Reiss Colwell

Name: Reiss Colwell
First Appeared: 12th December 2022
Last Appeared: 3rd March 2025
Played by: Jonny Freeman

When he first arrived in Albert Square for his great-aunt Dot Branning’s funeral, there was little to Reiss Colwell that would have set off alarm bells. Sure he was quirky and a little eccentric perhaps, but it takes all kinds to make a world work, even if half the Square had no idea what he was on about!

One person who did understand him was Sonia Fowler, who could see the kind-hearted man underneath – the one who struggled with society and was obsessive over his hobbies. She understood that he had a past. That he had a wife. That she was ill. That she was in a coma. She even sat with her on her days off!

And she knew that he wouldn’t have killed her. He wouldn’t have smothered his Debbie with a pillow, no matter what her financial situation was or how much debt he was in. He simply would not.

Sonia was arrested for suspected murder, mainly because she’d been in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and so, Reiss threw himself into getting Sonia out of her cell. He set up campaigns, yelled at judges and solicitors alike, and even got Bianca to record a confession to get his bride out. He nobbled the jury and Sonia was freed.

You would think that would be enough to satisfy Reiss, but his behaviour became more and more bizarre, in the end leaving Bianca to rot in a lockup where he had stashed her. She escaped just in time to save Sonia from Reiss, who had inadvertently dropped himself in it through a doll’s house.

When he tried to escape Bianca, he swerved to avoid Ian and crashed into the barbeque set up for Billy and Honey’s wedding. The Vic went up and Reiss, inside and on the run, was crushed by a bath tub for his troubles. He wouldn’t live to see his child, but the damage done to his victims would haunt them forever…