Cindy Beale
| Cindy Beale | |||||||
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| Duration | 1988-1990, 1993-1996, 1997-1998. dob=10th March 1968 | ||||||
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Cindy Beale (nee Williams) was a fictional character in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. She was played by Michelle Collins.
Cindy always had a eye for the lothario's of Walford and despite trying to settle down several times with the more reliable Ian Beale, she just couldnt seem to stay faithful to him. She had a selfish streak, often thinking of her own needs above her husbands and childrens. She often lied and schemed, particularly where men were concerned.
Cindy's beginning
Cindy arrived in Albert Square in 1988 and she proved popular with the local lads straight away. Although it was obvious that Cindy and barman Simon Wickes liked eachother, Simon stepped out of the running when his step-brother Ian Beale showed an interest in her. Cindy and Ian began a relationship and a year later the two were engaged. However Cindy and Simon couldn't keep their hands off eachother and it wasn't long before the two embarked on an affair behind Ian's back, which resulted in Cindy becoming pregnant with Simon's child. Cindy was prepared to leave Ian for Simon, but Simon didn't want to get tied down or upset his family, so he finished their affair and told Cindy he wanted nothing more to do with her or the baby. With nowhere left to turn Cindy decided to go through with her wedding to Ian and pretend that Simon's baby was actually Ians. She gave birth to Steven Beale in December 1989 and managed to keep his paternity a secret from Ian and the rest of the Walford for a while. However she grew tired of Ian, who she had never really loved, and she began to feel guilty for deceiving him. While Ian was busy trying to get his catering business up and running in order to provide for his wife and child, Cindy dropped the bombshell that Steven was not really his but Simon's. Ian wouldn't believe that Steven wasn't his however, and desperate to escape him Cindy made plans to flee Walford with her son. Meanwhile Simon, who had embarked on a serious relationship with barmaid Sharon Watts had also got itchy feet and he made the decision to leave walford with Cindy. The two departed in 1990, without informing their significant others that they were leaving and Ian was subsequently left a broken man.
Cindy's return
In 1993 however, news reached Ian that Simon had left Cindy and Steven and moved to New Zealand leaving Cindy to bring up Steven in poverty. Ian tracked Cindy down to a council flat and persuaded her to come back to Walford and live with him so they could bring up Steven together. Cindy was hesitant at first, but she accepted his offer, much to the anger of Ian's mother Kathy, who had never really taken to Cindy in the first place. Despite everyone in the square disliking her, it wasn't long before Cindy settled back in to life with Ian, who was now quite a wealthy entrepreneur. Cindy fell pregnant yet again, this time to Ian, and both she and Ian were shocked to discover that she was expecting twins. Lucy and Peter (who was named after Ian's father Pete) were born in December 1993.
However, married life and motherhood soon began to take its toll on Cindy and it wasn't long before she was up to her old tricks, playing away behind Ian's back with her ex-lovers brother David Wickes. Their affair was long and drawn out lasting several years. Cindy would sneak away from Ian at any given opportunity. Cindy's feelings for David soon began to grow and as this happened she became less and less tolerant of Ian. With David looking like he might cool their affair, Cindy decided to take drastic actions to rid herself of Ian once and for all, so she hired a hitman to do the deed for her. Just at the last minute she had a change of heart and decided she wanted to make a go of it with Ian afterall, but it was too late however, and Ian was shot by an armed man in a car and collapsed in a pool of blood right infront of Cindy. Riddled with guilt Cindy found it impossible to look innocent infront of the police, who clearly suspected that she had something to do with the attempted murder. When David was called in for questioning, Cindy knew it was only a matter of time before she would be arrested, so she decided to take her children and flee walfrod for a second time with David. With David's help she managed to snatch her sons Steven and Peter from their schools. However Lucy, who had been ill that day, was taken home from school early (unbeknownst to Cindy), and Cindy was forced to leave the country without her daughter in 1996. David also opted to stay behind, promising Cindy that he would try to get Lucy and join her later, although he never did.
Ian's revenge
After recovering from the shooting and realising Cindy's involvement, Ian decided to hire a private investgator named Ros Thorne to track Cindy down so he could reclaim his children. Ros found Cindy living in Italy in 1997 and the pair set off after her, with Ian's mum's boyfriend Phil Mitchell and his brother Grant Mitchell in tow. Upon finding Cindy working in a sleazy club as a waitress, Ian confronted her and in order to occupy her whilst Phil and Grant abducted her children, he pretended that he still loved her, was willing to forgive her. Cindy wanted her daughter back more than anything so she was willing to listen to Ian's pleas. The plan seemed to be working, but Cindy suddenly grew suspicious and she alerted the police. It was too late however, and despite a mad police chase Ian was successful in bringing his two sons back to Walford.
Cindy wasn't willing to give her children up so easily though and that same year she too came back to walfrod with her new boyfriend Nick Holland. She soon took Ian to court for sole custody of all her children. A long court battle ensued and Cindy was the eventual winner, forcing Ian to hand over his beloved children to her. However moments after the verdict Cindy was arrested for the attempted murder of Ian and she was taken into custody and charged. At this time Cindy was pregnant yet again with her third child (this time to boyfriend Nick). However, after seeing Cindy's true colours Nick decided he wanted nothing more to do with her and he left her in prison to rot without any money for a brief to get her off. This was the last time Cindy was seen in Albert Square, however it was subsequently revealed that Cindy died in prison whilst giving birth to her thrid child. Her last appearance was in 1998.
Cindy's baby survived and Ian was given temporary custody of her after her mother's death. He named her Cindy in her mother's honour and eventually gave her to Cindy's mother and Sister, who lived in Cornwall.