5 EastEnders women who deserve to shine as Stacey Slater exits the soap
We knew it was coming – EastEnders favourite Stacey Slater has once again bid farewell to Albert Square, jetting off to Brazil to join her brother Sean. And you know what? She deserves it after the year she’s had.
We know it might be hard to imagine EastEnders without Stacey and the incomparable Lacey Turner, but this presents an exciting opportunity for the show – and us as viewers.
With Lily staying behind, Kat behind the bar and Zoe back where she belongs, it’s safe to say the Slaters are not going to be short of the drama we know and love.
However, it’s also the perfect time to give some other female characters – who’ve felt more than a little neglected – the chance to finally shine and take centre stage.
And we know exactly where to start…
1. Chelsea Fox
On paper, Chelsea Fox is everything you could dream of in a leading lady. Where Chelsea goes, trouble usually follows. We saw that when Zaraah Abrahams took over the role in 2020 and was thrown into drama with the return of her father Lucas and her relationship with the evil Gray Atkins.
Since then, however, it’s felt like Denise’s eldest has been somewhat on the periphery of the drama. There was a little fun with Ravi to further torment Denise and, of course, who can forget the club crush of 2024? Under pressure, we got a glimpse of the lengths Chelsea would go to, as she allowed Penny to take the blame for what had happened at Peggy’s.
It’s time for Chelsea to dust herself off and reestablish herself in Albert Square. The Fox-Brannings are such a strong family unit, and Chelsea and her son Jordan should feel like a core part of that. Who is Chelsea Fox in 2025? Is she enjoying life? Is she struggling as a single mum? Does she have any friendships? Love interests?
Poor Chelsea is crying out for something, anything that doesn’t reduce her to an extra in Harry’s Barn. With the character turning 40 next year, it’s the perfect time to bring her back to the forefront of the show.
Zaraah lights up the screen when given the opportunity, and no matter what’s thrown at Chelsea next, we know she could easily fill the shelves with awards that Lacey’s name might have been on.
2. Penny Branning
In some ways, Penny and Chelsea feel like different sides of the same coin. Both linked to the Fox-Brannings as the eldest daughters of Jack and Denise, there was that brief moment of friendship followed by rivalry, which led to the previously-mentioned crush.
The opportunity to show them as two reluctant ‘sisters’ was never fully embraced, not even when it could have turned nasty after their parents split.
Outside of diving into her relationship with Jack, we’ve got very little sense of what makes Penny tick. She’s not one to be defined by her disability, but what challenges does it present her? It’d be great to see Penny given a meaningful relationship – outside of a friendship with her cousin Lauren.
Let’s see what lies beneath the party girl who is always up for some fun and can offer a dry, humorous response to any situation – always expertly delivered by Kitty Castledine.
BBC
We know she can get herself into a spot of bother now and again, and can more than hold her own in an argument, but wouldn’t it be lovely to explore her other side?
Like she told Lauren recently, Penny wants excitement and passion: “When I fall in love, like proper love, I want to feel jealous.” Can we see this, please?
After a little glimpse of what that might look like when she was briefly paired up with Harry Mitchell, it’s time to take us on that journey and let Penny experience that love she craves – the highs and the lows. Show us what this might entail for a disabled woman in their 20s.
It already sets itself apart from other stories and that’s what EastEnders does best. She’s not just a party girl with daddy issues. We could count on one hand the amount of disabled love stories told on-screen, so why waste the perfect opportunity?
3. Gina Knight
Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that Gina is the daughter of THE Cindy Beale. Gina has all the ingredients to be a classic EastEnders character. Francesca Henry has brought her to life with such energy and charm, that even when we’ve seen Gina at her worst, you can’t help but root for her.
The Knights have been shipped out of The Queen Vic, which might not have felt like the greatest show of confidence in the family unit from the new boss, Ben Wadey.
As the family is currently spread out over Walford, it’s felt difficult to connect with the collective unit. However, Gina’s blossoming romance with Harry Mitchell (sorry Penny) has been a glimmer of hope.
There’s some electric chemistry between Francesca and Elijah Holloway, which has – despite an overall lack of screen time – made it easy to enjoy the partnership.
While we’ve been lacking some of the early moments of this love story, we’re hoping the next stage will be allowed to play out on screen, without immediately being thrown into chaos against the ongoing drug storyline.
Is Harry and Gina simply a relationship designed for drama and doomed to fail? This might be EastEnders, but we’re convincing ourselves otherwise and hoping for the best. The show has not hit the mark in fully convincing us that Peter and Lauren are the big romantic fairytale, so Harry and Gina are a great opportunity to right that wrong.
4. Priya Nandra-Hart
Sophie Khan Levy is one of the most exciting additions to EastEnders – and maybe all of Soapland – in years. Priya is an absolute force of nature.
She could be your best friend or your worst enemy – and we know which side we’d want to be on.
We’ve seen the fierce protective side of Priya who will fight any battles for her children, but it still feels like there is so much to explore with who she is outside of that role. Her own family history is a blank canvas that we’re itching to see explored.
Her relationship with Ravi is electric, but as we can currently see, she is going to struggle with trusting that he has turned his back on dodgy dealings.
Of course there’s an understandable temptation to throw drama at a couple like that, but we’re hoping there is more ahead than being the ‘long-suffering spouse’ for a character so full of life and fire.
As with a lot of these characters right now, we are craving seeing some meaningful friendship groups. Priya might not be the first through the door for a book club or pub darts team, but something that brings characters that don’t normally interact together would really go a long way to solving some of those issues right now.
Remember when it felt like there could be a really fun and genuine friendship with Ian Beale? Those are the kind of unconventional, fun pairings we’d love to see.
5. Honey Mitchell
Once again, we find ourselves beating the drum for the criminally under-appreciated Honey Mitchell. As we approach the 20th anniversary of her arrival on Albert Square (thank you, Yolande!), it would be lovely to see her given the chance to lead a storyline.
We know Honey can offer light relief and played for comedy with her well-known malapropisms, but she can be so much more than that. We’ve seen a quick change in the new era with Honey taken out of her role in the market and back behind the counter in the Minute Mart, a move we’re firmly behind. Now what?
Emma Barton has always delivered when serious storylines have been thrown at Honey and the character can also shine when in a supporting role, like she did during Ben’s eating disorder and Lola’s death.
We’ve seen glimpses of how Honey can step up and unleash her inner-Mitchell matriarch, but perhaps that’s a role Nicola now more naturally fills. Will and Janet don’t feature as regularly as the other younger characters, which doesn’t help in making Honey (or Billy) feel as present as parents.
What is life really like for Honey in 2025 as she navigates turning 50 as the mother of an adult with Down’s Syndrome? Give us the chance to see what Janet’s adult life looks like and how Honey can be part of that. EastEnders has the power to educate as well as entertain, and speak to the audience like few shows can, but only when it is brave enough to do so.