Ava Hartman

Name: Ava Hartman
First Appeared: 20th November 2012
Last Appeared: 17th December 2013
Played by: Clare Perkins

Ava Hartman’s arrival in Walford was nothing short of dramatic. In July 2012, Cora Cross revealed to her daughter Tanya that Ava, born in 1964, was taken away by hospital staff and presumed dead. In reality, Ava was put up for adoption. Fast forward to November, and Cora confided in her partner Patrick Trueman that Ava was alive. Patrick, being the good-hearted meddler he is, told Tanya, who tracked Ava down to a local school where she was the deputy headmistress. Tanya and Patrick’s visit to the school was a mix of shock and awkwardness, especially when Tanya discovered Ava was mixed-race. After a hasty exit, leaving her purse behind, Ava returned it the next day, leading to a heartfelt reunion with Cora. Ava, however, decided that the past was best left buried and initially walked away.

But Walford had other plans for Ava. A few weeks later, Cora visited Ava with a bracelet and a Christmas card, sparking a tentative reconnection. Things took a twist when Tanya’s daughter, Abi Branning, befriended Dexter Hartman and invited him to dinner. Ava gate-crashed the dinner, revealing Dexter was her son and berating Tanya for meddling. Ava’s life in Walford became even more intertwined when she got a job at a local school and moved to Albert Square after a gang trashed her home. Despite her initial reluctance, Ava started to build bridges with Cora, thanks to Dexter’s urging, and even struck up a friendship with Billy Mitchell, who had a romantic interest in her.

Ava’s love life was as tumultuous as her arrival. Her date with Billy was interrupted by her ex-husband and Dexter’s father, Sam James, who had a knack for disappearing acts. Sam’s return stirred up old feelings, and despite Ava’s initial resentment, they rekindled their romance. However, Sam’s need for a kidney transplant threw a spanner in the works. Ava wasn’t a match, but Dexter was, and despite Ava’s protests, he went through with the transplant. Ava’s overprotectiveness clashed with Sam’s need for space, leading to tension. On Dexter’s birthday, Ava discovered Sam’s true motive for returning – to get Dexter’s kidney. Furious, she threw him out but kept the truth from Dexter, who then moved in with Cora, blaming Ava for Sam’s sudden departure.

The final chapter of Ava’s Walford saga saw her offered a job in Newcastle. Initially, she turned it down, but Dexter, discovering the truth about Sam, took matters into his own hands. He accepted the job on her behalf, and Ava eventually agreed to go, deciding Dexter should stay in Walford to live his own life. In a touching farewell, Ava thanked Cora, calling her “mum,” and left for a new beginning.