Joe Wicks

Name: Joe Wicks
First Appeared: 25th March 1996
Last Appeared: 10th October 2024
Played by: Paul Nicholls

If there was ever a character who embodied the drama and heartache of Albert Square, it was Joe Wicks. Hailing from Bolton, Joe’s life had been anything but easy. Tragedy struck early, with the heart-breaking loss of his sister Karen in a car accident. Joe, haunted by guilt because of a trivial argument that ended in her death, carried that heavy burden with him to Walford.

When Joe landed in Albert Square in 1996, he was on a quest to find his estranged father, David Wicks. At first, David turned him away, but Joe was nothing if not determined. After a bit of back-and-forth, Joe and his mum Lorraine finally made the move to London, and Joe moved in with his dad. But the guilt over Karen’s death gnawed at Joe, leading to a decline in his mental health. He started exhibiting bizarre behaviour, including attempts at suicide and some truly unsettling actions like stashing a dead cat in his room.

Joe’s time in Walford was anything but dull. He got engaged to Sarah Hills, only to have a fling with his cousin Mary Flaherty. Realizing he wasn’t ready for the whole marriage deal, Joe broke off the engagement and eventually headed back to Bolton with Lorraine. Reports later hinted that he and Sarah may have patched things up, but Joe’s love life remained as tumultuous as his early days in the Square.

Fast forward to 2012, and David Wicks is filling in his mum, Pat Evans, on Joe’s latest adventures—or rather, misadventures. Joe had found a girlfriend with kids, but the whole family thing didn’t pan out for him. A heated argument between David and Carol Jackson revealed a sad truth: Joe and David had lost contact, and David didn’t even have his son’s address anymore.

By 2024, David and Joe had made amends. After visiting Bianca on the Square, David received a video call from Joe’s daughter Holly – they were both excited to see him. It seems, time heals all wounds…