The Year Was… 2018

Branning Tragedy
Max Branning, the man who could give a soap opera villain a run for their money, had quite the year. After his grand plan for revenge went belly up, he decided to take a dramatic leap off the Queen Vic roof. But, in true Branning fashion, his daughters Lauren and Abi tried to stop him and ended up taking the plunge themselves. Lauren survived, but poor Abi wasn’t so lucky and ended up brain dead.

Tanya, the ex-wife who probably had Max’s number saved as “Do Not Answer,” made a brief return to Walford to deal with the fallout. She had to face the heart-wrenching decision of turning off Abi’s life support. If that wasn’t enough drama, Lauren decided to pack her bags and leave Walford for good, probably in search of a place where roofs are less dangerous.

Now, Max, being the ever-optimistic chap, didn’t let a little thing like his daughters’ tragic accident keep him down. Oh no, he bounced back in true Max style by marrying Rainie Cross. Yes, you heard that right – Rainie, his ex-sister-in-law. Because nothing says “moving on” like marrying into the family again. They even decided to play happy families and took in baby Abi, because why not add a baby to this delightful mix?

The Highway Men
Ah, the Highway brothers – Stuart and Callum – rolled into Walford in the first half of the year, bringing with them enough drama to make even the Carters look like a peaceful family. Stuart, the older brother, made his grand entrance in a blacked-out car, because why not make an entrance that screams “I’m up to no good”? He immediately started causing trouble, pranking Mick Carter by pretending to be a masked intruder. Nothing says “old friends” like a good scare, right?

Callum, affectionately known as Halfway, arrived with a bang – quite literally. He was involved in a heist gone wrong, orchestrated by none other than Aidan Maguire. During the chaos, Halfway accidentally shot his mate Mick Carter. Oops! But don’t worry, Mick survived, and Halfway managed to stick around, probably because Walford has a soft spot for lovable goofballs.

Stuart, on the other hand, showed his darker side pretty quickly. He tricked Mick into thinking he had slept with Hayley Slater and had a violent outburst when someone hid his phone. Classic Stuart. He also had a bizarre hobby of hunting down paedophiles, which led to some seriously tense moments. Mick found some incriminating photos on Stuart’s phone and thought he was a paedophile himself. Stuart, ever the charmer, explained he was actually catching them, not being one. Phew, what a relief!

Meanwhile, Callum was busy trying to keep his head above water. He had a bit of a rough time with his brother’s antics and his own secrets. He eventually came clean about not being injured in Iraq by shrapnel, as he had initially claimed. Instead, he admitted to being injured in a much less heroic way. But hey, honesty is the best policy, right?

The Disappearance of Vincent Hubbard
Aidan Maguire, the charming yet menacing Irishman, had decided to orchestrate a heist that would make Danny Ocean proud. Unfortunately, things didn’t go quite as planned, and the aftermath was messier than a Walford pub brawl.

Vincent Hubbard, who had the misfortune of getting tangled up with Aidan, found himself in a tight spot. Aidan, not exactly the forgiving type, decided Vincent needed to disappear. Vincent tried to flee with his family, but Aidan’s henchmen caught up with him. In a tense showdown, Vincent was bundled into a car, and his fate was left hanging in the balance. Spoiler alert: it didn’t end well for Vincent, as he was later revealed to have been killed by Aidan’s hitmen.

Meanwhile, Ciara Maguire, Aidan’s equally formidable wife, was on a mission to recover the stolen heist money. Enter Ben Mitchell, who had sneakily swiped the cash. Ciara, not one to be outsmarted, recruited Melanie Owen to return to Walford and track down the thief. Mel, with her sharp instincts and no-nonsense attitude, quickly figured out that Ben was the culprit.

Ben, realizing he was in deep trouble, tried to keep a low profile, but let’s be honest, subtlety wasn’t exactly his strong suit. Mel confronted him, and after some tense negotiations, she managed to recover the money and Ben left the Square, for now. Ciara, satisfied with the outcome, decided it was time to exit stage left, leaving Aidan to deal with the fallout of his failed heist and Vincent’s demise.

Melanie Owen
Mel Owen’s return to Walford in 2018 was like a blast from the past, but with even more drama and a few extra grey hairs. She came back with a bang, working for her sister-in-law Ciara Maguire to track down some stolen loot. Mel quickly found herself knee-deep in trouble, but hey, that’s just a regular Tuesday in Albert Square.

Mel found herself in a bit of a war with Sharon Mitchell, especially when Mel reopened the Club. It was like watching two alpha lions fighting over the same territory, except with more hair pulling and less actual bloodshed. Sharon wasn’t too pleased with Mel’s return, especially when Mel started getting a bit too close to Phil. Because, let’s face it, in Walford, no one ever really moves on.

Mel also had a bit of a romantic entanglement with Jack Branning. Because why not? Jack’s was a bit of a magnet for drama, and Mel was no exception. Their relationship was a whirlwind of passion, secrets, and the occasional shouting match in the middle of the street.

But Mel had lots to hide. Her son with Steve, Hunter, had grown into quite an unstable young man. And then Ray Kelly arrived.

Mel’s relationship with Ray was like a horror movie. Ray, the charming yet deceitful ex-cop, waltzed back into Mel’s life, and they quickly rekindled their romance. But, in true Walford fashion, things weren’t as rosy as they seemed. Mel discovered that Ray was a bigamist with multiple wives, which is a bit of a deal-breaker, even by Walford standards.

Determined to get her revenge, Mel played the long game. She pretended to be the loving fiancée while secretly plotting to expose Ray. She even went as far as befriending one of his other wives, Maddie, to gather dirt on him. The climax of this drama was their wedding day, where Mel revealed Ray’s bigamy to everyone, leading to his arrest. Talk about a wedding to remember!

Shakil Kazemi
Shakil Kazemi’s exit this year was a storyline that packed a punch, both on and off the screen. Shakil, the lovable and often hapless teen, found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, caught up in a knife crime that would ultimately lead to his tragic demise. It all started when his mate Keegan Baker decided to steal a bike from a gang. Shakil, ever the good friend, tried to return it, but things went horribly wrong. Both he and Keegan were stabbed, but while Keegan survived, Shakil wasn’t so lucky.

The impact of Shakil’s death was felt throughout Walford. His mother, Carmel Kazemi, was devastated, and the entire community came together to mourn his loss. The show took a unique approach to his funeral episode, breaking from the traditional soap format to include real-life accounts from families affected by knife crime. It was a powerful and emotional episode that left viewers in tears and highlighted the real-world issue of youth violence.

Sharon and Keanu: The Affair is on!
Our favourite peroxide blonde, Sharon Mitchell, found herself in quite the pickle, juggling her marriage to Phil Mitchell and a steamy affair with the much younger Keanu Taylor. Because why not add a bit of spice to your life when you’re already living in the drama capital of the world?

It all started when Sharon, feeling a bit neglected by Phil, found herself drawn to Keanu, the local mechanic with a heart of gold and abs of steel. Their affair was hotter than a fry-up at Kathy’s café, and they did their best to keep it under wraps. But, as we all know, secrets in Walford have a way of coming out faster than you can say “duff duff.”

Keanu, bless his heart, was head over heels for Sharon, and who could blame him? But their clandestine romance had more twists and turns than a Walford market stall. They had to dodge Phil, who was conveniently out of town on “business” (read: avoiding more drama), and deal with the constant threat of being caught. The tension was palpable, and every stolen glance and secret rendezvous had viewers on the edge of their seats.

Of course, it wasn’t long before the affair started to impact those around them. Poor Louise, Sharon’s stepdaughter, was caught in the crossfire when she herself started making goo-goo eyes at Keanu. And then there was Phil, who, upon his return, almost caught the lovers in the act. Talk about a close shave!

Sharon’s ‘bestie’, Mel Owen, also got dragged into the mess. Mel, ever the ‘loyal’ friend, tried to keep Sharon’s secret while dealing with her own drama. It was like watching a juggling act with flaming torches – impressive, but bound to end in disaster…

Ruby’s Return
After a twelve-year hiatus, Ruby Allen waltzed back into Walford like she owned the place, ready to reunite with her bestie Stacey Slater. But, of course, in true soap fashion, things didn’t stay rosy for long. Ruby found herself smack dab in the middle of a storyline that had everyone talking – the big consent drama. One minute she was having a night out, the next, she was dealing with the aftermath of a night gone horribly wrong.

Ruby rocked up to the school reunion of Stacey’s hubby, Martin Fowler, and wasted no time flirting with his mate Ross Swinden. Fast forward to the next day, and Ruby spilt the beans to Stacey – she went back to Ross’ place and had a bit of fun, but woke up with Martin’s other mate, Matt Clarkson, on top of her. Stacey, being the fierce friend she was, told Ruby she was raped by Matt, and Ruby eventually reported it to the police. Ruby then moved into a flat on Albert Square, because where else would you go after such drama?

Things took a turn when a photo of Ruby kissing Matt in the club the night before surfaced, and she was gutted when the police got hold of it. Despite the drama, both Matt and Ross were charged with rape. The local rag picked up the story, though no names were mentioned, but Ruby started getting tagged in online photos from E20 with comments suggesting she was making it all up. The online bullying got so bad that Ruby thought about dropping the case altogether. But our girl Ruby soldiered on and even went on a few dates with Jay Brown.

And let’s not forget the juicy bits! Ruby’s return wasn’t just about heavy storylines; she brought a whole lot of romance and scandal to the Square. She caught the eye of none other than Martin Fowler, Stacey’s ex-husband! Talk about awkward family dinners. Their budding romance had everyone in Walford gossiping, and it wasn’t long before Ruby and Martin were the talk of the town. Naturally, this didn’t sit well with Stacey, leading to some classic volatile showdowns. And things between the best friends would soon turn decidedly more sour…

Slater Schemes!
The Slaters were the centre of attention when Mo returned to the Square and announced that Kat had died overseas! Now, viewers had seen Kat in peril in the closing moments of Redwater, but surely the leopard-print legend wasn’t dead? Well the year started with chaos, and continued, in true Slater style!

First up, we had the jaw-dropping moment when Kat Slater made her grand return from the dead. Yes, you heard that right. Just when everyone was planning her funeral, Kat waltzed back into Albert Square, leaving everyone gobsmacked and probably questioning their eyesight. Turns out, reports of her demise were greatly exaggerated, mostly by Mo, and she was very much alive and ready to stir up some trouble.

Not to be outdone, Alfie Moon also made his way back to the Square, bringing with him a suitcase full of secrets and a cheeky grin. But the real bombshell was the revelation that he had a secret love child with none other than Hayley Slater. Talk about keeping it in the family! Hayley, who had been skulking around with a mysterious baby bump, finally gave birth to little Cherry Slater. The drama reached fever pitch when Kat discovered the truth about Cherry’s parentage, and let’s just say, it wasn’t exactly a Hallmark moment.

And then there was Christmas Day, when the holiday cheer was shattered when Alfie took a tumble down the stairs during a heated confrontation. For a moment, it looked like he might be joining the ranks of the dearly departed, but in a twist that only soap could pull off, he survived. However, the drama didn’t end there, as Alfie decided to kidnap baby Cherry, adding a whole new level of madness to the Slater family saga.

The Other Stuff
Joyce Murray dies suddenly, leaving husband Ted alone and devastated. Bernie Taylor and Ted later make an unlikely friendship. Michelle leaves to live with Vicki in New Zealand. Phil helps Kim give birth to Mica locked in the Minute Mart! Doctor Legg returns to the Square, dying of pancreatic cancer and wanting to reminisce about old times…