EastEnders has announced the arrival of a new family in Walford as the Hawkins clan, the estranged family of Nicola Mitchell, “crash into Albert Square”.<\/p>\n
Teeing up the storyline, the BBC soap said: “Viewers are already aware that Nicola has a fractured relationship with her family and has kept them at arm’s length for a number of reasons.<\/p>\n
“Now, Gemma, alongside her husband Ned and their son Ryder, are heading to Walford with her mother Rose and Nicola’s youngest sister Jodie.<\/p>\n
“With old wounds and complicated family dynamics in tow, the Hawkins are set to make an explosive impact on the Square.<\/p>\n
“Patricia Potter (Holby City) and Jamie Bamber (Beyond Paradise) will be taking on the roles of Gemma Hawkins and Ned Roper and Felix Uff (Amadeus) will be playing their son, Ryder.<\/p>\n
“They’ll be joined by Marian McLoughlin (Trying) who will play Rose, and Anna Constable (Imposter 22) as Jodie.”<\/p>\n
Ben Wadey, EastEnders’ Executive Producer, said: “The Hawkins family are a fantastic addition to Walford.<\/p>\n
“While the family share a fierce loyalty to one another, decades of complicated history and Nicola’s estrangement from them has left fractures within the family that are far from healed.<\/p>\n
“We’re all very excited for what we have planned for the family, and we can’t wait for the audience to meet them.”<\/p>\n
EastEnders airs on RT\u00c9 One and BBC One Monday to Thursday.<\/p>\n