His storylines include reconciling with his adoptive son Paul Trueman (Gary Beadle) and biological son Anthony Trueman (Nicholas Bailey), being the possible father of Denise Fox (Diane Parish), to whom he is a father figure, a friendship with both Dot (June Brown) and Jim Branning (John Bardon), his marriage to Yolande Duke (Angela Wynter), an affair with Pat Evans (Pam St Clement), the death of his adoptive son Paul, being assaulted by an unknown assailant in his own shop, dealing with Ben Mitchell (Joshua Pascoe) and his father Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) starting a vendetta against him, a relationship with Cora Cross (Ann Mitchell), being injured after falling from a ladder, discovering that Denise's fiancé Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) had sex with prostitute Rainie Cross (Tanya Franks), suffering two strokes, a relationship with Claudette Hubbard (Ellen Thomas), becoming embroiled in Claudette's feud with her son Vincent Hubbard (Richard Blackwood), marrying his childhood sweetheart Sheree Trueman (Suzette Llewellyn) and discovering he fathered her son, Isaac Baptiste (Stevie Basaula).

After the breakdown of his marriage to Sheree, Patrick reunites with his ex-wife Yolande, who he supports through her sexual assault by her pastor Gideon Clayton (Howard Saddler).

Patrick and Yolande marry and briefly foster a young girl named Katie (Parhys-Jai Cato) in 2004, though they find it difficult when she is returned to her mother.

The Fox family move in with Patrick, including Denise's lover Lucas Johnson (Don Gilet), a religious fanatic.

Patrick's past was revealed anyway, by Chelsea's boyfriend Theo Kelly (Rolan Bell), who is in league with Tommy Clifford (Edward Woodward).

Tommy claims to be writing a book about black culture, but it is eventually revealed that he is the man who killed Patrick's fiancée, Ruth, in a fire in the 1950s.

However, Patrick tires of her quickly and Liz moves away when it is revealed that Lucas is a serial killer who has murdered her son, Owen Turner (Lee Ross).

Patrick has a brief dalliance with Rose Cotton (Polly Perkins), and later loses his home when Kim's B&B is burnt down during on Christmas Day.

Patrick begins to keep stolen fireworks and alcohol in his home's basement for Alfie Moon (Shane Richie), which enhance the damage done by the fire and results in Kim being unable claim insurance.

Patrick moves in with Rose and her sister Dot Branning (June Brown), but he is devastated when his friend Heather Trott (Cheryl Fergison) is murdered.

The trauma of the murder deeply affects Patrick, and he decides to leave Walford temporarily to visit his son Anthony, returning a few months later.

Patrick is disgusted when Ben is unmasked as Heather's killer, and it emerges that Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) helped cover it up.

Patrick makes Vincent vow to protect his family and stop his dodgy dealings, he then leaves for Trinidad and he returns a few weeks later.

Sheree notices Ted is suffering from loneliness since the death of his wife Joyce (Maggie Steed), and so sets him up with her mother Wanda Baptiste (Anni Domingo).

When Clayton commits suicide in September 2024, Patrick becomes concerned for Yolande as she rejects her faith and becomes distant from him, even forgetting the 20th anniversary of Paul's death.

In episode 3 of series 2, Stevie Dickinson (Amanda Fairbank-Hynes) attempts to buy drinks from Patrick in the shop but her payment card is declined.

"[5] In 2018, Patrick was described by Bailey as "charisma personified" and a "Caribbean alpha male" who "stands his ground" and "takes no nonsense".

Following their screen marriage in 2004, the characters were involved in the BBC's season "Taking Care", which covered issues "surrounding a different kind of childhood".

[7] In 2007, executive producer Diederick Santer used Patrick and Yolande to cover a storyline about racism, that according to the producer, was inspired by the 2007 Celebrity Big Brother race row, sparked by supposed racist bullying of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty by UK celebrity Jade Goody.

In the storyline, the characters Jay Brown and Sean Slater used racist phrases to the Truemans, and their reaction to the insults.

Wynter commented, "Patrick and Yolande’s marriage is the only representation of a black union in British TV, which I am very proud to have played.

"[9] Discussing Wynter's axing, Rudolph Walker said: "I really enjoyed working with Angela, because apart from anything else, she was a tremendous help to me – we've known each other a long time.

The script involved discussion about racism, with reference to the real life occurrence of the 1958 Notting Hill race riots in London.

Actor Edward Woodward was brought in especially for the storyline as Tommy Clifford, the man who killed her and subsequently sought his redemption before he died.

[13] Following the airing of EastEnders' first all-black cast episode in the show's history in 2009, the BBC received criticism for not adequately advertising the event.

The programme-makers refuted these claims, insisting that the storyline received the same publicity treatment as the soap's other ongoing plots.

A spokesperson told media website Digital Spy: "Everyone at Elstree has been truly shocked and surprised by the attention that an episode with an all-black cast has had, given that we live in such a diverse and multicultural society.

Patrick and the Foxes are an integral part of Albert Square and this is no different from other episodes where we've concentrated on one particular family or storyline in the past.

"[14] Additionally, the BBC received "183 complaints about the episode's 'unnecessary' content, while some viewers felt aggrieved by the nature of an 'all-black' cast.

[15] In 2020, Sara Wallis and Ian Hyland from The Daily Mirror placed Patrick 24th on their ranked list of the best EastEnders characters of all time, saying that he has "always been the go-to guy for a friend in need" with his "trademark trilby, twinkly eyes and taste for rum", as well as calling the mystery attack on him "vicious".