[1] Portrayed as a "super-bitch" and home wrecker, Frankie attempts to ruin the established relationships of several characters during her nine months on the soap, purposefully seducing attached men.

Frankie first appears in June 1996 as a soul singer in a band with musician Mick McFarlane (Sylvester Williams), who is her former boyfriend.

She moves to Albert Square — sharing a house with Huw Edwards and Lenny Wallace (Richard Elis and Des Coleman) — and gets a job as a waitress at the café, so she can be near Alan.

When Alan discovers Frankie's gameplaying, he attempts to end their relationship, but she threatens to inform Carol about their affair unless he keeps on seeing her.

It emerges that Frankie has a history of chasing attached men only to lose interest as soon as she has succeeded in breaking up their marriage.

Alan is sympathetic and willing to help Frankie through her psychological problems, but she has already set her sights on a new man, Tony Hills (Mark Homer).

Tony fears the repercussions, but he refuses to give Frankie what she wants, and she has further knockbacks from Sanjay Kapoor (Deepak Verma) and her neighbour Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt), who throws her out of his house after she propositions him, branding her a "scrubber" with "no class".

[2] Blake had auditioned for the minor role of a nurse who treated Kathy Mitchell's baby Ben, after he was involved in a meningitis scare.

[2] However, the casting directors saw potential and asked Blake to audition for a far bigger upcoming role as a regular character, Frankie Pierre.

When asked about her reaction to the news, Blake said, "I put the phone down afterwards and sat on the sofa feeling numb, it just didn't sink in...

"[2] Frankie's arrival in June 1996 was part of a storyline that broke up the marriage of the characters Alan and Carol Jackson (Howard Antony and Lindsey Coulson).

According to The Sunday Mirror, millions of viewers tuned in to watch "home-wrecker Frankie get her claws into happily married Alan Jackson.

[4] Frankie was described as a predatory man-eater, a trouble maker, an unhinged sexpot, and a super-bitch who "seduces men away from their loved ones...then dumps them with a sneer.

"[2][4] The official EastEnders book Who’s Who states that Frankie "had a carnivorous approach to relationships, hunting down her quarry, devouring her victim in two gulps and then moving onto the next kill.

"[4] Later confirmed on-screen, Frankie's promiscuous, immoral and devious behaviour was blamed on her deprived childhood, a history of being hurt, lack of trust and insecurities.

Frankie eventually departed the serial in March 1997 amidst a failed attempt at seducing a religious evangelist, Alistair Matthews, who had been trying to make her change her promiscuous lifestyle.