This week marks 40 years since the legendary BBC soap EastEnders burst onto our screens and captivated audiences globally.
Over the years, there have been many iconic moments, from Den serving Angie with divorce papers at the bottom of the stairs in the Queen Vic to Kat revealing that she was Zoe's mother in a showdown on the square.
While the drama has mainly played out on-screen, it also hasn't been without its controversy from featuring the first gay kiss on tv, to more locally causing a stir when the character Nancy Carter appeared on screen wearing a St Patrick’s College, Ballymena GAA top which caused the late loyalist Willie Frazer to publically link the show to the IRA. However, this isn't the shows only connection to Northern Ireland with a number of local actors causing drama on the square.
Tara Lynne O'Neill
Before she graced our screens as Ma Mary in the hit Channel 4 comedy Derry Girls, Tara Lynne O'Neill starred in EastEnders where she played Joanne Ryan, a nanny hired by Peggy Mitchell to look after her granddaughter Lousie, much to the dismay of her mother Lisa Fowler. Joanne later tried to seduce Louise's father Phil Mitchell which resulted in her being sacked. Determined to seek revenge, she rented Phil's house to newly arrived doctor Jonathan Leroy and his wife before leaving the square in 2003.
Harry Towb
In December 2008, Larne-born actor Harry Towb appeared in two episodes of EastEnders, where he played Janine Butcher's elderly husband, David. His storyline revolved around Pat Butcher and Janiene's brother Ricky discovering that she was masquerading as a Jewish orphan named Judith Bernstein in an attempt to swindle David out of his money. Arriving at the synagogue immediately after the wedding had concluded, Pat and Ricky confronted Janine, where Pat delivered the now infamous line that Janine was "as Jewish as a bacon sandwich". After Pat exposed Janine, David had a heart attack and died, leaving Janine homeless and having no option but to return to Walford. Harry Towb died in 2009 aged 83 following a battle with cancer.
Glen Wallace
After playing Malachy Fisher in Hollyoaks, Glen Wallace starred in EastEnders as DS Cameron Bryant between 2014 and 2016. DS Bryant arrived on the square as a detective in the murder of Lucy Beale. DS Bryant was the fiancé of DC Emma Summerhayes, who had been having an affair with Max Branning. When Emma dies, Malachy vows to get revenge on Max and Max is wrongfully convicted of Lucy's murder before being acquitted after Bobby Beale confesses to the murder. Glen Wallace later went on to play Lucas Kempton in Coronation Street.
Jonathan Harden
Before playing Inspector Johnson in Blue Lights, Jonathan Harden played DS Kye Anderson, a police officer investigating Ronnie and Roxie Mitchell. He is assigned as Jack Branning's family liaison officer.
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