Etta Tavernier

Name: Etta Tavernier
First Appeared: 5th July 1990
Last Appeared: 3rd March 1994
Played by: Jacqui Gordon-Lawrence

Etta Tavernier brought her Trinidadian flair to Albert Square when she moved there in 1990 with her husband, Celestine, and their children, Clyde, Lloyd, and Hattie. Having married Celestine in Jamaica and moved to England after the birth of their first son, Clyde, Etta was determined to make a new life for her family. She secured a job teaching at Walford Primary School and worked hard to establish herself in the community.

Etta’s presence was felt immediately, especially when she locked Celestine and Clyde in the kitchen to force them to resolve their differences. Her dedication to her family was unwavering, especially when Lloyd suffered a sickle cell crisis in October 1990. Etta and Celestine kept a close eye on him, determined to support him through his health struggles.

In 1991, Etta faced a significant challenge when she was encouraged to apply for the role of headmistress at Walford Primary. Despite facing tough questioning and Eurocentric remarks from the school’s committee board, Etta’s determination and open-mindedness saw her succeed in securing the position. However, her decision to undergo sterilisation due to the risk of passing on the sickle cell gene caused tension with Celestine, whose strong Christian beliefs opposed the idea. The situation became more complicated when Etta discovered she was already pregnant and the baby would inherit the condition, leading her to choose termination. This difficult time tested their marriage, but ultimately brought them closer together.

When Lloyd started getting into trouble with the police for joyriding, Celestine’s job promotion in Norwich prompted the family to move for a fresh start in June 1992. Etta briefly returned to Albert Square in 1994 to collect Hattie’s belongings and tried to convince Jules to move to Norwich too. Realizing he was happier in Walford, she respected his decision and left.