée, Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters). Phil hires Ritchie once more in April 2020 when Phil hands himself into the police for his role in a boat accident on the River Thames which lead to Dennis’ death.