Andy O’Brien

Name: Andy O’Brien
First Appeared: 21st March 1985
Last Appeared: 14th August 1986
Played by: Ross Davidson

Andy O’Brien made his entrance into Albert Square in March 1985, accompanied by his girlfriend, Debbie Wilkins. A decidedly middle-class couple, they stood out among the working-class residents of the Square. Their relationship was rocky from the start, with Andy eager to settle down and start a family, while Debbie was less keen and soon attracted the attention of policeman Roy Quick. Debbie enjoyed being pursued by Roy, leading to an agreement for an open relationship, which was less than ideal for Andy, who still had feelings for her and often got jealous seeing her with other men.

Andy was the kind of guy who wanted to make a difference in Walford, throwing himself into altruistic activities like campaigning against the demolition of the Square and fighting racism. When he discovered Mary Smith was illiterate, he began teaching her to read. Unfortunately, this backfired when Mary fell for him, forcing Andy to reject her advances, which ended their reading lessons and left Mary unimpressed.

Andy’s personal life took a dramatic turn when he began an affair with Angie Watts, the alcoholic landlady of The Queen Victoria pub. However, their affair was short-lived when Angie’s husband, Den Watts, caught them in bed together. Den furiously chased a half-naked Andy into the street, igniting a feud between the two men. It soon became clear that Angie was using Andy to make Den jealous, leaving Andy to regret his involvement in their volatile relationship. The ladies’ man reputation Andy inadvertently developed gave Debbie a change of heart, leading them to get back together and even get engaged.

Sadly, their happiness was fleeting. In 1986, 37-year-old Andy was tragically killed after being mowed down by a lorry while heroically saving a child from being hit. True to his altruistic nature, even in death, Andy’s organ donor card ensured that someone received his kidneys. Ironically, shortly before his death, he had an argument with Debbie, who told him to “drop dead,” a comment that became tragically prophetic.