List of EastEnders characters introduced in 1995

[1] She is introduced as a school friend of Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer) and becomes a prominent and popular character during her tenure due to a combustible relationship with the soap's landlord, Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp).

Introduced in 1995 by series producer Barbara Emile, Tiffany Raymond was conceptualised by EastEnders scriptwriter Tony Jordan as a school friend of already established character, Bianca Jackson.

McCutcheon has revealed that she was initially hesitant about auditioning for the part, commenting to The Guardian, "An agent called me and said there was a part on EastEnders and I said, very offhandedly, 'I don't really want to do soap, because I want to do movies, and nobody I know goes from soap to movies, and it's just not the sort of actress I want to be [...] this agent said to me, just let me send you a synopsis of the character and see what you think, and I thought she was fantastic.

Andrea favoured her eldest daughter Susie (Viva Duce) and would constantly make it clear that Natalie wasn't good enough.

Things have not improved in the time since they have been apart, and upon Natalie's arrival Andrea gets extremely drunk and proceeds to embarrass and humiliate her in front of Barry.

She picks holes in her appearance, brands her a waste of space, and blames her for her own fleeting looks, her failure to make it as a singer and even for the break-up of her marriage to Natalie's father.

Upon witnessing Andrea's true colours and seeing how upset she made Natalie, Barry prohibits her from having any part in their lives.

Andrea proceeds to take over the whole organisation of the wedding, concocting themes and colour codes, which only infuriates an already stressed Natalie.

On Natalie's joint hen night with Mel Healy (Tamzin Outhwaite) in Amsterdam, Andrea, true to form, gets extremely drunk and delights in making a fool of her daughter yet again.

[3][4] Lydia is first seen in Walford in March 1995, when she is hired as an apprentice hairdresser by Della Alexander (Michelle Joseph).

Audacious Lydia spends the last few days of her employment badmouthing Della to anyone who will listen and boasting about a new job she is applying for in an upper class salon.

Later in the year Lydia comes back to Walford to apply for a job at Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt)'s chip shop.

In February, Steve gets into trouble with a criminal firm, who refuse to allow him to testify at a trial, which they fear will place them under a police investigation.

Steve is frantic, but he eventually finds a distraught Lydia, who informs him that the mobsters have attempted to drown her and threatened to kill her if he doesn't back out of testifying.

They both decided to leave following discussions with the executive producer Matthew Robinson, and a spokesperson for the programme said "They have mutually agreed that both characters have fulfilled their potential and will conclude their stories with a dramatic exit.

"[7] Their departures left only one gay character in the UK's mainstream soap operas, that of Zoe Tate (Leah Bracknell) in Emmerdale.

We'd like to see a few more positive role models in the media, especially to encourage young people who are coming to terms with their sexuality, as well as their friends and members of their family.

Sarah's last appearance is at Matthew's trial, when he is convicted of the murder of Saskia Duncan (Deborah Sheridan Taylor) in October 1999 – although the real killer is Steve Owen (Martin Kemp).

The Kapoors decide to end their business arrangement with Guppy just as they are noticed selling counterfeit goods by the market inspector, Lesley.

After almost a month of not been heard of or being seen, Guppy suddenly rings Gita out of the blue at the Cafe and arranges to meet her in secret.

He is interested in brass band music, and when he notices Sonia Jackson (Natalie Cassidy) attempting to play the trumpet he tries to offer her the benefit of his wisdom.

Rumours about Felix begin to spread around Walford, leading Sonia and her friend Clare Tyler (Gemma Bissix) to think that he had murdered his wife, cut her to pieces and buried her in the basement of his shop.

She, Sonia and Janine Butcher (Alexia Demetriou) steal Felix's keys and sneak into the dark basement where Clare trips and knocks herself out.

Panicking, Sonia and Janine run to The Queen Victoria public house and tell Clare's stepfather Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley) that she has been kidnapped.

Nigel, Grant (Ross Kemp) and Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) find Felix unbuttoning Clare's clothing and immediately suspect the worst.

They learn that Felix is a Polish Jew who had been living in Kraków during World War II when Germany invaded and most Jewish residents were placed in Nazi concentration camps.

Felix befriends the other senior residents of Walford, Jules Tavernier (Tommy Eytle), Ethel Skinner (Gretchen Franklin), Blossom Jackson (Mona Hammond) and Nellie Ellis (Elizabeth Kelly).

When Blossom returns for her great grandson Billie's (Devon Anderson) funeral in October 2010, she reveals she and Felix had reconciled but he had died of an illness five years previously.

At the time, Jaci Stephen, television critic for The Mirror described April as a kind of character "who, from the moment they open their mouths, appear to have been around for ever."

She added, "She has bleached blonde hair, overdresses and has the kind of flirtatious manner guaranteed to drive the Square's women to violence.