Poppy Meadow

Name: Poppy Meadow
First Appeared: 11th January 2011
Last Appeared: 30th January 2014
Played by: Rachel Bright

Poppy Meadow breezed into Walford as Jodie Gold’s bubbly best friend, always ready for a chat in The Queen Vic about the latest gossip. Jodie, ever the matchmaker, tried to set Poppy up with Tamwar Masood, but Zainab Masood had other ideas and put a stop to that plan. Poppy’s initial stint in Walford was short-lived, but she made quite the impression.

When Poppy returned, she was dating Jodie’s ex, Julian, and things were a bit rocky. After losing her job, Jodie suggested she work at the local beauty salon as a receptionist. Tyler Moon, ever the charmer, flirted with Poppy, who played hard to get at first. But when she revealed her troubles with Julian, she decided to date Tyler to make Julian jealous. Off-screen, she ended things with Julian, and her life in Walford took a new turn.

Jodie and Darren Miller’s engagement brought more drama. Poppy, along with Lauren and Abi Branning, was asked to be a bridesmaid. But when Poppy discovered Darren’s “drunken encounter” with Lauren, she threatened to spill the beans. Jodie, however, already knew and still wanted to marry Darren, but he called off the wedding and left Walford. Poppy then moved in with Jodie, but after a rent hike from Ian Beale, they were evicted and ended up living with Tyler and Anthony Moon. Poppy’s attraction to Anthony led to a date, but his feelings for Jodie complicated things. After a kiss between Anthony and Jodie, Jodie left London, and Poppy, furious, followed suit, heading to Essex.

Poppy’s return to Walford saw her helping Tanya Branning with Janine Butcher’s wedding preparations. She boasted about her “plush” lifestyle, but reality hit hard when she was evicted from her bedsit. Fatboy came to her rescue, offering her a place to stay, and Tanya gave her a permanent job at the salon. Moving into Dot Cotton’s house, Poppy forgave Anthony and struck up a new friendship with Alice Branning. Her sister Tansy’s visit saw Fatboy pretending to be a high-flying businessman to impress her. This charade led to a real relationship between Poppy and Fatboy, who later declared their love for each other.

However, Poppy’s happiness was short-lived. She found suspicious texts on Fatboy’s phone and saw him with a girl named Chloe, leading her to believe he was cheating. Fatboy explained Chloe was just a colleague, but the trust was broken. Poppy’s job at the salon ended when Sadie Young left Walford, and her interference in Dot’s relationship with Nick Cotton caused more friction. The final straw came when Poppy discovered Fatboy had kissed Denise Fox. Furious, she confronted Denise and decided she needed a fresh start away from Walford. Fatboy refused to leave, ending their relationship. Poppy packed her bags and left for Hemel Hempstead, but not before dropping a bombshell letter through Ian Beale’s letterbox about his fiancée’s infidelity.