SOAP fans were taken on a trip down memory lane this week as EastEnders celebrated its 40th anniversary.
Ross Kemp, 60, returned as Grant Mitchell, while Anita Dobson, 75, came back as Angie Watts after a 37 year absence.
The Queen Vic went up in flames during milestone anniversary episode[/caption]
Jaime Winstone, 39, even portrayed a young Peggy Mitchell in flashback scenes following the death of legendary actress Barbara Windsor in 2020.
The milestone anniversary was marked by the iconic Queen Vic pub going up in flames.
And in a special live episode, Martin Fowler, played by James Bye, 40, was crushed to death.
With four decades worth of EastEnders’ episodes – nearly 7,000 – there’s been plenty of Scots that have joined the residents of Albert Square.
We take a look at every single one of them to see how they fared.
ALEX FERNS AS TREVOR MORGAN
Alex was truly evil during his stint on the show.[/caption]
Alex Ferns, 56, was one of the soap’s most iconic bad guys during his stint on the show from 2000 until 2022.
The actor, from Lennoxtown, who went onto acclaim in the likes of Chernobyl and Star Wars: Andor, played the abusive husband of Little Mo.
In explosive showdown she smacked the lowlife’s head with an iron, in a desperate attempt to break free.
Trevor’s reign of terror finally came to a fiery conclusion, after the character burned to death in a botched arson bid in 2002.
ROSS DAVIDSON AS ANDY O’BRIEN
Ross Davidson was the first major character killed off.[/caption]
The actor, from Airdrie, joined EastEnders when it launched in 1985 as one of the original cast.
He played nurse Andy O’Brien for 18 months, before becoming the first main character to be killed off, dying in a road accident in August 1986.
Davidson later starred in Brookside and Hollyoaks as well as making a name for himself in theatre.
Sadly, he was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2005 and died the following year aged 57.
ASHLEY JENSEN AS FIONA MORRIS
Fiona Morris made her first appearance in 2000.[/caption]
Jensen, 55, from Annan, is best known as Christina McKinney in Ugly Betty, Agatha Raisin in Agatha Raisin, and DI Ruth Calder in Shetland.
While she also teamed up with Ricky Gervais in Extras and Afterlife as she continued to shine on screen.
But she got her big break in EastEnders in July 2000 when she briefly appeared as the wife of Rod Morris.
Her on-screen hubby was accused of sexual assault and her character disappeared after a journalist arrived to question what happened.
CAROLINE PATERSON AS RUTH FOWLER
The actress, 59, from Kirkcaldy, played Ruth Aitken, the second wife of long-running character Mark Fowler from 1994 to 1999.
She was taking care of her dying friend Anna in a hospice after she’d had contracted HIV and met Mark who had the illness.
They got married but suffered heartache while fostering children and she later returned to Scotland as a single mother after she got pregnant following an affair with Mark’s cousin Conor Flaherty.
Paterson later prioritised directing and became a major part of Scottish soap River City.
GERARD KELLY AS JIMMY COOGAN
Gerard played a menacing role in the programme.[/caption]
Kelly is best known for his incredible ability to make people laugh in comedy hits like City Lights, Rab C Nesbitt, Scotch and Wry and Extras.
But the late actor, who died aged 51 in 2010, was a brilliant villain in EastEnders and later in Brookside as Callum Finnegan.
The Glaswegian showbiz legend was a key part of a storyline involving the Mitchell brothers in 1994.
Jimmy terrorised Kathy Beale, Phil’s girlfriend, and the pair became rivals until the Scot’s past came back to hunt him and he had to flee to avoid jail time.
LAURIE BRETT AS JANE BEALE
Jane Beale had to put up with a lot.[/caption]
The actress, from Hamilton, left EastEnders in 2017 and made a brief return last year.
She joined the cast in 2004 and later married Ian Beale, had an affir with Grant Mitchell and covered up her adopted son Bobby’s role in the murder of her stepdaughter Lucy Beale.
Brett, 55, became a huge fixture when her character was left in a wheelchair after being attacked and paralysed by Bobby.
She later divorced Ian and dated Masood Ahmed before moving to the Cotswolds with Bobby for a fresh start.
SIMONE LAHBIB AS KATY LEWIS
Lahbib was involved in a harrowing storyline.[/caption]
The screen star, from Stirling, played Katy Lewis for a year from 2020 to 2021.
Bad Girls actress Lahbib, 60, took on the role of the evil child sex abuser who targeted a young Mick Carter, played by Danny Dyer.
She stood trial after pleading guilty and was sentenced to ten years imprisonment and was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.
Since exiting the series she ha enjoyed stints in Shetland as well as BBC Scotland comedy The Scotts.
JOHN MICHIE AS MR WALKER
Mr. Walker made his first appearance in November 1997.[/caption]
Taggart star Michie, 68, spent six months on the soap after joining at the end of 1997.
The actor, from Edinburgh, played a lawyer called Mr Walker in a handful of episodes.
He was hired by Ian Beale hires to help him gain custody of his children.
Michie continued to appear in different soaps – as Karl Munro in Coronation Street and Guy Self in Casualty and Holby City.
JACQUELINE LEONARD AS LORRAINE WICKS
Leonard, who grew up around Bathgate and Falkirk, joined EastEnders in 1996 for a year.
She arrived in search of her son who had run away from their home with the hope of reuniting with his estranged father,
Lorraine gets a job as a barmaid in The Queen Vic public house and begins dating Grant Mitchell who then throws wife Tiffany out when she is six months pregnant with his child.
She reconciles with her ex and moves back to Bolton. Leonard has since played Linda Hancock in Coronation Street and Lydia Murdoch in River City.
BRIAN MCCARDIE AS SEB
Brian McCardie got his big break on the soap.[/caption]
The late actor, from Glasgow, was best known for his role as Tommy Hunter in Line of Duty.
But he began his career in 1989 when he appeared in one episode of EastEnders.
McCardie, who died last year aged 59, headed to Hollywood after starring alongside Liam Neeson in the blockbuster Rob Roy.
He also appeared in rvine Welsh’s Filth and in Jimmy McGovern’s three-part BBC One drama Time as Jackson Jones.
MAURICE ROEVES AS GEOFF MORTON
Maurice has appeared in all sorts of top shows.[/caption]
The acting legend died aged 83 in 2020 after an illustrious TV career.
He apeared in EastEnders as Geoff, the alcoholic father of Kate Morton played by Jill Halfpenny, in 2003.
The Glaswegian favourite also had roles in the likes of River City, Doctor Who and The Acid House.
He played Col. Edmund Munro in 1992’s The Last of the Mohicans and Miller in the big budget action flick Judge Dredd alongside Sylvester Stallone.
SIOBHAN REDMOND AS MAEVE BROWN AND JIMMY YUILL AS VICTOR BROWN
Siobhan Redmond enjoyed a minor but memorable stay on the square.[/caption]
The veteran Scots duo appeared in EastEnders briefly in 2006.
Victor was a patron of the Walford Community Charitable Trust (the WCCT) and old friend of Ian Beale.
Maeve later tried to seduce Ian and left Victor after 33 years of marriage.
Redmond, 65, from Glasgow, and Yuill, 66, from Sutherland, have both been members of the Royal Shakespeare Company.
