Yahoo News EastEnders: Who could Karen Taylor's BFF be?
EastEnders' Karen Taylor arrived in a boisterous blur of bellowing, bickering and exposed bra straps back in the summer along with her noisy brood, and she didn't exactly endear herself to the new neighbours by shooting her mouth off and punching Sharon Mitchell in the face.
It's taken a while for us to warm to the trashy Taylors, but we've started to be won over by matriarch Karen. Having her join Sharon's girl gang (all is forgiven for that punch) to teach Michelle's stalker Tom a lesson, Real Housewives of Walford-style, was a masterstroke and showed how much fun she could be if she got to hang out with some fellow 'Enders women (and had dialogue that was about something other than housing benefit).
Karen may be loud and aggressive, but she's also proving herself to be big-hearted, loyal and a right laugh. Given the chance she'd be a great mate… Bianca had Tiff, Shirley had Hev – now it's time for Karen to get a BFF. But which local lady is up to the job?
1. Sharon Mitchell
They didn't get off to the best of starts with that violent assault, but Shazza did offer an olive branch by begging Karen to help deal with Michelle's stalker. Does that mean they're proper mates? Could glamorous Sharon be the one to teach Ms Taylor how to dress herself properly and tuck her straps in?
We can see a mutual respect growing between these two powerful women, despite their differences. And if they got the giggles after a few vinos, imagine the cacophony of their combined cackles – it would be telly gold.
2. Linda Carter
What happened to L and Sharon's BFF thing? They barely exchange glances these days. Have the writers forgotten about it? Perhaps the pink-loving landlady needs a new pal, but we can't see Karen fitting the bill. At least Mick's missus can relate to Shaz, what with them both growing up in pubs their parents ran, both being ultra classy and both being complete tragedy magnets.
Maybe Linda and Karen could bond over their love of a good party? They'd probably clash over what playlist to stick on Spotify though – show tunes or grime?
3. Michelle Fowler
'Chelle owes Karen big time for putting the frighteners on Stalker Tom (we really wish she'd let her smack him one). But as we're constantly reminded, Sharon is her BFF and it seems there's no room for anyone else.
We say 'reminded', it's more a case of the show banging on about their lifelong friendship as a way of convincing the audience to get on board with a different actress playing Michelle (nope, still not over it…).
4. Kim Fox-Hubbard
We think this (friend)ship has sailed after Kim blamed Karen's "nasty pudding" for giving her food poisoning at the ill-fated safari supper club. You can't come back from dissing someone's dessert, can you?
Actually we prefer these two feisty alpha females as frenemies, it's much more fun and the scope for acidic put-downs and cracking one-liners is endless. We predict scraps in the Square rather than spas and shopping sprees for Kim and Kaz.
5. Honey Mitchell
She didn't want Karen in her safari supper club, so she's hardly going to encourage her to pop round with a bottle of plonk so they can put the world to rights, is she? Prim and proper Honey doesn't strike us as the type to have her underwear on show (she never takes that Minute Mart tabard off), so don't expect these two to be bonding over a boxset binge.
Every time she sees uncouth Karen, Mrs Mitchell looks like she wants to reach for the hand sanitiser. Er, what makes you think you're a cut above, missy? You're married to Billy flippin' Mitchell, not Richard Branson.
6. Shirley Carter
Of course! She's the obvious choice to be Karen's partner in crime. Surly Shirl was the only neighbour to offer the struggling mum-of-six support in the early days – a particularly poignant moment was when she gave her a fag after daughter Bernadette's tragic miscarriage.
Shirley never judges (how could she after the life she's had?!), she tells it like it is and she puts family first. This pair are a match made in heaven – the sooner they form a double act and relaunch the ladies' book club (only with booze replacing books), the better.
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