Andy Hunter

Name: Andy Hunter
First Appeared: 3rd June 2003
Last Appeared: 18th February 2005
Played by: Michael Higgs

Andy Hunter arrived in Walford with a bang, taking over The Firm after Jack Dalton’s death at the hands of Dennis Rickman. Andy didn’t waste any time asserting his dominance, threatening Dennis and Phil Mitchell for information. Surprisingly, after learning that Dennis was the culprit, Andy claimed he’d shake Dennis’s hand for giving him control of The Firm. With that, Andy decided to settle in and make Walford his new playground.

His love life was no less dramatic. Smitten with Kat Slater, he persisted despite her initial rejection. They eventually started dating and got engaged in New York, but their wedding day turned chaotic when Alfie Moon interrupted, professing his love for Kat. She left Andy at the altar, and he sought revenge by blackmailing her into sleeping with him to pay off Alfie’s debt, threatening Alfie’s life. Although Alfie eventually paid the money, the damage was done, and Andy filmed the encounter to torment Alfie further.

Andy’s schemes extended beyond romance. He married Sam Mitchell, only to con her out of her house and pub with the help of Den Watts and Marcus Christie. Left penniless and homeless, Sam became another victim of Andy’s ruthlessness. Meanwhile, Paul Trueman reported Andy’s criminal activities to the police, prompting Andy to hire a hitman from The Firm to kill him. When Pat Evans learned of the hit, Andy threatened her to keep quiet. Despite Patrick Trueman’s attempts to expose him, Andy remained untouchable.

In 2005, Andy’s fortunes took a turn when he tried to con crime boss Johnny Allen out of £750,000. Johnny saw through the plan and arranged a meet-up near a motorway bridge, pretending to retire. As they shook hands, Johnny shockingly pushed Andy off the bridge, sending him plummeting to his death. The police ruled it a suicide, unaware of Johnny’s involvement.

Ironically, Andy’s demise occurred on the same night as Den Watts’ murder by his wife, Chrissie. At Andy’s will reading, Sam Mitchell expected to inherit his wealth but was left with only his wedding ring and a scathing final message, “so she can sell it, get her roots done and still be the dumbest blonde I ever knew.” This final insult added salt to Sam’s already deep wounds.

Later in the year, Dennis Rickman began to suspect Johnny Allen of Andy’s murder. Their feud escalated, leading to Johnny having Dennis killed in retaliation. In 2006, Johnny confessed to all his crimes, including Andy’s murder, to the police. He eventually met his own end, dying of a heart attack while serving a life sentence.