Paul Coker

Name: Paul Coker
First Appeared: 1st June 2015
Last Appeared: 8th September 2016
Played by: Jonny Labey

Paul Coker had quite the dramatic life in Albert Square. As a kid, he idolized his grandfather Les Coker, often pretending their hearse was the Batmobile, with Les as Alfred and himself as Bruce Wayne. After losing his father and being abandoned by his mother, Paul was raised by his doting grandparents, Pam and Les. However, his relationship with Les became strained when Paul discovered an affair Les was having with Claudette Hubbard during his GCSEs. This revelation led Paul to leave Walford for two years, during which he worked as a club rep in Turkey.

Paul made a splashy return to Walford in 2015, catching the eye of Ben Mitchell and accidentally knocking over Lola Pearce. He flirted with Ben and eventually shared a passionate kiss with him, leading to a secret relationship. However, Paul’s return was also marked by tension with Les over the affair with Claudette. Paul insisted Les end the affair or face Pam’s wrath. Despite these family dramas, Paul found work at Dean Wicks’ salon, Blades, though this too was fraught with complications, including Pam’s attempt to steer him back to the funeral business by having him work on a corpse.

Paul’s relationship with Ben became a significant part of his storyline. Initially, Ben wanted to keep things casual and hidden from his girlfriend, Abi Branning. But after being caught by Ben’s father, Phil Mitchell, their relationship faced numerous ups and downs. Paul was heartbroken when Ben initially chose Abi, thinking she was pregnant. However, when the truth about Abi’s fake pregnancy came out, Ben and Paul rekindled their romance, despite Pam’s initial disapproval. The couple faced more challenges, including dealing with Les’s cross-dressing secret and the resulting blackmail that caused significant stress for the family.

Tragically, Paul’s life was cut short in 2016. After a night out in Soho, Paul and Ben were attacked by a group of men. The next morning, it was Paul who was found dead, not Ben, leading to a murder investigation. This devastating loss left Ben and the Coker family heartbroken. Pam was in denial until she identified Paul’s body, and the impact of his death reverberated through the community.