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{{Infobox soap character
|series = EastEnders
|image=Colin cahman.jpg<!-- Please do not swap this and the 2016 image - a two episode stint after a 27-year break is not representitive of the character overall, so an image of when he was a regular character should be used in the infobox -->
|imagesize=200px
|caption= <!-- Captions are not needed when one actor has played a role -->
|name=Colin Russell
|portrayer=[[Michael Cashman]]
|years=1986–1989, 2016
|introducer=[[Julia Smith]] (1986)<br/>[[Sean O'Connor (producer)|Sean O'Connor]] (2016)
|first=Episode 153<br/>{{start date|1986|8|5|df=y}}
|last= Episode 5348<br/>{{end date|2016|9|9|df=y}}
|classification=[[List of former EastEnders characters#Last appeared in 2016|Former; regular]]
|books = ''A Single Man''
|occupation=Graphic designer
|mother=Ena Russell
|brothers=Bill Russell
|husband=[[List of EastEnders characters (2016)#Eddie Tsang|Eddie Tsang]] (2016–)
}}
'''Colin Russell''' is a fictional character from the [[BBC]] [[soap opera]] ''[[EastEnders]]'', played by [[Michael Cashman]]. The character appears between 5 August 1986 and 23 February 1989 and on 8 and 9 September 2016.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07v8fw0 | title=BBC One - EastEnders, 08/09/2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07vbg4w | title=BBC One - EastEnders, 09/09/2016}}</ref> Colin is originally portrayed as a middle-class [[yuppie]] with a kind heart. The character is [[Walford]]'s first on-screen [[gay]] resident and he featured in the UK's first homosexual kiss on a soap opera, which caused controversy in the British press.
== Storylines ==
===1986–1989===
Colin, a [[graphic designer]], moves to [[Albert Square]] in August 1986. Colin is [[gay]] but he initially keeps this secret from the other residents of Walford. [[Debbie Wilkins]] ([[Shirley Cheriton]]) befriends Colin and they have dinner together. He comforts her when she cries for her dead fiancé, but stops her when she attempts to kiss him. In November, Colin acquires a younger boyfriend named [[Barry Clark (Eastenders)|Barry Clark]] ([[Gary Hailes]]). They move in together and when [[Dot Cotton]] ([[June Brown]]) discovers they are sharing a bed, she is mortified and spreads rumours that Colin has [[AIDS]]. Some of the community shun Colin, refusing to speak to him as a result. Despite this altercation, Colin and Dot forge a close friendship when Colin supports Dot following her husband [[Charlie Cotton]]'s ([[Christopher Hancock]]) bigamy.
[[File:Colin Russell and Barry Clarke (17 November 1987).jpg|left|thumb|200px|Colin and [[Barry Clark (EastEnders)|Barry]]. Their gay relationship was one of the more controversial storylines in 1987. Colin kiss on Barry's forehead 17 November 1987 caused numerous complaints.]]
Barry causes Colin problems by interfering with his work, deliberately making him jealous, and engaging in criminal antics with villainous [[Nick Cotton]] ([[John Altman (actor)|John Altman]]) leaving Colin to pay for the damages. Further problems arise when Colin is called for jury service in 1987. The defendant is a member of the gangster organisation known as The Firm, and when Colin refuses to give a verdict of not guilty at the trial, Colin's flat is vandalised by [[Brad Williams (EastEnders)|Brad Williams]] (Jonathan Stratt). Colin calls the police, but they are more concerned about Colin's relationship with Barry than actually catching the vandals. They discover that Barry was under the age of legal sexual consent for homosexual sex when he and Colin began living together, and the police decide to inform Barry's parents (in 1987 the legal age of sexual consent for gay men was 21). Barry is petrified of his homophobic father and decides to end his relationship with Colin.
Colin grows depressed, which worsens when he is mugged in an alley and beaten up, and he suffers a spell of poor health in 1988 after his eyesight starts giving him trouble, he gets unexplained dizzy spells and occasionally cannot move his legs. Colin fears he has AIDS, however tests confirm that he has [[multiple sclerosis]]. Colin's [[general practitioner|GP]], [[Harold Legg]] ([[Leonard Fenton]]), decides that it is in Colin's best interests not to tell him the diagnosis, fearing the worry may bring on another attack prematurely. He tells Colin he is overworked and [[anaemia|anaemic]]. Colin starts enjoying a social life again. At a party he meets a new business contact, [[Guido Smith]] (Nicholas Donovan), who becomes a romantic interest and moves in with Colin.
However, in January 1989, Colin's health deteriorates, and Legg finally reveals that he has MS. Colin is furious at Dr. Legg for lying and threatens to report him to the authorities. Colin spends weeks coming to terms with the news, but Guido stands by him and Colin eventually accepts his condition. Problems arise in Colin and Guido's relationship in 1989; Colin begins to believe that Guido is only staying with him out of pity. Colin decides to move to his brother's house in [[Bristol]]. He opts not to tell Guido that he is going, but a surprise visit from Barry stalls his departure and Guido comes home to see Colin packed and ready to leave. Colin tells Guido that he needs some space and asks him to look after his flat whilst he sorts himself out. He then leaves Walford whilst his friends wave him goodbye.
===2016===
Twenty-seven years later, in September 2016, Dot discovers that Colin is marrying a man called [[List of EastEnders characters (2016)#Eddie Tsang|Eddie Tsang]] (Kevin Shen) and has invited her to his wedding, which she accepts, but then has doubts as she still believes that same-sex marriage is wrong, due to her religious beliefs; despite accepting gay relationships. Colin arrives at Dot's house, saying he had a feeling she would not go to the wedding. Colin visits [[The Queen Victoria]] pub and witnesses the funeral of [[Paul Coker (EastEnders)|Paul Coker]] ([[Jonny Labey]]), who was killed for being gay, and laments to another gay man, [[Johnny Carter (EastEnders)|Johnny Carter]] ([[Ted Reilly]]), of the homophobia in the world, but is comforted by the majority of gay acceptance. After exchanging memories, Dot agrees to attend the wedding, much to Colin's delight.
== Character creation and development ==
Colin was ''EastEnders''{{'}} first [[Homosexuality|homosexual]] character. Introduced in August 1986, Colin was one of the more popular characters in the early years of the programme.<ref name="first10years">{{cite book |last=Brake|first= Colin|author-link= Colin Brake|title= EastEnders: The First 10 Years: A Celebration |year=1995|publisher=BBC Books|isbn=978-0-563-37057-4|title-link= EastEnders spin-offs#Non-fiction books}}</ref> At first the audience and the residents of Walford were kept in the dark about the fact that Colin was gay. This changed by the end of the year, at which time Colin acquired a young boyfriend named [[Barry Clark (Eastenders)|Barry Clark]] ([[Gary Hailes]]).
Colin was one of the most controversial characters of his time — mainly because gay-orientated content was still relatively rare on [[Prime time|prime-time]] television during the mid-1980s. Gay characters that existed were usually farcical, [[Camp (style)|camp]] [[Parody|parodies]], created purely for comic relief, such as [[Are You Being Served?#Mr Wilberforce Clayborne Humphries|Mr Humphries]] in the [[situation comedy]], ''[[Are You Being Served?]]''<ref name="Characters">"[http://www.rainbownetwork.com/Film/detail.asp?iData=20830&iCat=182&iChannel=14&nChannel=Film Gay TV Characters]", ''RainbowNetwork.com''. URL last accessed on 2006-12-30.</ref> Although ''EastEnders'' was not the first [[United Kingdom|UK]] televised soap to include a gay character ([[Channel 4]]'s ''[[Brookside]]'' had that accolade), the portrayal of an openly gay male, let alone a homosexual relationship, on a prime-time, [[Watershed (television)|pre-watershed]] BBC programme was unheard of before Colin and Barry's introduction.<ref name="20years">{{cite book |last= Smith|first= Rupert|title= ''EastEnders: 20 years in Albert Square'' |year=2005|publisher=BBC books|isbn=978-0-563-52269-0|title-link= EastEnders spin-offs#Non-fiction books}}</ref> The [[Television licence|licence]] funded BBC held a far greater audience share than the [[commercial broadcasting|commercially]] funded Channel 4, thus public reaction to ''EastEnders''' gay characters was much stronger and more widely documented in the British [[tabloid (newspaper format)|press]].<ref name="20years"/>
Colin was a middle-class, well-meaning, slightly uptight yuppie, and his inclusion was an attempt to portray the [[gentrification]] of the [[East End of London]]. The openly gay actor and gay activist [[Michael Cashman]], who had roots in the East End, was chosen to play the role. Cashman initially resisted playing Colin, but was persuaded by his boyfriend, Paul Cottingham, and after receiving his parents' backing, he accepted the part.<ref name="gayteam">"[http://observer.guardian.co.uk/magazine/story/0,11913,1071212,00.html The Gay Team]", ''The Guardian''. URL last accessed on 2006-12-30.</ref>
The makers of ''EastEnders'' decided that Colin's partner needed to be in stark contrast in order to prevent Colin from becoming too rarefied (up until this point middle-classed characters had been relatively unsuccessful and had failed to fully integrate into ''EastEnders'' predominantly working-class community).<ref name="insidestory">{{cite book |last=Smith|first= Julia|author-link= Julia Smith|author2=Holland, Tony |author-link2=Tony Holland |title= EastEnders - The Inside Story |year=1987|publisher=Book Club Associates|isbn=978-0-563-20601-9|title-link= EastEnders spin-offs#Non-fiction books}}</ref> Barry was scripted to be much more down-to-earth in comparison: [[working-class]] instead of middle-class; openly gay instead of '[[The closet|in the closet]]'; loud and brash instead of shy and retiring, and in addition the age difference between the two was substantial — Colin being roughly fifteen years Barry's senior.<ref name="insidestory"/>
A relationship between Colin and Barry was quickly developed and the residents of [[Albert Square]] gossiped in hushed voices about the true nature of their friendship. In 1987 ''EastEnders'' was responsible for screening the first ever gay [[kiss]] in a UK soap opera, much to the outrage of the viewing public.<ref name="MEP">"[http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-752.html EastEnders star turned MEP to hold gay marriage] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061014055652/http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-752.html |date=2006-10-14 }}", ''Pinknews.co.uk''. URL last accessed on 2006-12-30.</ref> A small kiss on the [[forehead]], given to Barry from Colin, received a record number of complaints from angry viewers. In addition, the [[right-wing]] British press reacted with fury. They began a [[smear campaign]], branding the programme 'filth' and, for a while, dubbed the show ''EastBenders''.<ref name="20years"/> There were even questions in [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|parliament]] about whether it was appropriate to have gay men in a family show when [[AIDS]] was sweeping the country.<ref name="WP">"[https://www.theguardian.com/gayrights/story/0,12592,1105351,00.html Without prejudice]", ''[[The Guardian]]''. URL last accessed on 2006-12-30.</ref>
Despite the initial negativity, the storyline had a powerful impact on public attitudes and the show's handling of Colin and Barry's relationship was deemed by many gay activists as something of a breakthrough.<ref name="Archers">"[http://www.outfrontblog.com/2006/12/gay_weddings_on.html Gay weddings on The Archers!] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927030946/http://www.outfrontblog.com/2006/12/gay_weddings_on.html |date=2007-09-27 }}", ''Outfront''. URL last accessed on 2006-12-30.</ref> Not only did ''EastEnders'' brave the wrath of many moralistic viewers and [[bigot]]ed journalists, but they also exposed that bigotry through the characters in the show — most notably via the inane naivety of local [[gossip]] [[Dot Cotton]] ([[June Brown]]), who erupted into horror and ignorant self-righteousness upon discovering Colin and Barry's secret, and even spread rumours that Colin had [[AIDS]]. The episode featuring the kiss was watched by over 17 million viewers,<ref name="WP"/> and Colin and Barry remained on-screen for several years, accessing millions of viewers each episode — the gay community were finally being represented on mass audience mainstream television.<ref name="20years"/> Gradually, negative assumptions began to lessen, public opinion began to shift in Colin and Barry's favour and even Dot got used to the idea of having gay neighbours. Michael Cashman has commented: "This was a flagship BBC show, the most popular series in the country, and Colin and Barry were there day in, day out. The relationship wasn't sensationalised, and the public devoured it."<ref name="WP"/> The importance of Colin was so great in the gay community at the time that Cashman was asked to lead a march against [[Section 28]], which prohibited [[Local government in the United Kingdom|local authorities]] from promoting homosexuality or the acceptability of homosexuality.
Barry and Colin remained an on-screen couple until the end of 1987. Their characters were used to highlight many other gay issues, such as [[homophobia]], [[gay bashing]] and gay legal inequality — i.e. the [[Ages of consent in Europe#United Kingdom (and its Crown dependencies)|legal age]] of gay [[Age of consent|sexual consent]] (which at the time was 21 instead of 16 as it is today). Eventually, the differences between Colin and Barry became too great for them to overcome, they split and Barry left Walford for a job on a [[cruise ship]].
Colin had a health scare during the autumn of 1988 and for a moment it looked like ''EastEnders'' might have been about to do an [[AIDS]] storyline. The press speculated that Colin was showing early signs of the disease and the possibility was even briefly indicated too on-screen when Colin himself began to fear that his symptoms were AIDS related. In fact giving Colin AIDS was never the programme's intention — it was felt that the most simplistic and unhelpful message that the programme could give out would be to have its only homosexual character become [[HIV positive]] — particularly as it happened at a time when misconceptions and fear about AIDS were rife.<ref name="first10years"/> Colin was eventually diagnosed with [[multiple sclerosis]], although this fact was kept from him by his doctor for the remainder of the year and he lived out 1988 with the belief that he was in perfect health.
[[File:Colin Russell.png|200px|thumb|Cashman as Colin during his 2016 return.]]
Towards the end of 1988 Colin found new love, with a fellow yuppie — [[Guido Smith]] (Nicholas Donovan) — whom he met through his work. Colin's gay relationship was once again the cause of much controversy in January 1989 when ''EastEnders'' aired the first homosexual mouth-to-mouth kiss on a British television soap opera. The chaste peck on the lips between Colin and Guido resulted in a front page denunciation in ''[[The Sun (United Kingdom)|The Sun]]'' newspaper, written by then Sun writer [[Piers Morgan]], who described it as "a homosexual love scene between yuppie poofs... when millions of children were watching". The kiss was watched by twenty million people and came at a time when [[Margaret Thatcher]]’s government had set forward a moral agenda that urged a return to traditional family values. ''The Sun'' printed the assertion that "Furious [[Member of Parliament|MP]]s last night demanded a ban on ''EastEnders'' as the BBC soap showed two men kissing full on the lips".<ref name="velvet">{{cite web |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/tipping/article_2.shtml |title= Tipping the Velvet |publisher=BBC |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021028085502/http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/tipping/article_2.shtml |archive-date= 28 October 2002 |access-date= 30 November 2018}}</ref>
Cashman decided to quit the show in the early part of 1989. While still on the cast of ''EastEnders'', Cashman had founded the influential gay campaign group [[Stonewall (UK)|Stonewall]] and has now given up acting to become a [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] [[Member of the European Parliament|MEP]]. He was elected to the [[European Parliament]] in 1999 where he was the Labour spokesperson on [[human rights]]. He is also an active campaigner across a wide range of issues.<ref name="MEP"/> On screen, Colin finally learned he had multiple sclerosis and decided to leave Walford to live with his brother and face a rapid decline in health. In an interview featured in ''[[EastEnders books|EastEnders Handbook]]'' by Hilary Kingsly, Michael Cashman looked back fondly on Albert Square and his character, commenting: "Quite a few gay activists thought Colin too nice, but I thought he was just right. There was a fuss about his kiss with Barry which was sad — people should be upset by demonstrations of hate, not love".<ref name="EEHandbook">{{cite book |last= Kingsley|first= Hilary|title= The EastEnders Handbook |year=1990|publisher=BBC books|isbn=978-0-685-52957-7|title-link= EastEnders spin-offs#Non-fiction books}}</ref>
On 25 August 2016, it was announced that Cashman had reprised the role for two episodes to air the following month.<ref name="Kilkelly"/> Colin shared scenes with Dot Cotton (Brown), but full details of the storyline were initially held back.<ref name="Kilkelly">{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/eastenders/news/a805742/eastenders-spoilers-colin-russell-returns-lord-michael-cashman|title=EastEnders brings back the show's first ever gay character as Lord Michael Cashman returns as Colin Russell|last=Kilkelly|first=Daniel|date=25 August 2016|publisher=[[Digital Spy]]|access-date=25 August 2016}}</ref> Of his return to ''EastEnders'', Cashman stated: "It was a real joy, indeed a privilege, to return to my old home of Albert Square. To be amongst so many friends again, and to be back in the place where 30 years ago I started an amazing journey. An amazing journey which incredibly helped to change the country, and certainly its attitude to lesbian, gay and bisexual people."<ref name="Kilkelly"/>
==See also==
*[[List of LGBT characters in television and radio]]
*[[List of soap operas with LGBT characters]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
== External links ==
*{{EEcharlink|colin_r}}
{{EastEnders characters|present}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Russell, Colin}}
[[Category:EastEnders characters]]
[[Category:Fictional gay males]]
[[Category:Television characters introduced in 1986]]
[[Category:Fictional LGBT characters in television]]
[[Category:Male characters in television]]' |
New page wikitext, after the edit (new_wikitext) | 'Colin was a fat poof and a dirty LGBT rights activist, who sucked off men in his spare time.
== Storylines ==
===1986–1989===
Colin, a [[graphic designer]], moves to [[Albert Square]] in August 1986. Colin is [[gay]] but he initially keeps this secret from the other residents of Walford. [[Debbie Wilkins]] ([[Shirley Cheriton]]) befriends Colin and they have dinner together. He comforts her when she cries for her dead fiancé, but stops her when she attempts to kiss him. In November, Colin acquires a younger boyfriend named [[Barry Clark (Eastenders)|Barry Clark]] ([[Gary Hailes]]). They move in together and when [[Dot Cotton]] ([[June Brown]]) discovers they are sharing a bed, she is mortified and spreads rumours that Colin has [[AIDS]]. Some of the community shun Colin, refusing to speak to him as a result. Despite this altercation, Colin and Dot forge a close friendship when Colin supports Dot following her husband [[Charlie Cotton]]'s ([[Christopher Hancock]]) bigamy.
[[File:Colin Russell and Barry Clarke (17 November 1987).jpg|left|thumb|200px|Colin and [[Barry Clark (EastEnders)|Barry]]. Their gay relationship was one of the more controversial storylines in 1987. Colin kiss on Barry's forehead 17 November 1987 caused numerous complaints.]]
Barry causes Colin problems by interfering with his work, deliberately making him jealous, and engaging in criminal antics with villainous [[Nick Cotton]] ([[John Altman (actor)|John Altman]]) leaving Colin to pay for the damages. Further problems arise when Colin is called for jury service in 1987. The defendant is a member of the gangster organisation known as The Firm, and when Colin refuses to give a verdict of not guilty at the trial, Colin's flat is vandalised by [[Brad Williams (EastEnders)|Brad Williams]] (Jonathan Stratt). Colin calls the police, but they are more concerned about Colin's relationship with Barry than actually catching the vandals. They discover that Barry was under the age of legal sexual consent for homosexual sex when he and Colin began living together, and the police decide to inform Barry's parents (in 1987 the legal age of sexual consent for gay men was 21). Barry is petrified of his homophobic father and decides to end his relationship with Colin.
Colin grows depressed, which worsens when he is mugged in an alley and beaten up, and he suffers a spell of poor health in 1988 after his eyesight starts giving him trouble, he gets unexplained dizzy spells and occasionally cannot move his legs. Colin fears he has AIDS, however tests confirm that he has [[multiple sclerosis]]. Colin's [[general practitioner|GP]], [[Harold Legg]] ([[Leonard Fenton]]), decides that it is in Colin's best interests not to tell him the diagnosis, fearing the worry may bring on another attack prematurely. He tells Colin he is overworked and [[anaemia|anaemic]]. Colin starts enjoying a social life again. At a party he meets a new business contact, [[Guido Smith]] (Nicholas Donovan), who becomes a romantic interest and moves in with Colin.
However, in January 1989, Colin's health deteriorates, and Legg finally reveals that he has MS. Colin is furious at Dr. Legg for lying and threatens to report him to the authorities. Colin spends weeks coming to terms with the news, but Guido stands by him and Colin eventually accepts his condition. Problems arise in Colin and Guido's relationship in 1989; Colin begins to believe that Guido is only staying with him out of pity. Colin decides to move to his brother's house in [[Bristol]]. He opts not to tell Guido that he is going, but a surprise visit from Barry stalls his departure and Guido comes home to see Colin packed and ready to leave. Colin tells Guido that he needs some space and asks him to look after his flat whilst he sorts himself out. He then leaves Walford whilst his friends wave him goodbye.
===2016===
Twenty-seven years later, in September 2016, Dot discovers that Colin is marrying a man called [[List of EastEnders characters (2016)#Eddie Tsang|Eddie Tsang]] (Kevin Shen) and has invited her to his wedding, which she accepts, but then has doubts as she still believes that same-sex marriage is wrong, due to her religious beliefs; despite accepting gay relationships. Colin arrives at Dot's house, saying he had a feeling she would not go to the wedding. Colin visits [[The Queen Victoria]] pub and witnesses the funeral of [[Paul Coker (EastEnders)|Paul Coker]] ([[Jonny Labey]]), who was killed for being gay, and laments to another gay man, [[Johnny Carter (EastEnders)|Johnny Carter]] ([[Ted Reilly]]), of the homophobia in the world, but is comforted by the majority of gay acceptance. After exchanging memories, Dot agrees to attend the wedding, much to Colin's delight.
== Character creation and development ==
Colin was ''EastEnders''{{'}} first [[Homosexuality|homosexual]] character. Introduced in August 1986, Colin was one of the more popular characters in the early years of the programme.<ref name="first10years">{{cite book |last=Brake|first= Colin|author-link= Colin Brake|title= EastEnders: The First 10 Years: A Celebration |year=1995|publisher=BBC Books|isbn=978-0-563-37057-4|title-link= EastEnders spin-offs#Non-fiction books}}</ref> At first the audience and the residents of Walford were kept in the dark about the fact that Colin was gay. This changed by the end of the year, at which time Colin acquired a young boyfriend named [[Barry Clark (Eastenders)|Barry Clark]] ([[Gary Hailes]]).
Colin was one of the most controversial characters of his time — mainly because gay-orientated content was still relatively rare on [[Prime time|prime-time]] television during the mid-1980s. Gay characters that existed were usually farcical, [[Camp (style)|camp]] [[Parody|parodies]], created purely for comic relief, such as [[Are You Being Served?#Mr Wilberforce Clayborne Humphries|Mr Humphries]] in the [[situation comedy]], ''[[Are You Being Served?]]''<ref name="Characters">"[http://www.rainbownetwork.com/Film/detail.asp?iData=20830&iCat=182&iChannel=14&nChannel=Film Gay TV Characters]", ''RainbowNetwork.com''. URL last accessed on 2006-12-30.</ref> Although ''EastEnders'' was not the first [[United Kingdom|UK]] televised soap to include a gay character ([[Channel 4]]'s ''[[Brookside]]'' had that accolade), the portrayal of an openly gay male, let alone a homosexual relationship, on a prime-time, [[Watershed (television)|pre-watershed]] BBC programme was unheard of before Colin and Barry's introduction.<ref name="20years">{{cite book |last= Smith|first= Rupert|title= ''EastEnders: 20 years in Albert Square'' |year=2005|publisher=BBC books|isbn=978-0-563-52269-0|title-link= EastEnders spin-offs#Non-fiction books}}</ref> The [[Television licence|licence]] funded BBC held a far greater audience share than the [[commercial broadcasting|commercially]] funded Channel 4, thus public reaction to ''EastEnders''' gay characters was much stronger and more widely documented in the British [[tabloid (newspaper format)|press]].<ref name="20years"/>
Colin was a middle-class, well-meaning, slightly uptight yuppie, and his inclusion was an attempt to portray the [[gentrification]] of the [[East End of London]]. The openly gay actor and gay activist [[Michael Cashman]], who had roots in the East End, was chosen to play the role. Cashman initially resisted playing Colin, but was persuaded by his boyfriend, Paul Cottingham, and after receiving his parents' backing, he accepted the part.<ref name="gayteam">"[http://observer.guardian.co.uk/magazine/story/0,11913,1071212,00.html The Gay Team]", ''The Guardian''. URL last accessed on 2006-12-30.</ref>
The makers of ''EastEnders'' decided that Colin's partner needed to be in stark contrast in order to prevent Colin from becoming too rarefied (up until this point middle-classed characters had been relatively unsuccessful and had failed to fully integrate into ''EastEnders'' predominantly working-class community).<ref name="insidestory">{{cite book |last=Smith|first= Julia|author-link= Julia Smith|author2=Holland, Tony |author-link2=Tony Holland |title= EastEnders - The Inside Story |year=1987|publisher=Book Club Associates|isbn=978-0-563-20601-9|title-link= EastEnders spin-offs#Non-fiction books}}</ref> Barry was scripted to be much more down-to-earth in comparison: [[working-class]] instead of middle-class; openly gay instead of '[[The closet|in the closet]]'; loud and brash instead of shy and retiring, and in addition the age difference between the two was substantial — Colin being roughly fifteen years Barry's senior.<ref name="insidestory"/>
A relationship between Colin and Barry was quickly developed and the residents of [[Albert Square]] gossiped in hushed voices about the true nature of their friendship. In 1987 ''EastEnders'' was responsible for screening the first ever gay [[kiss]] in a UK soap opera, much to the outrage of the viewing public.<ref name="MEP">"[http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-752.html EastEnders star turned MEP to hold gay marriage] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061014055652/http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-752.html |date=2006-10-14 }}", ''Pinknews.co.uk''. URL last accessed on 2006-12-30.</ref> A small kiss on the [[forehead]], given to Barry from Colin, received a record number of complaints from angry viewers. In addition, the [[right-wing]] British press reacted with fury. They began a [[smear campaign]], branding the programme 'filth' and, for a while, dubbed the show ''EastBenders''.<ref name="20years"/> There were even questions in [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|parliament]] about whether it was appropriate to have gay men in a family show when [[AIDS]] was sweeping the country.<ref name="WP">"[https://www.theguardian.com/gayrights/story/0,12592,1105351,00.html Without prejudice]", ''[[The Guardian]]''. URL last accessed on 2006-12-30.</ref>
Despite the initial negativity, the storyline had a powerful impact on public attitudes and the show's handling of Colin and Barry's relationship was deemed by many gay activists as something of a breakthrough.<ref name="Archers">"[http://www.outfrontblog.com/2006/12/gay_weddings_on.html Gay weddings on The Archers!] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927030946/http://www.outfrontblog.com/2006/12/gay_weddings_on.html |date=2007-09-27 }}", ''Outfront''. URL last accessed on 2006-12-30.</ref> Not only did ''EastEnders'' brave the wrath of many moralistic viewers and [[bigot]]ed journalists, but they also exposed that bigotry through the characters in the show — most notably via the inane naivety of local [[gossip]] [[Dot Cotton]] ([[June Brown]]), who erupted into horror and ignorant self-righteousness upon discovering Colin and Barry's secret, and even spread rumours that Colin had [[AIDS]]. The episode featuring the kiss was watched by over 17 million viewers,<ref name="WP"/> and Colin and Barry remained on-screen for several years, accessing millions of viewers each episode — the gay community were finally being represented on mass audience mainstream television.<ref name="20years"/> Gradually, negative assumptions began to lessen, public opinion began to shift in Colin and Barry's favour and even Dot got used to the idea of having gay neighbours. Michael Cashman has commented: "This was a flagship BBC show, the most popular series in the country, and Colin and Barry were there day in, day out. The relationship wasn't sensationalised, and the public devoured it."<ref name="WP"/> The importance of Colin was so great in the gay community at the time that Cashman was asked to lead a march against [[Section 28]], which prohibited [[Local government in the United Kingdom|local authorities]] from promoting homosexuality or the acceptability of homosexuality.
Barry and Colin remained an on-screen couple until the end of 1987. Their characters were used to highlight many other gay issues, such as [[homophobia]], [[gay bashing]] and gay legal inequality — i.e. the [[Ages of consent in Europe#United Kingdom (and its Crown dependencies)|legal age]] of gay [[Age of consent|sexual consent]] (which at the time was 21 instead of 16 as it is today). Eventually, the differences between Colin and Barry became too great for them to overcome, they split and Barry left Walford for a job on a [[cruise ship]].
Colin had a health scare during the autumn of 1988 and for a moment it looked like ''EastEnders'' might have been about to do an [[AIDS]] storyline. The press speculated that Colin was showing early signs of the disease and the possibility was even briefly indicated too on-screen when Colin himself began to fear that his symptoms were AIDS related. In fact giving Colin AIDS was never the programme's intention — it was felt that the most simplistic and unhelpful message that the programme could give out would be to have its only homosexual character become [[HIV positive]] — particularly as it happened at a time when misconceptions and fear about AIDS were rife.<ref name="first10years"/> Colin was eventually diagnosed with [[multiple sclerosis]], although this fact was kept from him by his doctor for the remainder of the year and he lived out 1988 with the belief that he was in perfect health.
[[File:Colin Russell.png|200px|thumb|Cashman as Colin during his 2016 return.]]
Towards the end of 1988 Colin found new love, with a fellow yuppie — [[Guido Smith]] (Nicholas Donovan) — whom he met through his work. Colin's gay relationship was once again the cause of much controversy in January 1989 when ''EastEnders'' aired the first homosexual mouth-to-mouth kiss on a British television soap opera. The chaste peck on the lips between Colin and Guido resulted in a front page denunciation in ''[[The Sun (United Kingdom)|The Sun]]'' newspaper, written by then Sun writer [[Piers Morgan]], who described it as "a homosexual love scene between yuppie poofs... when millions of children were watching". The kiss was watched by twenty million people and came at a time when [[Margaret Thatcher]]’s government had set forward a moral agenda that urged a return to traditional family values. ''The Sun'' printed the assertion that "Furious [[Member of Parliament|MP]]s last night demanded a ban on ''EastEnders'' as the BBC soap showed two men kissing full on the lips".<ref name="velvet">{{cite web |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/tipping/article_2.shtml |title= Tipping the Velvet |publisher=BBC |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021028085502/http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/tipping/article_2.shtml |archive-date= 28 October 2002 |access-date= 30 November 2018}}</ref>
Cashman decided to quit the show in the early part of 1989. While still on the cast of ''EastEnders'', Cashman had founded the influential gay campaign group [[Stonewall (UK)|Stonewall]] and has now given up acting to become a [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] [[Member of the European Parliament|MEP]]. He was elected to the [[European Parliament]] in 1999 where he was the Labour spokesperson on [[human rights]]. He is also an active campaigner across a wide range of issues.<ref name="MEP"/> On screen, Colin finally learned he had multiple sclerosis and decided to leave Walford to live with his brother and face a rapid decline in health. In an interview featured in ''[[EastEnders books|EastEnders Handbook]]'' by Hilary Kingsly, Michael Cashman looked back fondly on Albert Square and his character, commenting: "Quite a few gay activists thought Colin too nice, but I thought he was just right. There was a fuss about his kiss with Barry which was sad — people should be upset by demonstrations of hate, not love".<ref name="EEHandbook">{{cite book |last= Kingsley|first= Hilary|title= The EastEnders Handbook |year=1990|publisher=BBC books|isbn=978-0-685-52957-7|title-link= EastEnders spin-offs#Non-fiction books}}</ref>
On 25 August 2016, it was announced that Cashman had reprised the role for two episodes to air the following month.<ref name="Kilkelly"/> Colin shared scenes with Dot Cotton (Brown), but full details of the storyline were initially held back.<ref name="Kilkelly">{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/eastenders/news/a805742/eastenders-spoilers-colin-russell-returns-lord-michael-cashman|title=EastEnders brings back the show's first ever gay character as Lord Michael Cashman returns as Colin Russell|last=Kilkelly|first=Daniel|date=25 August 2016|publisher=[[Digital Spy]]|access-date=25 August 2016}}</ref> Of his return to ''EastEnders'', Cashman stated: "It was a real joy, indeed a privilege, to return to my old home of Albert Square. To be amongst so many friends again, and to be back in the place where 30 years ago I started an amazing journey. An amazing journey which incredibly helped to change the country, and certainly its attitude to lesbian, gay and bisexual people."<ref name="Kilkelly"/>
==See also==
*[[List of LGBT characters in television and radio]]
*[[List of soap operas with LGBT characters]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
== External links ==
*{{EEcharlink|colin_r}}
{{EastEnders characters|present}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Russell, Colin}}
[[Category:EastEnders characters]]
[[Category:Fictional gay males]]
[[Category:Television characters introduced in 1986]]
[[Category:Fictional LGBT characters in television]]
[[Category:Male characters in television]]' |
Unified diff of changes made by edit (edit_diff) | '@@ -1,22 +1,3 @@
-{{DISPLAYTITLE:Colin Russell (''EastEnders'')}}
-{{Infobox soap character
-|series = EastEnders
-|image=Colin cahman.jpg<!-- Please do not swap this and the 2016 image - a two episode stint after a 27-year break is not representitive of the character overall, so an image of when he was a regular character should be used in the infobox -->
-|imagesize=200px
-|caption= <!-- Captions are not needed when one actor has played a role -->
-|name=Colin Russell
-|portrayer=[[Michael Cashman]]
-|years=1986–1989, 2016
-|introducer=[[Julia Smith]] (1986)<br/>[[Sean O'Connor (producer)|Sean O'Connor]] (2016)
-|first=Episode 153<br/>{{start date|1986|8|5|df=y}}
-|last= Episode 5348<br/>{{end date|2016|9|9|df=y}}
-|classification=[[List of former EastEnders characters#Last appeared in 2016|Former; regular]]
-|books = ''A Single Man''
-|occupation=Graphic designer
-|mother=Ena Russell
-|brothers=Bill Russell
-|husband=[[List of EastEnders characters (2016)#Eddie Tsang|Eddie Tsang]] (2016–)
-}}
-'''Colin Russell''' is a fictional character from the [[BBC]] [[soap opera]] ''[[EastEnders]]'', played by [[Michael Cashman]]. The character appears between 5 August 1986 and 23 February 1989 and on 8 and 9 September 2016.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07v8fw0 | title=BBC One - EastEnders, 08/09/2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07vbg4w | title=BBC One - EastEnders, 09/09/2016}}</ref> Colin is originally portrayed as a middle-class [[yuppie]] with a kind heart. The character is [[Walford]]'s first on-screen [[gay]] resident and he featured in the UK's first homosexual kiss on a soap opera, which caused controversy in the British press.
+Colin was a fat poof and a dirty LGBT rights activist, who sucked off men in his spare time.
== Storylines ==
' |
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19 => ''''Colin Russell''' is a fictional character from the [[BBC]] [[soap opera]] ''[[EastEnders]]'', played by [[Michael Cashman]]. The character appears between 5 August 1986 and 23 February 1989 and on 8 and 9 September 2016.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07v8fw0 | title=BBC One - EastEnders, 08/09/2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07vbg4w | title=BBC One - EastEnders, 09/09/2016}}</ref> Colin is originally portrayed as a middle-class [[yuppie]] with a kind heart. The character is [[Walford]]'s first on-screen [[gay]] resident and he featured in the UK's first homosexual kiss on a soap opera, which caused controversy in the British press.'
] |
All external links added in the edit (added_links) | [] |
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4 => 'http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-752.html',
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Parsed HTML source of the new revision (new_html) | '<div class="mw-parser-output"><p>Colin was a fat poof and a dirty LGBT rights activist, who sucked off men in his spare time.
</p>
<div id="toc" class="toc" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="mw-toc-heading"><input type="checkbox" role="button" id="toctogglecheckbox" class="toctogglecheckbox" style="display:none" /><div class="toctitle" lang="en" dir="ltr"><h2 id="mw-toc-heading">Contents</h2><span class="toctogglespan"><label class="toctogglelabel" for="toctogglecheckbox"></label></span></div>
<ul>
<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><a href="#Storylines"><span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">Storylines</span></a>
<ul>
<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-2"><a href="#1986–1989"><span class="tocnumber">1.1</span> <span class="toctext">1986–1989</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-3"><a href="#2016"><span class="tocnumber">1.2</span> <span class="toctext">2016</span></a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-4"><a href="#Character_creation_and_development"><span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Character creation and development</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-5"><a href="#See_also"><span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">See also</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-6"><a href="#References"><span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">References</span></a></li>
<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-7"><a href="#External_links"><span class="tocnumber">5</span> <span class="toctext">External links</span></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Storylines">Storylines</span></h2>
<h3><span id="1986.E2.80.931989"></span><span class="mw-headline" id="1986–1989">1986–1989</span></h3>
<p>Colin, a <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Graphic_designer" title="Graphic designer">graphic designer</a>, moves to <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Albert_Square" class="mw-redirect" title="Albert Square">Albert Square</a> in August 1986. Colin is <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Gay" title="Gay">gay</a> but he initially keeps this secret from the other residents of Walford. <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Debbie_Wilkins" title="Debbie Wilkins">Debbie Wilkins</a> (<a href="/enwiki/wiki/Shirley_Cheriton" title="Shirley Cheriton">Shirley Cheriton</a>) befriends Colin and they have dinner together. He comforts her when she cries for her dead fiancé, but stops her when she attempts to kiss him. In November, Colin acquires a younger boyfriend named <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Barry_Clark_(Eastenders)" class="mw-redirect" title="Barry Clark (Eastenders)">Barry Clark</a> (<a href="/enwiki/wiki/Gary_Hailes" title="Gary Hailes">Gary Hailes</a>). They move in together and when <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Dot_Cotton" title="Dot Cotton">Dot Cotton</a> (<a href="/enwiki/wiki/June_Brown" title="June Brown">June Brown</a>) discovers they are sharing a bed, she is mortified and spreads rumours that Colin has <a href="/enwiki/wiki/AIDS" class="mw-redirect" title="AIDS">AIDS</a>. Some of the community shun Colin, refusing to speak to him as a result. Despite this altercation, Colin and Dot forge a close friendship when Colin supports Dot following her husband <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Charlie_Cotton" title="Charlie Cotton">Charlie Cotton</a>'s (<a href="/enwiki/wiki/Christopher_Hancock" title="Christopher Hancock">Christopher Hancock</a>) bigamy.
</p>
<div class="thumb tleft"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:202px;"><a href="/enwiki/wiki/File:Colin_Russell_and_Barry_Clarke_(17_November_1987).jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="/upwiki/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/ed/Colin_Russell_and_Barry_Clarke_%2817_November_1987%29.jpg/200px-Colin_Russell_and_Barry_Clarke_%2817_November_1987%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="200" height="129" class="thumbimage" data-file-width="334" data-file-height="215" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/enwiki/wiki/File:Colin_Russell_and_Barry_Clarke_(17_November_1987).jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>Colin and <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Barry_Clark_(EastEnders)" title="Barry Clark (EastEnders)">Barry</a>. Their gay relationship was one of the more controversial storylines in 1987. Colin kiss on Barry's forehead 17 November 1987 caused numerous complaints.</div></div></div>
<p>Barry causes Colin problems by interfering with his work, deliberately making him jealous, and engaging in criminal antics with villainous <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Nick_Cotton" title="Nick Cotton">Nick Cotton</a> (<a href="/enwiki/wiki/John_Altman_(actor)" title="John Altman (actor)">John Altman</a>) leaving Colin to pay for the damages. Further problems arise when Colin is called for jury service in 1987. The defendant is a member of the gangster organisation known as The Firm, and when Colin refuses to give a verdict of not guilty at the trial, Colin's flat is vandalised by <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Brad_Williams_(EastEnders)" class="mw-redirect" title="Brad Williams (EastEnders)">Brad Williams</a> (Jonathan Stratt). Colin calls the police, but they are more concerned about Colin's relationship with Barry than actually catching the vandals. They discover that Barry was under the age of legal sexual consent for homosexual sex when he and Colin began living together, and the police decide to inform Barry's parents (in 1987 the legal age of sexual consent for gay men was 21). Barry is petrified of his homophobic father and decides to end his relationship with Colin.
</p><p>Colin grows depressed, which worsens when he is mugged in an alley and beaten up, and he suffers a spell of poor health in 1988 after his eyesight starts giving him trouble, he gets unexplained dizzy spells and occasionally cannot move his legs. Colin fears he has AIDS, however tests confirm that he has <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Multiple_sclerosis" title="Multiple sclerosis">multiple sclerosis</a>. Colin's <a href="/enwiki/wiki/General_practitioner" title="General practitioner">GP</a>, <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Harold_Legg" title="Harold Legg">Harold Legg</a> (<a href="/enwiki/wiki/Leonard_Fenton" title="Leonard Fenton">Leonard Fenton</a>), decides that it is in Colin's best interests not to tell him the diagnosis, fearing the worry may bring on another attack prematurely. He tells Colin he is overworked and <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Anaemia" class="mw-redirect" title="Anaemia">anaemic</a>. Colin starts enjoying a social life again. At a party he meets a new business contact, <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Guido_Smith" class="mw-redirect" title="Guido Smith">Guido Smith</a> (Nicholas Donovan), who becomes a romantic interest and moves in with Colin.
</p><p>However, in January 1989, Colin's health deteriorates, and Legg finally reveals that he has MS. Colin is furious at Dr. Legg for lying and threatens to report him to the authorities. Colin spends weeks coming to terms with the news, but Guido stands by him and Colin eventually accepts his condition. Problems arise in Colin and Guido's relationship in 1989; Colin begins to believe that Guido is only staying with him out of pity. Colin decides to move to his brother's house in <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Bristol" title="Bristol">Bristol</a>. He opts not to tell Guido that he is going, but a surprise visit from Barry stalls his departure and Guido comes home to see Colin packed and ready to leave. Colin tells Guido that he needs some space and asks him to look after his flat whilst he sorts himself out. He then leaves Walford whilst his friends wave him goodbye.
</p>
<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="2016">2016</span></h3>
<p>Twenty-seven years later, in September 2016, Dot discovers that Colin is marrying a man called <a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(2016)#Eddie_Tsang" title="List of EastEnders characters (2016)">Eddie Tsang</a> (Kevin Shen) and has invited her to his wedding, which she accepts, but then has doubts as she still believes that same-sex marriage is wrong, due to her religious beliefs; despite accepting gay relationships. Colin arrives at Dot's house, saying he had a feeling she would not go to the wedding. Colin visits <a href="/enwiki/wiki/The_Queen_Victoria" title="The Queen Victoria">The Queen Victoria</a> pub and witnesses the funeral of <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Paul_Coker_(EastEnders)" title="Paul Coker (EastEnders)">Paul Coker</a> (<a href="/enwiki/wiki/Jonny_Labey" title="Jonny Labey">Jonny Labey</a>), who was killed for being gay, and laments to another gay man, <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Johnny_Carter_(EastEnders)" class="mw-redirect" title="Johnny Carter (EastEnders)">Johnny Carter</a> (<a href="/enwiki/wiki/Ted_Reilly" title="Ted Reilly">Ted Reilly</a>), of the homophobia in the world, but is comforted by the majority of gay acceptance. After exchanging memories, Dot agrees to attend the wedding, much to Colin's delight.
</p>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Character_creation_and_development">Character creation and development</span></h2>
<p>Colin was <i>EastEnders</i><span class="nowrap" style="padding-left:0.1em;">'</span> first <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Homosexuality" title="Homosexuality">homosexual</a> character. Introduced in August 1986, Colin was one of the more popular characters in the early years of the programme.<sup id="cite_ref-first10years_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-first10years-1">[1]</a></sup> At first the audience and the residents of Walford were kept in the dark about the fact that Colin was gay. This changed by the end of the year, at which time Colin acquired a young boyfriend named <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Barry_Clark_(Eastenders)" class="mw-redirect" title="Barry Clark (Eastenders)">Barry Clark</a> (<a href="/enwiki/wiki/Gary_Hailes" title="Gary Hailes">Gary Hailes</a>).
</p><p>Colin was one of the most controversial characters of his time — mainly because gay-orientated content was still relatively rare on <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Prime_time" title="Prime time">prime-time</a> television during the mid-1980s. Gay characters that existed were usually farcical, <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Camp_(style)" title="Camp (style)">camp</a> <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Parody" title="Parody">parodies</a>, created purely for comic relief, such as <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Are_You_Being_Served%3F#Mr_Wilberforce_Clayborne_Humphries" title="Are You Being Served?">Mr Humphries</a> in the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Situation_comedy" class="mw-redirect" title="Situation comedy">situation comedy</a>, <i><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Are_You_Being_Served%3F" title="Are You Being Served?">Are You Being Served?</a></i><sup id="cite_ref-Characters_2-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Characters-2">[2]</a></sup> Although <i>EastEnders</i> was not the first <a href="/enwiki/wiki/United_Kingdom" title="United Kingdom">UK</a> televised soap to include a gay character (<a href="/enwiki/wiki/Channel_4" title="Channel 4">Channel 4</a>'s <i><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Brookside" title="Brookside">Brookside</a></i> had that accolade), the portrayal of an openly gay male, let alone a homosexual relationship, on a prime-time, <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Watershed_(television)" class="mw-redirect" title="Watershed (television)">pre-watershed</a> BBC programme was unheard of before Colin and Barry's introduction.<sup id="cite_ref-20years_3-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-20years-3">[3]</a></sup> The <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Television_licence" title="Television licence">licence</a> funded BBC held a far greater audience share than the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Commercial_broadcasting" title="Commercial broadcasting">commercially</a> funded Channel 4, thus public reaction to <i>EastEnders'</i> gay characters was much stronger and more widely documented in the British <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Tabloid_(newspaper_format)" title="Tabloid (newspaper format)">press</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-20years_3-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-20years-3">[3]</a></sup>
</p><p>Colin was a middle-class, well-meaning, slightly uptight yuppie, and his inclusion was an attempt to portray the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Gentrification" title="Gentrification">gentrification</a> of the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/East_End_of_London" title="East End of London">East End of London</a>. The openly gay actor and gay activist <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Michael_Cashman" title="Michael Cashman">Michael Cashman</a>, who had roots in the East End, was chosen to play the role. Cashman initially resisted playing Colin, but was persuaded by his boyfriend, Paul Cottingham, and after receiving his parents' backing, he accepted the part.<sup id="cite_ref-gayteam_4-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-gayteam-4">[4]</a></sup>
</p><p>The makers of <i>EastEnders</i> decided that Colin's partner needed to be in stark contrast in order to prevent Colin from becoming too rarefied (up until this point middle-classed characters had been relatively unsuccessful and had failed to fully integrate into <i>EastEnders</i> predominantly working-class community).<sup id="cite_ref-insidestory_5-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-insidestory-5">[5]</a></sup> Barry was scripted to be much more down-to-earth in comparison: <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Working-class" class="mw-redirect" title="Working-class">working-class</a> instead of middle-class; openly gay instead of '<a href="/enwiki/wiki/The_closet" class="mw-redirect" title="The closet">in the closet</a>'; loud and brash instead of shy and retiring, and in addition the age difference between the two was substantial — Colin being roughly fifteen years Barry's senior.<sup id="cite_ref-insidestory_5-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-insidestory-5">[5]</a></sup>
</p><p>A relationship between Colin and Barry was quickly developed and the residents of <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Albert_Square" class="mw-redirect" title="Albert Square">Albert Square</a> gossiped in hushed voices about the true nature of their friendship. In 1987 <i>EastEnders</i> was responsible for screening the first ever gay <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Kiss" title="Kiss">kiss</a> in a UK soap opera, much to the outrage of the viewing public.<sup id="cite_ref-MEP_6-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-MEP-6">[6]</a></sup> A small kiss on the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Forehead" title="Forehead">forehead</a>, given to Barry from Colin, received a record number of complaints from angry viewers. In addition, the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Right-wing" class="mw-redirect" title="Right-wing">right-wing</a> British press reacted with fury. They began a <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Smear_campaign" title="Smear campaign">smear campaign</a>, branding the programme 'filth' and, for a while, dubbed the show <i>EastBenders</i>.<sup id="cite_ref-20years_3-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-20years-3">[3]</a></sup> There were even questions in <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Parliament_of_the_United_Kingdom" title="Parliament of the United Kingdom">parliament</a> about whether it was appropriate to have gay men in a family show when <a href="/enwiki/wiki/AIDS" class="mw-redirect" title="AIDS">AIDS</a> was sweeping the country.<sup id="cite_ref-WP_7-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-WP-7">[7]</a></sup>
</p><p>Despite the initial negativity, the storyline had a powerful impact on public attitudes and the show's handling of Colin and Barry's relationship was deemed by many gay activists as something of a breakthrough.<sup id="cite_ref-Archers_8-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Archers-8">[8]</a></sup> Not only did <i>EastEnders</i> brave the wrath of many moralistic viewers and <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Bigot" class="mw-redirect" title="Bigot">bigoted</a> journalists, but they also exposed that bigotry through the characters in the show — most notably via the inane naivety of local <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Gossip" title="Gossip">gossip</a> <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Dot_Cotton" title="Dot Cotton">Dot Cotton</a> (<a href="/enwiki/wiki/June_Brown" title="June Brown">June Brown</a>), who erupted into horror and ignorant self-righteousness upon discovering Colin and Barry's secret, and even spread rumours that Colin had <a href="/enwiki/wiki/AIDS" class="mw-redirect" title="AIDS">AIDS</a>. The episode featuring the kiss was watched by over 17 million viewers,<sup id="cite_ref-WP_7-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-WP-7">[7]</a></sup> and Colin and Barry remained on-screen for several years, accessing millions of viewers each episode — the gay community were finally being represented on mass audience mainstream television.<sup id="cite_ref-20years_3-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-20years-3">[3]</a></sup> Gradually, negative assumptions began to lessen, public opinion began to shift in Colin and Barry's favour and even Dot got used to the idea of having gay neighbours. Michael Cashman has commented: "This was a flagship BBC show, the most popular series in the country, and Colin and Barry were there day in, day out. The relationship wasn't sensationalised, and the public devoured it."<sup id="cite_ref-WP_7-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-WP-7">[7]</a></sup> The importance of Colin was so great in the gay community at the time that Cashman was asked to lead a march against <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Section_28" title="Section 28">Section 28</a>, which prohibited <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Local_government_in_the_United_Kingdom" title="Local government in the United Kingdom">local authorities</a> from promoting homosexuality or the acceptability of homosexuality.
</p><p>Barry and Colin remained an on-screen couple until the end of 1987. Their characters were used to highlight many other gay issues, such as <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Homophobia" title="Homophobia">homophobia</a>, <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Gay_bashing" title="Gay bashing">gay bashing</a> and gay legal inequality — i.e. the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Ages_of_consent_in_Europe#United_Kingdom_(and_its_Crown_dependencies)" title="Ages of consent in Europe">legal age</a> of gay <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Age_of_consent" title="Age of consent">sexual consent</a> (which at the time was 21 instead of 16 as it is today). Eventually, the differences between Colin and Barry became too great for them to overcome, they split and Barry left Walford for a job on a <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Cruise_ship" title="Cruise ship">cruise ship</a>.
</p><p>Colin had a health scare during the autumn of 1988 and for a moment it looked like <i>EastEnders</i> might have been about to do an <a href="/enwiki/wiki/AIDS" class="mw-redirect" title="AIDS">AIDS</a> storyline. The press speculated that Colin was showing early signs of the disease and the possibility was even briefly indicated too on-screen when Colin himself began to fear that his symptoms were AIDS related. In fact giving Colin AIDS was never the programme's intention — it was felt that the most simplistic and unhelpful message that the programme could give out would be to have its only homosexual character become <a href="/enwiki/wiki/HIV_positive" class="mw-redirect" title="HIV positive">HIV positive</a> — particularly as it happened at a time when misconceptions and fear about AIDS were rife.<sup id="cite_ref-first10years_1-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-first10years-1">[1]</a></sup> Colin was eventually diagnosed with <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Multiple_sclerosis" title="Multiple sclerosis">multiple sclerosis</a>, although this fact was kept from him by his doctor for the remainder of the year and he lived out 1988 with the belief that he was in perfect health.
</p>
<div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:202px;"><a href="/enwiki/wiki/File:Colin_Russell.png" class="image"><img alt="" src="/upwiki/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/65/Colin_Russell.png/200px-Colin_Russell.png" decoding="async" width="200" height="231" class="thumbimage" data-file-width="293" data-file-height="339" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/enwiki/wiki/File:Colin_Russell.png" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>Cashman as Colin during his 2016 return.</div></div></div>
<p>Towards the end of 1988 Colin found new love, with a fellow yuppie — <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Guido_Smith" class="mw-redirect" title="Guido Smith">Guido Smith</a> (Nicholas Donovan) — whom he met through his work. Colin's gay relationship was once again the cause of much controversy in January 1989 when <i>EastEnders</i> aired the first homosexual mouth-to-mouth kiss on a British television soap opera. The chaste peck on the lips between Colin and Guido resulted in a front page denunciation in <i><a href="/enwiki/wiki/The_Sun_(United_Kingdom)" title="The Sun (United Kingdom)">The Sun</a></i> newspaper, written by then Sun writer <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Piers_Morgan" title="Piers Morgan">Piers Morgan</a>, who described it as "a homosexual love scene between yuppie poofs... when millions of children were watching". The kiss was watched by twenty million people and came at a time when <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Margaret_Thatcher" title="Margaret Thatcher">Margaret Thatcher</a>’s government had set forward a moral agenda that urged a return to traditional family values. <i>The Sun</i> printed the assertion that "Furious <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Member_of_Parliament" class="mw-redirect" title="Member of Parliament">MPs</a> last night demanded a ban on <i>EastEnders</i> as the BBC soap showed two men kissing full on the lips".<sup id="cite_ref-velvet_9-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-velvet-9">[9]</a></sup>
</p><p>Cashman decided to quit the show in the early part of 1989. While still on the cast of <i>EastEnders</i>, Cashman had founded the influential gay campaign group <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Stonewall_(UK)" class="mw-redirect" title="Stonewall (UK)">Stonewall</a> and has now given up acting to become a <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Labour_Party_(UK)" title="Labour Party (UK)">Labour</a> <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Member_of_the_European_Parliament" title="Member of the European Parliament">MEP</a>. He was elected to the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/European_Parliament" title="European Parliament">European Parliament</a> in 1999 where he was the Labour spokesperson on <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Human_rights" title="Human rights">human rights</a>. He is also an active campaigner across a wide range of issues.<sup id="cite_ref-MEP_6-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-MEP-6">[6]</a></sup> On screen, Colin finally learned he had multiple sclerosis and decided to leave Walford to live with his brother and face a rapid decline in health. In an interview featured in <i><a href="/enwiki/wiki/EastEnders_books" class="mw-redirect" title="EastEnders books">EastEnders Handbook</a></i> by Hilary Kingsly, Michael Cashman looked back fondly on Albert Square and his character, commenting: "Quite a few gay activists thought Colin too nice, but I thought he was just right. There was a fuss about his kiss with Barry which was sad — people should be upset by demonstrations of hate, not love".<sup id="cite_ref-EEHandbook_10-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-EEHandbook-10">[10]</a></sup>
</p><p>On 25 August 2016, it was announced that Cashman had reprised the role for two episodes to air the following month.<sup id="cite_ref-Kilkelly_11-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kilkelly-11">[11]</a></sup> Colin shared scenes with Dot Cotton (Brown), but full details of the storyline were initially held back.<sup id="cite_ref-Kilkelly_11-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kilkelly-11">[11]</a></sup> Of his return to <i>EastEnders</i>, Cashman stated: "It was a real joy, indeed a privilege, to return to my old home of Albert Square. To be amongst so many friends again, and to be back in the place where 30 years ago I started an amazing journey. An amazing journey which incredibly helped to change the country, and certainly its attitude to lesbian, gay and bisexual people."<sup id="cite_ref-Kilkelly_11-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Kilkelly-11">[11]</a></sup>
</p>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="See_also">See also</span></h2>
<ul><li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_LGBT_characters_in_television_and_radio" class="mw-redirect" title="List of LGBT characters in television and radio">List of LGBT characters in television and radio</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_soap_operas_with_LGBT_characters" class="mw-redirect" title="List of soap operas with LGBT characters">List of soap operas with LGBT characters</a></li></ul>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="References">References</span></h2>
<style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1011085734">.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%;margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist">
<div class="mw-references-wrap mw-references-columns"><ol class="references">
<li id="cite_note-first10years-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-first10years_1-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-first10years_1-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r999302996">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("/upwiki/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("/upwiki/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("/upwiki/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("/upwiki/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}</style><cite id="CITEREFBrake1995" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Colin_Brake" title="Colin Brake">Brake, Colin</a> (1995). <a href="/enwiki/wiki/EastEnders_spin-offs#Non-fiction_books" title="EastEnders spin-offs"><i>EastEnders: The First 10 Years: A Celebration</i></a>. BBC Books. <a href="/enwiki/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-563-37057-4" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-563-37057-4"><bdi>978-0-563-37057-4</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=EastEnders%3A+The+First+10+Years%3A+A+Celebration&rft.pub=BBC+Books&rft.date=1995&rft.isbn=978-0-563-37057-4&rft.aulast=Brake&rft.aufirst=Colin&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AColin+Russell+%28EastEnders%29" class="Z3988"></span></span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-Characters-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Characters_2-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">"<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.rainbownetwork.com/Film/detail.asp?iData=20830&iCat=182&iChannel=14&nChannel=Film">Gay TV Characters</a>", <i>RainbowNetwork.com</i>. URL last accessed on 2006-12-30.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-20years-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-20years_3-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-20years_3-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-20years_3-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-20years_3-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r999302996"/><cite id="CITEREFSmith2005" class="citation book cs1">Smith, Rupert (2005). <a href="/enwiki/wiki/EastEnders_spin-offs#Non-fiction_books" title="EastEnders spin-offs"><i><span></span></i>EastEnders: 20 years in Albert Square<i><span></span></i></a>. BBC books. <a href="/enwiki/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-563-52269-0" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-563-52269-0"><bdi>978-0-563-52269-0</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=EastEnders%3A+20+years+in+Albert+Square&rft.pub=BBC+books&rft.date=2005&rft.isbn=978-0-563-52269-0&rft.aulast=Smith&rft.aufirst=Rupert&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AColin+Russell+%28EastEnders%29" class="Z3988"></span></span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-gayteam-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-gayteam_4-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">"<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://observer.guardian.co.uk/magazine/story/0,11913,1071212,00.html">The Gay Team</a>", <i>The Guardian</i>. URL last accessed on 2006-12-30.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-insidestory-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-insidestory_5-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-insidestory_5-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r999302996"/><cite id="CITEREFSmithHolland,_Tony1987" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Julia_Smith" title="Julia Smith">Smith, Julia</a>; <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Tony_Holland" title="Tony Holland">Holland, Tony</a> (1987). <a href="/enwiki/wiki/EastEnders_spin-offs#Non-fiction_books" title="EastEnders spin-offs"><i>EastEnders - The Inside Story</i></a>. Book Club Associates. <a href="/enwiki/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-563-20601-9" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-563-20601-9"><bdi>978-0-563-20601-9</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=EastEnders+-+The+Inside+Story&rft.pub=Book+Club+Associates&rft.date=1987&rft.isbn=978-0-563-20601-9&rft.aulast=Smith&rft.aufirst=Julia&rft.au=Holland%2C+Tony&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AColin+Russell+%28EastEnders%29" class="Z3988"></span></span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-MEP-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-MEP_6-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-MEP_6-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">"<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-752.html">EastEnders star turned MEP to hold gay marriage</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20061014055652/http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-752.html">Archived</a> 2006-10-14 at the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a>", <i>Pinknews.co.uk</i>. URL last accessed on 2006-12-30.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-WP-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-WP_7-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-WP_7-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-WP_7-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">"<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.theguardian.com/gayrights/story/0,12592,1105351,00.html">Without prejudice</a>", <i><a href="/enwiki/wiki/The_Guardian" title="The Guardian">The Guardian</a></i>. URL last accessed on 2006-12-30.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-Archers-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Archers_8-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">"<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.outfrontblog.com/2006/12/gay_weddings_on.html">Gay weddings on The Archers!</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070927030946/http://www.outfrontblog.com/2006/12/gay_weddings_on.html">Archived</a> 2007-09-27 at the <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a>", <i>Outfront</i>. URL last accessed on 2006-12-30.</span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-velvet-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-velvet_9-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r999302996"/><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20021028085502/http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/tipping/article_2.shtml">"Tipping the Velvet"</a>. BBC. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/tipping/article_2.shtml">the original</a> on 28 October 2002<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">30 November</span> 2018</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Tipping+the+Velvet&rft.pub=BBC&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fdrama%2Ftipping%2Farticle_2.shtml&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AColin+Russell+%28EastEnders%29" class="Z3988"></span></span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-EEHandbook-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-EEHandbook_10-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r999302996"/><cite id="CITEREFKingsley1990" class="citation book cs1">Kingsley, Hilary (1990). <a href="/enwiki/wiki/EastEnders_spin-offs#Non-fiction_books" title="EastEnders spin-offs"><i>The EastEnders Handbook</i></a>. BBC books. <a href="/enwiki/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-685-52957-7" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-685-52957-7"><bdi>978-0-685-52957-7</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+EastEnders+Handbook&rft.pub=BBC+books&rft.date=1990&rft.isbn=978-0-685-52957-7&rft.aulast=Kingsley&rft.aufirst=Hilary&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AColin+Russell+%28EastEnders%29" class="Z3988"></span></span>
</li>
<li id="cite_note-Kilkelly-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Kilkelly_11-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Kilkelly_11-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Kilkelly_11-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r999302996"/><cite id="CITEREFKilkelly2016" class="citation web cs1">Kilkelly, Daniel (25 August 2016). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/eastenders/news/a805742/eastenders-spoilers-colin-russell-returns-lord-michael-cashman">"EastEnders brings back the show's first ever gay character as Lord Michael Cashman returns as Colin Russell"</a>. <a href="/enwiki/wiki/Digital_Spy" title="Digital Spy">Digital Spy</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">25 August</span> 2016</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=EastEnders+brings+back+the+show%27s+first+ever+gay+character+as+Lord+Michael+Cashman+returns+as+Colin+Russell&rft.pub=Digital+Spy&rft.date=2016-08-25&rft.aulast=Kilkelly&rft.aufirst=Daniel&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.digitalspy.com%2Fsoaps%2Feastenders%2Fnews%2Fa805742%2Feastenders-spoilers-colin-russell-returns-lord-michael-cashman&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AColin+Russell+%28EastEnders%29" class="Z3988"></span></span>
</li>
</ol></div></div>
<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="External_links">External links</span></h2>
<ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006m86d/profiles/colin_r">Colin Russell (EastEnders)</a> at <a href="/enwiki/wiki/BBC_Online" title="BBC Online">BBC Online</a></li></ul>
<div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="EastEnders_characters" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r992953826">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox .navbar{display:block;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox-title .navbar{float:left;text-align:left;margin-right:0.5em}</style><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Template:EastEnders_characters" title="Template:EastEnders characters"><abbr title="View this template" style=";;background:none transparent;border:none;box-shadow:none;padding:0;">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Template_talk:EastEnders_characters" title="Template talk:EastEnders characters"><abbr title="Discuss this template" style=";;background:none transparent;border:none;box-shadow:none;padding:0;">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Template:EastEnders_characters&action=edit"><abbr title="Edit this template" style=";;background:none transparent;border:none;box-shadow:none;padding:0;">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="EastEnders_characters" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><i><a href="/enwiki/wiki/EastEnders" title="EastEnders">EastEnders</a></i> characters</div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0px"><div style="padding:0em 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible uncollapsed navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><div id="Present_characters" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters" title="List of EastEnders characters">Present characters</a></div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0px"><div style="padding:0em 0.25em">
<ul><li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Kathy_Beale" title="Kathy Beale">Kathy Beale</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Sharon_Watts" title="Sharon Watts">Sharon Watts</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Ian_Beale" title="Ian Beale">Ian Beale</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Martin_Fowler_(EastEnders)" title="Martin Fowler (EastEnders)">Martin Fowler</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Janine_Butcher" title="Janine Butcher">Janine Butcher</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Phil_Mitchell" title="Phil Mitchell">Phil Mitchell</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Sonia_Fowler" title="Sonia Fowler">Sonia Fowler</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Peter_Beale" title="Peter Beale">Peter Beale</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Ben_Mitchell_(EastEnders)" title="Ben Mitchell (EastEnders)">Ben Mitchell</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Billy_Mitchell_(EastEnders)" title="Billy Mitchell (EastEnders)">Billy Mitchell</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Mo_Harris" title="Mo Harris">Mo Harris</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Kat_Slater" title="Kat Slater">Kat Slater</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Patrick_Trueman" title="Patrick Trueman">Patrick Trueman</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Bobby_Beale_(EastEnders)" title="Bobby Beale (EastEnders)">Bobby Beale</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Stacey_Slater" title="Stacey Slater">Stacey Slater</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Jean_Slater" title="Jean Slater">Jean Slater</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Ruby_Allen" title="Ruby Allen">Ruby Allen</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Honey_Mitchell" title="Honey Mitchell">Honey Mitchell</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Chelsea_Fox" title="Chelsea Fox">Chelsea Fox</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Denise_Fox" title="Denise Fox">Denise Fox</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Janet_Mitchell_(EastEnders)" title="Janet Mitchell (EastEnders)">Janet Mitchell</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Shirley_Carter" title="Shirley Carter">Shirley Carter</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Jay_Brown" title="Jay Brown">Jay Brown</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Rainie_Cross" title="Rainie Cross">Rainie Cross</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Jack_Branning" title="Jack Branning">Jack Branning</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Whitney_Dean" title="Whitney Dean">Whitney Dean</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Tiffany_Butcher" title="Tiffany Butcher">Tiffany Butcher</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Dotty_Cotton" title="Dotty Cotton">Dotty Cotton</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Kim_Fox" title="Kim Fox">Kim Fox</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Lola_Pearce" title="Lola Pearce">Lola Pearce</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Linda_Carter" title="Linda Carter">Linda Carter</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Mick_Carter" title="Mick Carter">Mick Carter</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Nancy_Carter" title="Nancy Carter">Nancy Carter</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Callum_%22Halfway%22_Highway" title="Callum "Halfway" Highway">Callum "Halfway" Highway</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Iqra_Ahmed" title="Iqra Ahmed">Iqra Ahmed</a></li></ul>
</div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0px"><div style="padding:0em 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible mw-collapsed navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><div id="Former_characters" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_former_EastEnders_characters" title="List of former EastEnders characters">Former characters</a></div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0px"><div style="padding:0em 0.25em">
<ul><li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/AJ_Ahmed" title="AJ Ahmed">AJ Ahmed</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Masood_Ahmed" title="Masood Ahmed">Masood Ahmed</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Della_Alexander" title="Della Alexander">Della Alexander</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Johnny_Allen_(EastEnders)" title="Johnny Allen (EastEnders)">Johnny Allen</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Aunt_Sal" title="Aunt Sal">Aunt Sal</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Tom_Banks_(EastEnders)" title="Tom Banks (EastEnders)">Tom Banks</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Geoff_Barnes" title="Geoff Barnes">Geoff Barnes</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Clare_Bates" title="Clare Bates">Clare Bates</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Debbie_Bates" title="Debbie Bates">Debbie Bates</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Laurie_Bates" title="Laurie Bates">Laurie Bates</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Nigel_Bates" title="Nigel Bates">Nigel Bates</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Cindy_Beale" title="Cindy Beale">Cindy Beale</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Jane_Beale" title="Jane Beale">Jane Beale</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Laura_Beale" title="Laura Beale">Laura Beale</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Lou_Beale" title="Lou Beale">Lou Beale</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Lucy_Beale" title="Lucy Beale">Lucy Beale</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Pete_Beale" title="Pete Beale">Pete Beale</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Steven_Beale" title="Steven Beale">Steven Beale</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Polly_Becker" title="Polly Becker">Polly Becker</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Adam_Best_(EastEnders)" title="Adam Best (EastEnders)">Adam Best</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Manda_Best" title="Manda Best">Manda Best</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Abi_Branning" title="Abi Branning">Abi Branning</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Alice_Branning" title="Alice Branning">Alice Branning</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/April_Branning" title="April Branning">April Branning</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Bradley_Branning" title="Bradley Branning">Bradley Branning</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Derek_Branning" title="Derek Branning">Derek Branning</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Jim_Branning" title="Jim Branning">Jim Branning</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Joey_Branning" title="Joey Branning">Joey Branning</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Lauren_Branning" title="Lauren Branning">Lauren Branning</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Max_Branning" title="Max Branning">Max Branning</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Suzy_Branning" title="Suzy Branning">Suzy Branning</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Tanya_Branning" title="Tanya Branning">Tanya Branning</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Aidan_Brosnan" title="Aidan Brosnan">Aidan Brosnan</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Diane_Butcher" title="Diane Butcher">Diane Butcher</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Frank_Butcher" title="Frank Butcher">Frank Butcher</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Liam_Butcher" title="Liam Butcher">Liam Butcher</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Mo_Butcher" title="Mo Butcher">Mo Butcher</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Pat_Butcher" title="Pat Butcher">Pat Butcher</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Ricky_Butcher" title="Ricky Butcher">Ricky Butcher</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Kelvin_Carpenter" title="Kelvin Carpenter">Kelvin Carpenter</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Tony_Carpenter" title="Tony Carpenter">Tony Carpenter</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Stan_Carter" title="Stan Carter">Stan Carter</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Tina_Carter" title="Tina Carter">Tina Carter</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Zsa_Zsa_Carter" title="Zsa Zsa Carter">Zsa Zsa Carter</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Lorna_Cartwright" title="Lorna Cartwright">Lorna Cartwright</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Barry_Clark_(EastEnders)" title="Barry Clark (EastEnders)">Barry Clark</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Christian_Clarke" title="Christian Clarke">Christian Clarke</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Paul_Coker_(EastEnders)" title="Paul Coker (EastEnders)">Paul Coker</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Richard_Cole_(EastEnders)" title="Richard Cole (EastEnders)">Richard Cole</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Julie_Cooper_(EastEnders)" title="Julie Cooper (EastEnders)">Julie Cooper</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Ashley_Cotton" title="Ashley Cotton">Ashley Cotton</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Charlie_Cotton" title="Charlie Cotton">Charlie Cotton (1986)</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Charlie_Cotton_(2014_character)" title="Charlie Cotton (2014 character)">Charlie Cotton (2014)</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Dot_Cotton" title="Dot Cotton">Dot Cotton</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Nick_Cotton" title="Nick Cotton">Nick Cotton</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Stella_Crawford" title="Stella Crawford">Stella Crawford</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Cora_Cross" title="Cora Cross">Cora Cross</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Beppe_di_Marco" title="Beppe di Marco">Beppe di Marco</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Bruno_and_Luisa_di_Marco" title="Bruno and Luisa di Marco">Bruno and Luisa di Marco</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Gianni_di_Marco" title="Gianni di Marco">Gianni di Marco</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Rosa_di_Marco" title="Rosa di Marco">Rosa di Marco</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Ray_Dixon" title="Ray Dixon">Ray Dixon</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Jase_Dyer" title="Jase Dyer">Jase Dyer</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Huw_Edwards_(EastEnders)" title="Huw Edwards (EastEnders)">Huw Edwards</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Steve_Elliot" title="Steve Elliot">Steve Elliot</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Nellie_Ellis" title="Nellie Ellis">Nellie Ellis</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Barry_Evans_(EastEnders)" title="Barry Evans (EastEnders)">Barry Evans</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Natalie_Evans" title="Natalie Evans">Natalie Evans</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Roy_Evans_(EastEnders)" title="Roy Evans (EastEnders)">Roy Evans</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Fatboy_(EastEnders)" title="Fatboy (EastEnders)">Fatboy</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Ferreira_family" title="Ferreira family">Ferreira family</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Conor_Flaherty" title="Conor Flaherty">Conor Flaherty</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Mary_Flaherty_(EastEnders)" title="Mary Flaherty (EastEnders)">Mary Flaherty</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Fred_Fonseca" title="Fred Fonseca">Fred Fonseca</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Arthur_Fowler" title="Arthur Fowler">Arthur Fowler</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Lisa_Fowler" title="Lisa Fowler">Lisa Fowler</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Mark_Fowler" title="Mark Fowler">Mark Fowler</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Michelle_Fowler" title="Michelle Fowler">Michelle Fowler</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Pauline_Fowler" title="Pauline Fowler">Pauline Fowler</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Ruth_Fowler" title="Ruth Fowler">Ruth Fowler</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Vicki_Fowler" title="Vicki Fowler">Vicki Fowler</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Libby_Fox" title="Libby Fox">Libby Fox</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Joanne_Francis" title="Joanne Francis">Joanne Francis</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Jodie_Gold" title="Jodie Gold">Jodie Gold</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Vanessa_Gold" title="Vanessa Gold">Vanessa Gold</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Marge_Green" title="Marge Green">Marge Green</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Nina_Harris" title="Nina Harris">Nina Harris</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Dexter_Hartman" title="Dexter Hartman">Dexter Hartman</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Julie_Haye" title="Julie Haye">Julie Haye</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Alex_Healy_(EastEnders)" title="Alex Healy (EastEnders)">Alex Healy</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Christine_Hewitt" title="Christine Hewitt">Christine Hewitt</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Ted_Hills" title="Ted Hills">Ted Hills</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Tony_Hills" title="Tony Hills">Tony Hills</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Garry_Hobbs" title="Garry Hobbs">Garry Hobbs</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Lynne_Hobbs" title="Lynne Hobbs">Lynne Hobbs</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Lofty_Holloway" title="Lofty Holloway">Lofty Holloway</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Vincent_Hubbard" title="Vincent Hubbard">Vincent Hubbard</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Andy_Hunter_(EastEnders)" title="Andy Hunter (EastEnders)">Andy Hunter</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Alan_Jackson_(EastEnders)" title="Alan Jackson (EastEnders)">Alan Jackson</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Bianca_Jackson" title="Bianca Jackson">Bianca Jackson</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Billie_Jackson" title="Billie Jackson">Billie Jackson</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Blossom_Jackson" title="Blossom Jackson">Blossom Jackson</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Carmel_Jackson" title="Carmel Jackson">Carmel Jackson</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Carol_Jackson" title="Carol Jackson">Carol Jackson</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Robbie_Jackson" title="Robbie Jackson">Robbie Jackson</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Naima_Jeffery" title="Naima Jeffery">Naima Jeffery</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Saeed_Jeffery" title="Saeed Jeffery">Saeed Jeffery</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Al_Jenkins" title="Al Jenkins">Al Jenkins</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Greg_Jessop" title="Greg Jessop">Greg Jessop</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Lucas_Johnson" title="Lucas Johnson">Lucas Johnson</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Danielle_Jones_(EastEnders)" title="Danielle Jones (EastEnders)">Danielle Jones</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Naomi_Julien" title="Naomi Julien">Naomi Julien</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Gita_Kapoor" title="Gita Kapoor">Gita Kapoor</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Sanjay_Kapoor_(EastEnders)" title="Sanjay Kapoor (EastEnders)">Sanjay Kapoor</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Karim_family" title="Karim family">Karim family</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Yusef_Khan" title="Yusef Khan">Yusef Khan</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Tony_King_(EastEnders)" title="Tony King (EastEnders)">Tony King</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Harold_Legg" title="Harold Legg">Harold Legg</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Donna_Ludlow" title="Donna Ludlow">Donna Ludlow</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Joe_Macer" title="Joe Macer">Joe Macer</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Ryan_Malloy" title="Ryan Malloy">Ryan Malloy</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Jill_Marsden_(EastEnders)" title="Jill Marsden (EastEnders)">Jill Marsden</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Afia_Masood" title="Afia Masood">Afia Masood</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Amira_Masood" title="Amira Masood">Amira Masood</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Shabnam_Masood" title="Shabnam Masood">Shabnam Masood</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Syed_Masood" title="Syed Masood">Syed Masood</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Tamwar_Masood" title="Tamwar Masood">Tamwar Masood</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Zainab_Masood" title="Zainab Masood">Zainab Masood</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Lilly_Mattock" title="Lilly Mattock">Lilly Mattock</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Josie_McFarlane" title="Josie McFarlane">Josie McFarlane</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Poppy_Meadow" title="Poppy Meadow">Poppy Meadow</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Darren_Miller" title="Darren Miller">Darren Miller</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Demi_Miller" title="Demi Miller">Demi Miller</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Keith_Miller_(EastEnders)" title="Keith Miller (EastEnders)">Keith Miller</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Mickey_Miller" title="Mickey Miller">Mickey Miller</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Rosie_Miller" title="Rosie Miller">Rosie Miller</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Rob_Minter" title="Rob Minter">Rob Minter</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Archie_Mitchell" title="Archie Mitchell">Archie Mitchell</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Danny_Mitchell_(EastEnders)" title="Danny Mitchell (EastEnders)">Danny Mitchell</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Glenda_Mitchell" title="Glenda Mitchell">Glenda Mitchell</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Grant_Mitchell_(EastEnders)" title="Grant Mitchell (EastEnders)">Grant Mitchell</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Jamie_Mitchell" title="Jamie Mitchell">Jamie Mitchell</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Kate_Mitchell" class="mw-redirect" title="Kate Mitchell">Kate Mitchell</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Little_Mo_Mitchell" title="Little Mo Mitchell">Little Mo Mitchell</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Louise_Mitchell" title="Louise Mitchell">Louise Mitchell</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Peggy_Mitchell" title="Peggy Mitchell">Peggy Mitchell</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Ronnie_Mitchell" title="Ronnie Mitchell">Ronnie Mitchell</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Roxy_Mitchell" title="Roxy Mitchell">Roxy Mitchell</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Sam_Mitchell_(EastEnders)" title="Sam Mitchell (EastEnders)">Sam Mitchell</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Tiffany_Mitchell" title="Tiffany Mitchell">Tiffany Mitchell</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Vinnie_Monks" title="Vinnie Monks">Vinnie Monks</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Alfie_Moon" title="Alfie Moon">Alfie Moon</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Anthony_Moon" title="Anthony Moon">Anthony Moon</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Danny_Moon" title="Danny Moon">Danny Moon</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Eddie_Moon" title="Eddie Moon">Eddie Moon</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Jake_Moon" title="Jake Moon">Jake Moon</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Michael_Moon_(EastEnders)" title="Michael Moon (EastEnders)">Michael Moon</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Nana_Moon" title="Nana Moon">Nana Moon</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Spencer_Moon" title="Spencer Moon">Spencer Moon</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Tyler_Moon" title="Tyler Moon">Tyler Moon</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Trevor_Morgan_(EastEnders)" title="Trevor Morgan (EastEnders)">Trevor Morgan</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Rod_Norman" title="Rod Norman">Rod Norman</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Andy_O%27Brien_(EastEnders)" title="Andy O'Brien (EastEnders)">Andy O'Brien</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Mercy_Olubunmi" title="Mercy Olubunmi">Mercy Olubunmi</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Ali_Osman" title="Ali Osman">Ali Osman</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Mehmet_Osman" title="Mehmet Osman">Mehmet Osman</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Sue_Osman" title="Sue Osman">Sue Osman</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Mel_Owen" title="Mel Owen">Mel Owen</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Steve_Owen_(EastEnders)" title="Steve Owen (EastEnders)">Steve Owen</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Annie_Palmer" title="Annie Palmer">Annie Palmer</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/George_Palmer_(EastEnders)" title="George Palmer (EastEnders)">George Palmer</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Minty_Peterson" title="Minty Peterson">Minty Peterson</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Frankie_Pierre" title="Frankie Pierre">Frankie Pierre</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Paul_Priestly" title="Paul Priestly">Paul Priestly</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Irene_Raymond" title="Irene Raymond">Irene Raymond</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Louise_Raymond" title="Louise Raymond">Louise Raymond</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Simon_Raymond" title="Simon Raymond">Simon Raymond</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Terry_Raymond" title="Terry Raymond">Terry Raymond</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Dennis_Rickman" title="Dennis Rickman">Dennis Rickman</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Binnie_Roberts" title="Binnie Roberts">Binnie Roberts</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Roly" title="Roly">Roly</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Willy_Roper" title="Willy Roper">Willy Roper</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Matthew_Rose_(EastEnders)" title="Matthew Rose (EastEnders)">Matthew Rose</a></li>
<li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Colin Russell</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Mandy_Salter" title="Mandy Salter">Mandy Salter</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Trevor_Short" title="Trevor Short">Trevor Short</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Lydia_Simmonds" title="Lydia Simmonds">Lydia Simmonds</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Ethel_Skinner" title="Ethel Skinner">Ethel Skinner</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Charlie_Slater" title="Charlie Slater">Charlie Slater</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Sean_Slater" title="Sean Slater">Sean Slater</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Zoe_Slater" title="Zoe Slater">Zoe Slater</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Leon_Small" title="Leon Small">Leon Small</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Babe_Smith" title="Babe Smith">Babe Smith</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Gus_Smith" title="Gus Smith">Gus Smith</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Mary_Smith_(EastEnders)" title="Mary Smith (EastEnders)">Mary Smith</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Dan_Sullivan_(EastEnders)" title="Dan Sullivan (EastEnders)">Dan Sullivan</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Gavin_Sullivan" title="Gavin Sullivan">Gavin Sullivan</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Dawn_Swann" title="Dawn Swann">Dawn Swann</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Celestine_and_Etta_Tavernier" title="Celestine and Etta Tavernier">Celestine and Etta Tavernier</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Clyde_Tavernier" title="Clyde Tavernier">Clyde Tavernier</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Hattie_Tavernier" title="Hattie Tavernier">Hattie Tavernier</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Jules_Tavernier_(EastEnders)" title="Jules Tavernier (EastEnders)">Jules Tavernier</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Kelly_Taylor_(EastEnders)" title="Kelly Taylor (EastEnders)">Kelly Taylor</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Heather_Trott" title="Heather Trott">Heather Trott</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Anthony_Trueman" title="Anthony Trueman">Anthony Trueman</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Paul_Trueman" title="Paul Trueman">Paul Trueman</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Yolande_Trueman" title="Yolande Trueman">Yolande Trueman</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Owen_Turner" title="Owen Turner">Owen Turner</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Angie_Watts" title="Angie Watts">Angie Watts</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Chrissie_Watts" title="Chrissie Watts">Chrissie Watts</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Den_Watts" title="Den Watts">Den Watts</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Wellard" title="Wellard">Wellard</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Carl_White" title="Carl White">Carl White</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Carly_Wicks" title="Carly Wicks">Carly Wicks</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/David_Wicks" title="David Wicks">David Wicks</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Dean_Wicks" title="Dean Wicks">Dean Wicks</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Joe_Wicks_(EastEnders)" title="Joe Wicks (EastEnders)">Joe Wicks</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Kevin_Wicks" title="Kevin Wicks">Kevin Wicks</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Lorraine_Wicks" title="Lorraine Wicks">Lorraine Wicks</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Simon_Wicks" title="Simon Wicks">Simon Wicks</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Debbie_Wilkins" title="Debbie Wilkins">Debbie Wilkins</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Cindy_Williams_(EastEnders)" title="Cindy Williams (EastEnders)">Cindy Williams</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/James_Willmott-Brown" title="James Willmott-Brown">James Willmott-Brown</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Willy_(EastEnders)" title="Willy (EastEnders)">Willy</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/May_Wright" title="May Wright">May Wright</a></li></ul>
</div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0px"><div style="padding:0em 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible mw-collapsed navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><div id="Lists_of_characters" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em">Lists of characters</div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0px"><div style="padding:0em 0.25em">
<ul><li>By year: <a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(1985)" title="List of EastEnders characters (1985)">1985</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(1986)" title="List of EastEnders characters (1986)">1986</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(1987)" title="List of EastEnders characters (1987)">1987</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(1988)" title="List of EastEnders characters (1988)">1988</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(1989)" title="List of EastEnders characters (1989)">1989</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(1990)" title="List of EastEnders characters (1990)">1990</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(1991)" title="List of EastEnders characters (1991)">1991</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(1992)" title="List of EastEnders characters (1992)">1992</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(1993)" title="List of EastEnders characters (1993)">1993</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(1994)" title="List of EastEnders characters (1994)">1994</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(1995)" title="List of EastEnders characters (1995)">1995</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(1996)" title="List of EastEnders characters (1996)">1996</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(1997)" title="List of EastEnders characters (1997)">1997</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(1998)" title="List of EastEnders characters (1998)">1998</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(1999)" title="List of EastEnders characters (1999)">1999</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(2000)" title="List of EastEnders characters (2000)">2000</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(2001)" title="List of EastEnders characters (2001)">2001</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(2002)" title="List of EastEnders characters (2002)">2002</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(2003)" title="List of EastEnders characters (2003)">2003</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(2004)" title="List of EastEnders characters (2004)">2004</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(2005)" title="List of EastEnders characters (2005)">2005</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(2006)" title="List of EastEnders characters (2006)">2006</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(2007)" title="List of EastEnders characters (2007)">2007</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(2008)" title="List of EastEnders characters (2008)">2008</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(2009)" title="List of EastEnders characters (2009)">2009</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(2010)" title="List of EastEnders characters (2010)">2010</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(2011)" title="List of EastEnders characters (2011)">2011</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(2012)" title="List of EastEnders characters (2012)">2012</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(2013)" title="List of EastEnders characters (2013)">2013</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(2014)" title="List of EastEnders characters (2014)">2014</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(2015)" title="List of EastEnders characters (2015)">2015</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(2016)" title="List of EastEnders characters (2016)">2016</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(2017)" title="List of EastEnders characters (2017)">2017</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(2018)" title="List of EastEnders characters (2018)">2018</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(2019)" title="List of EastEnders characters (2019)">2019</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(2020)" title="List of EastEnders characters (2020)">2020</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_characters_(2021)" title="List of EastEnders characters (2021)">2021</a></li></ul>
<ul><li>Others: <a href="/enwiki/wiki/EastEnders_episodes_in_Ireland" title="EastEnders episodes in Ireland">Flaherty family</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/Dickens_Hill" title="Dickens Hill">Dickens Hill inmates</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/The_Banned_(EastEnders)" title="The Banned (EastEnders)">The Banned band members</a></li>
<li><a href="/enwiki/wiki/List_of_EastEnders_spin-off_characters" title="List of EastEnders spin-off characters">Characters from spin-offs</a></li></ul>
</div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div>
' |
Whether or not the change was made through a Tor exit node (tor_exit_node) | false |
Unix timestamp of change (timestamp) | 1621018976 |