EastEnders: 27 best forgotten characters in BBC soap’s history

There was undoubtedly a time in your life when you considered EastEnders appointment viewing.

For some, it was the Den and Angie-days; for others, it was the Golden Epoch of Janine and Barry, the latter of whom probably ranks as one of the soap’s most memorable characters.

More recent fans would most likely name storylines involving Stacey Slater and Max Branning as its most popular.

It’s characters such as these that have ensured the soap has remained a staple of BBC schedules since it began, but most legendary of all is surely Dot Cotton, played by the late June Brown.

As we mourn the loss of one of the soap’s most iconic names, we’ve taken a trip down memory lane to look at the best forgotten EastEnders characters.

Click through the below gallery to see what made the list

27 best Eastenders characters you've completely forgotten about

Played by: Michael Higgs

In the early 2000s, EastEnders went through a phase of having organised crime subplots, with characters including Dan Sullivan and Johnny Allen. Andy Hunter – who joined the show in 2003 – was the slimiest of them all. Kat Slater proved the perfect love interest to Andy's gangster up until she jilted him at the altar for Alfie Moon in 2005. (BBC)" />

Played by: Michael Greco

Police officer Beppe di Marco was a household name in the late 1990s up until the character was axed from the soap in 2002. He's perhaps best remembered for his rivalry with the Mitchell brothers, the peak of which arrived when he attempted to frame Grant for Tiffany's murder. (BBC)" />

Played by: Sophie Langham and Michelle Joseph

Binnie Roberts and Della Alexander, characters from 1994, were the soap's first lesbian couple. They left after a few years, still – amazingly for the soap – a happy couple. (Rjavascript:void(0);ex Features)" />

Played by: Lindsey Coulson

Stopping Carol Jackson from going down in the "legendary character" ranks is the fact that she's returned to Albert Square twice over the past 20 years. What's worth remembering, though, is that Coulson was always one of the show's best performers whenever she was on it. (BBC)" />

Played by: Tiana Benjamin

Chelsea Fox, daughter of Denise, was a breath of fresh air on the Square, mostly thanks to her portrayal by Tiana Benjamin, who quit the Harry Potter franchise to join the soap in 2006 (she played Gryffindor student Angelina Johnson). She left the square in 2010. (BBC)" />

Played by: Kara Tointon

Dawn may have been tainted by her association with the Miller family (her brother Mickey – played by Joe Swash – does not make this list), but the character injected a dash of glamour and optimism into the doom and gloom of Albert Square in 2005. Well, until she was kidnapped and almost died in a gas explosion. (BBC)" />

Played by: Nigel Harman

Dennis Rickman seemed like a staple of EastEnders throughout the 2000s, but he was actually only in it from 2003 to 2005. Still, his appearance made quite a stir thanks to the return of his resurrected father Dirty Den and marriage to his adopted sister, Sharon, right up until he was killed off on New Year's Eve. (BBC)" />

Played by: Ricky Groves

Garry was in EastEnders for just under nine years, which – let's be honest – is longer than anyone could recall. His character had quite the trajectory. After being introduced as the doting if ultimately unhappy husband of Lynne Slater, he ended his time on the show literally sailing into the sunset with Dawn Swann in 2009. (BBC)" />

Played by: Glynsis Barber

It's fair to say that Glenda, the scheming mother of Ronnie and Roxy Mitchell, was liked by nobody in the soap, which made her great entertainment for viewers. Her episodes always saw her swanning around Albert Square with the sole intention of stirring up trouble, which invariably came back to bite her. She's returned a number of times since the character was first introduced in 2010. (BBC)" />

Played by: Leonard Fenton

More memorable due to the fact he was given a send off in the soap just last year, Dr Legg was Albert Square's go-to doctor throughout the 1980s and 1990s. (BBC)" />

Played by: Jack Ryder

The best Mitchell was Jamie, the character played by Jack Ryder from 1998 to 2002. He found himself at the heart of some of the soap's biggest moments, including Sonia's surprise pregnancy, the arrival of the Slaters and the shooting of his uncle, Phil. (BBC)" />