Kevin Wicks

Name: Kevin Wicks
First Appeared: 17th February 2006
Last Appeared: 1st January 2008
Played by: Phil Daniels

Kevin Wicks wasn’t your average Walford resident; he came with a trunk-load of history and heartache. Kevin married Shirley Carter back in 1980, and the couple had a son named Jimbo, who sadly had cystic fibrosis. While Kevin stayed loyal, Shirley’s infidelity resulted in two children, Carly and Deano, whom Kevin raised as his own. Things got rocky when Shirley found parenting too tough and abandoned Kevin in 1989, leaving him to navigate single parenthood. Jimbo’s tragic death saw Shirley missing in action, not even returning for the funeral, thus cementing Kevin’s role as the ultimate father figure for Carly and Deano.

Kevin rolled into Walford in February 2006, following his son Deano, and shacking up with his aunt Pat Evans. Initially planning to emigrate, Kevin stayed put to help Carly with her marital woes and ended up managing the local car lot. His first encounter with Denise Fox was a classic mix-up – she mistook him for Grant Mitchell and accused him of sleeping with her daughter Chelsea. Despite the rocky start, sparks flew, and Kevin found himself drawn to Denise, navigating the minefield of her temper and ex-husband troubles to build a volatile yet loving relationship.

A family holiday in Dorset led Kevin’s past to catch up with him when his ex-wife Shirley reappeared, trying to reconnect with Deano and Carly. When Kevin stood his ground, Shirley followed the family back to Walford, stirring up all kinds of trouble by revealing Kevin wasn’t Carly and Deano’s biological father. The fallout was severe, with Carly rejecting Kevin entirely and Deano slowly coming around. Kevin’s resulting absence was filled with wanderlust and drama, including a bizarre encounter with a conman named Jed. On his return, a brief and regrettable fling with Shirley added to the chaos.

Kevin’s resilience shone through as he managed to rebuild his relationship with his children and proposed to Denise, leading to their marriage in 2007. Even Shirley’s attempts to sabotage the wedding by revealing their tryst didn’t stand a chance, as Kevin had already come clean to Denise. Kevin’s family troubles didn’t end there; he had to deal with Deano and Chelsea’s imprisonment after they attempted to frame Sean Slater. His involvement in destroying CCTV evidence to protect them only added to the drama.

In December 2007, Kevin found himself entangled in Phil Mitchell’s dodgy car dealings, unknowingly selling stolen vehicles that turned out to be dangerous “cut-and-shuts.” His attempt to retrieve and destroy one of the cars on New Year’s Eve led to a tragic accident. Shirley’s presence in the chaos didn’t help, and Kevin’s crash and subsequent death were a devastating blow to the community. His funeral was classic Walford drama with a broken-down hearse and a heartfelt march to the crematorium. Kevin’s ashes, lovingly scattered in the South China Sea by Denise and Carly, marked the end of a true EastEnder whose life was as complex and heart-wrenching as the Square itself.